Chapter 42: The Geniuses of the Leaf; The Hokage's Grand Entrance
Hiruzen watched from the rooftops, a faint smirk playing on his lips as the silver-haired short-stack trailed behind the blonde teenager.
"Those two certainly have distinct hair colors... makes them easy to track."
"I wonder what they're up to?"
The Hokage exhaled a slow, steady breath. The electrical current dancing across his skin gradually subsided into a soft hum as he shifted his weight, moving soundlessly through the air toward the pair.
Down on the street, Minato Namikaze was running with a white towel wrapped around his brow like a bandana. His breathing was deep and rhythmic—one of the many fundamental conditioning exercises he never skipped.
Minato had a very clear vision for his development. While his aptitude for the five elemental natures was high, his true genius lay in speed, precision, and neurological reflex.
A few days ago, while performing a stress test on the new Patrol Net, he had sparred briefly with En Uchiha. Minato had realized with quiet satisfaction that a two-tomoe Sharingan could no longer track his movements at full speed.
It was proof that his path was the right one.
Most shinobi, regardless of their jutsu, have glass bodies, Minato mused as he ran, his face wearing its usual gentle smile. If I can find the opening, one strike to the throat or heart ends the fight before it starts.
And with the Uzumaki seals Kushina is teaching me, I can even neutralize the chakra of those I can't immediately cut...
Minato was a "Little Sun" to his friends, but he had a clinical, almost detached side when it came to enemies. To him, an enemy was just a puzzle to be solved—ideally while they were still breathing.
He picked up the pace, his legs moving like pistons. Life in the village was good. He was grateful for Kushina—the fiery Uzumaki girl wasn't just teaching him her clan's secret sealing arts; she was sharing her village-provided stipend with him, insisting that a "growing boy" needed to eat twice as much as everyone else.
Minato knew exactly where that stipend and his new opportunities came from. His respect for the Third Hokage—his "Grand-Sensei"—was growing into a fierce, unwavering loyalty.
As Minato accelerated, the shadow behind him tensed.
He's getting faster? young Kakashi thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. If he keeps this up, I'll run out of breath before I can even get close...
This was all because of the bet he'd made with his father. If Kakashi—the five-year-old prodigy who thought the Academy was a joke—could land a "successful sneak attack" on Minato, Sakumo would sign his early graduation papers.
Now!
Kakashi's eyes flared with a sudden, predatory focus. He burst from the shadows of an alleyway, closing the gap with a burst of speed that would have shamed a Chunin. He reached out, fingers clawing for that shock of yellow hair.
Just one hair! That's all I need!
Kakashi was a bit arrogant about his "Genius" title, but he wasn't cruel. He figured a tug on the hair was the most "polite" way to win a sneak attack without hurting a fellow villager.
But just as his fingers were inches away, Minato's head tilted slightly to the side.
Kakashi's hand met only air.
"You're Lord Sakumo's son, aren't you?"
"You've been following me for three days. I thought you just wanted a morning jog partner..."
"But if you wanted my hair, I'm afraid you're out of luck. Kushina is quite protective of it."
Kakashi's vision blurred for a split second. Minato, who had been in front of him, was suddenly standing directly behind him, sounding entirely too casual.
"Shut up!" Kakashi barked, his face flushing with irritation. He didn't care about "permission"!
Sneak attack failed? Fine. The moment his opponent started gloating was the best time to counter-attack. His father said he just had to touch him once.
Kakashi pivoted on one heel, channeling chakra into his feet to grip the pavement before launching a vicious, scorpion-style kick aimed at Minato's chin.
Minato's eyebrows shot up. The kid has real form.
But speed was Minato's domain. He caught the heel in one hand, spun with the momentum, and once again appeared behind the boy.
Up on the roof, Hiruzen watched with a critical eye. That's definitely not Academy-level taijutsu. The brat is already hitting above the weight of a standard mid-tier Chunin.
It confirmed Hiruzen's theory: the Academy needed to be tiered. There was no point in letting these "monsters" graduate early just to die on a mission because they lacked team experience. It was better to keep them in the village, raise the "difficulty level" of their curriculum, and build their teamwork under controlled conditions.
High investment, high return, Hiruzen thought.
"Oh, look who else decided to join the party," Hiruzen chuckled soundlessly.
He spotted a flash of silver hair on a nearby rooftop. Sakumo Hatake was moving like a ghost, keeping a watchful eye on his son. It seemed the "White Fang" was just as worried a father as anyone else.
Back on the street, Kakashi was beginning to panic. No matter how he moved, no matter how he angled his strikes, the blonde guy was always behind him. It was like fighting a shadow.
Is he faster than Dad? No way!
Kakashi prepared one last desperate lunging strike, but Minato was faster. The teenager reached out and tapped Kakashi's shoulder.
In an instant, black, ink-like markings erupted from the point of contact, spreading across Kakashi's body like a spiderweb. His muscles locked. His joints froze.
Fūinjutsu: Self-Exerting Binding Seal.
"You certainly have a lot of energy, Kakashi," Minato said, his "Little Sun" smile returning as he patted the boy on the head. "Don't worry. It's a harmless binding. It just keeps you still for a bit."
"Lord Sakumo mentioned he had a talented son... but you're more than talented. You're a true genius!"
To anyone else, the praise would have been heartening. To the frozen Kakashi, it sounded like the ultimate mockery. He glared at Minato, his eyes screaming: I'm going to kill you the second this wears off!
"I'll have to leave you here for a minute while I finish my last hundred laps," Minato joked, giving Kakashi's hair a playful ruffle. "I'll unseal you when I get back."
Kakashi's world turned dark. He's definitely doing this on purpose!
"See that, Kakashi?"
A voice spoke from directly behind Minato. Sakumo Hatake had appeared out of thin air, reaching out to ruffle Minato's hair with a mischievous grin.
"Minato here has mastered high-level sealing arts and perfected his physical conditioning, yet he's stayed in the system for years to build his foundation."
"You still think you're ready to graduate?"
Minato's pupils dilated. He hadn't even sensed the White Fang's approach. He gave a sheepish, nervous laugh. I guess there's always a bigger fish.
He realized that while he could use a Cursed Seal on the son, the father was more than capable of using the legendary 'One Thousand Years of Death' on him. He had to stay humble.
Kakashi looked at his father with pure worship. Dad... you're the coolest.
In the distance, the "Might" duo—Dai and Guy—came sprinting around the corner. They stopped and stared at the elite gathering, their eyes welling with tears of inspiration.
"Look, Guy! The elite are training in the streets! Even the White Fang is out for the morning grind! We must add five hundred laps to our routine! FOR YOUTH!"
"YES, FATHER!"
It was at that moment that Sakumo and Minato both felt a massive, mountain-like presence looming over them. They looked up in unison.
High above, standing on the edge of the tallest building in the sector, was a man dressed in simple black training gear. He stood with his arms crossed, his silhouette framed by the rising sun.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"L-Lord Hokage!" Might Dai screamed, pointing toward the roof with dramatic flair.
The Hokage looked down at them, a calm, authoritative smile on his face. He didn't need the hat or the robes. The sheer weight of his presence made the very air feel heavy.
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