The Turning Wheel of Fate—Who Can Escape It?

"I suddenly understand why Kushina clings to you. Even I have to look at you in a new light. It's just a pity you're a little too young."

After a moment of silence, Tsunade suddenly said something completely out of the blue.

"???"

What the hell was she talking about?

Too young?

Was she flirting with him?

Could he let that slide?

Chiyue raised an eyebrow and slowly looked Tsunade over from head to toe.

"It's fine. I'll grow up, and I like them big."

"Go die!!"

Tsunade's smile froze. The next second, she lashed out with a kick.

"Rumble!!"

The riverbank collapsed, rocks and dirt continuously tumbling into the river.

Chiyue leaped onto a nearby tree and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

That was way too ruthless!

If that kick had landed, even if he didn't die, he would have been skinned alive.

"Senior, keep it up. I believe in you—you'll get even bigger."

"Ha ha ha..."

Leaving behind a Tsunade so furious smoke might as well have been pouring from her seven orifices, Chiyue slipped into the woods and disappeared.

Tsunade was so angry she laughed. "That foul-mouthed little brat."

But had they really gotten bigger?

Would they become a burden?

Tsunade unconsciously lowered her head to look.

After school, Uchiha Mikoto was on her way home when Chiyue pulled her aside halfway there.

"What's wrong, Chiyue?"

"Did something happen? Why do you look so serious?"

Chiyue tried his best to put on a stern expression, but his age was an unavoidable weakness.

Even when he tried to look serious, he only ended up looking blank-faced. For some reason, Mikoto found it amusing.

Fine, he had failed. Sure enough, this sort of thing did not suit someone his age.

Chiyue helplessly raised a hand. "Senior Tsunade came to see me today. She told me there's a strong chance she'll become my Jonin Instructor."

"How could that be..."

Wasn't there still some time before graduation?

Why had the village higher-ups begun assigning people already?

"But you and I won't be assigned to the same team, right?"

Now Mikoto understood why Chiyue had tried so hard to look serious earlier, only to fail.

"More or less."

He opened the refrigerator, took out two bottles of milk, handed one to Mikoto, then took a couple of drinks himself. Frowning, he said, "I don't know what the Hokage is thinking, starting to arrange this stuff so early. Minato might be assigned to Jiraiya."

"Minato is being assigned early too?"

Mikoto had already found Chiyue's early assignment surprising.

Who would have thought Minato was one of those being arranged in advance as well?

"Never underestimate Minato. He's only limited by his birth. In truth, he's someone capable of creating miracles, as long as someone guides and supports him."

There was no need to say anything about Minato's future achievements. What he lacked was simply enough time to grow, along with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

As long as he accumulated enough experience, learned some Sealing Jutsu, and acquired the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato would soar on the spot.

"So you dragged me here today because..."

"Mmph—what are you doing?"

Before she could finish, Chiyue grabbed Mikoto's little face with his right hand and tugged it back and forth, leaving several finger marks on her fair cheeks.

"Because I regret to inform you, Uchiha Mikoto, that you may not be able to accept the village's team assignment."

"Why?"

Mikoto slapped his hand away, rubbing her cheeks in displeasure as she looked up at him.

"Because you're going to form a two-person team with me."

"I refused Senior Tsunade. If we can't be assigned to the same team, then your repeating a grade and my skipping one will become meaningless.

"I'd rather reject that kind of arrangement and form a two-person team with Sister Mikoto instead."

"Besides, with your strength and mine, do you think we'd starve?"

Chiyue snapped his fingers and spoke with an easy expression.

"You..."

Mikoto had wanted to call him an idiot, but before the words could leave her mouth, Chiyue interrupted her.

He pulled her up from the chair and pushed her toward the kitchen.

"Forget the thanks or insults. I made such a huge sacrifice, so you're cooking today. Let me slack off for once."

A smooth road?

Others desperately wished for their backers to be more reliable, but Chiyue had no need for that.

Because his own backer was himself.

Chiyue was confident that within a few years, it would be uncertain who would be backing whom.

Why bother getting dragged into the vortex of the Hokage's faction?

Why get swept into open and covert struggles with the Third Hokage and Danzo?

It was simply exhausting.

"Are we really going to form a two-person team?"

While eating, Mikoto still felt uneasy.

She still thought it would be better for Tsunade to become Chiyue's Jonin Instructor.

"What's wrong with a two-person team? No one will interrupt us, and we can do whatever we want."

He gave Mikoto a meaningful look that made her understand immediately. Her face flushed, and she shot him an annoyed glare before lowering her head to eat in silence.

"Does Minato know about this?"

"I don't plan to tell Minato. I'm afraid he might do something irrational."

After thinking it over, Chiyue decided to keep it from Minato for now.

If Minato got carried away, he might give up the village's assignment and come join him instead.

If that happened, Chiyue's sin would be enormous.

Chiyue had no way to get the Flying Thunder God Technique for Minato.

If Minato wanted to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, he still had to rely on Jiraiya.

Given Chiyue's sensitive identity, even if he made enough contributions, the Third Hokage and Danzo would not allow him to choose that kind of ninjutsu.

The most likely outcome was that they would casually give him some reward and send him away.

This was not malicious speculation. Since the village's founding, how many members of the Uchiha Clan who had made contributions had been free to choose ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals?

Chiyue could say with certainty: almost none.

Perhaps Kagami Uchiha had been an exception.

Though he was not considered part of the Uchiha Clan, he still carried Uchiha blood.

The Third Hokage and Danzo would not hesitate to guard against him because of that.

And since he had rejected the village's arrangement, would the Third Hokage still make a point of nurturing him?

No matter how he looked at it, that was impossible.

Tsunade had no plans to tell Minato in advance either, since she was not familiar with him.

Minato had yet to realize he had already been assigned early. He was beginning to wonder whom he would be placed on a team with.

His ideal teammates were Chiyue and Mikoto. With him included, that would make a complete team.

But if that were the choice, Kushina would be left out.

"Chiyue, do you think the village will put us on the same team after we graduate? If we're assigned together, what will happen to the extra person?"

You were really worrying far ahead.

You had not even graduated yet, and you were already thinking about team assignments.

"Don't worry. Kushina won't be chosen."

The most likely outcome for Kushina was repeating a grade, or graduating smoothly and then living idly in Konoha.

After all, she was a Jinchuriki. She could not casually leave the village.

"Why?"

Could Kushina not graduate?

Probably not. Although her grades in some subjects were a little poor, she had been working hard lately.

Graduating smoothly should not be a problem.

Why would she be excluded?

"Well... there are some things you don't need to know yet. We can talk about them later. Maybe Kushina will tell us herself."

Patting Minato on the shoulder, Chiyue said earnestly, "Minato, I know what you're thinking, but it would be best if you didn't provoke Kushina for a while. Otherwise, you'll get beaten up."

Perhaps it was fate at work. Minato had gone from being afraid of Kushina at first to intentionally or unintentionally approaching her now.

It was obvious that he had developed feelings for her.

"Cough, cough, no, I don't, don't talk nonsense."

His feelings had been exposed. Minato's face turned red as he hurriedly shook his head in denial.

I don't like Kushina. Absolutely not.

Yeah, right.

Chiyue could not be bothered with him. It was practically written all over his face, yet he still wanted to deny it.

Come to think of it, when did the people from Kumogakure sneak into Konoha and kidnap Kushina?

Those bastards loved underhanded tricks.

Just as Chiyue had said, Kushina had been in a bad mood lately—a very bad mood.

Graduation was drawing near. Once Chiyue and the others graduated smoothly, they would set out on a different path.

But she was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and could not easily leave the village.