Sarutobi Hiruzen's speech was incredibly dry, yet surprisingly, the students ate it up.
This slightly surprised Minato, but upon reflection, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
After all, Hiruzen's status as the Hokage, combined with Konoha's recent prosperity, had earned him considerable prestige within the village.
As Hiruzen's speech concluded, Minato officially began his Ninja Academy career.
The day after the enrollment ceremony, it was the first day of classes.
To avoid being swarmed by girls, Minato arrived at the classroom door right on time.
Before the girls could surround him, the teacher appeared at the door.
"Everyone, back to your seats immediately!"
Seizing the opportunity, Minato slipped into a seat next to a lone blonde girl in the back row. "Hello, I'm Namikaze Minato. Please look forward to working with you."
"I know," she replied softly, blushing. "I'm Yakushi Nonou. Please look forward to working with you too..."
Yakushi Nonou?
What a coincidence...
Minato smiled warmly, maintaining a calm facade, but inwardly, his mind began to whirl.
If it were any other original character, Minato might not have given it much thought.
But in the original story, Yakushi Nonou was from Root, and her primary role was as a spy.
Just days after he first demonstrated Wood Release, a Root member from the original story appeared in his class. This made it hard for Minato not to speculate, especially considering Kabuto had become a spy at such a young age himself.
Minato kept his gaze fixed on the teacher at the front of the classroom, but he kept an eye on Nonou's reactions out of the corner of his eye.
He hadn't realized Nonou was his age.
In the original story, Nonou looked quite young when she adopted Kabuto, making him assume she was from Kakashi's generation.
But upon closer consideration, Kabuto's age meant she couldn't be much younger than Kakashi.
Timing-wise, she was indeed likely around his age...
"Let me introduce myself. I'll be your teacher for the next few years: Umino Ikkaku."
"Umino..."
Minato paused, startled.
Was this Iruka's father? Or a relative?
He studied the man at the front of the classroom. He looked to be in his twenties, with a sharp, capable demeanor. His short hair was tied back in a ponytail, just like Iruka in the original story.
I've never heard of a Umino clan in the village, so he's probably either the father or an uncle...
After writing his name on the blackboard, Umino Ikkaku turned to face the class. "I'm 24 years old, a Chūnin, I like fishing, I hate enemies, and my dream is to become a ninja like the Hokage, someone everyone can trust."
His gaze swept across the room before he pointed at a boy at the table near the door. "Next, everyone will come up and introduce yourselves. You'll start."
"I'm Natsuha! I like drawing, I hate vegetables, and my dream is to become the Hokage!"
"Hah! Becoming the Hokage is my dream!" A boy from the second row blurted out impatiently.
"The Hokage wouldn't rudely shout during someone else's self-introduction," Umino Ikkaku said, glancing at the boy. The boy's expression stiffened, and he slumped back into his seat amid the snickers of the class.
"I'm Haruki Yumi. I like gardening, I don't really hate anything, and my dream is to become a kind and capable wife!" The girl on the stage said, blushing and covering her cheeks bashfully as she stole a glance at Minato.
Minato felt a little awkward. How is there another romance-obsessed guy here?
As the students introduced themselves one by one, it soon came time for Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
"Sarutobi Shinnosuke! I love fighting strong opponents! I hate being treated specially because of my status! My dream is to surpass my dad and become an even greater Hokage than him!"
Shinnosuke stood on the podium, looking rather arrogant.
As he finished speaking, his gaze swept to the back of the class, where he pointed at Minato. "Before that happens, I will defeat you, Namikaze Minato!"
Minato chuckled awkwardly. "Well... good luck with that."
"What was that~?"
In the second row, Koyabukuro Kaoru, who had been the first to introduce herself to Minato during the entrance ceremony, rested her chin in her hands and looked at Shinnosuke with disdain. "Forcing someone to concede by relentlessly pouncing on them—is that what you call a victory?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the class erupted in laughter.
Everyone had witnessed the battle between Minato and Shinnosuke during the entrance assessment, so they understood exactly what Kaoru meant.
"What did you say?"
Hearing this, Shinnosuke immediately flushed crimson and stammered, "I didn't acknowledge that as a victory!"
Koyabukuro Kaoru pursed her lips, then turned to look in Minato's direction and flashed him a victory sign.
See? I got revenge for you!
Minato remained silent, observing the scene.
Little girl, you might want to avoid such divisive remarks in the future...
"Alright, settle down! Next student, please come forward and introduce yourself!"
Umino Ikkaku rubbed his temples. Teaching the Hokage's son's class is tough enough, especially when there's someone even more outstanding than him in the room.
Soon, it was Minato's turn to introduce himself.
"My name is Namikaze Minato. I enjoy quietly savoring life, and I don't particularly dislike anything. My dream is to protect the people who are important to me."
With those words, Minato offered a gentle smile, and the girls below erupted in squeals.
"Ah! Minato-kun is so kind!"
"I'll protect Minato-kun's smile!"
A girl blushed and raised her hand. "I can be one of Minato-kun's important people! I can!"
Shinnosuke looked utterly speechless. "Is that guy some kind of succubus? These girls are going crazy..."
As Minato returned to his seat, Yakushi Nonou stood up and approached the podium.
"My name is Yakushi Nonou. I enjoy taking care of others, and I hate wasting food. My dream is for everyone in this world to have enough to eat, so no one goes hungry."
The girl cupped her heart with both hands, her demeanor serene and refined. After a slight bow, she returned to her seat.
Minato also made his assessment of Nonou's situation.
An orphan!
He couldn't say for certain, but given her interests and aspirations, there was a high probability she was an orphan.
Minato didn't ask. If she truly had ulterior motives, she would approach him herself even if he did nothing.
As everyone finished their introductions, Umino Ikkaku began the first lesson: the definition and refinement of chakra.
Minato listened attentively. Even though he had already mastered the Rasengan, he still planned to systematically review the foundational knowledge.
By systematically organizing the knowledge and skills he had already acquired, he might gain insights in other areas.
By the end of the class, though he hadn't gained any substantial new insights, Minato's understanding of chakra had deepened.
Umino Ikkaku was a dedicated teacher. Though he appeared stern and efficient, he was surprisingly approachable with his students.
As the dismissal bell rang, Minato finished organizing his class notes.
"Alright, that's the end of today's lesson. Class dismissed!"
Umino Ikkaku glanced in the direction of Shinnosuke and Minato before turning to leave the classroom.
He needed to report Shinnosuke's behavior at school to the Third Hokage.
And then there was Namikaze Minato, whom the Third Hokage was particularly interested in...
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 10+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon