To Repay My Debts, I'll Become Hokage!

"You mean Lady Tsunade is coming to give a lecture tomorrow?"

Yakushi Nonō nodded and said, "It starts tomorrow afternoon. By the time you and Minato arrive, you should still be able to catch an hour and a half of it."

The Medical Class finished their day later than the regular Ninja Academy classes.

While the regular classes were dismissed, the Medical Class had to go to Konoha Hospital to observe and assist, which was essentially their practical training.

However, since it was only their first year, the primary focus of the Medical Class was rote memorization. The schedule remained fixed; if there was no practical training, they simply memorized their books relentlessly.

If they rushed over after the regular classes ended tomorrow, Uchiha Chonhua and Namikaze Minato would still be able to catch the latter half of Tsunade's lecture.

"I'm going to go ask Kinoshita-sensei for permission."

Why settle for the second half? If they were going to listen, they were going to listen to the whole thing.

With Tsunade—the person he had been longing to see—finally arriving, he couldn't just sit still; naturally, he wanted to make a good impression on her.

Thinking this, Uchiha Chonhua consulted with Namikaze Minato, and they both agreed that Tsunade's lecture was not to be missed.

The two of them applied to Kinoshita-sensei for leave tomorrow afternoon, and as expected, the request was granted.

Both of them were top students, ranking first and second in their academic subjects.

This wasn't just a class ranking; it was the ranking for the entire grade.

Incidentally, the top student in the grade was Uchiha Chonhua. In order to become Hokage, he studied with a ferocity that rivaled his preparation for the college entrance exams in his past life.

After all, his rival was Namikaze Minato; if he didn't give it his absolute all, he didn't know when he might be overtaken.

This was the future Fourth Hokage, after all—one could never be too careful.

Although the two were on good terms, close friends were also rivals.

Just as Uchiha Chonhua viewed Namikaze Minato this way, Namikaze Minato likewise viewed Uchiha Chonhua as his rival.

They pushed each other, motivated each other, and grew together.

Both of them shared the same dream: to become Hokage.

Sometimes, Namikaze Minato couldn't help but think that they had a lot in common; their way of handling things was almost identical.

If Uchiha Chonhua knew what was on Namikaze Minato's mind, he would have retorted internally.

No kidding, I've been learning from you.

With a ready-made template of the future Fourth Hokage right in front of him, Uchiha Chonhua was naturally going to milk it for all it was worth.

The next afternoon.

Uchiha Chonhua and Namikaze Minato arrived at the Medical Class.

At a glance, Uchiha Chonhua froze.

Who did he see? The celebrity of the Ninja Academy, Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, was chatting with Yakushi Nonō.

"Chonhua, Minato, you're here."

Yakushi Nonō stood up to introduce them: "This is Senior Nawaki, he's one year ahead of us."

"I know you two. Your names are like thunder in the Ninja Academy."

"Hehe, I know you two as well." Nawaki chuckled, looking a bit goofy.

Uchiha Chonhua watched him; he really did look like Naruto Uzumaki.

Their faces weren't alike, but that silly, goofy temperament was exactly the same.

"Nonō told me that two top students joined the Medical Class who memorize books super fast."

Nawaki looked at them with admiration: "I really envy you guys for being able to read such thick, convoluted, and... and incomprehensible books."

His sister had once tried to teach him medical ninjutsu, but he had failed at the very first step: memorization.

"It's alright, we've managed to grasp a little bit."

Uchiha Chonhua said modestly, just as he was about to say more.

A sweet, melodic voice drifted over.

"Nawaki, Big Sister is here to see you!"

Uchiha Chonhua turned his head, his gaze burning with intensity.

Tsunade was here!

Chapter 9: A Different Uchiha

The current Tsunade was still a "flat-chested girl," with no curves to speak of.

A bright, sunny smile hung on her delicate little face. Compared to the sharp and decisive woman she would become, the current Tsunade appeared youthful, fresh, and vibrant.

"Nawaki, Big Sister is here to see you!"

Tsunade rushed over and hugged Nawaki, who pushed her away, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Big Sister, everyone is watching!"

"If I want to look, I'll look. We're siblings, what's the harm in a hug?"

Tsunade muttered with some dissatisfaction, her gaze shifting to the person beside Nawaki.

She knew Yakushi Nonō; they had met when she came to give a lecture previously.

She also knew Namikaze Minato, the child Jiraiya was always raving about and holding in high regard. Judging by the situation, the chances of him becoming that guy Jiraiya's disciple were quite high.

Tsk tsk, it's truly a pity for this handsome young man to be stuck with a lecherous master.

Tsunade's sympathetic gaze left Namikaze Minato feeling completely bewildered.

Next...

Tsunade's eyes landed on Uchiha Chonhua.

"Teacher Tsunade, my name is Uchiha Chonhua. Please look after me."

Seeing Tsunade's gaze fixed on him, Uchiha Chonhua introduced himself immediately, appearing humble and polite.

At the same time, Uchiha Chonhua observed Tsunade, and seeing that she held no displeasure, he felt a weight lift from his heart.

It seemed Tsunade held no prejudice against the Uchiha Clan; her gaze was one of equality.

Nawaki was the same; neither of these two descendants of the Senju Clan had been influenced by the ideologies of their predecessors.

Those born after the founding of Konoha and those influenced by the lingering traditions of the Warring States period received different ideological educations, leading to different perspectives on things.

Of course, the Uchiha penchant for going insane was also a significant factor.

Although he was born into the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Chonhua had lived long enough to hold disapproving views toward certain people within the clan.

Paranoid and radical—it was enough to make one shake their head in disbelief.

If Konoha's high command had Shimura Danzō, then the Uchiha Clan was essentially a group of Shimura Danzōs.

One could only imagine the destructive power of Shimura Danzō.

It could only be described as a mutual sprint toward ruin, dragging each other down until one side fell into the abyss.

Clearly, it was the Uchiha Clan that fell into the abyss, and Uchiha Chonhua had no intention of following them down.

Tsunade waved her hand and said, "I am not your teacher."

"Teacher Tsunade is here to give us a lecture, so how could you not be our teacher?"

Uchiha Chonhua's words left Tsunade stunned.

"You mean... you're planning to attend the lecture in a moment?"

Tsunade asked hesitantly, then she noticed the word "us" and looked at Namikaze Minato.

"Minato, you too?"

Namikaze Minato knew Tsunade; she was the person Lord Jiraiya mentioned most often, and he had even had the fortune of witnessing the legendary scene where Lady Tsunade punched Lord Jiraiya into the sky.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. Chonhua and I have both chosen to take the Medical Class courses."

"...How curious. Minato, you actually chose to study medical ninjutsu? Looking at you, are you feeling guilty about Jiraiya's arrangements?"

Tsunade saw through Namikaze Minato's reason for studying medical ninjutsu at a glance.

"Lady Tsunade is right." Namikaze Minato laughed sheepishly. "Besides that, I also feel that learning medical ninjutsu will be of great benefit to my training. Lady Tsunade, I truly want to learn medical ninjutsu."

"And you, child of the Uchiha family?"

Uchiha Chonhua wore a gentle smile as he said, "I can save myself when injured, and I can help treat my comrades when performing missions in the future."

"Of course, it is also beneficial for my personal training; it allows for more precise chakra control and reduces unnecessary consumption."

The impression this Uchiha child gave her... Tsunade looked at Namikaze Minato.

She realized where this sense of déjà vu came from—this was exactly Minato's style of treating others.

It was vastly different from the Uchiha Clan members she had encountered before.

"You are different from the other Uchiha."

Tsunade stared deeply at Uchiha Chonhua.

Those born into the Uchiha Clan carried a certain arrogance, a glory brought about by the Kekkei Genkai Sharingan and the formidable strength of their ancestors.

It was not uncommon to feel pride in one's family, but few were as insufferably arrogant as the people of the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Chonhua remained noncommittal to Tsunade's remark.

Tsunade had only met a handful of Uchiha.

For every madman, there was a peaceful person; not everyone in the Uchiha Clan was fond of going insane.

For instance, his desk mate Mikoto Uchiha was very gentle and kind, and then there was Fugaku Uchiha in the Military Police Force—that man was a true ninja prodigy.

The glory of the family might make them proud, but it wasn't enough to make them lose touch with reality.

Just because my ancestors were wealthy doesn't mean I am. Tsunade thought he was different from other Uchiha, but that was only because, within the Uchiha Clan, the proportion of people who equated their ancestors' past wealth with their own was far too high.

They couldn't see reality clearly, were arrogant and conceited, and were always jumping around.

No matter how soft-hearted Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to be, he couldn't remain gentle when dealing with these idiots, and furthermore, the actions of these lunatics played right into the hands of the Pot Kage, Shimura Danzō.

Uchiha Chonhua took a deep breath, his ink-black eyes reflecting into Tsunade's amber pupils.

"Tsunade-sensei, not all Uchiha are the way you perceive them to be."

These words left Tsunade stunned, her gaze carrying a profound meaning.

It was true that one should not judge a person based on preconceived notions, but how many Uchiha Chonhuas were there in the Uchiha Clan?

Tsunade began her lecture; for the current first-year Medical Class, she mostly taught the contents of textbooks.

Beyond that, she would bring a half-dead fish back to life to open the eyes of the students in the Medical Class.

Nawaki scratched his ears and cheeks, fidgeting left and right, unable to sit still, his face twisted into a mask of agony.

This was exactly why he didn't want his sister to come here at all.

Every time she came, she would confine him to the classroom for mandatory attendance, and the kicker was that he couldn't even slack off, or else he would be met with his sister's "fist of love" when he got home.

It was miserable, truly miserable.

Young Nawaki's only thought was to graduate as soon as possible and leave this Ninja Academy.

He looked toward the front row, where Yakushi Nonō was taking notes, and beside her, Uchiha Chonhua and Namikaze Minato were listening to the lecture with serious expressions.

I really admire them, Nawaki thought.

As a descendant of the Senju Clan, he usually felt the need to compete whenever he encountered children from the Uchiha Clan, but after learning that Uchiha Chonhua could memorize medical books that even he found terrifying, Nawaki lost all desire to fight.

In his simple way of thinking, if someone else could do something he couldn't, then they were better than him.

While lecturing, Tsunade was also observing; seeing Nawaki unable to sit still, her fist tightened, already planning to administer a "fist of love" when they returned home.

Seeing Yakushi Nonō brought her a sense of relief; this was only the third time she had come to the Medical Class to lecture, but she thought highly of Yakushi Nonō and was certain she would become an excellent medical ninja in the future.