Fastest Man in the Ninja World

Hokage Office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the Crystal Ball before him like a witch.

The translucent Crystal Ball shifted, revealing a scene from First Year Class A.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had two sons.

His eldest had already joined the Anbu and become an outstanding ninja.

But his younger son, Sarutobi Asuma, was at that disobedient age. He went against him all day long, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched for a while and could not help but smile.

They really were just children.

But competition created pressure.

Because of his status as the Hokage's Son, Sarutobi Asuma had had things far too easy at the academy.

With Hikawa around, perhaps his rebellious son would change.

"Haru."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "I want all the information on Hikawa from the past three days immediately."

"Yes."

A voice answered from the shadows.

It belonged to Haru, an Anbu ninja.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had high hopes for Hikawa.

Otherwise, he would not have snatched him back from Shimura Danzō.

Now that Hikawa had reignited Sarutobi Asuma's fighting spirit, he had killed two birds with one stone.

"Lord Hokage."

Less than three minutes later, Haru appeared before him.

She wore a frog mask, with only her short hair exposed.

Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted the documents and began reading. Before long, he frowned.

As expected, Shimura Danzō had not completely given up. Fortunately, he had not caused any trouble.

He continued reading, and a smile appeared on his face.

He was a hardworking, good child.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Sarutobi Hiruzen casually set down the documents.

"Lord Hokage."

The door opened, and a blond young man entered.

"Minato."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze sharpened as he asked gravely, "What is it? Did something happen to Kushina?"

Kushina Uzumaki was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

The Nine Tailed Beasts possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth, and the Nine-Tails was the strongest among them.

A Jinchuriki was a ninja with a Tailed Beast sealed inside their body, the final trump card of a ninja village.

But the Tailed Beasts' unruliness could easily cause a Jinchuriki to lose control.

Beyond that, there was the covetousness of enemy villages.

For example, not long ago, Kumogakure had kidnapped Kushina Uzumaki.

If not for Namikaze Minato, Konoha would likely have lost its Nine-Tails Jinchuriki forever.

"Kushina escaped the barrier again today."

Namikaze Minato smiled awkwardly and said, "She used Sealing Technique to restrain the two Anbu ninja assigned to protect her."

"Minato, I know how you feel about Kushina, but this concerns the Nine-Tails. You cannot let her act so recklessly."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of smoke and cautioned him.

"I understand!"

Namikaze Minato's expression turned serious.

"Don't be so tense."

Sarutobi Hiruzen changed the subject and smiled. "Now that you have learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, I doubt Kushina will ever be kidnapped again."

The Flying Thunder God Technique was a Time-Space Ninjutsu that used Flying Thunder God formulas to achieve spatial transfers.

For example, if he planted a Flying Thunder God formula on Kushina Uzumaki, Namikaze Minato could instantly reach her no matter how far away she was.

Without exaggeration, from now on, he was the Fastest Man in the Ninja World.

"Is Jiraiya still in the village?"

Remembering something, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly asked.

"He is."

Namikaze Minato explained, "My teacher has recently been helping me develop a new ninjutsu."

"A new ninjutsu?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked curiously, "What kind of ninjutsu requires you and Jiraiya to develop it together?"

"It still needs some work."

Namikaze Minato smiled. "Once it is complete, I will show it to you."

"Then I shall look forward to it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen and he exchanged smiles.

The Hokage Office was suddenly filled with warmth and harmony.

First Year Class A.

Hikawa's mouth twitched.

Why did becoming a ninja require studying mathematics?

As the saying went, when people were pushed to the limit, they could do anything—but not math.

The question before him required calculating the parabolic trajectory of a kunai.

I may understand the theory, but would it be useful against Susanoo?

He could not exactly imitate Shimura Danzō and stab someone with a kunai.

A burst of commotion suddenly arose in the classroom.

Hikawa looked up and saw a group of people heading outside.

At the front were Hatake Kakashi and Obito Uchiha.

"Obito is challenging Kakashi again."

Shizune shook her head and said, "Since school started, I have seen it more times than I can count."

"Who wins?"

Hikawa asked casually.

"Kakashi wins every time. He is the village's universally acknowledged genius."

Shizune said it as if it were obvious.

Hikawa nodded slightly.

Though it had only been three days, he had already felt Hatake Kakashi's immense popularity.

Simply put, he was about the same as Second Pillar in the original story.

Read more books and stare less at the Uchiha.

Hikawa glanced over.

In the time it took him to speak with Shizune, Obito Uchiha had already lost. Hatake Kakashi had not even made a move.

He used the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique until he scorched his throat, then began coughing violently, as if he would cough up a lung the next second.

But he suffered happily, because Rin Nohara was taking care of him.

A gentle attitude always gave people the wrong idea, such as thinking she liked me.

Unfortunately, they did not yet know that fate had already secretly marked the price of its gifts.

For the sake of his own life, Hikawa continued studying.

He did not want to be optimized out when Obito Uchiha created his new world in the future.

After school, Hikawa returned home. Once he had eaten, he began training with kunai and shuriken.

The difference from yesterday was that Yuhi Kurenai had joined him.

A week passed quickly.

Hikawa successfully integrated into the class and, incidentally, got to know every classmate.

Besides notable supporting characters like Hatake Kakashi and Sarutobi Asuma, there was also Mizuki, a supporting character with little screen time.

In the original story, he was the Ninja Academy teacher who tempted the failed Uzumaki Naruto into stealing the Sealing Scroll.

His greatest contribution was giving the protagonist a cheat ability: the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

Sunday morning.

With a casual toss, Hikawa's kunai struck the wooden post with perfect accuracy.

Several lines of text appeared in his vision.

He could not help but sigh in relief.

E-Rank Talent Entry: Ninja Tool Throwing (Acquired).

Trigger Condition: Shuriken and kunai throwing reach beginner level.

Effect: Increases arm strength by 10% on top of the original base; guarantees hits on stationary targets within one hundred meters.

Note: Has one synthesis path. Combine with the E-Rank Entry Seven Ninja Tools to synthesize the D-Rank Entry Ninja Tool Mastery.

Hikawa subconsciously clenched his fist.

A surge of strength welled up inside him. It was not much, but he had undeniably become a little stronger.

It increased his strength by 10% right after getting started. Once it was fully mastered, would he not gain a Kirin arm?

He should play basketball. This was an iron elbow.

Hikawa put away his random thoughts.

He looked toward the new entry panel.

E-Rank Talent Entry: Seven Ninja Tools (Unacquired).

Trigger Condition: Achieve proficiency with seven ninja tools.

Current Progress: 10%.

Though they were both E-Rank Entries, Seven Ninja Tools was far more difficult than Ninja Tool Throwing.

Was it stronger because it could synthesize into a D-Rank Entry?

This progress bar showed that shuriken and kunai counted, so he needed to learn five more ninja tools.

Hikawa gathered the scattered kunai and shuriken from the ground, then turned and left.

He had already asked Yuhi Shinko for leave in advance, saying that he was making a trip back to the orphanage.

But in reality, he was going to meet with Kumogakure's spy.

Kushina Uzumaki being confined within a barrier early on because she could not control the Nine-Tails' power came from the official side-story manga Minato's Story. I am borrowing it here to serve this book's plot.