Don't Pull Out Dog Food While You're Talking

The people from the police force dispersed.

Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and Fugaku Uchiha chatted up ahead, while Uchiha Itachi followed behind carrying the two youngsters, Kitahara and Kakashi. It was quite a harmonious sight.

Under the streetlights, the men spoke little due to their respective statuses and personalities, so the one controlling the rhythm of the conversation during this walk... was actually Uzumaki Kushina.

With her easygoing nature, that was hardly surprising. Still, there was not much substance to what she said. Other than the most well-behaved Uchiha Itachi, who listened attentively and answered seriously... it could not be helped; the little boy had always respected elders and seniors...

"Itachi, after the New Year, do you want to come watch the Hokage inauguration ceremony?"

Uchiha Itachi looked at the blond-haired man. "I'll definitely go."

"Have you learned any new ninjutsu recently? Let me see how it is."

Uchiha Itachi placed Kitahara on his shoulder, his little face solemn as he nodded. "Yes."

Rat—Ox—Tiger—Rabbit—Dragon—Snake—Horse—Goat—Monkey—Rooster—Dog—Boar!

Shadow Clone Technique!

A cloud of smoke gathered around Uchiha Itachi, and two identical little boys stood before everyone... Even without simplified hand seals, using the Shadow Clone Technique at his age was astonishing enough!

"What?"

"Huh?"

"..."

As his father, Fugaku Uchiha knew that Itachi had been learning ninjutsu from the crow. Intelligent ninja beasts knew something about ninjutsu, and learning simple techniques such as the Substitution Technique early was nothing unusual... Children who liked learning should be praised, but now...

"...Itachi! The Shadow Clone Technique is a B-rank ninjutsu!"

"Dad, what is B-rank ninjutsu?" Itachi opened his eyes wide and looked at Fugaku. Whenever his father learned that he had mastered a new ninjutsu, did he not always praise him by saying, 'As expected of my son'?

"...You little brat..." Uzumaki Kushina stepped forward and pinched his little cheek. "Listen to me. Ninjutsu is divided into five ranks: S, A, B, C, and D."

"Among them, S-rank and A-rank are both forbidden techniques. They require talent and Chakra reserves, and ninja are generally forbidden from learning or even coming into contact with them. Examples include Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique and Kakashi's Chidori. That is why B-rank, C-rank, and D-rank ninjutsu have become the techniques ninja commonly use in battle, which means..."

Uzumaki Kushina's words left Kitahara momentarily dazed. He finally realized something else... Having heard two ninjutsu in succession, he finally had a clear comparison for activating the ninjutsu within his body. The root of it lay in Chakra attributes... There was no Lightning-nature Chakra in his body...

Because Kitahara knew for certain that he had activated another ninjutsu Kushina had mentioned—the Flying Thunder God Technique.

As a technique that depended purely on talent rather than bloodline or Chakra nature, he had mastered it... What did that mean? It meant that he... still had no offensive technique at all.

Only by finding techniques compatible with the Chakra nature in his body could he activate ninjutsu.

Kushina's voice gradually became more pleasant to Kitahara's ears...

"Master enough D-rank ninjutsu, and you can graduate from the ninja academy, put on a ninja headband, and become a genin."

"Master enough C-rank ninjutsu, and you can take the Chunin Exams. After passing, you can advance to chunin and serve as the captain of a ninja squad during wartime."

"Master enough B-rank ninjutsu, and you can take the jonin assessment. Once you pass, you can advance to jonin or special jonin, become a team leader, and learn forbidden techniques."

"Ninja training needs to progress step by step. Without enough Chakra, learning and developing high-level ninjutsu is very dangerous..." After his wife finished speaking, Namikaze Minato added solemnly.

The little boy bowed to them. "Thank you for your guidance."

To him, these were all basic facts about ninja, things he needed to learn. It seemed he could not casually learn the ninjutsu Kitahara taught him in the future... The crow in his arms was even more willful than a child... It wanted to teach him new ninjutsu just for Ichiraku Ramen...

However, the amount of Chakra in his body was steadily increasing, and both its extraction and recovery speed were growing faster and faster.

That was because Kitahara could not speak human language and did not do human things... Itachi and Kitahara could only communicate through Chakra. Every time their Chakra gathered together, Itachi's Chakra would increase noticeably.

Kushina glanced at Kakashi beside Itachi and shook her head. "He'll probably end up like Kakashi in the future. He might not even need to attend the ninja academy..."

"No, the ninja academy's courses are irreplaceable." Namikaze Minato seriously refuted his wife. "Whether it's the bonds of friendship or the basic knowledge of ninja, our days at the ninja academy back then were very enjoyable! Kushina!"

"Yes!" Kushina blushed slightly and moved closer to him. "If it hadn't been for school, we never would have met..."

"..."

The middle-aged man Fugaku Uchiha, the teenage boy Kakashi, the child Uchiha Itachi, and the red-eyed crow Kitahara watched them gradually lean into each other...

After seeing the others off, Fugaku took his son's hand, his expression inexplicably complicated. He thought for a while, then crouched down and looked directly into his son's eyes. "The Fourth Hokage was right. Learning high-level ninjutsu without enough Chakra is a very dangerous thing!"

"Dad..."

"Well, knowing that my son is a genius ninja does make me feel proud." Fugaku placed a hand on his son's shoulder and continued, "But I still think watching you grow up healthy is what makes me proudest."

"Dad!"

The father-and-son hug left Kitahara, who was caught between them... terribly stifled...

"Caw!"

"Kitahara, are you all right?"

"What a strange ninja beast! It has wisdom no less than a ninja's and even understands all kinds of ninjutsu, but it just can't form a Summoning Contract..."

Ever since Kitahara moved in, his wife and son had smiled more often. Compared to the quiet life of their former family of three, their home had become livelier... Once their second child arrived, it should become even more lively, right?

If not for the Kakashi incident tonight, they should have been gathered around the hot pot, offering their family members food they liked and discussing New Year's gifts... But he still bore the responsibility of the Uchiha...

"Itachi, what do you think of the Fourth Hokage?"

"He's very powerful."

"He truly is powerful." Fugaku Uchiha sighed. "His strength is obvious to all. The Yellow Flash is a terrifying name in the ninja world... Judging from today, he is also a very responsible Hokage... He really is... perfect..."

After Namikaze Minato succeeded to the position, a rumor began circulating throughout Konoha.

According to the rumor, he was merely a puppet through which the Third Hokage continued to hold Konoha's power. For example, Konoha's mission assembly hall was still supported by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The thing was, this actually eased many relationships within the village and allowed the Third Hokage to stand his final watch properly.

According to Kitahara's memories, Namikaze Minato was probably a Hokage throughout history who could almost be said to have no blemishes at all. The one with even fewer blemishes and more fans should be... the Seventh Hokage... And they would meet him soon, right? After all, Uchiha Mikoto was already pregnant...

And pregnant Uchiha Mikoto... was still waiting at home to eat hot pot!

"Caw!"