...
[Affection from Namikaze Minato +1]
At that moment, even Namikaze Minato had to admit—this girl in front of him was really cute. Especially with her hair damp from training, clinging to her scalp in that messy-yet-charming kind of way. There was an innocent charm about her that was hard to ignore.
"A clan elder already signed me up. If everything goes smoothly, we'll be classmates."
Kaien calmed his breathing after a brief rest, taking a serious look at the boy in front of him.
The future Fourth Hokage was, for now, just a kid about to enter the academy.
His clothes were plain, but freshly washed—clearly the kind of frugal kid who still paid attention to hygiene. That alone set him apart from most children from civilian families. Kids that age didn't usually think about things like personal cleanliness.
"That's great! Oh, I'm Namikaze Minato. Can we be friends?"
Minato beamed, his smile bright and full of sunshine.
No wonder Kushina always teased him for being a bit soft—he was delicate-looking, and his gentle but sunny personality added to the impression.
Still, Kaien couldn't help but feel a bit reassured.
See? There are other kids who were super pretty when they were young. I'll definitely grow up into a total heartthrob too!
"Sure! I'm Uchiha Kaien. Nice to meet you, Minato."
Kaien reached out his small hand instinctively for a handshake—he'd always been polite like that, and it felt perfectly natural to him.
Minato, on the other hand, looked a bit embarrassed. The hand reaching toward him was pale, soft, and—frankly—adorable. As he extended his own hand, he seemed a little shy.
"Look, the Seal of Reconciliation. That makes us friends now."
Kaien bent his pinky and ring finger, holding out his middle and index fingers to guide Minato into making the same gesture.
Minato stared blankly at their hands joined in the seal, his face gradually turning red.
It was the first time he'd ever held a girl's hand.
"Um… Kaien? Can I call you that?"
Minato scratched the back of his head awkwardly. It felt a bit strange calling a girl he just met by such a familiar name.
"Go ahead. As long as it's easy for you to say, I don't mind."
Kaien didn't care much about what people called him. As long as both sides felt comfortable, that was what really mattered.
"O-okay."
Then Minato fell quiet again, looking like he had something to say but didn't know how to bring it up.
"Minato-kun? You look like something's on your mind." Kaien blinked at him, eyes bright and curious.
With his black hair and dark eyes, Kaien had a cool, distant look. But the warmth in his words made him feel surprisingly approachable.
Like a cat—aloof most of the time, but occasionally letting someone in.
Minato grew even more flustered, but he pushed through his hesitation.
"Um… I've heard people around the village say the Uchiha aren't easy to get along with..."
Realizing how rude that sounded, Minato quickly bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
"I'm sorry! That was really rude of me to say..."
What if the rumors were true? What if Kaien really was hard to get along with?
Still, some part of Minato hoped this pretty, kind Uchiha girl would respond differently than what he'd been told.
And reality didn't disappoint. Her response exceeded his expectations, and his heart swelled with relief and joy.
"That's not really true. It's just that most of the Uchiha aren't great at expressing how they feel."
"But we're friends now, right, Minato-kun?"
"The Uchiha clan would give everything for their friends, without holding anything back."
Kaien smiled brightly as he gently helped Minato straighten up from his bow.
A faint, pleasant fragrance drifted into Minato's nose, making his already flushed face turn an even deeper shade of red.
It was the kind of scent you'd miss if you weren't paying attention—subtle and fleeting, like a feather brushing across your heart.
Of course, Kaien himself didn't know that he gave off a light scent. It was a hidden effect of his trait, [Affinity], though the system didn't spell it out clearly. The trait's description simply said his actions would "more easily earn the affection of others"—and this faint scent was part of how that worked.
[Affection from Namikaze Minato +5]
All Kaien did was explain the Uchiha clan's personality a little, and it earned him a chunk of affection. What started as a casual plan to attach himself to someone strong was starting to feel a lot more genuine.
Five points in one go? Where'd this premium little sheep come from?
A real treasure!
...
Kaien's attitude instantly grew even warmer.
"Minato-kun, were you trying to train with me just now?"
"Yes. I've been kind of stuck because I don't have any good ninjutsu to practice. I was hoping to get some pointers on taijutsu."
"You already know how to refine chakra?"
Kaien was surprised.
Minato's an orphan, right? And he hasn't even entered the academy yet, but he already knows chakra refinement?
"I do. I tried to enroll last year, but I was too young. One of the kind teachers gave me a basic chakra refinement scroll as a gift."
Of course. Minato really was a little sun. Even if he couldn't join because of his age, he still managed to charm a teacher into giving him a head start.
"You don't have any suitable jutsu? Well, I have one. Want to take a look? Think of it as a gift for my very first friend."
How convenient—he totally did.
Kaien had been carrying around the Great Fireball Technique scroll that Uchiha Fugaku gave him. And now was the perfect time to use it to "invest" in Minato.
If I start building our friendship now, then when he becomes Hokage later… maybe I'll get some nice perks out of it.
Minato stared at the scroll Kaien pulled out, completely stunned.
He just casually handed over a jutsu scroll… as a gift.
Maybe I underestimated how loaded this new friend actually is.
Still... his first friend, huh? That really means a lot. Thanks, Kaien.
[Affection from Namikaze Minato +3]
[Current Affection: 10. Prize draw available.]