A Man in Leaf Village: Starting by Slapping White Fang

"I'm looking forward to your performance. I hope that, like your codename, Light, and like the Will of Fire, you will become a light that shines upon the village."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was so pleased that he took out the Anbu mask he had prepared in advance for Minato Namikaze from a drawer and handed it to him.

Since this was my first time writing in the Sannin era, I wasn't quite used to it. The earliest period I wrote about before was always Kakashi's era, so I'll improve based on everyone's feedback.

Shamelessly asking for support again. Thank you, everyone.

Several months later, beside Genetsu's cottage.

"Lord Genetsu, can you teach me ninjutsu?"

Genetsu looked at Yūhi Kurenai before him, her large eyes gleaming like a pair of rubies.

After a brief silence from Genetsu.

Facing the daughter of his older brother's friend, he really could not bear to crush her confidence.

Thinking carefully.

Did Yūhi Kurenai have any noteworthy accomplishments in the original story?

Everyone's only impression of her ninjutsu was probably that scene where Itachi Uchiha instantly defeated her, right?

As for Genetsu's impression of this girl, it was even more straightforward. He only remembered that she had developed quite a nice figure when she grew up.

"You... besides Genjutsu, you could also study Medical Ninjutsu."

Only after a long while did Genetsu barely come up with an answer that would not hurt her too badly.

By the later stages of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Super Kage were everywhere, and Kage-level shinobi were nothing special.

You did not even have a Kekkei Genkai, yet you had the nerve to call yourself a ninja?

"Really? Then I'll learn more from Lady Tsunade too!"

Yūhi Kurenai seemed quite satisfied with that answer and decided that whenever she had time, she would come here to seek Tsunade's guidance.

Who knew what her true purpose was.

Along with Nohara Rin, who had always liked following Tsunade around, there was now another Big Loli who liked running over to Genetsu's place.

"Huh? It doesn't seem like Lady Tsunade is here~"

The Big Loli Yūhi Kurenai turned her head from side to side, searching for any sign of Tsunade.

The fact that those two lived together had long become an open secret throughout Leaf Village.

"That spendthrift woman took Rin to the gambling house in the neighboring village early this morning."

Genetsu said he had already gotten used to it.

Still, he felt that Nohara Rin's traits were increasingly moving closer to Shizune's role in the original story.

Following Tsunade around and cleaning up after her...

"Quick, quick, quick! Let me hide here!"

Just then, two Big Lolis of similar age ran out from the forest path. The blonde girl with a single ponytail in front cried anxiously:

"Those bastards from the gambling house actually came all the way to my doorstep! Luckily Nawaki is holding them off. Let me hide here for now!"

A blonde ponytail, emerald-like eyes, and a youthful, beautiful aura.

No matter how one looked at her, she was a Big Loli with the makings of a great beauty.

It was just that one particular area was far too flat—flat enough to park an airplane on.

And following behind the blonde loli was Nohara Rin.

Genetsu could not be bothered with her and turned to walk toward the training grounds.

Recently, the voice in his heart had become increasingly clear.

Two hours later, Nawaki came to Genetsu's place looking utterly drained. On the verge of tears, he complained:

"My sister owes a total of fifty million two hundred and forty thousand ryō this time. I handed them that Jade Buddha Statue of Grandpa's that Father loved before he died, and only then did those people reluctantly leave."

"Tch! Those people must have cheated, otherwise how could I have lost so much!?"

The blonde loli roared angrily.

Genetsu and Nawaki both fell silent.

Tsunade's gambling skills were probably so terrible that only a resurrected Senju Hashirama could go Fifty-Fifty with her.

"Can you change back now?"

Genetsu suddenly asked.

"Oh! Right, right, I forgot!"

The blonde loli smacked her forehead, then raised the index and middle fingers of both hands and overlapped them to form a hand seal.

With a poof, smoke erupted.

A-cup turned into G-cup.

Beside her, the Big Lolis Nohara Rin and Yūhi Kurenai stared so hard their eyes nearly popped out.

They rushed forward and pinned Tsunade's shoulders from either side, their expressions turning almost crazed as they cried:

"Lady Tsunade, what exactly did you eat while growing up?!"

"Did you develop some kind of strange medicine?!"

"Or is there some secret technique!?"

"Please tell us already!!!"

Tsunade, dizzy from being shaken by the two girls, flew into a rage.

"You two had better stop right now!!!!!"

For the moment, let us ignore the classic scene of three women making a show.

Nawaki suddenly remembered something. His expression turned solemn as he said to Genetsu:

"Brother-in-law, the Anbu recently got a new commander-in-chief to replace Mr. Sakumo. His codename seems to be... Light?"

Genetsu glanced sideways slightly.

He had not paid attention to such trivial matters.

It was not that he did not care at all.

It was simply because the voice in his heart had become increasingly intense and distinct lately.

It had kept him immersed in comprehending the Sword Way every day.

Even Tsunade could not help but complain sometimes—

You bastard, it's been so long since you paid your marital dues!

However, one point in Nawaki's next topic caught Genetsu's interest—

Kakashi had applied for early graduation.

But Nawaki had not even needed to mention this. Genetsu had long learned of it from Hatake Sakumo.

Though it was not as exaggerated as in the original story, where Kakashi enrolled and graduated in the same year.

With Kakashi's talent, after spending a full three years in the Ninja Academy.

There was really nothing left for him to learn.

Thus, he had finally applied for early graduation some time ago.

In truth, during wartime, early graduation was not unusual at all.

Most Ninja Academy students graduated at an average age of around ten.

If one truly waited through the six-year school system and graduated at twelve.

That only meant their talent as a ninja was nothing remarkable.

But Nawaki still brought news that Genetsu found rather interesting—

Several others had applied for early graduation at the same time.

Among them was Uchiha Obito.

It seemed that after hearing Kakashi had applied for early graduation, he had refused to be outdone and submitted an application as well.

Then there was Kakashi's self-proclaimed eternal rival, the second-worst student, Might Guy.

The Hokage's second son and future bearded man, Asuma.

"Lord Genetsu, I applied for early graduation too."

"Me too, me too. It feels like there's already nothing left to learn at the academy. Rin said she wanted to apply for early graduation too, so I joined her."

At that moment, the two Big Lolis, Nohara Rin and Yūhi Kurenai, each having received a forehead flick from Tsunade, chimed in.

"Things seem to be getting more and more interesting..."

Genetsu smiled faintly.

The Third Great Ninja War?

He would have to make good use of this.

Inside the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the returned Minato Namikaze, or rather, the Anbu commander-in-chief known as "Light."

A satisfied smile spread across Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

Sure enough, just as the intelligence reports had said.

At only eighteen years old, he already possessed Kage-level strength.

His Flying Thunder God Technique had reached an extraordinary level, and he even showed faint signs of surpassing his teacher, Tobirama Senju.

Of course, that was only in terms of speed for now.

"You've worked hard on the mission, Minato."

Hiruzen Sarutobi first offered the usual official pleasantries.

"Not at all, Lord Hokage. It was only an A-rank mission."

Minato Namikaze, wearing his Anbu mask, forced a smile.

Honestly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's excessive grooming had even begun to frighten him.

What was free was the most expensive.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's wholehearted investment in cultivating him only made Minato Namikaze feel as though a mountain were pressing down upon his back.

"However, I believe it is time for you to remove that mask and become an official ninja in the light, Minato," Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly added.

That statement startled Minato Namikaze once more.

He had only been the Anbu commander-in-chief for a few months, and now he was being transferred again?