Chapter 64 - Last Year 09.

[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]

Third Person POV

Konoha, Year 36.

...

...

Minato got up the next day and ended up seeing a Kushina at his door. 

"Hello!?" Minato was confused. 

"I came to visit you, Dattebane!" She exclaimed, her face turning a slight blush. 

'You want my food...' Minato thought, but he wouldn't deny the girl. 

"Then come in, I'll make some coffee." He commented, and she seemed quite excited about it. 

"That's great! Make me ramen!" She exclaimed, and Minato sighed. 

After preparing coffee with noodles, he served her, and they ate quietly. "Minato, you know we're in our last year and from what I understand, we'll be sent to war before the year ends..." She commented and continued. "It's very unlikely we'll be on the same teams... So I'd like to spend more time together..." She seemed to get redder and redder, which stopped her from continuing as she lowered her head; 

"Hm? Yes... but I don't understand why you're saying this." Minato spoke, a bit confused. 

"Would you accompany me tonight, Dattebane!!" Kushina exclaimed. 

"Hm? Like a date?" Minato asked. 

"Yes..." Kushina admitted shyly, Mito had suggested this to the girl. 

"Well... I'm a bit surprised by this, but if it's you, of course I accept." Minato spoke with his smile, nothing could make him happier, defeating a group of ninjas to test his skills and going out with the girl he is most fond of. 

Minato and Kushina finished their coffee, today was a day without classes, so they walked through the village together, until Minato spent the morning with Kushina and returned to his training trying to understand the space element to be able to execute the Raijin. 

At one point, he left his clones with the task, while he went to the Hokage's office. 

"Minato." Hiruzen said pleased as he looked at the child entering the place, who was immediately called as soon as he said his name at the reception. 

"Hokage-Sama." Minato maintained courtesy. 

"You know, child. I spent part of the night awake thinking how a boy of 11 years managed to finish off an entire group of ninjas, I rarely see talents like yours." He said looking at him, what Minato had done was very big. 

"Thank you, I was lucky." Minato spoke modestly. 

"Luck, I wouldn't say that. I would graduate you from the academy and promote you directly to a Chuunin, but we are about to form your class canceling the elite class program soon and I have formalities before fulfilling your promotion, but let's record all this in your achievements." He said. 

"I am honored by your words, Hokage-Sama." Minato commented. 

"Well, anyway, to the point, here in this scroll there is an amount of money for an A-level mission, a fuinjutsu scroll, and some B-rank elemental jutsus." He said pleased, and Minato was a bit surprised. 

"This is more than I could ask for, Hokage-Sama." Minato thanked. 

"Take it, I expect great things from you Minato, I'm sure you will do a lot for this village." He said, since this boy managed to fight against spies and save some ninjas from a great danger. 

Minato left the office quite satisfied, he had gained a lot from the Hokage and hoped to soon add jutsus to his arsenal and learn the seals the Hokage made available to him. 

He returned to his apartment, since he had the date with Kushina, he dressed up as night took the place of day and wore dark clothes with white, He escaped through the window so as not to encounter that perverted neighbor of his. 

Arriving at the place where Kushina asked him to wait, 5 minutes later she appeared approaching with a small smile. She wore a kimono that matched her hair very well, a deep red with delicately drawn sakura petals all over the fabric. Her hair was tied in a twisted manner with a metal fastening at the back of her head. She kept in front her thick bangs with the small piece that held one of the bangs in the long hair as she always used to wear.

Minato's surprise was subtle, a slight arching of his eyebrows that quickly turned into a nod of approval. He had never seen Kushina so beautiful, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips. 

"You look beautiful." Minato commented, he was straightforward when he saw something he liked. 

Kushina's heart raced with the compliment, her blush couldn't get any redder with Minato being so direct. "Ah, yes... I wanted to try something different for tonight," she replied, joy in her voice mixed with a dose of nervousness. "You look very handsome too, those clothes suit you." 

"You made an excellent choice and thank you," Minato affirmed, offering her a gentle gesture to follow him. "Shall we go? We have a night to enjoy together." 

As Minato and Kushina left the lit streets of Konoha behind, their light and occasional conversations filled the path until they reached the destination Minato had chosen for that night. As Kushina had requested, they went to a park known for its large Sakura tree, whose beauty was much talked about at this time of year. 

As they approached, Kushina could observe adult couples scattered throughout the park as soon as they arrived, which immediately brought her a sense of nervousness wondering if she should embrace Minato's arm as the women were doing. 

It was no secret by this point that both liked each other, and they didn't hide these feelings much anymore after spending years together since they met, Kushina was someone who had fallen for Minato many years ago, after all, he was the boy who defended her while others mocked her on the first day of class, even without knowing her. They had their promises to become Hokage, but Kushina knew it was obvious that Minato would be the Hokage and not her, but that didn't make her unhappy, she could accompany him in another way, but as she wasn't like Mito, as the woman boasts about how she conquered Hashirama, Kushina was quite shy about dating and courtship, not that they intended to do that now, as they are young, but Kushina had to mark that this man would be hers. 

"How beautiful...!" Kushina exclaimed looking at the tree after ignoring the couples. It was a clear night, with stars twinkling in the sky, and the Sakura tree, imposing in the center of the park, was at the peak of its bloom, its soft pink flowers illuminated by candles around, creating a romantic scene. The gentle breeze made the petals fall delicately, seeming like a unique scene. She didn't even notice when she embraced Minato's arm like the couples at that moment while looking at the petal rain. 

Minato turned his face to Kushina while having a reassuring look not minding being embraced so suddenly. "It's a beautiful place, isn't it?" He said, his calm voice conveying confidence. "It's been a long time since I've been here, and I've never been at this time." He observed. 

Kushina, now more accustomed to Minato, and even realizing that she had embraced him, did not let go of his arm, looked into Minato's eyes with a slightly shy smile. "It's very beautiful... I never imagined something like this in the village. Thank you for bringing me here," she said. 

They walked towards a bench under the Sakura tree, sitting side by side. The park, despite being popular among couples, maintained an air of tranquility, allowing both to talk quietly. 

Kushina looked at the petals and started a conversation. "To think that we've known each other for years, Minato, and now that we're about to become genin, we might end up separated. With the war approaching, I'm... a little scared." She said, a bit restrained.

Minato watched her for a moment. He knew about Kushina's importance to the village, as the next Jinchuriki, she wouldn't go to war, and that could devastate the girl because she wouldn't become a ninja. "Kushina," he began, not touching on the subject he was thinking about, since he couldn't do anything about it, "it's natural to feel afraid. But you are strong, one of the strongest people I know." Minato spoke, looking into her blue eyes. 

Kushina looked at him for a while. "But what if we get separated? And something happens to you in the war?" She said with a worried tone and there was fear there. 

Minato maintained eye contact, "I won't die, Kushina, I will do whatever is necessary to protect the village, and that includes keeping you safe," he replied and continued. "We have prepared for moments like this, Kushina. And no matter what happens, I promise nothing will happen and we will be again doing the same things as tonight, maybe something else, but we will be fine." Minato spoke firmly, he would return to the village well and for this girl. 

The silence that followed, but Kushina felt a bit more at ease, believing in Minato's words. "Thank you, Minato," she finally said, with a weak smile. "For always being here." 

"Always," he affirmed, offering her a smile that sought to be comforting. 

They continued the night, talking about lighter things and going out to eat while they walked through the village together as a small couple enjoying the shops. 

"Any problem, Mikoto?" A girl heard her father's voice as they walked. 

"Nothing..." She said while looking at Minato and Kushina in the distance, her heart seemed hurt by that scene, but she stayed firm as she followed her father back to the Uchiha compound again. 

Minato took Kushina to the Senju compound and received a kiss on the cheek after Kushina thanked him for the night as she ran back in embarrassment for her action, even though it wasn't the first time she did that. Minato went home and rested with good memories of that night. 

Minato returned to his training routine with a renewed focus after that night. Determined to master the Hiraishin no Jutsu more than ever, for a whole week, Minato isolated himself in his training area. He spent most of the hours of his day studying the theoretical principles behind the jutsu, experimenting with different ways of trying to execute it by sending himself and his clones to the seals. 

On the seventh day of that week, at dawn, Minato felt he was close. He had refined his understanding of the technique to the point of feeling the flow of space and time around him. Positioning himself at the center of a circle of seals he had carefully prepared, he concentrated his chakra, visualizing the precise destination marked by one of the seals a few meters away. 

Minato activated the jutsu. A fraction of a second later, he disappeared with a flash without much effect, leaving only a slight distortion in the air. The sound of his reappearance was almost immediate. He was now standing next to the destination seal, exactly as planned. 

"I finally did it..." He murmured, almost not believing what he had just done, it was very surreal him using the legendary technique of the second Hokage finally, he felt a bit dizzy moving like that, but still managed to be okay, nothing that practice wouldn't make him more comfortable with the jutsu. 

Minato looked around, allowing himself a brief smile of satisfaction. He had executed the Hiraishin no Jutsu perfectly for the first time. The feeling of euphoria was quickly replaced by an even greater determination. Mastering the technique completely was his next goal. 

"Now, let's increase our progress." Minato spoke, executing the jutsu multiple shadow clones and 50 Minatos appeared, all with the goal of performing one or two Raijins with each clone to familiarize and see how many executions he could make. His plans were finally ready to be executed before the war.

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