Task of the Third Generation

As soon as class ended, Minato was immediately surrounded by the girls in the class.

"Hey, hey, Minato-kun, want to eat lunch together? My mom makes delicious bento boxes!"

"No, thank you, I brought my own lunch..."

"Minato-kun, where do you live? Do you want to walk home together after school?"

"Sorry, I'm going back with a friend, it wouldn't be very convenient..."

A strained smile appeared on Minato's face; the way these girls expressed their affection was far too direct, and even he found it a bit overwhelming.

"Could everyone please move aside for a moment? I need to go to the restroom."

"Eh, that's perfect, I need to go too!"

"It's on the way, let's all go together."

The girls chirped away, and hearing this, Minato had no choice but to bite the bullet and leave the classroom, trailed by a large group of girls.

Just after they left, another Minato quietly poked his head out from behind the podium.

"Eh? A Clone? You kid have already mastered the Clone Technique?"

Shinnosuke was stunned when he saw this.

Before school started, although Minato had beaten him in taijutsu, he was certain he could regain his pride in other areas.

For instance, ninjutsu!

As the son of the Hokage, he had already mastered the Three Basic Techniques before school even began, and had even learned the Dragon Fire Technique.

Although the power was a bit small—only enough to burn some firewood—being able to cast a C-rank ninjutsu at the age of five was already quite an impressive feat.

Minato nodded: "I studied it a little beforehand."

"Damn it, I couldn't even beat you in this area?"

Shinnosuke felt a bit annoyed, but immediately regained his fighting spirit: "Let's have another match sometime!"

"Definitely next time."

Minato responded with a smile and turned to return to his seat.

"Minato-kun is so amazing."

Nonō looked at Minato: "I didn't expect you to have already learned the Clone Technique; I'm not even proficient at extracting chakra yet."

Minato smiled modestly: "I just have a bit more talent; if you practice diligently, you can do it too."

"Really?"

Nonō looked very happy: "I hope it turns out the way Minato-kun says."

"Just call me Minato."

A gentle smile played on Minato's face: "Is it alright if I call you by your first name?"

Nonō nodded shyly.

According to the customs of the ninja world, only those with close relationships addressed each other by their given names.

Of course, there were also those like the group of infatuated fangirls who attempted to shorten the distance between themselves and others by using first names.

However, that was usually limited to girls; if a boy did that, it would be considered harassment, so one had to obtain the other party's consent first.

"I had already learned some ninjutsu before enrolling, so if you have anything you don't understand, Nonō-san, feel free to ask me anytime."

Minato wasn't sure if Nonō's appearance was a coincidence or a deliberate arrangement, but he felt he could probe a little.

Nonō felt a bit embarrassed, but she didn't refuse: "Then thank you very much, Minato-kun."

"Don't mention it, classmates should help each other, right?"

Minato smiled readily, his sunny expression causing Nonō's pretty face to flush slightly.

"Help each other, huh..."

In the Hokage Office Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, his eyes filled with gratification.

He was dressed in casual clothes, sitting cross-legged on the tatami, with the scene inside Minato's classroom projected within the crystal ball before him.

A knock on the door suddenly sounded, and Hiruzen Sarutobi dispelled the Telescope Technique, causing the image on the crystal ball to vanish instantly.

"Come in."

"Excuse me."

Ikkaku Umino walked into the room and knelt on one knee: "Lord Hokage."

"Ah, Ikkaku."

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked cheerfully: "How is Shinnosuke performing?"

"Shinnosuke's performance..."

Ikkaku Umino hesitated for a moment: "He isn't being very serious. Perhaps because he had already studied the material before enrollment, he is a bit distracted during class, and most of his attention is focused on Minato Namikaze."

"Hahaha, so that's how it is, is it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi helplessly patted his forehead: "After all, he is still just a child. Starting ahead of his peers, it is inevitable that a sense of pride would take root. What about that boy Minato?"

"He is very diligent!"

Mentioning Minato, Ikkaku Umino's tone carried a hint of admiration: "That child records everything taught in class, and his personality is very steady, though perhaps a bit too gentle."

"Gentle, you say..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression became unreadable as he thought of a certain good-for-nothing disciple of his.

Two days ago, Jiraiya had suddenly proposed to him that he wanted to go to Mount Myōboku to train for a period of time.

At that moment, the feeling Jiraiya gave him was different from any other time in the past.

His expression was dejected and his aura was listless, yet his eyes held a bit more tenacity and seriousness than before.

He had originally assumed the boy had suffered some setback, perhaps being rejected by Tsunade after a confession or something similar.

So, after agreeing to the request, Hiruzen Sarutobi had summoned Tsunade.

He had intended to listen to some gossip about his disciples, but instead, he learned from Tsunade that the brat had actually been emotionally dismantled by Minato!

Especially when he heard Minato's words, "Who cares," from Tsunade's mouth, even he felt a burning sensation on his own face.

That child isn't as gentle as he appears... he's actually quite aggressive.

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but chuckle: "Ikkaku, how is your training in chakra nature transformation coming along?"

"I have already mastered the Earth nature transformation, but I still need to spend time refining it."

Suddenly asked about his training, Ikkaku Umino felt a bit nervous.

"Hmm... in that case, Ikkaku, I need you to be able to educate that child well."

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, pondered for a moment, and spoke slowly.

"I won't hide it from you; Minato's talent is so exceptional that even my disciple Orochimaru falls short. It is precisely because of this that he requires proper guidance."

"Eh? Me?"

Ikkaku Umino's face was full of surprise: "Talent even better than Orochimaru? With my abilities, I'm afraid..."

"No, that child is Tsunade's student; she will teach him his training."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly: "Given your seniority, you should have been promoted to Special Jōnin by now. However, I reviewed your past mission records and found that everyone who has served as your teammate holds you in very high regard."

"Frank, loyal, selfless, diligent, upright... This is also the reason I transferred you to the Ninja Academy. I hope you can pass on these precious qualities to the next generation of students, especially that boy Minato."

"This is also a bit of a selfish request on my part, after all, Shinnosuke is also in your class..."

"As compensation for affecting your promotion process, I will teach you some ninjutsu later and guide you through the training for your second chakra nature transformation."

Hearing this, Ikkaku Umino's expression turned solemn: "Yes! I will certainly not let you down!"

"There is no need to put so much pressure on yourself."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction: "Minato's character is actually quite excellent; by comparison, Shinnosuke is the one who needs more concern."

"But regardless of which child is in the class, I hope you will treat them fairly and not let missions affect your education of the other children."

"Yes!"

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