Minato Namikaze

Qingyun's pupils contracted when he heard Minato Namikaze introduce himself. He had never imagined that the blond-haired, blue-eyed little boy before him was the future Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—the man who would prompt the Other Four Villages to issue orders allowing anyone who encountered the Yellow Flash to abandon their mission without punishment.

And judging by his appearance, he had only just enrolled. Did that mean Qingyun and Minato Namikaze were in the same class?

"Hello, Minato. My name is Yu—uh, Qingyun. It's nice to meet you."

Qingyun held out his right hand and introduced himself.

"Hehe, then we're friends from now on, Qingyun! Have you signed up yet?"

Minato Namikaze took Qingyun's right hand with easy familiarity, then asked his question.

"No. I'm still trying to figure something out."

Qingyun explained what he had been through and the difficulty he was facing.

Hearing this, Minato Namikaze felt sympathy for the little boy whose circumstances were much like his own. At the same time, he kept thinking about how he could help his first friend.

"Hmm... I've got it! Qingyun, come with me."

Minato Namikaze suddenly slapped his forehead, grabbed Qingyun's hand, and ran toward the registration desk.

"Teacher, this is my friend. His name is Qingyun. Could you let him enroll?"

The teacher handling registration looked at the two little figures before him and politely declined with a smile.

"Please help him, Teacher. Qingyun's family died in battle, and the lady at the Orphanage forgot he wanted to sign up. If we go get her to bring him here now, it'll definitely cause trouble for her. Please, Teacher."

As he spoke, Minato Namikaze bowed deeply and explained the situation to the teacher.

Seeing that Minato Namikaze was willing to go this far for someone he had only just met, Qingyun felt touched. He followed Minato Namikaze's example and bowed to the teacher. "Please, Teacher."

The teacher looked at Qingyun sympathetically after hearing this. He had not expected another orphan whose parents had died in battle. After some thought, he decided that allowing one more child to enroll would do no harm. Besides, the little boy looked frail and might not even pass the entrance examination, so he agreed.

When the teacher agreed, Minato Namikaze and Qingyun happily thanked him over and over.

"All right, little Minato, little Qingyun. Remember, don't be late three days from now!"

The teacher ruffled Minato Namikaze's and Qingyun's hair, reminding them with a smile.

Qingyun wore an odd expression as the teacher patted his head, feeling thoroughly uncomfortable. But there was nothing he could do. He was only a six-year-old child now and could not resist at all.

Besides, this teacher had just helped him. He could only endure the discomfort and let that large hand tousle his hair.

Minato Namikaze, meanwhile, looked at the teacher with a goofy grin and repeatedly promised he would be there.

Qingyun rolled his Haku eyes. So Naruto's goofy personality had come from Minato Namikaze. They really were father and son.

After saying goodbye to the teacher, Qingyun brought Minato Namikaze to his little home, then took the small animals out of his traps, skinned them, and butchered them.

Minato Namikaze excitedly insisted on helping, so Qingyun sent him off to fetch water and gather dry firewood.

After quite some time, a pot of braised wild rabbit made with all-natural ingredients was ready. Served with fragrant Haku rice, it left Minato Namikaze's mouth slick with grease.

"Mmm, Qingyun, your cooking is delicious! Can I move here and live with you?"

Qingyun paused at the question. Only then did he remember that Minato Namikaze, like him, seemed to have lost his parents at a young age. He had not had a family of his own until Jiraiya took him as a disciple and he later married Kushina.

"Sure. There's a saw over there. Go saw some trees down yourself. Once you're done, I'll help you build a house."

Qingyun gestured with his chin, indicating that Minato Namikaze should get to work himself, then ate several more bowls of rice before his stomach was finally satisfied.

After washing the pots, bowls, and utensils, Qingyun watched Minato Namikaze working up a sweat. Feeling bored, he practiced Tai Chi Fist to help digest his meal.

"Whew, Qingyun, honestly! You didn't even come help after eating. I'm exhausted! What kind of fighting style is that? It's so slow. Can you even hit anyone with it?"

After quite a while, a sweat-covered Minato Namikaze carried over the logs he had sawed. Seeing Qingyun practicing Tai Chi Fist, he asked in a puzzled tone.

Qingyun paused and looked at Minato Namikaze. This guy was decent, and he was Qingyun's first friend in this world. Now he was planning to live with him, too. Sooner or later, Minato Namikaze would notice certain things. Rather than wait for that, Qingyun might as well reveal a little himself.

"Minato, this is called Tai Chi Fist. As for whether it can hit anyone, why don't you come try it and find out?"

Qingyun gave Minato Namikaze a challenging look and crooked a finger, beckoning him to come at him.

The Minato Namikaze of this moment was not yet the future Fourth Hokage. Provoked by Qingyun, he declared loudly, "You said it! Whoever loses has to call the winner big brother from now on. Watch out, Qingyun! Here I come! Hah!"

Minato Namikaze rushed toward Qingyun at top speed, but once he reached him, he held back most of his strength for fear of hurting him.

Having practiced Tai Chi Fist for so long, Qingyun naturally noticed Minato Namikaze holding back. He smiled faintly, slowly raised his hand, and caught Minato Namikaze's fist. Then he guided it through a circle in the air before driving it back at Minato Namikaze with even greater force.

Caught off guard, Minato Namikaze was struck by his own fist in Qingyun's grip and staggered several steps backward.

Minato Namikaze stared at his fist in bewilderment, unable to understand how Qingyun had made it strike him.

"Again!"

Refusing to accept defeat, Minato Namikaze punched at Qingyun with more strength, only for Qingyun to quickly turn it back on him with even greater force.

This time, because Minato Namikaze had used more strength, the counterattack was several times stronger as well. Even though he was prepared, the blow still sent him flying.

"Minato, shouldn't you keep your promise and call me big brother now?"

Qingyun looked at Minato Namikaze sprawled on the ground and asked with a smile.

"Th-that didn't count! I... I was too tired just now. Once I've rested, we'll have another match."

Minato Namikaze's eyes widened as he protested, unwilling to accept defeat.

Seeing this, Qingyun did not give Minato Namikaze a hard time. He smiled and helped him build his house.

Mentally, he was more than a dozen years older than Minato Namikaze. He really had no interest in making trouble for a little kid who was only a few years old.

Seeing Qingyun helping him build his house, Minato Namikaze scratched the back of his head and brushed the dust off his clothes. Then he sheepishly walked over to Qingyun and asked, "Qingyun, could you teach me that Tai Chi Fist?"

Qingyun stopped working and looked at Minato Namikaze's eager face. After a moment's thought, he nodded, then warned him seriously, "I can teach you, but you must not teach this method to anyone without my permission."

"Yeah, don't worry, Qingyun. I promise I won't share it. Thank you, big brother!"

Minato Namikaze first gave his promise. Then, seeing how generous Qingyun was, he quietly called him big brother.

Qingyun smiled at that and went back to building the house.

It was not until evening that Qingyun finished helping Minato Namikaze build his house. He clapped his hands and said, "All right, go back and bring your things over! Also, I'm out of money. If you're going to live here, you'll need to buy some more rice, or there won't be enough for both of us."

"Sure. I still have some money. It should be enough to feed us. Big brother, you won't be getting any more survivor benefits, so tell me if you need anything. I don't usually spend much, so I've saved some up."

Minato Namikaze readily agreed!

Hearing this, Qingyun felt touched. He nodded and motioned for Minato Namikaze to hurry back, then busied himself with dinner.

Watching Minato Namikaze walk away, Qingyun sank into thought. He had never expected to be in the same class as Minato Namikaze, let alone take him on as a little brother. The twists of fate truly were incredible.

He shook his head and leisurely prepared dinner. Before long, the meal was ready, and Minato Namikaze arrived at the edge of the Forest of Death carrying bags of all sizes, officially becoming Qingyun's neighbor.

After dinner, Minato Namikaze could hardly wait to learn Tai Chi Fist. Qingyun held nothing back, reciting its formulas and principles several times. Once Minato Namikaze had memorized them, Qingyun began teaching him the movements.

This slow, unhurried fighting style was quick to learn, but grasping the essence of Tai Chi was nowhere near so simple.

In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Zhang Wuji had watched it twice and practiced it once before he could perform Tai Chi Fist convincingly, but that was because he already possessed the Nine Yang Divine Skill and the Heaven and Earth Great Shift. After mastering the Nine Yang Divine Skill, he could readily use any martial art in the world.

The Heaven and Earth Great Shift was a miraculous skill that unlocked the human body's potential. Combined with his protagonist's Horns, it had allowed Zhang Wuji to master it so quickly. Ordinary people could forget about doing the same.

For several days in a row, the two practiced Tai Chi Fist and sparred to gain experience. Qingyun was finally no longer alone, having formed his first bond since coming to this world.

Then, on the day of the entrance examination, the two little figures walked side by side through the gates of the Ninja Academy.