To be honest, most of the kids in the classroom had no idea what it meant to be a personal student of the Third Hokage. Their shock came solely from hearing that title—the Third Hokage.
In the Hidden Leaf Village, the Hokage was the most revered and powerful ninja. Whether ninja or civilian, adult or child, everyone looked up to him with unshakable respect.
Only Minato and Mikoto truly understood the weight behind being a personal disciple of the Third Hokage. It meant standing at the very pinnacle of Konoha's elite, one of the village's strongest pillars. Even the head of the mighty Uchiha Clan would show deference to someone of that caliber.
So when someone like that came all the way to the Ninja Academy to teach—students who weren't even genin yet—it was no exaggeration to call it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Sure, he probably wouldn't be teaching them any advanced jutsu today, but even hearing his insights and experiences as a ninja would be invaluable.
Of course, that depended on whether they could even keep up.
Only Kushina, upon hearing the name Third Hokage, had a fleeting look of distaste flash through her eyes before it vanished without a trace...
As the classroom buzzed with excitement, a smile crept onto Shirota Motoharu's face. He clapped his hands and said, "Alright everyone, head to the training field! Our special instructor is on the way!"
Out on the training field, all the new students were lined up in rows—including Uchiha En, the same boy who'd spoken with Minato in the hallway days earlier.
En and Minato were about the same height—slightly taller than average for their age. But while En stood front and center, surrounded like the sun by stars, Minato stood quietly at the very back of the formation.
The students behind En had to crane their necks and peek through the gaps between heads just to catch a glimpse of the field.
Unsurprisingly, this drew a few irritated glances—mostly from the boys. The crowd around Uchiha En was almost entirely made up of girls from various classes.
Top grades, elite lineage, and a handsome face—these were the ingredients for En's popularity.
Quite a few girls were curious about Minato too. In terms of looks, he was arguably even better looking than En. But without a prestigious background and with only decent grades, Minato was always in the shadow.
Though, that was only because he'd been hiding his true ability.
Ever since he beat Akasaka Yu in a single strike during a sparring match, rumors had started to spread—rumors that questioned who really deserved the top spot in their year: Namikaze Minato or Uchiha En?
Even En couldn't help glancing over at Minato now and then. But Minato? He didn't even spare him a look.
It wasn't that Minato disliked En—he just had zero interest in him.
The way En completely ignored the students behind him spoke volumes. It was clear he was used to doing whatever he pleased in class, probably even too much for his homeroom teacher to rein in—especially with the Uchiha name backing him.
Meanwhile, Shirota Motoharu and a few other teachers stood respectfully off to the side, clearly waiting for someone important.
"Yo! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
A cheerful voice suddenly rang out across the training field. No one had seen when exactly the figure appeared, but there he was—a tall man standing casually before them, grin on his face like he'd been there all along.
Not a single person had noticed his arrival.
So fast!
At the back of the formation, Minato's eyes sharpened. His reaction time, honed through constant training, was far above normal. And even he had only caught a faint afterimage at best.
A ninja this fast could probably wipe out weaker opponents before they even knew they were under attack.
All eyes were on the newcomer. The first thing everyone noticed was his shock of long white hair—so long it even outdid Mikoto and Kushina, the two long-haired girls in their class.
The man looked to be in his early twenties. Not exactly handsome, but distinctive, especially with the two bold red lines running down from his eyes like they'd been painted on.
He wore a standard Konoha flak jacket like the other teachers—but his was black, setting him apart.
With a carefree grin and a light air about him, he didn't even glance at the other teachers. From the moment he arrived, his attention was locked on Kushina and Mikoto.
Shirota Motoharu jogged forward, face alight with enthusiasm, preparing to introduce the man to the students. "This is—"
But before he could finish, the man walked right past him and stopped in front of the two girls, smiling as if he were their favorite uncle.
"Hey there, girls! I'm Jiraiya. What're your names?"
Mikoto bowed deeply, a bit shy and hesitant. "Jiraiya-sama... I—I'm Uchiha Mikoto."
Most Uchiha probably wouldn't have acted like that. But Mikoto was naturally gentle and didn't carry any arrogance about her lineage. Faced with someone as legendary as Jiraiya, she was visibly nervous.
Jiraiya chuckled. "Ah, a prodigy of the Uchiha clan, huh? Nice."
As one of Konoha's top shinobi, he was certainly aware of the clan's standouts. Mikoto had a reputation, even among her people.
Flustered but pleased by the praise, Mikoto's cheeks flushed with a touch of pride.
"You're a cutie," Jiraiya said with a laugh. Then he turned to Kushina. "And you, sweetheart? What's your name?"
Kushina crossed her arms and pouted. "Who even are you? Why should I tell you, you creepy old man?"
The air around the teachers instantly grew tense, cold sweat dotting their brows.
Jiraiya twitched. Just slightly.
His expression—caught between amused and annoyed—made several students snort with laughter. Others were trying their best not to giggle.
Even Minato couldn't help but smile a little.
Kind of a clown, he thought. That was his first impression of Jiraiya.
Unbothered by the rejection, Jiraiya backed off with an exaggerated sigh. But he wasn't the type to be discouraged for long. His eyes swept the rows of students until they landed on the calmly watching Minato at the very back. He paused.
Then he looked away, adjusted his stance, and turned to address the teachers.
"I'm not really the type to lecture about theory and whatnot," he said. "So I'll be teaching these kids my own way."
None of the teachers dared to object, though a few of them looked uneasy. Jiraiya's level was far beyond what these fresh-faced kids could comprehend. How much could they even learn from him?
Jiraiya stared at the line of innocent, wide-eyed students before him.
When he was their age, he was already a full-fledged ninja.
Most of these kids probably still clung to their parents' sleeves and whined about bedtime.
Times sure have changed...
With a quiet sigh, he raised his voice. "Today, I'm gonna teach you the three basic jutsu every ninja should know."