At that moment, Hyuga Shinichi stepped forward and said,
"Lord Hokage, please rest assured. Jiraiya and I have complete confidence in Minato's talent. Even if he can't fully master the technique in the end, we'll be there to protect and guide him. We won't let him suffer any setbacks."
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a slight nod of approval.
He knew that both men before him were capable and experienced. One was his own student, and the other was a young genius. With them by Minato's side, perhaps they really could help Namikaze Minato overcome any difficulties.
At last, he made up his mind.
"If you and Jiraiya are both so determined, Shinichi, then all right. Come with me."
With that, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly rose to his feet and led the three people behind him out of the Hokage Office. They walked down the corridor and eventually arrived at a storeroom with a firmly shut door.
The storeroom seemed somewhat mysterious. A solemn atmosphere hung around it, and two burly, stern-faced Jonin stood guard at the entrance.
When the two guards saw Sarutobi Hiruzen approaching with three people, they immediately bowed respectfully and spoke in unison.
"Lord Hokage!"
Their voices carried reverence and awe for Sarutobi Hiruzen. He nodded in response, then spoke.
"Mm. I've brought them here to exchange for ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals."
At this, a memory surfaced in Hyuga Shinichi's mind: in his previous life, he had watched Naruto on a computer, seeing Naruto Uzumaki steal the Scroll of Seals.
The scene still felt vivid, stirring a hint of emotion in him.
Looking at the careful procedure the two Jonin and Sarutobi Hiruzen went through to verify everyone's identities, Hyuga Shinichi thought to himself, They really are strict. It looks like there's more than just the Scroll of Seals in there.
Though the anime never explained exactly how Naruto Uzumaki had managed to steal it, the manga gave a detailed account.
In the manga, Naruto Uzumaki went to the Hokage's home. According to the Book of Soldiers, the Hokage's home had been passed down through the generations since the First's time. It was the Village Chief's residence, where numerous forbidden ninjutsu scrolls and top-secret documents were hidden.
As for how Naruto Uzumaki had managed to succeed, he'd relied on his signature move, the "Sexy Technique." After "defeating" Sarutobi Hiruzen, he'd stolen the Scroll of Seals and learned the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.
If the Scroll of Seals was now kept in the storeroom inside the Hokage Office Building, guarded closely by two Jonin, just as it was now, then Naruto Uzumaki would probably never have learned the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.
While his thoughts wandered, the two Jonin finished verifying everyone's identities and opened the door behind them.
Sarutobi Hiruzen led the three of them into the storeroom. They arrived at a place filled with scrolls, and the Scroll of Seals was stored among them.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't go straight for the Scroll of Seals. Instead, he picked up a scroll from a nearby cabinet, turned, and handed it to Jiraiya.
"This scroll contains detailed records of the Second Hokage's research into the Flying Thunder God Formula. It includes instructions for the formula, along with some of the Second Hokage's insights on its development. Consider it a small gift from me to my grand-student."
Jiraiya took the scroll from Sarutobi Hiruzen and handed it to Namikaze Minato with a smile.
"Minato, hurry up and thank Lord Hokage."
Namikaze Minato carefully accepted the scroll, overjoyed, and thanked Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!"
"Hahahaha! You're a good boy. There's no need to thank me. But learning the Flying Thunder God Formula won't be easy. It'll take even more effort and time."
"I'll work hard to master the Flying Thunder God Formula and become a shinobi like the Second Hokage. I'll use it to protect Konoha and everything I hold dear!"
"Good! Then I hope you succeed in mastering the Flying Thunder God Formula. If you run into any difficulties, you can come to me anytime."
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and patted Namikaze Minato on the shoulder.
After leaving the storeroom, Sarutobi Hiruzen led the three of them back to the Hokage Office.
He searched through the scrolls on the cabinet and took out the one that recorded Jiraiya and Hyuga Shinichi's contribution points. As it unfurled, the densely packed words and numbers seemed to tell of countless past efforts and sacrifices.
Sarutobi Hiruzen studied the scroll, lightly touching the paper as he carefully checked how many contribution points needed to be deducted to exchange for the Flying Thunder God Formula.
Each entry bore witness to the achievements of these two great shinobi. Once he had confirmed everything was in order, he unhesitatingly crossed out the corresponding figures with a brush.
After completing all the formalities, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and clapped his hands, signaling that he had other important work to attend to.
So Jiraiya, Hyuga Shinichi, and Namikaze Minato said goodbye to Sarutobi Hiruzen, thanking him for his help and support.
As they walked along the quiet corridor, Jiraiya turned to Hyuga Shinichi beside him and spoke with an apologetic look.
"Oh, right! Shinichi, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to teach Minato for a while. I might not be able to train with you two during this time, because I received an urgent mission yesterday. I have to leave the village to carry it out, and I'll be gone for about a month."
Hyuga Shinichi nodded slightly to show he understood, then replied,
"Don't worry. I can handle Minato on my own. I don't need you."
Hyuga Shinichi was confident about teaching the exceptionally talented Namikaze Minato. He believed he could help Minato master the Flying Thunder God Formula ahead of schedule.
"You brat! What do you mean, you don't need me? When I get back from this mission, I'm taking a break so I can teach Minato myself!"
Hearing this, Hyuga Shinichi laughed and retorted,
"Oh? Can you handle it, Jiraiya? Better leave it to a professional like me!"
The two traded teasing remarks, and the atmosphere was light and cheerful.
At last, Hyuga Shinichi was the first to stop laughing and spoke seriously.
"Jiraiya, be careful on this mission."
Jiraiya was stunned for a moment, but then he gave his trademark grin and replied,
"Hahahahaha! Don't worry, kid! I'm the great Jiraiya! Who could possibly put me in danger? Hahahahaha!"
"Yeah, right. I'm just worried you'll embarrass Konoha."
The two started teasing each other again, and the three soon left the Hokage Office Building.
Hyuga Shinichi led Namikaze Minato toward the waterfall, where they usually trained. They were about to begin learning an entirely new ninjutsu.
Jiraiya, meanwhile, turned and headed home to prepare his gear and supplies. He would wait for nightfall before setting out on his mission beyond the village.
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