Sarutobi Hiruzen was dealing with Konoha's various day-to-day affairs when he heard a loud bang from the office door. He looked up to see Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze walking in.
Minato Namikaze looked a little awkward.
Seeing Kushina act like that, he didn't know how to begin.
It was far too disrespectful to the Third Hokage.
Minato Namikaze felt awkward, but Sarutobi Hiruzen set down the files in his hands and smiled at Kushina.
"Kushina, what brings you two here?"
His smile was warm, but Kushina didn't pay it much mind. She walked up and braced both hands on the desk.
She didn't say a word, just stared straight at Sarutobi Hiruzen until he felt his scalp go numb.
Minato Namikaze gave a light cough, then led Kushina to sit opposite him. "We've come because there's something we'd like to ask Lord Hokage for help with."
At that, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes lit up. Minato's words immediately made him realize Kushina had come to ask him a favor.
Anything that concerned Kushina concerned him, too. As long as it wasn't too unreasonable, he could grant it.
Seeing his expression, Minato Namikaze felt reassured and relaxed a little. Judging by Lord Hokage's reaction, he seemed pretty easy to talk to.
"Do you remember Yuki Yuichi?" Minato asked tentatively.
Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before pretending not to understand. "You mean the boy we ran into at the ramen shop?"
"Yes." Minato Namikaze nodded.
"What does Yuki Yuichi have to do with this?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, glancing at Kushina from the corner of his eye.
He knew all about Yuki Yuichi. He had deliberately arranged their chance encounter at Ichiraku Ramen last time.
He had always kept this child, who carried the blood of both the Uzumaki Clan and the Uchiha Clan, in mind.
When he learned that Yuki Yuichi had awakened the Sharingan, he knew a genius with both Uzumaki and Uchiha blood had been born.
Yuki Yuichi had shown the Uzumaki Clan's physical strength and recovery since he was little, and his awakening of the Sharingan had delighted Sarutobi Hiruzen even more.
When he found out Yuki Yuichi had awakened the Sharingan using eye drops, he had even wondered whether Uzumaki blood could help develop the Sharingan.
He had never heard of anyone awakening it the way Yuki Yuichi had.
Seeing the two of them drag things out, Kushina impatiently stood up.
The only reason she had brought Minato Namikaze along was to back her up.
If she hadn't worried that the Third Hokage might refuse, she would have brought this up ages ago.
"Little Yuichi is one of my people, and the last surviving member of the Uzumaki Clan!"
"I'm going to teach him Sealing Technique!"
Looking at Kushina, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a headache coming on.
You? Teach someone Sealing Technique?
That would be a laugh.
As if he had noticed Sarutobi Hiruzen's doubts, Minato Namikaze smiled brightly.
"Kushina taught me Sealing Technique. I believe in her."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Kushina, then at Minato Namikaze, and tapped his fingers on the desk.
"Let's not rush. We'll take a look at him first." As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled his favorite crystal ball from a drawer and quickly formed Hand Seals. Yuki Yuichi's face appeared on its surface.
The Telescope Technique couldn't see through floors, so the view was from outside the classroom window.
Seeing this, Kushina and Minato Namikaze leaned closer, and all three watched Yuki Yuichi in the crystal ball.
Kushina nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it! A genius of the Uzumaki Clan!"
"He's as eager to learn as I was when I was little."
Minato Namikaze looked at Kushina as if he wanted to say something. Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a light cough, signaling them to keep watching.
He knew what Kushina had been like as a child, even if no one else did.
She'd been a schoolyard bully who worshiped strength.
Yuki Yuichi was still deep in thought and had no idea that three people were watching him.
His head continued to nod now and then, his vacant eyes fixed on Umino Ikkaku.
Umino Ikkaku had noticed his behavior long ago and knew he wasn't paying attention to the lesson, but he didn't say anything.
Geniuses had their own ways.
Besides, he just wanted to hurry up and finish the lessons on literacy and Chakra Refinement Technique.
Then Yuki Yuichi and the other little brats wouldn't skip class anymore, right?
Umino Ikkaku thought as he continued telling the story of the "Konoha hero" who had sacrificed himself for the Will of Fire.
All was peaceful. Yuki Yuichi still nodded now and then, while Yuhi Kurenai sat beside him with Chakra Threads extending from the tip of her right index finger.
She controlled the threads, pulling all sorts of objects around and enjoying herself immensely.
In the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other two watched Yuki Yuichi, all wearing satisfied expressions.
The crystal ball showed the classroom from outside the window. They couldn't see Yuki Yuichi's vacant stare, but they could see him nodding now and then.
They all assumed he was listening intently.
Sarutobi Hiruzen shut off the crystal ball and put it back in the drawer. It was his precious treasure, and he had to keep it safe so that scoundrel Jiraiya wouldn't steal it.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen put the crystal ball away without saying anything, Kushina clenched her fist and slammed it into the desk, leaving a fist-shaped dent. "You old—old man, you're not going to refuse, are you?!"
"Heh." Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled and gestured for her to sit down.
Minato Namikaze tugged at the hem of her clothes. "Kushina, sit down first."
"I agree." Before Kushina could even sit down, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke.
Before she could celebrate, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "But not right now."
"Are you messing with me?!" Kushina flew into a rage. "Believe me, I'll have this office renovated!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked helplessly at Minato Namikaze.
Minato Namikaze understood what he meant and immediately tugged at Kushina. "Let's hear what Lord Hokage has to say first."
Kushina saved all her gentleness for Minato Namikaze. Hearing this, she snorted and sat down.
Seeing that, Sarutobi Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief before continuing. "I plan to make you Yuki Yuichi's team leader once they graduate."
"But you can't interfere with his growth right now."
As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Kushina.
He was just saying that she shouldn't interfere with the boy's growth.
With Yuki Yuichi carrying the blood of both the Uzumaki and Uchiha Clans, Sarutobi Hiruzen planned to build up a lot of goodwill while the boy was still at the Ninja Academy.
This was Lord Hokage's far-sighted plan!
Before you continue