A faint smile rested at the corner of Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips as he watched the white-haired little bean trail after the blond teenager.
"Those two kids sure stand out with that hair…"
"What are they up to?"
The Hokage let out a slow breath. The crackling current around his body gradually settled, and he moved soundlessly in their direction.
Minato Namikaze wore a white towel headband across his forehead, his breathing steady as he ran laps around the Hidden Leaf Village.
This was one of his daily training routines.
Minato had a clear plan for his future.
His aptitude for the five nature transformations was decent, but his true gift lay in taijutsu.
Speed, strength, dynamic vision, neural reaction time. In his generation, he was unquestionably at the top.
A few days ago, while assisting with Hiruzen's task of refining the Patrol Unit's weak points, he had sparred briefly with En Uchiha.
Minato discovered that a two-tomoe Sharingan could no longer fully lock onto his speed.
That meant he was on the right path.
"Most shinobi, no matter how many jutsu they know, still have fragile bodies."
"Find an opening. One clean slash through the neck or heart, and it's over."
"With Kushina's sealing techniques, even troublesome opponents can have their Chakra sealed…"
Minato ran with a gentle smile on his face.
But his thoughts were sharp.
He really did have a personality like a small sun, warm and bright.
That warmth, however, was reserved for his own people.
When it came to enemies, Minato still had compassion. It usually came after they were already corpses.
"Gotta keep working hard. Life's beautiful, but without strength you can't protect it…"
He quickened his pace slightly.
His relationship with Kushina had progressed quickly, with the village's quiet approval.
The fiery Uzumaki girl had not only taught him sealing techniques, she had also shared part of the village stipend she received.
Her reasoning was simple. Boys at a growing age needed to eat more and eat well.
Minato was deeply grateful.
And he knew exactly where that stipend, and his somewhat special status within the village, came from.
Because of that, the blond boy felt even more affection and respect for the Hidden Leaf Village and for the Hokage himself.
The moment Minato accelerated—
Kakashi, trailing behind him, felt his heart tighten.
"Faster?"
It was already hard enough just to keep up. If Minato sped up again, Kakashi's stamina would drain too quickly, and he would lose any chance of a successful "ambush."
This was the result of a bet with his father.
If Kakashi, who wanted to graduate early, could successfully sneak up on Minato, Sakumo Hatake would submit the graduation request for him.
"Hmph. Where do you think you're going…"
The white-haired little bean steeled himself and burst from the shadows, closing the distance in an instant.
He suddenly accelerated, taking advantage of surprise, stretching out with all his strength toward that blond head.
Just one hair would do.
Even though young Kakashi, constantly praised as a genius, carried a hint of pride, this was still an ambush on a fellow villager.
If he went too far, even a sincere apology afterward would not justify it.
The thought flickered through his mind.
But Minato suddenly tilted his head, neatly dodging his grasp.
"You're Uncle Sakumo's son, right?"
"You've been following me for days. I thought you were just keeping me company during morning training."
"So you're after my hair? Sorry. Kushina probably wouldn't approve…"
Kakashi's vision blurred.
Minato, who had just been in front of him, was now behind him, speaking in a teasing tone.
"What are you even talking about?" Kakashi bristled. Who asked about who would approve of what?
The ambush had failed. But when the opponent grew complacent, that was the perfect time to counterattack.
His father had said it himself. One touch was enough.
Kakashi reacted instantly. Chakra wrapped around his feet as he kicked off the ground, lashing out like a scorpion's tail, his heel whipping toward Minato.
Minato showed a flicker of surprise. The kid had some skill.
Still, he caught the strike with ease and once again appeared behind Kakashi.
"That's not academy level anymore. His taijutsu is stronger than some Chunin," Hiruzen observed from above, suppressing his Chakra as he watched.
It proved that targeted advancement within academy education was necessary.
There was no need to rush these promising seedlings out early. Strengthen their foundations and think long term. That was how you maximized returns.
Teamwork could be cultivated with specially designed missions.
"Oh? Sakumo's here too." Hiruzen's smile widened.
From another rooftop, the tall white-haired figure approached silently like a ghost, drawing closer to Minato and Kakashi.
Couldn't leave his son alone, huh?
On the street below, Kakashi grew increasingly flustered.
How does he keep appearing behind me?
Even when sparring with Father, he had never felt this helpless.
Is this guy… even stronger than Father?
He was about to try again when Minato tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
Black markings crawled across Kakashi's body, spreading instantly and locking his movements completely.
Cursed Seal of Self-Binding.
"So energetic, Kakashi…"
Minato smiled like a small sun and ruffled his hair. "Relax. It just stops you from moving. It won't hurt."
"Uncle Sakumo must've sent you, right? He told me he had a very talented son."
"You really are amazing. A true genius."
Minato did not hold back his praise.
But Kakashi, frozen in place, did not feel pleased at all.
If anything, it sounded like mockery.
"You'll have to rest here for a bit. I still have a hundred laps left. I'll undo it afterward." Minato vigorously messed up his hair before jogging off again.
Kakashi's vision went dark.
So that's it. Sweet words on the surface, revenge underneath.
That has to be it.
"Kakashi. Do you see now?"
"At his age, Minato has mastered sealing techniques to this degree and honed his body like this."
"And he still stayed in the academy for several years."
Sakumo Hatake appeared silently behind Minato, ruffling his hair with a gentle smile. "You need to focus on your fundamentals. Don't rush to graduate."
Minato's eyes widened slightly.
He thought using a Curse Mark on Kakashi was already pushing the limits of fair play.
But what is this? Beat the kid and the father shows up?
No wonder the White Fang of the Leaf created something like One Thousand Years of Death. Never judge him by that cool exterior.
Kakashi looked at Sakumo with near worship in his eyes.
Father…
You've never looked more heroic.
Not far away, Might Duy and his son stared at the scene, both bursting into tears yet again.
"Did you see that, Guy?"
"Everyone's out here pushing themselves in real combat! We're adding three hundred more laps!"
At that moment—
Sakumo and Minato both seemed to sense something. They lifted their heads at the same time.
The others followed their gaze.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood atop a building, dressed in black, arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips.
Looking down at them.
"Ho… Hokage-sama!" Might Duy cried out dramatically.