Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the scene in the crystal ball and smiled.
"It seems Asuma has found a bond of his own, too."
Although he was the Hokage, even an upright official couldn't settle family affairs.
His relationship with Sarutobi Asuma wasn't very good.
Asuma had always wanted to escape his influence, and Hiruzen knew that perfectly well.
Sarutobi Asuma had people to play with, but most of them, needless to say, were only trying to curry favor with him.
But now, Asuma seemed to have found friends of his own.
"Yuki Yuichi..." Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured, picking up the file on Yuki Yuichi's various details from his desk.
After a long while, he suddenly said, "Tell Umino Ikkaku to ease up. Talented children should be allowed to grow freely."
"Yes!" A voice came from the darkness. The Anbu remained hidden from sight.
Meanwhile, Yuki Yuichi led Yuhi Kurenai to the training ground. But when he saw it, he stopped in his tracks, staring ahead in shock.
The two behind him were still chasing each other, but when they saw the training ground hidden in the forest, they too stopped, mouths slightly agape.
They had thought the training ground here would be nothing more than an empty clearing. But now that they saw it, they realized they were wrong.
It was indeed a clearing, but it was surrounded by trees and equipped with some training gear.
There were four or five wooden posts, a locked rack for ninja tools, and even a wooden shelter for resting. A medical kit, not at all small, sat on the bench inside.
The training grounds in Konoha only had a few wooden posts. They didn't have anything else.
But this place did!
Just then, Kakashi Hatake walked over. When he saw the equipment, he looked just as stunned as Yuki Yuichi.
Yuhi Kurenai, on the other hand, didn't seem to think much of the place. Instead, she looked curiously at the four of them, who were all gaping in amazement.
"What's wrong with you?" Yuhi Kurenai asked curiously, then glanced around nervously. "Is something wrong with this place?"
Yuki Yuichi snapped out of his shock and explained, "No, it's just that none of this was here yesterday."
"Huh?" Yuhi Kurenai was baffled. She had thought the equipment had always been here, since Yuki Yuichi had told her yesterday that Minato Namikaze had set up the training ground.
Yuki Yuichi didn't say anything more. Instead, he looked at Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi Hatake was looking at him, too. They were both puzzled.
Theoretically, not many people should have known about this place.
And even if someone did, why would they put all this equipment here?
As they looked at each other, Uchiha Obito suddenly said, "Look, there's something over there."
He pointed to a note on top of the medical kit.
At that, Yuki Yuichi turned and looked, then jogged over.
He picked up the note and read it, then drew a deep breath.
"Big Brother Minato really is a good person."
Kakashi Hatake came over, glanced at the note, and asked, "What does it say?"
"Here, take a look." Yuki Yuichi handed the note to Kakashi Hatake.
After a long moment, Kakashi Hatake also drew a deep breath.
The note had been left by Minato Namikaze.
It didn't say much, just a few short lines.
But those few lines moved both Yuki Yuichi and Kakashi Hatake.
Minato Namikaze had left them something simple: he was entrusting the training ground to the two of them from then on. He had fixed the place up a bit, so they could use it without worry.
Uchiha Obito and Sarutobi Asuma leaned over Kakashi Hatake's shoulders, one on either side, and read the note, too.
"My old man once said that Minato is the kindest, most good-natured jonin in Konoha."
Sarutobi Asuma sighed. "And he's even called the Little Sun. Looks like the old man wasn't lying."
"Little Sun?" Uchiha Obito asked curiously. "What does that mean?"
Kakashi Hatake glanced at Uchiha Obito and explained, "It means Big Brother Minato is as warm as the sun."
"Sugoi!" Before Uchiha Obito could say anything, Yuhi Kurenai suddenly understood and slapped one palm against the other.
Uchiha Obito understood, too. "So that's what Little Sun means."
"He sounds like a really kind big brother."
"A medical kit, a shelter to rest in, four wooden posts, a ninja tool cabinet, and some Military Ration Pills," Yuki Yuichi muttered as he walked to the cabinet and opened it. Inside were some unsharpened Kunai, Shuriken, and Senbon.
Minato Namikaze really was an honest guy.
Yuki Yuichi sighed inwardly.
Meanwhile, at Minato Namikaze's house, Uzumaki Kushina chased after him, asking, "Well? Well? Did you deliver it?"
Seeing how eager Uzumaki Kushina was, Minato Namikaze smiled helplessly. "Kushina, don't worry. I've already delivered it."
"That's good." Uzumaki Kushina patted her ample chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Minato Namikaze stood nearby, confused. "Kushina, if you want to help Yuki Yuichi, you can go yourself. Why make me deliver it?"
At that, Uzumaki Kushina snorted and folded her arms. "You'll have to ask that old Hokage."
"He didn't say so, but little Yuichi has a Sharingan. He definitely wouldn't let me get close."
As she spoke, she touched her abdomen, her eyes dim with sadness.
The Nine-Tails was a source of power, but also a prison.
So even though Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't said anything, she was still quite aware of her position.
At that, Minato Namikaze looked toward her abdomen, too, and sighed.
"Don't worry. I'll take good care of Yuichi." Minato Namikaze spoke, then smiled warmly. "Besides, I'm quite fond of the boy."
Hearing that, Uzumaki Kushina flung herself at him. "Minato~ I knew you were the best!"
Holding Uzumaki Kushina, Minato Namikaze smiled helplessly, but happily, too.
"I'm going on a mission. When I get back, I'll ask Lord Hokage to let you teach Yuki Yuichi."
"You're going on a mission again?" Uzumaki Kushina paused, then looked at him with concern.
"Don't worry. I have the Flying Thunder God Technique. I'll be fine."
"Mm."
Yuki Yuichi still didn't know that the things here hadn't actually been provided by Minato Namikaze.
Under ordinary circumstances, Minato Namikaze wouldn't have given him these things.
After all, they were quite expensive, and it would also take time to bring them here.
This was a gift from the Uzumaki. Though he didn't bear the Uzumaki name, he was still Uzumaki Yuichi.
His father, Uzumaki Seisui, had taken the name Yuki Seisui to conceal his identity, not to leave the Uzumaki Clan. That was the key reason Uzumaki Kushina had helped him.
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