Next Time, for Sure

"So Minato didn't do it on purpose?"

"Of course not!"

Kushina glanced toward the hospital room. "Minato was supposed to train with Tsunade today. His clone didn't have much chakra to begin with. If they hadn't come looking for trouble, this wouldn't have happened!"

Ikkaku Umino nodded. "Shinnosuke, please go tell the Third about this."

"Sure!"

Shinnosuke hurried off.

Konoha Hospital stood beneath Kage Rock, not far from the Hokage Building.

Before long, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived.

"Third."

Ikkaku Umino looked remorseful. "I'm terribly sorry. This was all because I failed in my duties..."

"Shinnosuke has already told me what happened. It wasn't your fault, so don't take it to heart."

Hiruzen waved a hand, signaling for him to calm down.

It had happened after school and outside the academy. No one could have foreseen it.

At most, Ikkaku Umino could be blamed for not educating his students properly, but he wasn't directly responsible for what had happened.

"Kotai! My Kotai!"

Just as Ikkaku Umino fell silent, unsure what to say, the parents of the three boys arrived at the hospital.

"Third, what happened? How are our children?"

The plump woman at the front looked frantic. When she saw Hiruzen, she asked with red-rimmed eyes.

"Please, stay calm. They're not in any danger."

Hiruzen's expression turned serious. "But because of their injuries, they probably won't be able to continue at the Ninja Academy."

"How could this happen..."

The plump woman burst into tears. "Who did this?!"

"This started when Kotai and the other two got into an argument and cornered and attacked another student on their way home from school."

Hiruzen said calmly, "You need to understand, no matter who did it, I won't allow you to go after that child."

"How can you say that? Our children are badly injured and bedridden, and their futures are ruined. How can you be so biased in favor of the culprit, Third?"

The plump woman immediately protested, and the other parents chimed in angrily.

"Exactly! Shio has always been so well-behaved. I don't believe he would do something like that to a classmate!"

"That's right! No matter what happened, classmates shouldn't go that far!"

The group began arguing in the hallway, and Ikkaku Umino hurried to quiet them down.

"Please, everyone, keep your voices down. This is a hospital!"

"Then at least give us an explanation!" the plump woman cried.

"An explanation? What explanation?"

A cold, sharp voice reached them, and Tsunade strode over with Minato.

Her golden ponytail swayed briskly with her movements as she marched up to the hospital room, her gaze stern as she looked at the parents.

"So you're saying your children ganged up on my student on the way home from school and ambushed him, and now I'm supposed to give you an explanation?"

Tsunade's eyes blazed with anger as she asked in a chilly voice.

"L-Lady Tsunade?"

The moment they saw Tsunade, the parents froze.

"Minato!"

At the sight of them, Kushina—who had been feeling uneasy—finally found someone she could rely on. She hurried over and clung to Minato's arm.

Seeing how obedient Kushina looked, Minato couldn't help patting her gently on the head, soothing her.

"Go on, say something. Weren't you demanding an explanation?"

The parents stood there cringing. Tsunade snorted, but still no one dared speak.

There was one simple reason: this was Konoha Hospital, Tsunade's turf.

Their children's lives were in her hands, after all...

And who in all of Konoha didn't know that Tsunade was the Third's student?

Two of the parents were Chunins, which made them even less willing to speak up.

Perhaps feeling a little aggrieved, the plump woman sniffled. "It was just a quarrel between children. Why did he have to hurt them so badly?"

Tsunade's eyes flashed, and she was about to give the woman an answer when Minato gently took her hand.

"Hm?"

Feeling the warmth in her palm, Tsunade glanced down and saw Minato lightly holding her hand. An inexplicable, subtle feeling stirred in her heart.

Minato had no idea what Tsunade was thinking. He was glad she was willing to support him unconditionally, but he didn't want her to earn a reputation for throwing her weight around over something like this.

"I'm sorry, everyone. We came here in a hurry, and we don't yet know exactly what happened."

Minato spoke gently. "Even though it was a clone, it still carried my will. Knowing myself, I don't think I would have done something like this."

"You didn't do it, Minato."

Kushina shook her little fist. "Those guys went down as soon as they came at you. You were already leaving, but they clung to you and wouldn't let go. That's what caused this!"

Shinnosuke nodded. "That's right. And before it happened, your clone had already warned them, but they didn't listen."

"Then I understand what happened."

Minato nodded in understanding and patiently explained, "They must have triggered the Wood Clone's defensive instincts when its chakra was almost depleted, causing it to unconsciously use its strangling ability."

The plump woman seemed about to say something, but her husband grabbed her and stopped her.

Seeing his grave expression and the slight shake of his head, she eventually said nothing.

She didn't know what a Wood Clone was, but her husband was a ninja. He knew all too well!

That was Wood Release!

The Wood Release that had founded Konoha!

What could anyone say?

Who would dare say anything?

They had cornered someone with a Wood Release kekkei genkai...

They were lucky the Third was easygoing. With someone else in charge, their entire family might have been dragged to the Interrogation Department for a refresher in the Will of Fire.

"That must be what happened."

Hiruzen nodded. "All right, everyone. You know the details now. Do you have any other questions?"

"N-No."

The parents hadn't dared provoke Tsunade in the first place. Seeing the mood now, they fell silent.

"Hmph. Don't worry. I'll do my best to treat those three brats."

Tsunade snorted. Though she was displeased with them, her professional integrity as a doctor remained.

She gestured for the others to follow her into the room and check on the patients.

Minato turned to Hiruzen and bowed slightly. "Sorry for causing you trouble, Lord Hokage."

"Haha, it's nothing. But you should be more careful when using clones in the future."

Hiruzen chuckled, making no effort to hide how fond he was of Minato.

Seeing this, Shinnosuke hurriedly pointed at himself. "Don't forget me! I vouched for you, you know!"

Minato smiled. "Thanks for your help too, Shinnosuke."

"Then how about you have a spar with me?"

Shinnosuke asked eagerly, "I didn't know you had a kekkei genkai. Can I see your Wood Release?"

"Next time, for sure."

"..."