The day after visiting the hot springs, Minato heard from Tsunade that Jiraiya had gone to Mount Myōboku for secluded training.
It was said that he didn't plan to return to Konoha for a short while.
"I guess my words were too harsh after all?"
In the kitchen, Minato was making dinner while Tsunade was cleaning the used prep trays nearby.
"Don't worry about it; it's a good thing."
Tsunade chuckled.
"Even though that guy is a pervert, he's not unreasonable. He probably realized some things and plans to go cultivate his state of mind."
"Cultivate his state of mind?"
That sounded profound.
"Exactly. A ninja is someone with great perseverance, able to endure what ordinary people cannot."
"Therefore, the cultivation of one's state of mind is also a crucial part."
Tsunade explained patiently.
"The path of a ninja isn't smooth sailing."
"Hunger, pain, slaughter, and even death—as a ninja, you're bound to experience these things."
"So, you'll have to undergo this kind of cultivation in the future as well."
"Then why become a ninja at all?"
Minato asked.
"I've never quite understood."
"Water Release can be used for irrigating crops, Earth Release can be used for building houses, and the wind, fire, and lightning attributes—even chakra itself—could be used directly as energy sources."
"Ninjas clearly possess the ability to make the era advance rapidly, so why waste time and energy on things like fighting and killing?"
Tsunade was stunned for a moment, not expecting Minato to ask such a question.
She pondered for a while and thought.
"It's probably because of hatred..."
"Does hatred just appear out of thin air?"
Minato asked again.
"If A is jealous that C's business is better than his own and feels that the other person is stealing his business, he hires B to assassinate C."
"After finding out, C hires D to protect him."
"In the end, B is killed by D during the conflict."
"So, Sensei, whose fault do you think this is?"
Tsunade didn't hesitate.
"Of course, it's A's! Also, B is at fault for taking such a mission."
Minato asked once more.
"Then, Sensei, who do you think B's child will hate after B dies?"
Tsunade paused, suddenly falling silent.
Unsure of what she was thinking about, her expression grew increasingly gloomy, and her mood visibly soured.
"Ah—!!!"
After a while, Tsunade suddenly let out a shout, grabbed Minato, and began rubbing his head irritably.
"Where do you get so many questions, kid?"
"Eh? It's just small talk..."
"Even small talk is a no-go!"
Tsunade pinched Minato's cheeks, pulling them to the sides, and looked at him with a serious face.
"I don't care! People must take responsibility for their actions!"
"Since you raised this question, then the task of solving it is handed over to you!"
"Yes! Let's make it your final assessment before you graduate from my tutelage!"
"Eh—?!"
Minato looked shocked.
He only wanted to subtly express that the ninja system was problematic.
To him, whether it was the Ninja Code or the Will of Fire, they were all bullshit; he wouldn't follow the rules of a ninja.
But what on earth was this woman talking about?
This is like me telling you that the world hasn't been peaceful in recent years, especially in the Middle East...
And then you tell me: the task of maintaining world peace is handed over to you, go and mediate for them.
"Hahaha~ Just kidding!"
Seeing Minato's shocked expression, Tsunade laughed heartily and ruffled his hair.
"But it's not entirely a joke, either."
"You possess the power of Wood Release, after all, so you're destined to be extraordinary in the future."
"Even if you want to live a peaceful life, sometimes you won't be able to help yourself."
"If you're truly willing to accept people's trust in the future, then perhaps you can consider my proposal from today."
Hearing this, Minato nodded.
Tsunade was right.
He would have family and friends by his side in the future, and trouble would inevitably find its way to him.
Sometimes, even if you don't want to, countless people will push you to a higher position.
But it was still a bit too early to think about such things...
Two days later, the Ninja Academy opened.
Today was the entrance ceremony for new students.
Early in the morning, Tsunade brought the two of them to the school.
As soon as they arrived at the school, Minato heard someone calling his name.
"Yo! Long time no see! Minato Namikaze!"
Shinnosuke Sarutobi stood in the line of new students.
Upon seeing Minato, he immediately became excited and waved at him.
"Over here, over here!"
"Morning..."
Minato nodded calmly and then turned to walk toward the line of new students.
"Hey, don't ignore me, you guy."
Shinnosuke's face twitched as he leaned in and whispered next to Minato.
"I had my dad arrange for us to be in the same class. I definitely won't lose to you again next time!"
"Mm, then good luck."
Actually, even if you didn't say anything, he probably would have arranged for us to be in the same class anyway...
Minato smiled politely and waved to Tsunade.
Only then did Tsunade turn to leave, yawning as she headed home to catch up on sleep.
Shinnosuke seemed to want to say something more, but before he could speak, he was suddenly bumped aside, causing him to stumble.
"Damn it, who..."
Shinnosuke's expression changed, and just as he was about to get angry, he saw a swarm of girls surrounding Minato.
"Hello, Minato-kun. My name is Kaoru Koyou. Please take care of me from now on!"
A sweet and cute-looking black-haired girl sent a friend request to Minato.
"Hello, please take care of me as well."
Minato smiled politely.
"Ah—Minato-kun looks so handsome when he smiles!"
"His taste in clothes is great too..."
The girls chirped and gathered around Minato, their enthusiasm causing Shinnosuke's mouth to twitch uncontrollably.
"Are you kidding me? This guy is way too popular."
Looking at the group of passionate young girls around him, Minato was also a bit exhausted from dealing with them.
Fortunately, there were teachers on-site maintaining order.
Seeing the chaotic scene, a teacher immediately stepped forward.
"Everyone be quiet and return to your own class lines!"
"Eh—"
The surrounding girls immediately made reluctant noises, but they still obediently returned to their class lines.
"Is that Lady Tsunade's disciple?"
The commotion around Minato attracted a lot of attention.
In the third-year line, a boy with a pineapple-shaped hairstyle looked at Minato from a distance.
"That's right! Shikaku, let me tell you, Minato is super strong! You must never provoke him!"
Nawaki warned with a serious face.
He knew that his good friend had always greatly admired his big sister.
"I'm not that bored..."
The boy named Shikaku patted the back of his head, his tone lazy.
It was true that he admired Tsunade, but it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the men in Konoha who liked Tsunade could form a line from the village entrance to the end.
Even if someone really were to look for trouble, it wouldn't be his turn, and he wasn't someone who lacked common sense.
Besides, for Nawaki to give such a "super strong" evaluation meant the other person's strength was more than just a little bit greater than Nawaki's; it wasn't something he could even compare to.
Considering how popular the guy was among the girls, he was definitely a super troublesome fellow!
As the young heir of the Nara Clan, Shikaku's mind had always been sharp, and he cleared his thoughts in an instant.
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the playground with a group of teachers.
He began the speech he was proud of and delivered every year—the Will of Fire!