"I didn't do it," Minato said, stopping in his tracks and turning around.
The boy across from him frowned, visibly annoyed. "You're still playing dumb at this point? Let's not even talk about anything else—Akasaka U ranks just behind Mikoto and you in your class. But to knock him flying without giving him a chance to react, even cracking the wall in the process? That's not something your usual record explains."
It had been less than a year since they'd enrolled, and the first-year students had been split into two classes. The boy standing before Minato was from the other class—and he wasn't just anyone. He was Uchiha Homura, the top student there.
In Minato's class, Mikoto was always number one. Minato came second. And Akasaka U—the boy he had just sent flying in a fit of anger—ranked third.
This incident only reinforced the power of the Uchiha name. No matter the field, the Uchiha clan was a symbol of strength and excellence.
What surprised Minato was how thoroughly Uchiha Homura had pieced everything together without even being on the scene. It was clear that before confronting him, Homura had already conducted a quiet investigation in Minato's class.
Top of his grade, ridiculously good-looking—Homura was the kind of person who naturally attracted attention. And Minato had a strong feeling that someone in his class, probably one of Homura's admirers, had leaked his information.
"What do you want?" Minato asked, frowning. Homura clearly hadn't come just to chat—there was more to this.
For a brief moment, an expression of pride flashed across Homura's face, quickly masked—but Minato caught it.
"I want to fight you," Homura said, already turning and striding toward the training yard outside.
But Minato shook his head. "Sorry. I'm not interested in meaningless fights. You'll have to excuse me."
With that, he turned and walked away. In his eyes, power was meant to protect the things you care about—not as a tool for ego or dominance.
"Minato Namikaze, you coward! Are you afraid of me?" Homura's face darkened, and his voice took on a mocking edge.
But the insult barely fazed Minato. He simply kept walking and replied evenly, "Think what you want. Goodbye."
Homura stood rooted to the spot, fists clenched tight. He'd heard about Minato's personality, but witnessing it firsthand was something else. Words that would've driven anyone else into a rage didn't even register with him.
Homura wasn't stupid. He didn't actually think Minato was afraid of him. No—just as Minato had said himself—he genuinely believed that fighting Homura would serve no purpose.
Boom!
Homura's fist slammed into the wall beside him as he watched Minato disappear back into the classroom.
"Minato Namikaze... just wait. One day, I'll defeat you fair and square. And that day isn't far off..."
Minato returned to class. The room, which had been filled with chatter, instantly quieted. Some classmates avoided eye contact, instinctively stepping away from him. A flicker of loneliness crossed his eyes.
Still, not everyone looked at him with fear—some gazes burned with awe. After all, in the shinobi world, strength meant everything.
Akasaka U had been considered one of the strongest in class, yet Minato had taken him down in an instant. Just how powerful was he?
"Minato! Over here!"
Mikoto waved at him from her seat, where she sat with Kushina.
Kushina, upon meeting his eyes, quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing pink. The expression was adorably shy.
A warmth rose in Minato's chest. He didn't know why, but seeing Kushina like that always made him feel calm. He quickened his pace and sat across from the two girls.
Mikoto pulled out a rice ball from her bag and handed it to him—it was something they'd agreed on earlier. Judging by her proud smile, she'd already shared the rest with the others and earned plenty of compliments.
Lunch break passed quickly, and the afternoon was dedicated to chakra extraction training.
Chakra—the very foundation of ninjutsu. It was part of what made a ninja a ninja.
For new students like them, learning jutsu was still out of reach. At this stage, they were limited to chakra extraction and basic physical training.
Most of the students could now extract chakra, but only in pitifully small amounts.
Up until today, Mikoto had always had the largest chakra reserve in the class—second only to Minato, who was hiding his true strength. As a member of the prestigious Uchiha clan, she had a natural advantage over the average person.
But from today onward, Mikoto's reign at the top might be over.
Kushina was attending ninja school for the first time today—and her first attempt at chakra extraction revealed something shocking. Her chakra reserves were already larger than Mikoto's.
Minato couldn't help but think that even if he stopped suppressing his strength, his chakra might still not match hers.
The revelation stunned their teacher, Shirota Moto, and left the whole class buzzing with envy.
"Looks like Kushina's finally found something she's good at." Despite being overtaken, Mikoto showed no trace of jealousy. She simply smiled and offered her congratulations sincerely.
Kushina could feel it too—the strange looks from her classmates had lessened. Her heart swelled with quiet joy.
The day ended. The setting sun cast a warm, golden hue over the village as students poured out of the school gates.
Parents waited outside in clusters. Minato left the building alongside Mikoto and Kushina. He paused at the entrance, a flicker of melancholy in his sky-blue eyes.
How he wished... that after a long day of school, someone would be waiting for him too. Someone to take his hand and walk home together.
"Sorry, I have to go." Kushina's expression shifted as she spotted someone in the crowd—a woman in her thirties who bore no resemblance to her.
From Kushina's face, Minato saw no happiness at the sight. If anything, she seemed reluctant—but she still said goodbye and left with the woman.
Mikoto, like Minato, had never been picked up from school since she started at the academy. That was the Uchiha way. If you wanted to raise strong ninja, you had to teach them independence. Relying on others was a weakness—even for girls.
As for Akasaka U, his mother had already taken him home long ago. Minato hadn't even had a chance to apologize. He'd have to find another opportunity.
Minato had been planning to walk home with Mikoto, but as he watched Kushina disappear into the distance, his eyes narrowed.
"Mikoto, go ahead without me. There's something I need to take care of."
Mikoto tilted her head, puzzled. Ever since Kushina had shown up, Minato had been acting... different.
At that same time, in an office inside the academy, Shirota Moto knelt on one knee, his expression respectful as he addressed the man before him—a man in his prime, perhaps in his late thirties or early forties.
The man stood by the window, watching as Minato vanished into the crowd outside. There was a trace of surprise on his face.
"Teacher Shirota," he said, "that student of yours... he's something else. He actually noticed the presence of the Anbu I had stationed there."