Chapter 5: Thank You!

The entire classroom was silent, and all the children stared at the usually warm and smiling Minato. At this moment, his blue eyes were fierce, scanning everyone in front of him like a ferocious beast.

His intense gaze caused some of the less courageous boys and many girls to take a few steps back.

Was this the same Namikaze Minato they knew?

Such a display stunned Akasaka Yu's comrades, and the expression on Kushina's face was one of shock mixed with an unfamiliar hint of joy. She may not have even realized this emotion herself.

Mikoto, though shocked, sighed in relief seeing Minato safe and having saved Kushina. However, surprise lingered in her eyes.

Minato's movements were so fast that he didn't seem like a mere ninja school student. In her knowledge, some ninjas in her clan were at this level, but they were older and had guidance from the clan's chunin. Minato's parents were gone, and he had no other place to learn except school.

How did he do it?

Before, she never knew Minato was so strong!

"Cough cough!"

The tense atmosphere was broken by a series of rapid coughs. Akasaka Yu, who had been kicked away by Minato, coughed up some blood. Fortunately, his physical fitness was better than that of children his age, so he didn't faint immediately. He leaned against the corridor wall, slumped and unable to get up.

Not far from him, in the school corridor, some students were stunned, startled by the sudden accident. Most of these children had expressions of panic, but one boy on the left side of Akasaka Yu, surrounded by several people, frowned slightly.

Swish!

The boy wanted to enter Minato's class to see what had happened, but a figure appeared beside Akasaka Yu. Squatting halfway down, his brows serious, was Minato's homeroom teacher, Shirota-sensei.

"Akasaka Yu, are you alright?" Shirota-sensei asked, lifting Akasaka Yu's body. The boy cried out in pain, and Shirota noticed that the wall behind Akasaka Yu had a crack from the impact.

Obviously, the blow that knocked him into the air was extremely powerful.

He thought to himself about who in his class could have such power. His eyes turned slightly, landing on Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and the other boys from the back door of the class.

At this moment, Minato's eyes caught his attention. Apart from fierceness, there was a trace of killing intent in his azure blue eyes, something the students couldn't detect.

These children were just students from the ninja school and had never experienced life and death. What's more, it was Namikaze Minato, known for his good temper.

Even without asking, Shirota-sensei knew who was responsible.

"Okamoto, Nakatani, take Akasaka Yu to the infirmary," Shirota-sensei instructed. The two dazed boys next to Minato snapped out of their shock and trotted over. They took Akasaka Yu from Shirota-sensei and carried him to the school's infirmary.

"Everyone, go to lunch break. Don't gather around here," Shirota-sensei said in the corridor, dispersing the gathered students. The boy who had initially tried to intervene looked at the crack on the wall with fear in his eyes before leaving.

Shirota-sensei walked into the classroom, and the fierceness in Minato's eyes gradually faded. He knew that as long as Shirota-sensei was here, no one would dare to bully Kushina.

"Minato, what's going on here?" Shirota-sensei asked, but he didn't seem intent on holding Minato accountable. He believed Minato wouldn't hurt someone without a reason.

Minato lowered his head, remaining silent for a while.

Shirota-sensei's expression turned a bit stern. Mikoto quickly ran over and said, "Shirota-sensei, it was Akasaka Yu and the others who bullied Kushina first. Minato was just protecting her!"

"What exactly happened?" Shirota-sensei asked, looking at Kushina. Her expression showed a bit of red, making it difficult for her to speak.

Convinced it was true, Shirota-sensei took Mikoto outside the class to learn more.

After the two left, Minato, who had been silent, raised his eyes. He saw that the students who were kind to him now looked at him with awe and fear.

What he worried about had happened. Minato had been hiding his strength in the class to avoid being seen as a special existence. He didn't want to be a one-of-a-kind genius. He wanted to live with everyone and use his strength to protect the village.

But if his power made everyone fear and distance themselves, this wasn't the result he wanted.

He sighed slightly in his heart, then looked at Kushina behind him with a warm smile and asked, "Kushina, are you okay?"

Kushina nodded subconsciously. The way she looked at Minato had changed.

After a moment, she actually bowed towards Minato and said, "I'm sorry about earlier."

Her words left Minato a bit dazed. Why was she apologizing?

What Minato didn't know was that Kushina's initial impression of him wasn't good. Indeed, Minato's handsome appearance could be mistaken for frivolity by those who didn't know him well.

But his actions had changed Kushina's mind. This was the first time someone had stood up for her.

Thinking of this, Kushina's eyes softened, and Minato noticed the change.

"Thank you!" she suddenly said, her strange accent making her cheeks blush.

Then, with Minato's stunned expression, she quickly ran out of the classroom through the back door, just passing by Shirota-sensei and Mikoto, who were about to enter.

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