After successfully recruiting Kisame Hoshigaki, Uzumaki Raiden led everyone on their journey back to Konoha Village. Along the way, Rin gained a teacher who taught her Water Release techniques, and Uehara Akina, who defected from the Mist Village with Kisame, gradually let go of her wariness toward Rin and the others during their days together.
The journey back to the Land of Fire wasn't just a simple rush. Uzumaki Raiden organized several team-building activities to help Kisame and Akina Uehara integrate into his small group. He did everything he could to make Kisame and her feel welcome.
As they traveled, the group slowly approached the Land of Fire while enjoying the scenery.
Leaf Village
Inside the Hokage Building, Minato Namikaze sat in a chair, resting his chin on one hand while holding a pen in the other, his gaze vacant.
The Fifth Hokage of Konoha was actually daydreaming in his office.
Not far from Minato, Nara Shikaku picked up a pitch-black scroll from the desk, unfolded it with a serious expression, and skimmed through its contents.
This was an urgent report just delivered by the Anbu. Scrolls of this color typically contained critical information. As Hokage's assistant, Shikaku's job was to determine which reports were important and which were not, ensuring that Minato could focus on major matters while he handled the minor ones.
However, this black scroll was the most concerning piece of information Shikaku had received that morning.
"Fuguki Suikazan in the Land of Water was assassinated?"
"The whereabouts of the rogue ninja are unknown, and the Samehada sword is missing?"
"This is a major event!"
After reading the contents of the scroll, Nara Shikaku stroked his chin thoughtfully. In today's relatively peaceful ninja world, the assassination of a Jonin at the level of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was a significant event.
The top leaders of each village were the Kage, but beneath them, power was held by elite Jonin.
Fuguki Suikazan, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, had gained fame in the ninja world years ago. A ninja of his caliber, especially when working from the shadows, stood at the peak of the ninja world.
At least, that was Shikaku's perspective.
If someone of his level was assassinated, it would be comparable to Konoha losing someone like Nara Shikaku. That was no small matter.
Feeling that this information was unusual, Shikaku picked up the scroll and placed it on Minato's desk. However, after a long time, Minato still hadn't asked about the situation, prompting Shikaku to turn and look at him in confusion.
To his surprise, Minato remained in the same position, resting his head on his hand and not even glancing at the scroll. This was the first time Shikaku had seen Minato so distracted.
"Minato? What's wrong with you?"
Shikaku waved his hand in front of Minato's face, asking curiously.
"I was wondering if I should charge Hiashi some boarding fees."
"How much should I charge?"
Minato murmured absentmindedly.
"???"
Shikaku hadn't expected Minato to say something like that and was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Sigh."
"I can't afford the loan this month, so I have to dip into Kushina's salary."
"I've been feeling a lot of financial pressure lately. I never realized how expensive it is to raise two children."
"If I had known, I would have taken on more missions before."
Minato rubbed his face, his eyes filled with helplessness. Though he was the Hokage, his salary was fixed. Ironically, his financial situation as Hokage was far worse than when he was just a Jonin.
Now that he relied on a fixed Hokage salary and refused to misuse village funds, Minato found himself facing unexpected financial difficulties.
"Minato, what are you talking about? What's going on at home?"
"Kushina is only eight months pregnant. Your second child hasn't even been born yet, right?"
"Shouldn't your salary be enough to support your family?"
Shikaku asked casually, genuinely curious. As the head of the Nara Clan, he never had to worry about money. Unlike Minato, who came from a civilian background with no family business, the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans had stable sources of income. Even the Hyuga and Uchiha families made significant money from renting out their properties.
For Shikaku, money was just a number, something he never had to think about.
"That's what I thought too."
"But lately, the kids have been growing fast and eating more."
"Isn't Hiashi's daughter staying at my house? That girl's appetite is incredible. I can't help but admire Hiashi."
Despite Minato's words, his tone was filled with helplessness. He probably never imagined that a Hokage could struggle with mortgage payments. That's right—Minato, the Fifth Hokage, had taken out a loan to buy a house!
"That's not a big deal. If you need money, just tell me. I have plenty."
Minato was stunned by Shikaku's casual generosity. He had been planning to borrow money from Jiraiya, but Jiraiya had already lost all his savings to Tsunade's gambling habits.
Shikaku's generosity was a lifesaver.
"Shikaku, you really helped me out."
A smile finally appeared on Minato's face. He picked up the scroll on his desk and read through it. Although the death of Fuguki Suikazan was a shock to the ninja world, it didn't directly impact Konoha. No matter how significant the event was, it couldn't shake Konoha's stability. So after glancing at the report, Minato simply set it aside.
Seeing this, Shikaku didn't comment. He had only been surprised that someone like Kisame Hoshigaki was assassinated, but he didn't consider it important news—just an interesting rumor.
Compared to this, he was more concerned about Minato's family affairs.
"Minato, Kushina is due in a little over a month, right?"
"Is the child a boy or a girl? Have you picked a name?"
The fact that Uzumaki Kushina was expecting a second child was no longer a secret in the village. Many of Konoha's higher-ups, including Shikaku, even knew the due date.
"It's a boy. Kushina is a doctor herself, so she was able to check."
"The baby is healthy and will be born soon."
"I've already sent word to Raiden. He's probably on his way back now."
Minato couldn't help but smile when he heard Shikaku Nara talk about his unborn son. The feeling his wife had when giving birth to their second child was different from when he first became a father, but it was enough to make Minato excited.
Moreover, the most challenging financial issue had been resolved with Shikaku's help, easing Minato's concerns.
And Minato had already made up his mind—Hiashi would have to pay for the accommodation!
While Minato was chatting with Shikaku in the office, his son Naruto and Hinata, who was staying at his home, were at school.
After spending over a year together, Hinata and Naruto had grown close. Even at the Ninja Academy, Iruka, their homeroom teacher, had arranged for them to sit next to each other so they could interact and look out for one another.
Naruto's optimistic and cheerful personality had long left a deep impression on young Hinata's heart. Even during class, she would glance at Naruto from time to time. At her age, although she didn't fully understand love, she clearly knew who made her happiest.
However, Naruto's eyes were fixed on the blackboard, as if he were studying intently.
"What kind of seal is this? Seeing my hand signs, what kind of ninjutsu do you think I'm about to perform?"
On the podium, Iruka formed hand seals and posed the question to the students. Besides learning how to read and write, the primary curriculum for students at this age included mastering basic D-rank ninjutsu. Even if they couldn't use certain techniques due to mismatched chakra natures, they still needed to recognize them.
Iruka had demonstrated the Water Release: Water Bullet Technique, the foundation of water-based ninjutsu.
"Naruto, answer!"
Iruka called Naruto's name loudly. Seeing how focused Naruto appeared, he assumed the boy knew the answer and wanted to give him a chance to perform well and boost his confidence.
Unexpectedly, after standing up, Naruto simply shrugged and replied indifferently, "I don't know."
Naruto's response made Iruka furious. It wasn't the fact that he didn't know the answer—it was his attitude that enraged Iruka the most. He didn't know, yet he still appeared so indifferent.
"Naruto! Were you even paying attention in class?"
"This seal is for the Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
"If you don't even recognize such basic ninjutsu, how will you predict an enemy's next move in battle?"
"You brat, fix your attitude!"
Iruka tapped the blackboard sharply, reprimanding Naruto without caring about his background. Iruka was one of the few teachers in the academy who disregarded students' family statuses. He treated everyone equally.
"Well, even if I don't recognize this seal, if the enemy uses it, I'm confident I can dodge it," Naruto said, tilting his head slightly with a defiant expression.
"It's just a D-rank technique—dodging it is easy."
Naruto stood out at the academy. As the Hokage's son, he had passed the entrance exam with excellent results and entered the school with impressive physical abilities and combat skills. However, he had inherited his mother's fiery temper.
Naruto struggled with patience and focus, so subjects like ninjutsu theory had always been his weakest area, making him one of the lowest-ranked students in academic performance. However, this did not diminish the attention he received in class. Coming from a distinguished family and possessing exceptional strength, his poor academic standing did not overshadow his combat prowess.
Even Uchiha Sasuke, the top student in their grade, found it difficult to defeat Naruto in battle.
"What? You little brat!"
Naruto's response infuriated Iruka even more. Not only did the boy fail to acknowledge his mistake, but he also had the audacity to argue back.
"Naruto, stand outside!" Iruka pointed at the door and shouted.
Naruto, seemingly used to this routine, picked up his book nonchalantly and even walked out of the classroom with a grin.
"This guy is hopeless," muttered Shikamaru, shaking his head as he watched his friend being sent outside. Meanwhile, Hinata, who sat beside Naruto, looked toward the door with concern.
She knew that if Aunt Kushina found out about this, Naruto would definitely get a severe scolding.
Teenagers often take school life for granted. After more than an hour, Naruto finally heard the long-awaited bell signaling the end of class.
"Class dismissed!" Iruka's voice echoed in the classroom.
Ninjutsu class was the last lesson of the afternoon, and since it ended around 3 PM, students had plenty of free time.
Naruto, standing outside the classroom, stretched his arms. Seeing Iruka walk out, he casually greeted his teacher, intending to head back inside, but Iruka stopped him.
"Wait, Naruto!"
"Judging by your attitude, you still don't understand the issue."
"In that case, I'll have to teach you properly."
"Didn't you say that even if you don't recognize an enemy's jutsu, you can dodge it?"
"How about testing that theory against me?"
"If you can successfully dodge my attack, I won't report your behavior to your mother."
"But if you can't…"
As Iruka spoke, he closely observed Naruto's reaction. Uzumaki Naruto was undoubtedly talented when it came to ninjutsu and combat, but academically, he ranked last in the class. Iruka didn't want to see such a gifted student continuously fail in exams, so he hoped to motivate him.
"Oh? Iruka-sensei doesn't think I can dodge it, huh?"
"Alright, I'll take on your challenge, Sensei!"
"But you have to keep your word!"
Naruto's face lit up with excitement. Even though Iruka was a Chūnin, Naruto didn't feel intimidated at all. In his mind, no Chūnin could land a hit on him using mere D-rank ninjutsu. After all, he had already mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, a B-rank jutsu! Even Sasuke's Fireball Technique had never managed to touch him.
"Good! Let's head to the training field—I'll take this opportunity to give everyone a lesson!"
Iruka gestured toward the academy's playground and began walking in that direction.
Their conversation was overheard by Sakura and a few other students who had just left the classroom. They immediately ran back inside to inform their classmates.
Curious about the upcoming duel between their teacher and a fellow student, the children quickly exited the classroom and followed them to the playground.
However, two students remained in the classroom, not joining the crowd immediately.
"Sasuke-kun, aren't you curious? Aren't you going to watch?" Senju Karin asked, noticing Sasuke gazing out the window.
"There's nothing to see," Sasuke replied indifferently. "Even though Iruka-sensei is only using a D-rank jutsu, he's still a Chūnin. There's no way Naruto will dodge his attack."
"That idiot is too arrogant."
"Really? But Naruto isn't like ordinary kids," Karin said with a smile.
"I heard Aunt Kushina taught him a new technique. It seems to be pretty advanced."
Without waiting for Sasuke's reply, Karin packed up her things and left the classroom.
Although the academy dismissed students early, most children didn't go home right away. Instead, they gathered on the playground to play, as many of their parents were Shinobi who wouldn't return home until later in the evening.
As a result, Naruto and Iruka's duel attracted not only students from their grade but also older students who were curious to see what would happen.
Meanwhile, from an upper-floor window, a white-eyed boy leaned against the wall, watching Iruka and Naruto face off in the training field.
"Is that blond boy Hokage-sama's son, Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Lady Hinata… she's staying at his house?"
(End of Chapter)