Morning sunlight spread across the land, warm and gentle. Its soft glow bathed everything in comfort, awakening life throughout the world.
"I'm heading out!"
From a small courtyard somewhere in Konohagakure, a young, energetic voice rang out. A boy of six or seven years old stepped forward full of vitality, beginning a brand-new day.
Minato Namikaze had risen early and was already striding toward the Ninja Academy of Konoha.
Despite the intense training he had endured the previous night, he felt no fatigue whatsoever. On the contrary, his body felt even lighter than before. This change surprised even him.
According to what he understood about the human body, a seven-year-old's ability to refine chakra was extremely limited, and their recovery ability was naturally quite poor as well. Minato Namikaze believed that his chakra reserves were already quite large compared to others his age.
But even so, there was no way his recovery should have been this fast.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure it out.
"It looks like I'll have to ask Shirota-sensei about it when I get to the academy."
The teacher Minato Namikaze referred to was Shirota Hon, his instructor at the Ninja Academy and a chunin.
For a first-year student like Minato Namikaze, much about the ninja world was still unknown. To him, the knowledge of a chunin already seemed vast and impressive.
Shirota Hon himself was known to be highly knowledgeable, someone with a broad range of learning. It was said that even Hiruzen Sarutobi held him in high regard.
Of course, that praise referred to Shirota Hon's knowledge—not his strength.
The Third Hokage was undoubtedly the most powerful and most knowledgeable person in Konohagakure. People even called him the "Professor of Ninjutsu." It was said that the number of techniques he had mastered was unimaginable, and his strength was immense. Even the Kage of the other four great ninja nations were wary of him.
It was precisely because such a powerful figure existed that the village and the Land of Fire were able to enjoy their current peace.
Rumor had it that the Third Hokage had three students who were also extremely powerful. But for Minato Namikaze, those figures were still far beyond his reach.
However, since Minato Namikaze had already set his sights on becoming Hokage, he intended to surpass the great predecessors who came before him.
That was something he would never waver on.
The streets of Konohagakure were already lively in the early morning. Many pedestrians were walking about, and the shop owners along the street had opened their businesses early.
For ordinary civilians, there was nothing more pleasant than enjoying such peace.
Feeling the calm atmosphere around him, Minato Namikaze couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Minato."
Suddenly, a light and pleasant voice called out.
Minato Namikaze paused and turned slightly.
The person who came into view had a delicate and graceful face. She was a girl about the same age as Minato Namikaze, with long black hair and bright dark eyes that carried a gentle, intelligent charm.
"Mikoto, good morning!"
Seeing her, Minato Namikaze smiled warmly.
The girl standing before him was Mikoto Uchiha, a member of the Uchiha Clan and his classmate.
In Konohagakure, the Uchiha name represented great power. As a result, many children from the clan tended to be somewhat arrogant.
However, that kind of arrogance was nowhere to be found in Mikoto Uchiha.
She was an extremely kind girl. And because of Minato Namikaze's friendly personality, he was quite popular among his classmates. Naturally, Mikoto Uchiha had become one of his friends.
"Good morning," Mikoto Uchiha replied with a gentle smile.
Minato Namikaze's gaze dropped slightly, and he noticed the small bag she was carrying.
"Have you had breakfast?" Mikoto Uchiha asked.
Then she took out a rice ball from the bag and held it out toward him.
"Here. My mother taught me how to make rice balls yesterday. I was planning to share them with everyone during lunch break. Would you like to try one first? I'm worried they might not taste very good…"
As she spoke, her voice became a little shy.
Clearly, she lacked confidence in her first attempt at cooking.
In response, Minato Namikaze smiled reassuringly.
"If it's made by Mikoto, it'll definitely be great."
His confident answer made Mikoto Uchiha pause slightly.
But when she looked into Minato Namikaze's deep blue eyes and saw the sincere belief in his expression, her earlier anxiety gradually faded away.
Minato Namikaze's smile seemed to carry a special warmth that made people instinctively trust him.
"Okay!" Mikoto Uchiha replied with a cheerful nod.
Minato Namikaze smiled.
"Then let's share them together during lunch break. Rice balls made by Mikoto will taste even better when everyone enjoys them together."
"Alright," she said softly, placing the rice ball back into the bag.
Then the two of them continued walking toward the Ninja Academy.
They were in the same first-year class.
When they arrived at the classroom, it was still empty.
After all, children their age often liked to sleep in—and besides, they had arrived quite early.
Minato Namikaze and Mikoto Uchiha returned to their seats.
The girl looked forward to sharing the rice balls she had made with everyone during lunch break, while the boy pulled a ninja handbook from his desk drawer and began reading.
After a short while, a young man entered the classroom.
He wore a Konoha ninja headband and appeared to be in his twenties. Although he wasn't particularly handsome, he had a scholarly air about him.
He looked more like a teacher or researcher than a warrior.
"Good morning, Shirota-sensei."
Seeing him, both Minato Namikaze and Mikoto Uchiha stood up and bowed respectfully.
Respecting teachers was a fundamental virtue.
In the ninja world, many of the most famous shinobi had been trained by exceptional mentors.
For example, the teachers of the Third Hokage had been the legendary founders of Konohagakure: Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, who had also established the Ninja Academy system.
Great teachers produced great students.
It was easy to understand why the Third Hokage had become so powerful.
"Good morning, Minato. Good morning, Mikoto," Shirota Hon replied with a smile.
He naturally liked these two students very much. Not only were they polite, but they also performed well academically.
After greeting him, Mikoto Uchiha returned to her seat.
Minato Namikaze, however, stepped forward toward Shirota Hon and bowed again.
"Minato, is there something you need?" Shirota Hon asked.
Minato Namikaze nodded politely.
"Shirota-sensei, do you have a moment? I have some questions I'd like to ask."
"Of course," Shirota Hon said with a smile. "As a teacher, it's my duty to help my students resolve their doubts."
Minato Namikaze was the first student to proactively ask him questions, which naturally made him quite pleased. Compared to the more playful children in the class, Minato Namikaze stood out as particularly diligent.
Minato Namikaze then explained the strange changes he had experienced after his training.
However, he did not reveal the exact details of his training, simply saying that he had performed some routine exercises.
In his own estimation, the training he was doing had already gone beyond what the Ninja Academy normally taught. He didn't want to attract unnecessary attention that might cause trouble.
After listening, Shirota Hon first praised Minato Namikaze for his diligence.
For a child his age to willingly devote time to training was quite rare.
He then briefly examined Minato Namikaze's body but found nothing unusual.
"There's no need to worry too much," Shirota Hon said.
"Although chakra refinement usually requires gradual progress, occasional periods of faster growth aren't unheard of. It's not harmful. Just remember to balance work and rest—you're still growing."
Minato Namikaze nodded.
His concerns were finally eased.
He bowed again.
"Thank you, Shirota-sensei."
"You're a very polite child," Shirota Hon said with a chuckle.
He understood Minato Namikaze's personality well. The boy was always courteous and treated every classmate kindly.
Just as Minato Namikaze was about to return to his seat, Shirota Hon suddenly spoke again.
"By the way, a new student will be transferring into our class today."
"You should make sure to get along well."
Mikoto Uchiha, sitting in the classroom, heard this as well. Both she and Minato Namikaze responded with a nod.
Given their personalities, it was hard to imagine anyone they wouldn't get along with.