Minato Namikaze

"I'm sorry!"

Uchiha Mikoto said softly, her face red. Her guilty expression was utterly adorable. At this age, her face resembled Naruto's Mother's when she was little—both had round faces with a hint of baby fat!

"???"

Katsuo looked at her in confusion without saying a word.

"..."

"Aren't you scared anymore?" Katsuo asked curiously. He had seen Uchiha Mikoto standing there as if she had been scared senseless.

"I was scared you'd get beaten up... There were so many of them!"

"I just didn't expect you to be so strong! No wonder, no wonder Grandfather had you come be my bodyguard!"

Seeing Uchiha Mikoto's suddenly enlightened expression, Katsuo immediately reached out with his wicked hands.

He pinched Mikoto's fair cheeks and tugged them from side to side, then brought his face close to hers. "Heh... You really think I'm your bodyguard?"

Katsuo's actions seemed rather intimate, and he did not use any force. Mikoto struggled free with a flushed face.

"Remember to bring a double portion in your lunch next time. And there had better be fruit for after the meal. This is the protection fee you owe!"

Katsuo glared at her fiercely.

Mikoto was stunned for a moment, then smiled slyly. "No money! You're too shameless. You're eating for free and still making so many demands..."

"You definitely don't have money, but your Grandfather does. Go ask him for it, and tell him I said so!" Katsuo smiled confidently, not feeling ashamed in the slightest.

"I don't believe you. Grandfather was cursing angrily over you just yesterday! Why would he listen to you?" Mikoto said with a look of contempt.

"Heh..."

Katsuo first gave a mischievous laugh, looking exceptionally lecherous, then said something Mikoto could not yet understand.

"Just tell the old man that if I don't get enough to eat, I'll eat you instead..."

"??? Eat me? You're not a fox. How can you eat people?" Mikoto asked innocently with a giggle.

"Heh, of course I'm not a fox. I'm a wolf—a Big Bad Wolf..." Katsuo smiled wickedly, his ill-intentioned gaze sweeping over Mikoto's entire body as though he were considering where to take his first bite!

When Katsuo said he was a Big Bad Wolf, she had laughed so hard she could barely close her mouth. But once his gaze swept over her, an unfamiliar strange feeling arose within her!

She shuddered for no reason, suddenly feeling as if she were naked!

Her smile abruptly froze. Her face reddened as she hurriedly lowered her head, no longer daring to meet Katsuo's gaze, yet the strange feeling did not fade.

Seeing her resemble a little quail, Katsuo chuckled and withdrew his gaze.

Hmph, you think I can't handle a little girl like you?

He practiced hand seals with both hands as he waited for class to begin.

When class finally started, he discovered that today's lesson was a literary subject about recognizing characters... Katsuo found it terribly boring. Although he needed to learn the writing system here as well, with the mind of an adult, he found it simple and dull!

"Ring, ring, ring..."

As soon as class ended, Mikoto ran out. Katsuo stood up, stretched lazily, and walked out of the classroom, intending to wander around and take a look.

But the moment he reached the playground outside, he immediately felt himself become the center of attention. Many gazes were fixed on him, accompanied by endless whispers, all because what he had done yesterday had been too shocking!

This feeling of being watched made him lose interest in continuing his stroll. If yesterday's incident had not involved his mother, he would never have made such a huge scene!

After all, he was still weak. He should not be drawing so much attention to himself. That was not what Katsuo wanted. He was not someone who liked to keep a high profile—at least, not before he possessed absolute strength. That was how he saw it!

Just as he was about to turn around and return to the classroom, a blonde youth on the playground caught Katsuo's attention. After briefly comparing him with the image in his mind, Katsuo roughly guessed his identity.

"Is it really him? The future Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze!"

Katsuo was surprised for a moment, then walked over to him.

"Minato Namikaze?"

Katsuo smiled warmly at him and asked uncertainly.

The blonde youth across from him was clearly stunned for a moment, then nodded with a friendly smile.

"Hello! You are?" Minato Namikaze asked doubtfully.

After confirming the other party's identity, Katsuo extended his hand. "My name is Uchiha Katsuo. Nice to meet you!"

"..."

"Hello..."

Although Minato Namikaze did not quite understand what was going on, he still extended his hand and shook Katsuo's out of politeness.

The two smiled as brightly as sunshine. A friendship between men was established just that simply and casually!

"What grade are you in? Which class?"

Katsuo asked with a smile. The Ninja Academy was much like an elementary school from his previous life, with the same six-year system. However, aside from teaching basic knowledge, it also taught ninja-related subjects. Each grade had nearly seven or eight classes, with twenty to thirty students in each class. The Ninja Academy was much bigger than Katsuo had imagined; the anime had only occasionally shown a small corner of it!

"I'm in first-year Class 2. Please take care of me!" Minato answered amiably.

First-year Class 2?

Katsuo was secretly taken aback, but after thinking it over, he understood. In the Original Work, aside from Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's classmates indeed did not include any children from major clans. Minato came from a civilian background, so it made sense that he had not entered the Elite Class in his first year. Perhaps next year, he would be part of Class 1. After all, he was the future leader of the younger generation.

As for the so-called children of major clans? In the end, they could only be overshadowed by this golden radiance!

"You're too polite..."

"Boss!!!"

Katsuo had just wanted to chat a little longer with this future big shot and build their relationship, but an unusually loud voice suddenly rang out!

Seeing Senju Nawaki run up to him in inexplicable excitement, Katsuo's face darkened. He sent Nawaki flying with a kick, and Nawaki tumbled all the way to the side!

"I'm not free right now..."

Before Katsuo could start cursing, a strange feeling of being watched suddenly arose within him. He forcibly stopped himself, his expression changing as if by magic. He hurried over to Nawaki, helped him up with a "concerned" look, and brushed the dust off him.

"How could you be so careless? You didn't hurt yourself, did you? Get up quickly!"

Katsuo said gently, as if kicking Nawaki over just now had merely been an illusion. The people around them were all baffled and could not make heads or tails of it!

Nawaki: "???"

Minato: "???"

Passersby: "???"

Ignoring everyone's reactions, Katsuo rubbed the back of Nawaki's head and said softly, "Be more careful when you walk next time, okay?"

After saying that, he nodded at the bewildered Minato, turned, and left the playground. He returned to his classroom and began reading his textbook.

Only after a long while, when that feeling of being watched finally disappeared, did he slowly let out a sigh of relief!