Chapter 6: The Person Who Wants to Protect

Kushina ran out in a hurry, passing by Shirota-sensei and Mikoto, who were about to enter the classroom. The latter saw Kushina's flushed cheeks and couldn't help but feel happy.

It seems that the relationship between the two of them has improved a lot.

There were still many students in the classroom, but their expressions were extremely strange. Seeing this, Shirota-sensei said, "Everyone, go to lunch break. What happened in class today, don't spread it."

After that, he looked at Minato in front of him and said, "Minato, come with me."

Minato nodded and exchanged a look with Mikoto, who gave him a reassuring glance. Minato chuckled and was about to follow Shirota-sensei out of the classroom when Mikoto's voice came from behind.

"Minato, I'm waiting for you to come back. You haven't tasted the rice balls I made yet."

"En." Minato paused slightly, answered, and walked out of the classroom.

During the lunch break, there were generally no people in the practice field of the ninja school, but Shirota-sensei took Minato to the barbed wire fence on the edge of the practice field, and then he sat down cross-legged casually.

"Sit down," he motioned for Minato, who was a little taken aback, but then responded and also sat down.

Minato observed Shirota-sensei's expression and didn't sense much reproach.

"Shirota-sensei, don't you blame me?"

Minato shrank his neck slightly. Although he didn't regret what he did, he felt a little guilty for causing trouble for his teacher.

Shirota-sensei smiled slightly when he heard the words and then said, "Compared to this, Minato, can you tell me why you came to the ninja school to study and become a ninja?"

Minato was suddenly dumbfounded, apparently not expecting Shirota-sensei to ask such a question. He immediately frowned slightly, thinking.

Shirota-sensei noticed that this was the biggest difference between Minato and other children of the same age. Some of the decisions he made were not like those a seven-year-old child would make.

No matter what kind of thing, he always had to think about it.

He had been observing Minato's expression. During the process of thinking, he noticed the turbulent emotions that he had never seen from Minato. It was not until a few minutes later that the fluctuation in his eyes gradually became firm.

Minato took a deep breath, raised his eyes, looked at Shirota-sensei, and said, "Because I want to protect the people I care about, and for this, I must gain power!"

Looking at Minato's firm eyes, Shirota smiled and said, "That's a really good goal."

This was a smile from his heart. These freshmen, who had just entered school for less than a year, might not even know what kind of people they would become in the future.

Ninja, this concept is too vague for them. Minato, who is only seven years old, has such a clear goal. From his expression, Shirota could tell that he was serious, not just a child saying what they wanted.

"So, Kushina is one of the people you want to protect?" Shirota asked again.

Hearing this, Minato paused for a moment, then nodded.

Shirota-sensei was a little surprised and said, "You two met for the first time today. Why did you make such a decision?"

Facing this question, Minato didn't know how to answer. That woman with long red hair had suddenly appeared in his mind today, and for some reason, whenever she appeared, he would lose his rationality.

"I don't know, but I just want to protect her. For this, no matter what price I pay, I must do it!" However, it seemed that there was a voice from the bottom of his heart, which made him answer by accident, and it was so firm.

Minato's determination shocked Shirota-sensei. He couldn't imagine why a seven-year-old child would have such a firm will.

It seems that this student of his will not be an ordinary person in the future.

Although this is still unknown, for some reason, he feels this way.

"So Akasaka Yu, are you going to deal with him as if he is an enemy of Kushina?" Shirota-sensei's voice suddenly became a little heavy. He could ignore Minato's fault, but there was one thing he had to confirm.

"No, he is also a member of the village and someone I want to protect."

He didn't expect that Minato would reply without thinking, although at the end of the sentence, there was some guilt in his voice, as he had just injured Akasaka Yu.

Now, even Shirota-sensei was a little confused about Minato's thoughts.

Minato seemed to know what he was thinking, and immediately said: "Although I just hurt Akasaka-kun, it would be hypocritical to say so. But no matter how much I hate him, he is a member of the village, and I will protect him because, to me, everyone in the village is like family!"

Shirota, who is a Chunin, had never had such an idea, and as far as he knows, people who can have such an idea often become big shots in Konoha ninja village.

For example, Sarutobi Hiruzen-sama, the third Hokage who is the most powerful in this village and is respected and loved by countless people.

A seven-year-old child actually has that kind of thinking like an adult. This is what shocked Shirota-sensei the most today.

"Shirota-sensei, is there anything wrong with such thinking?" Minato felt that Shirota-sensei's expression was a little unnatural, so he asked immediately.

Shirota-sensei woke up from the shock and then said, "No, there is nothing wrong with your thinking. It should be said that what you think of is more comprehensive than what the teacher does."

Regarding such an evaluation, Minato shook his head with a smile and said, "The teacher is the teacher. As a student, no matter what I think of, it is the result of being guided by you."

Minato's words made Shirota feel that the former was guiding and comforting him.

After saying such words, even Minato himself was slightly startled, wondering why he had said that.

After being slightly surprised for a while, Shirota-sensei said, "Okay, I understand your thoughts, and today's matter is over. I don't think I need to say it, but you know what you should do next, right?"

Minato stood up, then bowed to Shirota-sensei, and said, "I will apologize to Akasaka-kun because I reacted too violently."

There is nothing wrong with guarding oneself, and it is inevitable that there will be bumps and bruises between students, but Minato's reaction just now was too extreme. Even if Akasaka Yu slandered Kushina, what he should have done is to stop it, not react in such an outrageous way.

It's just that Minato's mind went blank just now, and Shirota still remembers the fierce look in his eyes.

"Okay, let's go eat and take a lunch break first." Shirota-sensei got up, and after a few moments, he disappeared from Minato's sight.

Minato froze for a moment, then walked towards the classroom.

Just after entering the corridor, Minato stepped over a figure leaning against the wall. That figure was a boy his age, and he called out to Minato, who was walking towards the classroom, to stop.

"Namikaze Minato, why do you hide your strength in school?"