First Steps

Konohagakure.

The moment Minato saw Saki for the first time, he could only whisper to himself, "Beautiful..."

Noticing Minato's mesmerized expression, Saki smiled warmly and said, "You must be Minato, right? You look like a kind person. Thank you for looking after Takumi all this time."

Her voice snapped Minato out of his daze. Flustered, he replied, "N-No, it's no problem at all. We're friends, so it's only natural. You're Saki-san, aren't you? Takumi talks about you often."

"Oh, really? What does he say about me? It can't be anything bad, right?" she teased playfully.

Before Minato could respond, Takumi interrupted with a mischievous grin. "Hmph! Why would I say anything bad? I only tell him the good stuff, right, Minato?"

"Ah, yes!" Minato quickly agreed, smiling. "He's always telling me how lucky he is to have such a reliable sister."

Just then, a knock echoed through the room, and the door opened. In walked Toru, Takumi's father. Seeing him, Hana greeted warmly, "Welcome home, dear."

"It's good to see everyone," Toru replied with a smile before turning to Takumi. "Happy birthday, son. I'll just go change, and then I'll join you all."

"I'll help you," Hana said, following Toru out of the room.

As they left to freshen up, everyone else began organizing the table for dinner. Minato, however, feeling slightly out of place, stood there unsure of what to do. Takumi's grandmother noticed this and kindly said, "Little Minato, why don't you help Takumi bring the plates and glasses from the kitchen?"

"Of course, Grandma," Minato replied, grateful to have something to do, and he followed Takumi into the kitchen.

A short while later, Toru and Hana returned. Seeing the table already set, Hana smiled and sat beside Toru. Normally, their meals were quiet, but tonight was a special occasion—Toru had returned after two weeks, and it was Takumi's birthday. Lively conversation filled the air as they all ate together.

After dinner, Takumi, Minato, and Toru moved to the living room, while Takumi's grandmother retired to her room for the night. Hana and Saki busied themselves with cleaning up the dishes.

As they sat together, Takumi couldn't contain his excitement any longer. "Dad! Remember how you said you'd teach me Ninjutsu? I've been practicing my chakra control since then. I can already walk up trees! Mom says I have enough chakra now to start learning some Jutsus. She also said if I don't start practicing Ninjutsu soon, it'll be harder for me to improve my chakra control. So she told me to remind you that she wants you to teach me."

Takumi beamed confidently, sure his logic was foolproof. Toru, however, immediately recognized this as one of his son's tricks. He smiled to himself, impressed at how his little boy was trying to outwit him yet again.

When Toru didn't respond right away, Takumi quickly added, "I know I'm not fully ready either, but Mom says I need to start now because I'll be joining the Ninja Academy in a few years. And you know I can't say no to Mom, right? So... will you teach me?"

Emphasizing that it was Hana's idea, Takumi hoped this would convince his father. Toru, amused by his son's persistence, gave a small, defeated sigh. "Alright, alright. I'll teach you, son. Of course, I will," Toru replied, still smiling. "But remember, Ninjutsu alone isn't enough. We'll also need to check on your Taijutsu and Kenjutsu training. How does that sound?"

Takumi's triumphant grin faltered, a chill suddenly creeping up his spine. "Why is it so cold today? Maybe I should close the window," he muttered to himself, feeling a sense of foreboding as his father's tone became more serious.

Watching this playful back-and-forth, Minato, sitting quietly beside them, couldn't help but think to himself, "So this is what it feels like... to have a father. How warm…"

____

Few months later...

"Aunt Hana, where's Takumi? It's time for the Ninja Academy Entrance Ceremony," Minato asked, scanning the house.

Before Hana could answer, a shadow darted toward him. A swift kunai attack! Minato instinctively deflected it, recognizing the playful intent behind the strike.

"Good morning, Minato! You're getting quicker," Takumi grinned, stepping out from the shadows.

"Morning, Takumi. Your surprise attacks are really helping me improve," Minato responded with a smirk.

Hana, witnessing the odd exchange between her son and his friend, was taken aback. "Takumi! What are you doing? Attacking Minato like that—what if he had gotten hurt?" she scolded, her voice firm.

Takumi, startled by his mother's tone, stammered, "M-Mom, I-I was just testing him! I wanted to make sure Minato wasn't slacking on his training. After all, we're officially Ninja Academy students now." His voice was laced with nervousness.

Minato chuckled at Takumi's frantic attempt to explain. Takumi shot him a side glance, but Minato quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "It's alright, Aunt Hana. This is just how we practice. It helps sharpen our reflexes and senses."

Hana sighed but relented. "I'll let it go this time, but it seems your father's been a bad influence on you, Takumi. I'll have to have a word with him later."

Meanwhile, upstairs, Toru, who was dressing to take the boys to the academy, felt an inexplicable shiver. "Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in trouble?" he muttered to himself.

A little while later, Toru, Takumi, and Minato set off for the academy. The excitement of the day hung in the air as they made their way through the village.

As they walked, Toru spoke, his tone a mix of pride and seriousness. "Takumi, Minato, you two are both incredibly talented—especially you, Minato. But I want you to understand something: the Ninja Academy is where you begin your journey to become a shinobi, but it's not the end. Only when you become a genin does the true path of a ninja start."

He paused, making sure they absorbed his words. "That doesn't mean the academy is meaningless, though. What you'll learn there is important, but more valuable are the connections you'll form. The comrades you trust are the greatest strength you'll ever have. So don't isolate yourselves. Make friends—real ones. That's the most important thing in your life as a ninja."

Minato and Takumi listened intently as the academy came into view, Toru's words lingering in their minds as they stepped forward into their new journey.