Minato Namikaze

"Nice to meet you. My name is Minato Namikaze!"

"Just call me Xuanhui."

Minato, Konoha's number one warm-hearted guy. Even as a child, he already had that face as refreshing as a spring breeze. So enviable!

Xuanhui thought as much, then subconsciously reached out and stroked Minato's cheek.

"So handsome..."

"Huh?"

Minato's eyes narrowed slightly, but the smile on his face did not fade in the slightest.

He turned his head and looked at the stunned Fugaku beside them.

Though it was a warm smile, Fugaku could still read four words written all over his face—"What is going on?"

"Sorry, you were too handsome. I got carried away."

"It's fine. You're handsome too!"

Minato had wanted to touch the other boy's face as well, so he could show him the same respect.

But there was a certain risk involved—a risk that the other person might not like women.

In the end, Minato withdrew his hand.

"Minato, do you want a teacher?"

Xuanhui raised his head and looked into Minato Namikaze's azure eyes, feeling especially at ease.

"There's no rush, right? But if I could have a good teacher, I'd be very happy!"

"Then that settles it."

To Minato, his smile even carried a hint of gratification.

"Come on. From now on, you two are my little brothers! I graduated two years before you, so it's fine to call me Big Brother, right?"

"So Big Brother Xuanhui has already graduated. I thought we were in the same class."

Uchiha Fugaku, on the other hand, was thoroughly disdainful of this.

What a joke. For the noble Uchiha, aside from the suppression inherent in bloodlines and respect freely given, who would casually call someone else Big Brother?

"Come on, lunch is on me today!"

Xuanhui pulled out a thick stack of bills from his pocket and waved it in front of them.

This was the pocket money he had just earned from casually completing a C-rank mission.

"Thank you, Big Brother!" ×2

With an arm around each of their shoulders, Xuanhui brought them to the highest peak of Konoha's culinary world—Ichiraku Ramen.

[I thought it would be some grand feast. So it's just ramen...]

Though he was a little disappointed, someone else was treating him, so he could not complain.

It was only when the bowl of ramen arrived, gleaming golden, piled with toppings, and fragrant enough to make his mouth water, that Fugaku realized he had been wrong.

"Let's eat!"

Minato pressed his hands together, then picked up a mouthful of noodles and put them into his mouth. A flash of brilliance lit up his eyes.

[Amazing! The chewy noodles were coated in rich broth. The instant I bit down, the texture exploded in my mouth! The flavor flooded my entire palate!]

[Next time, I'll bring Kushina here!]

Minato thought as he savored every bite.

Meanwhile, Fugaku beside him was already eating like a storm—three bites of noodles for every gulp of soup. He was having the time of his life!

Truly good food was food that could make people fall silent.

The ramen shop occasionally had a little chatter and commotion, but most of the time, the customers were immersed in enjoying their meals. That was the precious quality of Ichiraku Ramen as a restaurant.

When the last of the broth was gone, the two looked at their bowls and chopsticks, their eyes still carrying a trace of lingering satisfaction.

"Being my little brothers isn't so bad, is it?"

The two nodded. This Big Brother was indeed pretty great—he had won over their stomachs right from the start.

"Once I become a chunin next year, I'll earn some merit and get promoted straight to jonin the year after. Then I can be your squad leader jonin when you graduate!"

Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Fugaku rubbed their round bellies, leaned back against their chairs, and exchanged a glance.

"Big Brother, stop bragging. How could that happen so quickly?"

Uchiha Fugaku threw out a jab. Minato was too embarrassed to say anything and could only smile awkwardly beside him.

"Then how about we make a bet?"

"Sure! What are you betting, Big Brother?"

"Do I have to bet too?"

Xuanhui stroked his chin and forced out a wicked grin.

"How about the loser wears women's clothing? If I lose, I'll wear it. If you lose, Minato wears it, and then you treat me to food for a day. How about it?"

"Um..."

"Why does Minato have to wear it? I thought you'd make me wear it."

"If you wore it... it'd be too blinding. I don't want to hurt my Sharingan."

"So..."

"Fine, fine! Just wait, Big Brother! In two years, we'll be calling you Big Sister! Hahahahaha!"

"Just don't go back on your word when the time comes!"

The two kept going back and forth until the bet was officially established.

They even signed a life-and-death contract on the spot, and all three took turns pressing their fingerprints onto it.

Minato: ???

[Why was I so easily wagered away?]

As a natural airhead, Minato was destined to become the plaything of these two in their bet.

[Forget it. A genin at nine, a chunin at ten, a jonin at eleven—there's no way that could happen... I shouldn't worry so much.]

No one knew just how much Minato Namikaze would regret his ignorance and inaction today when that day truly arrived.

Night fell, and it was another familiar family dinner.

After the mother and son finished a simple meal, they went off to do their own things.

"Xuanhui, these two scrolls are for you!"

Xuanhui was halfway up the stairs when he turned around and caught the scrolls his mother tossed over.

"Where did these come from?"

Xuanhui opened them and took a look.

Nara Clan · Shadow Secret Technique Guide

<Yamanaka Clan · Scope and Applications of the Mental Energy Technique>

"Your grandparents mailed them over. They said the clan suddenly made copies of these two scrolls and sent them to them, with instructions that they were to be used by you."

Oh! So this was the big gift package the Third Hokage had arranged for us!

I hadn't planned to train these first, but my ninjutsu learning plan was progressing a little too quickly. Plans couldn't keep up with changes!

I'll take a look first! It's good if I can learn them, and if I can't, it won't delay anything important.

"Got it!"

After returning to his room in quick little steps, he sat cross-legged and followed the guidance in the scrolls, trying to mobilize the Yin-natured chakra within his body.

"This feeling really is different!"

He felt his mental strength rise considerably, as though he could hear the insects flying outside the window, sense the warmth and chill of the air, and even detect what was happening in the neighboring house...

He had almost forgotten that it was already nighttime...

"The Yin-natured chakra's effect on enhancing mental strength is actually this significant!

What if I try mobilizing Yang-natured chakra?"

A thoroughly unpleasant sensation of resistance came over him. Mobilizing Yang-natured chakra did not seem to be going smoothly.

"Yin and Yang are opposites. In that case, what if I make the Yang-natured chakra flow in reverse?"

Xuanhui gave it a try, and to his surprise, a feeling of sudden enlightenment swept through his meridians!

The Yang-natured chakra began circulating on its own under his guidance.

Even the Yin-natured chakra was drawn along, beginning to flow in reverse.

It was as though Yin- and Yang-natured chakra were naturally meant to circulate this way!

The flow of the two types of chakra was perfectly seamless. He had actually developed something this incredible!