Looking at the burly, dark-faced man in front of them, arms crossed and watching silently—their homeroom teacher, Nishimura-sensei—Uchiha Hayashi showed no sign of panic.
He straightened his back and spoke with calm confidence.
"Nishimura-sensei, don't you think training excellent shinobi requires a lot of resources?"
The man said nothing, waiting with the patience of stone.
Perhaps satisfied with his teacher's silence, Hayashi smiled faintly and continued.
"What exactly is a shinobi? What should their fighting style be? What's the fastest way to defeat an opponent?"
Still no response.
"What's the most chakra-efficient way to fight? Which tactics give the highest chance of survival? Do you know these things?"
Nishimura remained motionless, as if carved from wood.
Hayashi nodded, almost pleased with the silence, and even waved his hand as he grew more animated. "When facing enemies, what kind of ninjutsu and strategies should we adopt? These questions are important. They can't be answered after just a few days at the Academy."
His dark eyes narrowed. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Nishimura remained silent still.
Hayashi's patience was thinning.
"Ultimately, the purpose of studying at the Academy is to become strong enough for real combat. Battle is the core of a shinobi's growth. That was true during the Warring States era, and it remains true now."
For the first time, Nishimura's gaze sharpened.
"Of course," Hayashi added more calmly, "that doesn't mean I'm eager for mindless fighting. Combat brings consequences—loss, damage, mistakes. But even from failure, we learn. So I believe we should accept those risks as part of becoming shinobi. That's why, Sensei, you should understand our actions better."
Finally, Nishimura's deep voice broke the silence.
"Uchiha Hayashi… I understand your point. You're right, combat teaches lessons no book can. But—"
His arms dropped, and his expression hardened.
"That is no excuse for destroying the training ground!"
He thrust a finger at the wreckage around them.
The battlefield was scarred with craters, the earth split apart. Charred black marks stained the walls from Fire Release jutsu. The once smooth ground was broken, smoke still rising in the air.
"Unbelievable!"
Hayashi and the others winced at Nishimura's scolding. The battle earlier had gotten out of control, and before they could escape, they had been caught red-handed.
"Teacher, hear me out," Nawaki stepped forward with a grin.
"I don't want excuses, Nawaki," Nishimura snapped.
"But think about the Valley of the End," Nawaki pressed on. "When my grandfather fought Madara there, the whole landscape was destroyed. And now? It's a famous landmark! A tourist destination, even. All that destruction turned into something admired for generations."
Nishimura narrowed his eyes. "A dangerous way of thinking, boy."
He sighed. "Clean this up. I'll report the damage and request repairs. But don't think you're escaping punishment."
With that, Nishimura turned and left, his steps heavy with irritation.
Hayashi and the others were left with the wreckage.
Seeing Minato frown, Hayashi clapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"Minato, don't let this bother you. Nishimura-sensei exaggerates. He's just a chunin, after all. A few Earth Release jutsu can fix this place easily. Worst case, I'll come with you to apologize. As for punishment…"
Hayashi smirked. "Don't worry. I have connections."
"Alright," Minato said quietly, the tension easing from his face.
"But tell me," Hayashi asked curiously, "that toad you summoned earlier—wasn't that beyond genin level? How were you able to manage it?"
Minato scratched his head. His chakra reserves weren't anything exceptional compared to the clan heirs. He was a commoner, without inherited power.
Then Hayashi remembered. His eyes widened slightly. "Wait… did you finish your research on that sealing technique?"
Minato nodded, rolling up his sleeves to reveal sealing arrays etched onto scrolls strapped to both forearms.
Hayashi chuckled. "Heh, you really are a genius."
Back in his second year, Hayashi had experimented with sealing after [the system] gave him a sealing attribute. Uzumaki Mito herself had noticed his interest and taught him the basics, even gifting him scrolls. Hayashi once considered storing chakra within seals to use when running low, but he abandoned the idea as too impractical.
Unexpectedly, Minato had built upon those discarded notes, advancing the concept on his own.
"It's nothing amazing," Minato said modestly. "I just layered transfer seals onto a base array you showed me. For now, it only stores a little chakra."
"So what's the limit?" Hayashi asked.
"If we measure my chakra at one unit," Minato explained, "the scrolls can store about one and a half units at most. The capacity depends on the quality of the scroll."
Hayashi nodded in thought.
"If you want, we can research together," Minato suggested. "With refinement, the capacity could be expanded. The materials are just standard scrolls from the tool shop—cheap enough to experiment with."
Hayashi smiled, waving dismissively. "No rush. You've already proven yourself. You're talented, Minato. More than you realize."
He felt a surprising sense of pride. Watching Minato, he thought, was like watching someone take flight with wings he himself never had.
This was the boy who would one day perfect the Flying Raijin. Already, his brilliance was undeniable.
Hayashi clapped him on the shoulder once more and smirked. "Stay put. I'll go buy us some oranges."
"..." Minato could only sigh at Hayashi's antics.
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