The First Step to Success, Treating My Brother as Namikaze Minato

"Lady Mito summoned me today—is there something you wish to arrange?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked proactively when he saw Uzumaki Mito fall silent.

"It's about that child, Uchiha Dan!" Uzumaki Mito smiled. "This boy went through the seven most critical years without any training at all. He's essentially crippled."

"But you've also seen his talent in medical arts. I've never encountered anyone with such extraordinary aptitude in medicine and Medical Ninjutsu."

"So I intend to let this child become a Medical Ninja, contributing to the village. What do you think?"

"This..." Hiruzen Sarutobi sank into deep thought.

He understood Uzumaki Mito.

This lady, though she appeared to be asking, already had a decision in mind. How could he refuse?

"I have no intention of making things difficult for you!" Uzumaki Mito saw through Hiruzen Sarutobi's hesitation and continued.

"After all, you are the Hokage. The decision rests with you. I'm merely offering a small suggestion!"

"Do you know why Tobirama targeted Uchiha Dan back then?" Uzumaki Mito pressed on.

"I do!" Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, answering with some helplessness.

Regarding Uchiha Dan's matter, Tobirama Senju had never given an explanation before his death—only issued orders.

As a rigorous man, Tobirama Senju disliked lying and preferred straightforwardness in all things. Even his dissatisfaction with the Uchiha Clan, he never concealed.

So for a mere suspicion based on a glance, he truly couldn't offer an explanation.

Still, Hiruzen Sarutobi's judgment aligned with Uzumaki Mito's.

"This matter is far too frivolous!" Uzumaki Mito said with displeasure. "Tobirama is gone now, so it's not my place to criticize him."

"If he were here, I would certainly give him a thorough scolding.

"As Hokage, how could he ruin a child's entire life just because he smiled once?"

"Is it because he's a child of the Uchiha Clan that he's not even allowed to smile?"

"Uh..." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked thoroughly awkward, unsure what to say.

"Speak your mind directly!" Uzumaki Mito prompted.

Letting out a sigh, Hiruzen Sarutobi explained, "That child Dan has been suppressed by us for so many years. He's bound to harbor resentment. His weakness in strength is no big deal, but I worry that once he grows powerful, he might act against the village."

"Your concern is reasonable." Uzumaki Mito nodded, acknowledging his point.

"Here's what I think—we should still heed Tobirama's words." Uzumaki Mito circled around before finally offering her suggestion. "This child has missed his optimal growth period. There's no need for him to undergo ninja training in the future."

"But his medical talent cannot go to waste. So simply allow him to extract Chakra and become an excellent Medical Ninja, contributing to the village."

"Of course, continue the surveillance as before. I know you're the one who follows Tobirama's orders most closely."

"It's just that letting the village gain a genius Medical Ninja is such a good thing, there's no reason to refuse."

"After all, this child has never done anything harmful to the village, nor shown any inclination toward it."

"If anyone objects, push it onto me. It's not that you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, are defying Tobirama's orders—it's that I demanded you do this."

At this period, Hiruzen Sarutobi had yet to show signs of senility, so Uzumaki Mito gave him ample face.

With words spoken to this extent, Hiruzen Sarutobi truly couldn't refuse. He nodded and said, "I agree to this!"

Having obtained Hiruzen Sarutobi's assurance, Uzumaki Mito's mood improved considerably.

Little Tsuna, Grandma can only help you this far.

The rest is up to you!

Having lived long, one's experience naturally surpasses the ordinary.

Though every time Tsunade mentioned Uchiha Dan, she would gnash her teeth as if she wanted to devour him.

But a girl of this age who constantly has a boy's name on her lips—what else could it mean?

In Uzumaki Mito's view, Tsunade had long placed Uchiha Dan in her heart.

Only Tsunade herself didn't think so.

Of course, that foolish child Uchiha Dan also seemed completely unaware, even finding Tsunade annoying.

As for the Uchiha Clan, Uzumaki Mito, like Hashirama Senju, held no prejudice.

But matters between children, she had no desire to meddle in—let the kids sort it out themselves.

At the Namikaze Toneri household.

"Uncle, I'm back!"

Uchiha Dan, returning home after work, saw Namikaze Toneri and called out loudly.

"Brat, did you lose today?" Namikaze Toneri patted Uchiha Dan's head in comfort and asked.

The events at Konoha Hospital had spread quickly, so Namikaze Toneri naturally knew.

"Heh, Uncle, don't worry. I didn't take it to heart at all." Uchiha Dan genuinely didn't care.

His actions today were merely meant to provoke Tsunade, to see if he could use her to gradually loosen the village's restrictions on him, making it easier to find an opportunity to escape.

"Where's Minato?" Glancing around and seeing Namikaze Minato absent, Uchiha Dan asked.

"Maybe he's still training!" Namikaze Toneri said with a mix of relief and worry. "The kid's great in every way, but he pushes himself too hard when he trains."

But no sooner had he spoken than Namikaze Minato pushed the door open and ran in.

"Dad, big brother, I'm back."

"You little rascal, go wash your hands. We're eating."

As for why Uchiha Dan had come to Namikaze Minato's house and become his brother, that story went back seven years.

Namikaze Toneri and his wife were both civilians, not ninjas, living ordinary lives in Konoha.

Though after years of observation, Uchiha Dan had concluded that Namikaze Toneri's bloodline was anything but ordinary—likely the descendant of some remarkable figure.

But by Namikaze Toneri's generation, he was the only person in all of Konoha with the surname Namikaze, so his ancestry could no longer be traced.

Namikaze Toneri and his wife had been married for nearly twenty years without having a child, which had worried the couple to no end.

The Namikaze clan was about to go extinct!

Around that time, under Kagami Uchiha's maneuvering, Uchiha Dan had been cast out of the Uchiha Clan, severing all ties with them.

The desperate Namikaze Toneri took one look at the child who had moved in next door and felt an instant connection, directly applying for adoption.

If he couldn't have a biological son, an adopted son would do just fine.

Especially since, after Uchiha Dan came into the household, he treated the couple with utmost respect and filial piety, leaving Namikaze Toneri and his wife thoroughly satisfied.

Then, just two months after Uchiha Dan entered the family, Namikaze Toneri's wife discovered she was pregnant.

Fortunately, Namikaze Toneri and his wife were both kind-hearted people. Instead of resenting Uchiha Dan, they worried he might feel hurt and treated him even better.

And so the family had lived together happily ever since.

"Big brother!" At the dinner table, Namikaze Minato glanced at the door and lowered his voice. "Can you spend more time with me today?"

"Haha, of course!" Uchiha Dan ruffled Namikaze Minato's little blond head and agreed without hesitation.

This was the brothers' secret code.

Namikaze Minato had shown extraordinary talent from a young age. A year ago, he had officially enrolled in the Ninja Academy and begun his studies.

But the vast majority of his ninjutsu knowledge had actually been taught by Uchiha Dan.

Even Namikaze Toneri didn't know about this.

When Namikaze Minato said "spend time with me," outsiders thought it was just because he was close to his brother.

But in truth, the words meant: I have a lot of training questions to ask you. Can you skip overtime today?