As time passed, the once-empty classroom gradually filled with more and more students.
Children of this age gathered together under the pretense of studying, but in truth, the classroom was more like a social gathering place. Groups of kids chatted excitedly about interesting things, their youthful laughter echoing through the room and making the entire classroom feel lively and somewhat noisy.
Amid this chaotic atmosphere, Minato Namikaze remained quietly focused on the ninja handbook in his hands.
The edges of the book were worn and slightly torn, a clear sign that he had read it many times.
Minato Namikaze firmly believed that everything—just like ninjutsu—required constant practice in order to improve. Although he did not yet know many advanced techniques, he understood that for any powerful ninja, a solid foundation was the most important thing.
For now, the only thing Minato Namikaze could do was strengthen his fundamentals.
As for catching up to the great shinobi who came before him—he still had plenty of time.
In the middle of the noisy classroom, Shirota Hon walked in and raised his voice slightly.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down…"
His voice carried a certain authority.
The once noisy classroom quickly fell silent.
After all, the children studying here were not ordinary kids. In the future, they would become shinobi responsible for carrying out dangerous missions.
Absolute obedience to orders was one of the most important principles of a ninja. Even students at the Ninja Academy were taught from an early age to follow this rule.
Minato Namikaze closed his handbook, placed it back on his desk, and looked forward attentively, waiting for class to begin.
"Before we start today's lesson," Shirota Hon said, "I'd like to introduce a new classmate. From today onward, she will be studying together with all of you."
After saying this, Shirota Hon quickly stepped outside the classroom.
The moment he left, whispers immediately spread among the students. Clearly, everyone was curious about the new arrival.
Minato Namikaze and Mikoto Uchiha exchanged glances across their seats.
They had already heard that a new student would be joining their class.
After a short while, Shirota Hon returned.
Standing beside him was a child.
It was a girl with long red hair.
Her hair was so long that the students in the classroom couldn't clearly see the side of her face. However, the delicate outline of her features was faintly visible.
The moment Minato Namikaze saw her, his heart suddenly trembled.
Before his eyes, he seemed to see another figure—long red hair flowing in the wind.
The face of the girl with the red hair was extremely blurry.
Minato Namikaze tried desperately to see her clearly, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never get close enough.
Without realizing it, a low, hoarse sound escaped his throat—a strained, almost painful groan that drew the attention of the students around him.
A nearby student nudged him.
"Minato, are you alright?"
Minato Namikaze snapped back to reality. His body trembled slightly as he turned toward the student beside him.
"I—I'm fine…"
The boy next to him didn't think much of it.
But Minato Namikaze frowned slightly, murmuring to himself in confusion.
"What's wrong with me…?"
"Alright, please introduce yourself to everyone," Shirota Hon said gently as he released the girl's hand.
His words drew Minato Namikaze's attention back to the front.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, the girl slowly turned around.
However, her head remained lowered, as if she were feeling a little shy.
"Her hair color is so strange…"
"Yeah, how can someone have hair that red?"
The students whispered among themselves.
Standing on the podium, the girl lowered her head. A strand of bangs fell across her eyes as she lightly twirled her hair between her fingers. Her large eyes held a hint of confusion.
The students who were gossiping ignored these small gestures.
But one person stared at her intently, unwilling to look away.
Faced with the murmuring voices around her, the girl clenched her fists tightly.
She was gripping them so hard that the veins in her hands became visible.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her voice loudly.
"My name is Kushina Uzumaki, and my dream is to become the first female Hokage of this village!"
Her declaration carried a slightly unusual tone at the end of her sentence.
But those bold words stunned the entire classroom into silence.
Even Shirota Hon looked surprised.
When Minato Namikaze heard her words, an inexplicable ache stirred within his heart.
At the same time, however, he felt happy.
After all, he had just met someone who shared the same dream as him.
Minato Namikaze stood up, placed his hand over his chest, and spoke with a gentle smile.
"My dream is also to become a Hokage who can protect everyone in the village."
Kushina Uzumaki didn't immediately accept his kindness.
Instead, she looked at the blond boy with cautious eyes.
"Hehe… I didn't expect to have two students with such lofty ambitions in my class. That's truly encouraging."
As a chunin, Shirota Hon naturally possessed keen insight. He noticed the tension in Kushina Uzumaki's expression and laughed lightly to ease the awkwardness.
"Minato, you may sit down."
Minato Namikaze returned to his seat.
Shirota Hon glanced around the classroom and then said to Kushina Uzumaki:
"Kushina, please take that seat over there."
He pointed toward an empty desk beside Mikoto Uchiha, near the window.
Despite the murmurs of disapproval from some students, Kushina Uzumaki walked over confidently and sat down next to Mikoto Uchiha.
Seeing this, Shirota Hon let out a small, helpless smile.
Kushina Uzumaki's personality was completely different from that of Minato Namikaze and Mikoto Uchiha.
After sitting down, Kushina Uzumaki glanced sideways.
Mikoto Uchiha greeted her with a warm smile, covering her mouth slightly as she spoke in a gentle voice.
"Hello. My name is Mikoto Uchiha. From now on, we'll be classmates—and friends."
Kushina Uzumaki might appear carefree on the surface, but she was actually extremely perceptive.
She noticed that in this classroom, only the blond boy who had just spoken up and the girl sitting beside her showed no prejudice toward her unusual hair color.
However, when it came to the blond boy…
For some reason, she felt that he seemed a little weak.
"…Mm."
Even so, she responded softly.
Then she glanced toward Minato Namikaze and asked timidly,
"What's that guy's name?"
Seeing her reaction, Mikoto Uchiha understood.
After all, it was their first meeting—and the other students didn't seem particularly welcoming toward the new arrival.
Mikoto Uchiha followed Kushina Uzumaki's gaze toward the blond boy and then replied with a gentle smile.
"His name is Minato Namikaze. He's a very kind person."
As she spoke his name, a warm smile naturally appeared on Mikoto Uchiha's youthful face.
In this classroom, it seemed Kushina Uzumaki was the first person who had any doubts about him.
"Minato Namikaze… huh?"
Kushina Uzumaki lowered her head slightly and murmured to herself.
However, after only a brief moment of thought, she turned her attention back toward the podium.
For the sake of her dream, she intended to give it her all.
The Ninja Academy was where her dream would begin.
Watching Kushina Uzumaki's energetic demeanor, Shirota Hon felt somewhat reassured.
Although the child's personality seemed a bit unusual, with Mikoto Uchiha around, she would likely adapt soon enough.
What surprised him, however, was that Minato Namikaze—who was normally extremely attentive in class—kept glancing toward Kushina Uzumaki after she arrived.
Still, Shirota Hon didn't think too deeply about it.
After all, Kushina Uzumaki's bold declaration had probably left a strong impression on him.
Even teachers couldn't fully understand the thoughts of children this age.
Smiling lightly as he looked at the young faces before him, Shirota Hon said,
"Alright, class—let's begin!"
…