Chapter 41 - Fourth Year 04.
[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
Third Person POV
Konoha, Year 35.
...
...
Minato was walking through Konoha the next day. Using shadow clones, while one clone attended classes and interacted with his peers, others dedicated themselves to the arduous training of chakra control in his usual training spot. The original Minato, however, had something else to do at that time. That day, he was walking towards the grocery store where he used to work, a job that provided him with some money for his needs.
As soon as he arrived at the place, he found the owner sweeping the entrance floor and reentering, he wasted no time and went to greet him. "Hello, Mr. Emirnio," Minato greeted the owner as he entered the store. The bell above the door tinkled, announcing his arrival.
"Hello, boy. So you're really leaving?" Emirnio replied with a friendly tone, but there was more in his voice, after all, he had been there for 2 years, so he had formed a bond with the man. He was a middle-aged man with a gentle nature. Having settled in Konoha in his early youth, Emirnio had built an entire life in the village. He married a local civilian, and together, they opened the grocery store ten years ago. The man had a daughter who was now in her twenties, a respected chunin in the village.
When Minato applied for the job years ago, after seeing the ad in the grocery store window, Emirnio asked the boy many questions, who at the time was only seven years old. Initially suspicious, the man soon realized that Minato was a dedicated and responsible worker over time and never complained about him. The salary was modest, but for Minato, who lived a simple life and knew the harsh realities of being an orphan in Konoha, it was enough. He was already grateful for the opportunity to work, something that not all children had, even in a world that often neglected the notions of childhood and child labor.
Minato learned a lot from Emirnio, not just about how to run a grocery store, but also about everyday life and the challenges faced by Konoha's civilians. And most importantly, he valued the friendship and guidance the man provided him over the years.
"Yes, I have been training more and studying new jutsus. I need to focus more on this now," Minato explained, a little apprehensive about how Ermínio would react.
"I always knew this day would come, Minato. Wait, you said jutsus? You're training to be a ninja, Minato?" He raised an eyebrow at that.
"Yes, I'm focusing on the academy and need time now," Minato smiled.
"Academy? You studied at the academy the whole time?" Emirnio asked, a wrinkle of surprise forming on his forehead. The revelation caught him off guard; Minato always seemed so dedicated to work that he assumed the boy was one of those who did not fit into Konoha's rigorous academic system and failed the test.
"Actually, I send a clone. Haha." Minato admitted with a somewhat awkward smile, his hand scratching the back of his neck in a typical gesture of discomfort. He knew it was time to reveal the truth; Emirnio deserved to know, especially after all these years of support and friendship.
"Clone?! What do you mean, boy?" Emirnio questioned, his expression mixing confusion and curiosity. Minato, realizing the need to demonstrate, crossed his fingers and concentrated. *Boof!* In an instant, an exact clone of him was by his side.
"You can make clones, really!?" Emirnio exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise. He knew the capabilities of ninjas, of course, but seeing a young so skilled was something he did not expect. The idea that Minato, a child who worked in his grocery store, could perform feats that even his daughter chunin found challenging was impressive.
"Of course, I'm the best from a program with the best students of my generation." Minato replied. He usually preferred to keep a modest profile, but at that moment, he felt the need to reinforce the truth of his abilities.
Old Emirnio, recovering from the initial shock, smiled with a mix of pride and sadness. "Well, that just shows that you really are special, Minato. I always knew there was something more about you. Just promise me one thing, boy. No matter how far you go or how amazing you become, don't forget to dedicate yourself with all your strength, no matter what you do."
Minato, looking at the man, responded with gratitude. "I promise, Mr. Emirnio. I will never forget."
The two talked a bit more, reminiscing about memorable moments and laughing at funny incidents that happened over the years. When it finally came time for Minato to leave, he promised to visit whenever he could and thanked Emirnio for everything.
"I want to thank you for everything in these 2 years, thanks to the money from work, I was able to buy necessary things for training," Minato spoke, his gratitude sincere and deep. He knew that without the financial help from the job, many aspects of his training would have been much more difficult.
"I thank you too, boy. Here, a bonus for your help over the years. Good luck in your ninja career." Emirnio said, handing Minato an envelope with extra money. It was a generous gesture, reflecting the respect and affection he had for the young man.
Minato accepted the envelope, a feeling of appreciation and resolve growing within him. "Thank you, Mr. Emirnio. I won't forget what I learned here, and I'll always be grateful," he said, his voice firm and full of promise.
Leaving the grocery store, Minato felt a mix of emotions but soon focused on his training. As soon as he left Emirnio's grocery store, Minato returned to his training field. The place was quiet; none of the girls had sent a clone to join him that day, so he concentrated entirely on his training. The sun was moving west as he worked with his pika pika no mi technique.
"I can move a few meters without destabilizing, but it's quite time-consuming..." Minato murmured, assessing his performance. He was becoming more skilled in controlling light, but patience was not easy for a young man as ambitious as he. 'I can't complain when I'm just a 9-year-old kid, can I?' He thought, trying to put things in perspective.
Determined to keep improving, Minato undid his training clones and created seven more, each with a specific task. He positioned them in a circle around him, each with a leaf on their forehead, a classic exercise to improve chakra control. They were focused, their expressions serious and determined, a reflection of Minato himself.
As the sun began to hide, the field filled with murmurs and subtle movements, each Minato clone fully immersed in the control exercise.
"I'm getting good at this, in a while I could start training to walk on trees and move with my feet over water..." Minato murmured to himself as he watched his clones practice. This skill was an important milestone for any shinobi, and he knew that the academy would soon start teaching it. However, with his memories from a past life and the experience he was accumulating, he had the advantage of starting this training earlier. Despite being only 9 years old, he felt he should have already mastered these techniques. However, dividing his time between training his ability with the fruit, enhancing his body with Observation Haki, meant his progress was not as fast as he would like. Still, he knew he was on the right track and that his strength was within the expected range for his ambitions.
After a full day of training and with his academy clones finally dissipating, Minato decided to take a walk through the village in the late afternoon. He wanted to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Konoha, absorb the peaceful energy the night brought, and perhaps reflect a bit on the day. As he walked, his observations of the village and its inhabitants were interrupted when he saw a familiar figure traversing the downtown streets: it was Kushina Uzumaki.
He remembered, through the memories of his clone, that the class had been normal that day, no fights, just chakra training and theory. Kushina was surprised when Tsuna commented that that Minato in the room was a clone, and that the real Minato rarely went to class, opting to send a shadow substitute on most days.
"You?!" Kushina noticed Minato and looked at him with an expression of surprise and a hint of suspicion. "Is it a clone or are you real, Dattebane?" She asked, using her characteristic catchphrase, her tone indicating a mix of curiosity and a slight playful accusation.
"I'm real, Kushina," Minato smiled at the girl, trying to convey calmness and friendship through his gaze. Kushina observed him in silence, evaluating him with her penetrating and inquisitive eyes.
"What are you doing here alone? Where's Tsuna?" Minato asked. Kushina's solitary presence in the center of the village at dusk was unexpected.
"She went to train, and I wanted to see the village. It was boring with everyone doing something, even Mito had a meeting with the Hokage this afternoon, so I decided to walk and I didn't want to be accompanied by a clone!" She explained, her voice a bit cautious at first but clearly expressing frustration at the end.
"Hm... I see, I'm walking too, do you want to accompany me?" Minato asked, and Kushina looked at him a little surprised by the offer.
"I... I guess so..." She commented, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. There was a mix of hesitation and willingness in her voice.
"Great, then come with me," Minato approached Kushina and gently pulled her to the opposite side.
"But I just came from there, Dattebane!!" She immediately complained, her tone mixing protest and surprise.
"Come on, I bet you haven't seen everything. I'll show you some places I know on this side of the village." Minato confidently smiled at Kushina, who felt a bit embarrassed but curious about the offer.
"Minato... Why are you so nice to me?" She suddenly asked as they walked side by side. Her question made Minato stop and look at the 8-year-old girl more attentively.
"What do you mean?" He asked, raising one of his eyebrows.
"You're different from other people... Besides the kids who always look at me as if I were a total stranger, Tsuna is nice. But you're different, I can't explain. You're... a bit strange." Kushina's words made Minato stumble slightly, surprised by her honesty and insight.
"Strange...? You think I'm strange?!" Minato asked, a bit alarmed by the unexpected description. He wasn't used to being called that, especially in a way that seemed more of an observation than a critique.
"That's not what I meant, Dattebane!" Kushina shouted the last part as if it were an apology, her voice showing signs of panic mixed with frustration. She didn't want to offend Minato, but her words seemed to come out wrong.
"It's just... you look at me strangely, you always smile when I look at you..." She explained, her cheeks tinged with red.
"Well... I like you, Kushina." Minato commented, trying to ease the tension. He was about to continue, explaining what he meant, but a quick punch came in his direction. His Observation Haki activated at that moment, and he easily dodged the attack.
"Hey, why are you doing that?" Minato was surprised by the sudden aggression. He didn't expect Kushina to react that way.
"You... You..." Kushina murmured, with her head lowered, clearly struggling to control her emotions. When she finally raised her head, her hair began to lift as if possessed, her face was the color of her hair, and her eyes were white with indignation, an expression Minato had never seen on Kushina.
"DON'T SAY THOSE THINGS TO PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY SOMEONE YOU JUST MET, DATTEBANE?!" Kushina shouted with all her might, leaving Minato even more stunned and confused.
"What?! I didn't mean those things, Kushina! We're just kids, for Ridukou's sake..." Minato tried to explain, a bit frustrated with the misunderstanding. "In 10 years, I might make a romantic declaration, but not now!" He crossed his arms, trying to appear indignant, but saw Kushina still redder as she tried to punch him rapidly.
"Don't say those things either!" She yelled, each word accompanied by a new attack that Minato skillfully avoided.
The villagers passing by the street were stunned by the unusual scene of two children fighting in the middle of the path. The red-haired girl was trying incessantly to punch the blond-haired boy, who seemed to predict all the girl's attacks, who was clearly beside herself.
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