Morning sunlight bathed the village in a warm, golden glow, spreading across the rooftops and waking the world with gentle energy and vibrant life.
"I'm heading out!"
From a small courtyard tucked away in a quieter corner of Konoha came the clear, lively voice of a young boy. Around six or seven years old, full of energy and enthusiasm, he launched himself into the day like a spring uncoiling.
Minato had risen early and was already on his way to the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Despite the intense training he'd undergone the night before, he felt no trace of fatigue. In fact, his body felt lighter—more agile than ever. Even he was surprised by the change.
Given the limits of a seven-year-old's physique, his ability to refine chakra should still be pretty rudimentary. His recovery rate, naturally, should be even slower. By his own estimation, the amount of chakra he possessed was already massive for someone his age… but even so, healing up this quickly? That shouldn't be possible.
He couldn't make sense of it.
"Guess I'll have to ask Mr. Jōnouchi at the Academy," he muttered to himself.
Jōnouchi was his homeroom teacher at the Ninja Academy—a chūnin named Jōnouchi Moto. To a first-year student like Minato, the ninja world was still full of mysteries, and a chūnin's knowledge was practically encyclopedic.
And Jōnouchi was no ordinary teacher. He had a reputation for being incredibly well-read. Rumor had it even the Third Hokage himself thought highly of him.
Not for his strength, of course—just his knowledge.
The Third Hokage was, without a doubt, the strongest and most learned person in all of Konoha. People called him the "Professor of Ninjutsu," and it was said he knew more jutsu than anyone could even imagine. His power was so formidable that even the other Kage from the great nations treated him with wary respect.
With someone like him at the helm, it was no wonder the Land of Fire and Konoha enjoyed such lasting peace.
Word was the Third had three apprentices who were each formidable in their own right. But to Minato, people like that still felt a world away.
Still, he had already set his sights on becoming Hokage—and that meant chasing, and eventually surpassing, the legends who came before him.
Nothing was going to shake that resolve.
The village streets were already bustling. Shopkeepers opened their stalls with cheerful calls, and civilians strolled leisurely through the market, basking in the peace that was so hard-won in their world.
Minato couldn't help but smile as he took it all in.
"Minato!"
A soft, melodious voice rang out, and he paused mid-step, turning slightly.
A familiar face came into view—delicate features framed by long black hair, her dark eyes sparkling with quiet intelligence. A girl about his age stood there, holding a small paper bag.
"Mikoto! Good morning!"
Minato greeted her with a warm, sunny smile. The girl before him was Uchiha Mikoto, a classmate of his at the Academy.
In Konoha, the name Uchiha was synonymous with strength, and many of the clan's children carried themselves with a certain air of superiority. But Mikoto was different.
She was kind. Genuinely kind.
Minato's easygoing nature had earned him plenty of friends in class, and Mikoto was one of the closest.
"Morning," she replied with a gentle smile of her own. Minato's eyes flicked to the bag in her hand.
"Did you already eat?" she asked, then pulled out a neatly wrapped rice ball and held it out to him.
"My mom taught me how to make onigiri yesterday. I was thinking of sharing them with everyone during lunch break. Do you wanna try one first? I… I'm not sure if they turned out okay."
Her voice faltered at the end, clearly nervous about her first attempt at cooking.
Minato accepted the offering with a grin. "If it's from you, Mikoto, I know it'll be great."
She blinked in surprise, but when she met his bright blue eyes and saw the quiet confidence in his expression, her worries melted away.
Minato's smile had that effect—it was somehow... contagious. You couldn't help but trust him.
"Okay!" she beamed.
Minato chuckled. "Then let's wait for lunch. Something you made should be shared with everyone—it'll taste even better that way."
Mikoto nodded and tucked the rice ball back into the bag, walking alongside him toward the Academy.
They were in the same first-year class. When they arrived, the room was still empty—unsurprising, considering most kids their age were prone to sleeping in. And to be fair, they had arrived pretty early.
Mikoto took her seat, already excited about handing out her handmade rice balls later. Minato, meanwhile, pulled out a ninja handbook from his desk drawer and started flipping through it with a focused gaze.
A few minutes passed before the door opened again, and a man stepped in. He was young, wearing a Konoha forehead protector, with an unassuming face and a scholarly air. He looked more like a tutor than a shinobi.
"Good morning, Mr. Jōnouchi."
Minato and Mikoto stood and bowed respectfully.
Respecting your teacher was basic decency—especially in the ninja world, where many of the most powerful shinobi owed their greatness to legendary mentors.
The Third Hokage's own teacher had been none other than the Second Hokage, co-founder of Konoha and architect of the entire ninja academy system. It wasn't hard to see how the Third had turned out so strong.
"Morning, Minato, Mikoto." Jōnouchi smiled kindly. He had a soft spot for these two—polite, hard-working, and genuinely likable.
Mikoto returned to her seat, but Minato stepped forward and gave another respectful bow.
"What is it, Minato?" Jōnouchi asked.
"Mr. Jōnouchi, do you have a moment? I have some questions I'd like to ask."
"Of course," the teacher replied. "That's what I'm here for."
Minato was the first student to ever approach him so proactively. Compared to the rest of the class, who were mostly interested in playing around, it was refreshing.
Minato explained the strange feeling he'd experienced after training, careful not to mention the specifics of what he'd been practicing. He'd already figured that his training might be beyond the scope of what the Academy normally taught, and the last thing he wanted was to draw unnecessary attention.
After listening, Jōnouchi first praised him for his diligence. At his age, most kids weren't half as committed to training.
He gave Minato a quick once-over and found nothing unusual.
"No need to worry," he said reassuringly. "It's true that chakra refinement should be gradual, but sudden growth spurts aren't unheard of. There's no harm in it—just be careful not to overdo it. You're still growing, after all."
Minato nodded, visibly relieved.
He bowed again. "Thank you, Mr. Jōnouchi."
"You're always so polite..." Jōnouchi chuckled. He knew Minato's personality well—always respectful, always warm, no matter who he was dealing with.
As Minato returned to his seat, Jōnouchi added, "By the way, we've got a new student transferring into our class today. I expect you all to get along."
Mikoto, having overheard from her seat, nodded along with Minato.
With those two around, it was hard to imagine anyone not getting along.