"This is a jutsu I just got from Fugaku-san. Though my family has a copy of it at home too."
Uchiha Kaien found a quiet spot, unrolling the Fireball Jutsu scroll and showing it to Namikaze Minato.
The Great Fireball Jutsu was a classic Fire Style technique.
Though some joked it couldn't actually burn anyone, no one denied how useful it was.
If it hit the target cleanly, great. But even if it missed, that was fine too. In higher-level battles, the Fireball Jutsu was often used more to obscure vision, forcing the enemy to reveal an opening—or to conceal the user's own movements.
Of course, for Genin and Chūnin, the Fireball Jutsu was still a powerful trump card—potentially even lethal.
Most low- and mid-level shinobi didn't have much chakra. They usually relied on kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and other tools more than ninjutsu.
Then there were the three most basic E-rank techniques: Transformation, Clone, and Body Replacement Technique.
Each of them used chakra to create illusions to trick the enemy.
Body Replacement Technique, in particular, needed clarification. It wasn't some kind of space-time ninjutsu. Instead, you prepared a substitution prop in advance, used chakra to disguise it as yourself, and then switched places with it at the right moment, creating the illusion of disappearing in a flash.
Before they started studying the Fireball Jutsu, Minato had asked Kaien to explain some of these fundamentals, including the Three Basic Techniques.
"So that's how it works? Kaien, you really know a lot!" Minato said, sounding genuinely impressed.
As an orphan, Minato had no way of learning about ninjutsu ahead of time. Just receiving a chakra refinement technique had been the luckiest break of his life.
Meeting Uchiha Kaien? That was an even greater stroke of luck.
Make friends with me—
First gift: Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
"It's nothing, really. These are all things we'll go over when the academy starts. I just happened to get taught a bit early at home."
Boasting about the original Kaien's knowledge made him feel a little awkward, and a shy smile crept across his face.
A gentle breeze blew by, lifting Kaien's bangs slightly, mirroring his bashful expression. Minato froze for a moment, dazed.
[Affection from Namikaze Minato +3]
"You're amazing too, Minato. You understood everything in one go! I remember struggling for quite a while when I first learned all this."
Kaien gave Minato a sincere compliment. But then, as if something occurred to him, his expression turned somber.
Minato noticed the change but hesitated to ask. Would prying make Kaien uncomfortable? Would it make him dislike him?
Instead, Minato tried a different approach to lift the mood.
"You don't have to call me 'Minato-kun.' Just 'Minato' is fine. It feels a little too formal otherwise."
"Really? Minato-kun?"
"Of course!"
"Minato…"
"Yeah. I'm here."
That familiar sunny smile returned—gentle and warm, with a quiet strength that seemed to lift anyone's spirits.
Seeing Minato smile, Kaien relaxed as well. He passed Minato one side of the scroll, and the two boys sat close together, studying the jutsu.
Still, Kaien couldn't help but feel a little confused. He had only pretended to feel down earlier, but somehow Minato's presence had really affected his emotions.
Did Minato… have the [Empathy] trait?
...
While most of the scroll study was led by Minato, Kaien chimed in now and then with pointers.
The original Kaien had already learned this jutsu—his only issue was lacking enough chakra to use it properly.
After reading through the scroll once, Kaien could recall exactly how to perform it. In fact, he could even coach Minato a bit.
"You already learned this jutsu, Kaien?" Minato asked, practicing the hand signs along with the scroll.
"Yeah, I know it. I just don't have the chakra to perform it all the way."
But then Kaien remembered—he had awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
His chakra reserves had increased when he activated it. Maybe now he could perform the full Fireball Jutsu.
Still… now wasn't the time to try.
Friendship needed to be built on equal footing. If he showed abilities that completely eclipsed Minato's, their relationship might become strained or awkward.
Unequal friendships never lasted. Eventually, they'd drift apart.
The golden sunset cast its glow across their small silhouettes. Kaien's dark hair shimmered in the light, giving him a quiet, gentle aura.
Minato's golden hair seemed to shine even brighter than usual.
"Is it already evening?" Minato blinked, his practice halting. Time had passed so quickly… they'd only just met.
"Wanna grab dinner together, Minato?"
"Eh? Really?"
"Of course. I mean… I'm on my own now anyway."
Kaien's mood dipped again—this time even more noticeably.
"On your own…?" Minato's heart sank. Had he touched a painful memory?
"Yeah. A few days ago… I lost everything. Now it's just me."
...
Water welled up in Kaien's dark eyes, shimmering visibly. It looked like he might cry at any second.
No wonder his eyes had looked red when they first met…
Seeing Kaien's expression, Minato suddenly didn't know how to comfort her. From the very start, he'd felt a strange warmth toward this girl—and now, seeing her like this, his heart twisted.
All the fear and uncertainty Kaien had bottled up since arriving in this world… the frustration of discovering he had a genetic illness, even with the system's help… it all welled up at once. What had started as a performance for sympathy points had unexpectedly become real tears.
"But I have Minato now. So… I feel a little more at ease."
Despite being from another world, Kaien had been an adult in his past life. He quickly pulled himself together, seizing the emotional momentum to deliver a line that would touch Minato's heart—and then smiled through his tears.
The setting sun bathed the scene in golden light. The girl before him, crying but trying her best to smile, seemed to possess a rare inner strength. Even after losing her parents, she still faced the world with courage. Her tears fell onto the grass, soaking into the earth.
Something inside Minato shifted.
He had wanted to become a ninja to improve his own life. But now… now he had a different dream.
There are other kids like me… and like Kaien. If I became a Jonin—no, if I became Hokage… could I give them a better childhood?
He clenched his small fists tightly. Right here, right now—he made up his mind.
Hokage.
He would become Hokage, and change these tragedies.
As he looked at Kaien, his gaze softened.
Before I become Hokage… I'll protect you.
[Affection from Namikaze Minato +5][Current Affection: 18. Eligible for Lottery Draw.]