"All right, all right, no problem. I'll definitely go with you tomorrow."
"Don't worry. Now that I know, I'll definitely help you."
"By the way, who gave you this idea?"
"Hirakawa Shin'un? Is that the name?"
"All right, go spend some time with your Grandma Mito."
Creak.
The door creaked open. Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Kushina leave, the kindly smile gradually fading from his lips.
Fss.
He picked up his pipe from the desk, lit it again, and took a hard drag.
"Phew..."
A thick stream of smoke poured from Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth, leaving white smoke drifting through the Hokage's office.
With his head lowered, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, seemingly thinking about something.
After a short while, Hiruzen Sarutobi beckoned over an Anbu ninja hidden in the shadows.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Everyone in Kushina's class has been investigated, correct?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Then what does Hirakawa Shin'un's family do?"
The Anbu ninja, kneeling on one knee, lowered his head in thought for a while before looking up to reply:
"Hirakawa Shin'un, male, eight years old. His parents run a flower shop on Konoha's shopping street. He is normally mild-mannered and follows a regular daily routine. Every morning and evening, he goes to a training ground near his home to train. There is nothing suspicious about him..."
The Anbu ninja paused briefly after saying this.
"The only noteworthy detail is that Hirakawa Shin'un's grandmother belongs to the Senju Clan. Both Hirakawa Shin'un and his father have Senju blood."
"Other than that, Hirakawa Shin'un is just an ordinary child born and raised in Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi showed little reaction to the earlier information. Only when the Anbu ninja mentioned Hirakawa Shin'un's Senju blood did he spare the Anbu ninja beside him a glance.
Taking a puff of his pipe, Hiruzen Sarutobi rose from his chair.
"How is his talent as a ninja?"
Once again, the Anbu ninja thought for a moment before answering.
"Hirakawa Shin'un entered the elite class thanks to the additional points from his academic courses. Even his teachers praise his knowledge of academic theory."
"His talent as a ninja is quite good. He has performed well in the recent practical combat classes, ranking among the top students in the elite class."
At this, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally showed some reaction.
"Hmm... mild-mannered, willing to train hard, quick-witted, helps classmates who are being bullied, nothing suspicious, good talent as a ninja, and a descendant of my teacher's clansmen."
"A good child worth nurturing. We can pay him more attention."
Seemingly pleased that the Ninja Academy had such a child, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes curved slightly with a faint hint of a smile.
Looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help sighing.
"Another new leaf..."
The next day, at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Shin'un had not expected Kushina Uzumaki to act so quickly, nor had he expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to attach such importance to her.
Only yesterday, he had told Kushina Uzumaki to bring someone she trusted in Konoha. Today, Shin'un saw Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi arrive at his classroom holding Kushina's little hand.
Kushina's identity as a Jinchūriki was top secret. Most of Konoha's higher-ups had not been informed, much less these children from ninja clans.
Naturally, they were surprised to see Lord Hokage arrive at the classroom holding Kushina Uzumaki's hand.
Those who had bullied Kushina were even more stunned. They immediately grew uneasy, afraid that Kushina had some connection to the Hokage.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi led Kushina by her little hand to the classroom podium, his gaze-
"Children, study hard."
"Please take good care of my Kushina."
"Make sure you all get along."
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi put his talents as a leader to full use, delivering an impromptu speech from the classroom podium for nearly half an hour. Only when the academy's class bell rang did he abruptly come to his senses.
Turning his head, Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Mizukawa Masaru waiting wearily at the classroom door to begin his lesson. He nodded and prepared to leave the podium.
Suddenly, as though remembering something, Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head and asked Kushina a question.
Immediately afterward, Shin'un saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, still standing at the podium, suddenly glance his way for some reason.
He seemed to look Shin'un over from head to toe, a strange appreciation in his eyes.
Shin'un could not quite get used to it. That look made his whole body tense.
After seeing Hirakawa Shin'un, whom he remembered, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and left the podium in satisfaction, yielding the classroom to Mizukawa Masaru, who had been waiting at the door for a long time.
At the Third's signal, Kushina Uzumaki returned to her seat.
Perhaps the astonished expressions of those in the classroom had put Kushina in a rare good mood. She skipped over to her seat.
"Shin'un, you were right! They'll definitely never bully me again."
Kushina joyfully reported her good news to Shin'un.
Shin'un did not answer right away. Instead, he looked past Kushina's big face toward Minato Namikaze at the other end of the classroom.
The current Minato Namikaze was nothing like the mature, steady person he would become after apprenticing under Jiraiya and living through the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars.
Compared with the others in the class, Minato Namikaze stood out for both his talent and his grades, but the first impression he gave was that of a shy boy who liked reading.
Just like now.
Minato Namikaze held a thick book in his hands, yet his gaze occasionally flicked in Shin'un's direction.
Of course, he was not looking at Shin'un, but at Kushina Uzumaki, who sat beside him.
Shin'un shook his head. Children in the Shinobi World really were far too precocious.
Minato Namikaze, as well as Sakura and Ino in the future, were only eight or nine years old, yet they already had someone they liked.
In Shin'un's previous life, children this age might still have trouble controlling their bodily functions and need their crotches washed from time to time.
"Shin'un, do you think..."
Looking at Kushina chattering endlessly beside him, then at Minato Namikaze watching them from a short distance away, Shin'un inexplicably had a strange feeling.
Now that Kushina has called in the Third Hokage to back her up at the Ninja Academy, probably no one will dare bully her anymore. Then when will Kushina and Minato Namikaze get the chance to get to know each other?
At this thought, Shin'un could not help shuddering.
No, if these two really don't end up together, will Naruto actually have to pop out of a crack in a rock and take the Great Sage Equal to Heaven's surname, Sun?
Naruto Sun?
No, no. Shin'un stopped that terrifying train of thought. He glanced at Kushina beside him, then at Minato Namikaze, who kept looking their way from a short distance away, and vaguely settled on a decision.