"Shinichi is right. Becoming Hokage isn't that easy."
Minato nodded solemnly as well, looking Naruto in the eye. "Naruto, your dad put in plenty of hard work to become Hokage back in the day, too. You can't skip any of the things you need to learn!"
This was advice drawn from his own experience as Hokage.
However much Naruto hated reading and studying, he was completely deflated now.
Who knew becoming Hokage meant learning so much? If he'd known, he would have picked an easier dream in the first place.
Little did he know that once this thought arose, it would become a seed buried deep in his heart. Whether it would take root and sprout someday was up to fate.
"Then can I still live with Mom and Dad in the future?"
Naruto looked at him hopefully.
He could tell that Shinichi had no intention of taking Minato and Kushina back to Konoha just yet.
"Obviously."
Shinichi rolled his eyes at him, speechless. "Nobody in this world can stop your family from being together. You just need to wait a few more days. Are you really so impatient that you can't even wait that long?"
Minato and Kushina certainly couldn't return to Konoha right now. At the very least, they had to wait until he finished that particular task.
"Hehe, then I'll listen to you, Big Brother Shinichi."
Once he had a firm answer from Shinichi, Naruto said no more.
He never doubted Shinichi's words. Even though a certain someone often tricked him for his own amusement, Naruto knew Shinichi wouldn't joke with him about something like this.
After chatting a little more with Minato and Kushina, Shinichi took Naruto back to Konoha.
The next day, at the Ninja Academy.
Thanks to Shinichi's advance warning, Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji