The once harsh sunlight had softened slightly. Minato walked alone through Konoha's streets, his heart heavy.
Lately, he'd been experiencing strange sensations—moments of absentmindedness that clouded his thoughts.
Even now, he had spoken words that contradicted his true feelings, brushing off Master Jiraiya with an excuse.
"Who… exactly is she?"
He had originally wanted to get more information about Kushina from Master Jiraiya. His goal was to figure out where this strange feeling came from—the red-haired woman who kept showing up in his mind and her true identity.
Because everything started the moment he first met Kushina.
Every time he thought of Kushina, a weight settled in Minato's chest. His emotional instability all stemmed from her.
He clearly remembered the words he blurted out after sending Akasaka Yu flying.
Nobody better dare to lay a hand on her!
They had just met and weren't particularly close, yet he could distinctly feel his willingness to give everything for that promise—even his own life.
"Sorry, Master Jiraiya…"
Minato gradually cleared his thoughts. Since he had already brushed off Master Jiraiya, further unnecessary actions or explanations would be pointless—he had no intention of pursuing them.
Perhaps it would all make sense when he eventually earned the right to learn more about Kushina.
So… for now, the only thing he could do was strengthen his abilities.
Yet he had already promised Master Jiraiya to follow the three rules he set. Considering his current physical condition, conventional training wasn't suitable.
That was exactly what Master Jiraiya wanted—he shouldn't push himself so hard and risk burning out too soon.
Training should progress gradually, not through forced effort.
Thinking like this, he had already reached his doorstep.
"Well then, I'll practice hand seals." Recalling Master Jiraiya's instructions about basic ninja skills, he had already completed today's training focusing on speed and reaction time.
Now, improving his hand seal speed was the only task left.
There were no shortcuts for this kind of training—only constant repetition could improve proficiency.
Hand seals were a special technique for channeling chakra and activating ninjutsu. In battle, the speed at which you completed them could determine victory or defeat.
After all, opponents wouldn't give you the time you needed to prepare your techniques.
Speed was his specialty, and while Minato's hand seal speed wasn't slow, it still fell far short of perfect.
So for the rest of the day, Minato stayed in his room, continuously practicing hand seals.
Outside, the sky slowly darkened as the hours passed.
After several hours of practice, Minato shook his nearly stiff hands and arms before finally ending his training session.
The next morning, before the sky had even lightened, a slim figure was already moving swiftly through Konoha's streets.
Minato had woken up an hour earlier than usual, jogging ten laps around the village.
Minato had arranged to run twenty laps each day—ten before and ten after school—as part of the training regimen assigned by Jiraiya.
After finishing his morning laps, Minato still had time to spare, so he went home to rinse the sweat from his face with fresh water.
He finished even faster today since the total number of laps was just half of what it used to be—and he'd split them into two sessions. So if he wanted results from his training, he had to give it his all.
When he arrived at the Ninja Academy, the classroom was still completely empty—but Minato had long since gotten used to that.
Yet not long after stepping inside, someone else walked in.
Minato lifted his eyes, surprised to see Yan Uchiha, who hadn't attended class for several days.
Initially, when Minato saw him, his expression immediately turned cautious. Last time, Yan had used Kushina as bait just to fight him, nearly injuring other students in the process.
However, this Yan standing before him now wasn't as arrogantly domineering as usual. When those dark eyes met Minato's gaze, there was a flicker of hesitation.
That kind of expression had never appeared on Yan Uchiha's face before.
Minato stood up. The two stared across several rows of seats, like warriors sizing each other up.
Eventually, Minato softened his gaze and relaxed his posture. He spoke, "Have you been alright lately?"
According to what Minato knew, after their previous fight—when Yan had nearly hurt some students—the Third Hokage handed him over to the Uchiha clan for internal punishment.
Though Minato understood it was a way of handling things quietly, without outside interference, according to Mikoto, Yan had indeed suffered severe consequences.
But the real reason wasn't that he nearly hurt students—it was that he had lost to Minato, which for someone like Yan was unforgivable.
Still, Minato never considered that a true victory, and though he kept some caution, he harbored no prejudice against Yan.
Such a question from Minato caused ripples within Yan's expression.
He had originally expected Minato to hate him, considering how underhanded his own methods had been to provoke that fight.
Never did he expect that Minato's very first words upon seeing him again would be...
Concern?
Yan could hear the sincerity behind them. But given his nature, even after hearing such words from Minato, he wouldn't simply reply saying everything was fine.
Minato, knowing his personality well, didn't hold it against him.
Seeing that Yan showed no intention of starting trouble, Minato decided not to push further and left him be.
"Just as Minato was turning to sit back down, Yan stared at him and said, 'When we fought last time... you won.'"
Minato wanted to clarify the outcome of that battle, but before he could speak, Yan's expression reverted back to normal.
"However, this doesn't mean I, Yan Uchiha, have truly lost to you. Next time, I will defeat you!"
The fighting spirit glowing in his eyes matched the proud smile on his face—a confident aura any strong warrior would carry.
Perhaps inspired by his determination, Minato's brilliant blue eyes also reflected fierce resolve unwilling to yield.
"Then I'll look forward to our rematch. Next time, let's settle this in a fair and honorable way!"
Although Minato wasn't one to look for a fight, having Yan Uchiha as a rival always pushing him made him train harder.
He didn't know when this battle would happen, but Minato's heart was filled with anticipation.
The two exchanged glances. Yan Uchiha turned and walked out of the classroom, only to run into Kushina who had just arrived.
The moment Kushina saw Yan Uchiha, she furrowed her brows and instinctively stepped back.
Yan glanced at her indifferently before returning to his own classroom...
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