Yuki Seisui and Uchiha Haru were harvesting while Namikaze Minato gathered bundles behind them. Baby panda Kuma waddled behind Minato with her tiny paws clutching a small sheaf of wheat. Occasionally she'd lose balance, tumble over with a thud, and squeak pitifully.
Minato sighed, scooped up Kuma, and set her next to a pile of harvested bundles. "Go play over there, it's more helpful that way."
Ying? Kuma tilted her head and toddled over to play quietly.
As Yuki sliced through waves of golden wheat, he glanced at Haru, whose Body Flicker Technique was gradually improving. It really did seem like she was learning foundational skills through this. Jiraiya was impressive, no wonder he trained so many elite shinobi in the original story. The Uzumaki trio, Minato, Naruto… all legendary or on their way.
Watching them work, Jiraiya recalled the words of the Great Panda Sage from a few years ago:
"You'll take on a student destined for real reform, and you, Jiraiya, are the one to guide that reform."
"Whether the shinobi world thrives depends on how you guide the visionary."
Although Jiraiya once doubted this prophecy, he now believed it, and this was why he agreed to take students under the Third Hokage's direction.
Could it be you, Seisui?
Tsunade, watching him, smiled softly. Despite his usual antics and flirtatious behavior, when serious, Jiraiya could be very dependable.
He seemed like a reliable teammate once it mattered.
Still, he sighed and said, "Looks like they won't finish today either, let's go to the hot springs! My treat!"
Then he added with a mischievous grin, "Mixed baths."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. She was about to compliment him… then WHAM!, a punch landed square on Jiraiya's back.
Thankfully he dodged just in time.
Thud!
Dust curled up around them as Jiraiya wiped cold sweat from his brow and patted his chest.
Tsunade's strength is terrifying, but luckily, I'm quick!
Tsunade lightly sneered and walked off without looking back.
"Hey! You're really not coming?" Jiraiya called after her.
Living dangerously, indeed.
Eventually he sighed to himself:
That flat-chested little brat turned out to be quite something… And now he's the son-in-law of the Uchiha clan?
Thinking back to graduation day, when Uchiha Setsuna approved of Seisui and Haru, it was already confirmed.
That was the granddaughter of the Elder!
And yet… in Jiraiya's mind, this was a good thing. To him, it meant the Uchiha were genuinely integrating into the village.
He hadn't realized: Setsuna's real goal was pushing Haru to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Seisui was the tool.
In Setsuna's mind, nobody was worthy of his granddaughter.
No matter. Doesn't matter anymore.
He lifted his arms behind his head and ambled off toward the village.
Minato's such a sap. Even Kuma doesn't like him.
Thinking of Minato's tiny squeaks and how he'd run away yesterday, Jiraiya couldn't help laughing.
==========
The Next Morning
Yuki, Minato, and Haru surveyed the half-harvested field.
"Today it's just us three, okay?" Yuki said.
"Got it," Minato nodded. "If we can finish it, we don't need to bother the pandas again."
Just as they readied themselves, Haru's voice called from a distance,
"Minato! Yuki! Haru!"
Yuki blinked in surprise. Wasn't Haru supposed to be learning sealing jutsu? Why's she here?
He looked back and saw Kushina Uzumaki walking toward them with Tsunade following. Kushina waved excitedly.
"You guys graduated early without telling me!"
"Sorry, it just kinda happened overnight," Minato explained sheepishly. "Jiraiya-sensei said it was the best time."
"And the graduation request… just went through."
Haru nodded in agreement beside him.
"Tsunade-sama," Yuki called. She gave him a cold nod.
She'd come along only to support Kushina, and maybe borrow some money. The Uzumaki clan had close ties to Konoha from the start. As Uzumaki royalty in the village, Kushina held significant resources. Her assets probably made her the wealthiest person in Konoha.
"I'm close to mastering sealing jutsu," Kushina declared confidently. "Once I am, watch out."
She'd seen her grandfather Uchiha use sealing jutsu, especially "Diamond Prison." If she learned it, she could literally hang them upside-down.
In the most literal sense.
Yuki snorted with disdain. Sealing jutsu was incredibly difficult, filling volumes of arcane formulas. A year of study to master even one technique? That was nearly unheard of. Still, once you had the basics, advanced forms were easier.
==========
"You're on a mission, right?" Kushina asked, glancing around the messy field.
"We are," Haru confirmed.
"That's amazing." Kushina sounded a little envious.
"Here," she said, pulling three scrolls from her sleeve and handing them out. "I brought sealing scrolls for you."
"What's this?" Yuki asked, confused.
"Haha, just a gift from me!" Kushina grinned, glancing at Tsunade. "She told me you guys were harvesting. I thought scrolls might help."
Tsunade merely raised an eyebrow.
If those scrolls were sold, they'd cost more than all the rice on this field. Three scrolls as free gifts? That was Uzumaki wealth for you.
Yuki stared at the scroll in his hand and uttered a resigned, "Thanks."
One-time use only. When would we ever need them?
Kushina didn't notice. "I'll go now," she said. "Grandma Mito and mom gave me so much to study."
Tsunade added, "Your seal training is part of responsibility. You're the Uzumaki Princess, can't not learn it."
Both women left, leaving the trio alone. They set the scrolls aside.
This mission reward isn't enough to justify using those.
==========
Yuki looked between Minato and Haru. "How about a race to finish it?" he suggested.
"If you win, I'll teach you an A-level jutsu," he added, confident that neither had a chance.
Minato's eyes glowed. "An A-ranked technique?"
"Which one?"
The glowing ball one.
Haru nodded decisively. "I demand it under Uchiha honor."
She'd quietly decided yesterday that she and Yuki were nearly even in speed, and that gave her confidence now.
"Glowing ball?" Minato paused. "You mean… the spinning-handed openhand ball-of-light technique?"
Yuki could only look at him with wide-eyed disbelief.
"Minato, where did you come up with that name?"
"I didn't know the real name, so I made one up," Minato replied proudly.
"It's called the Rasengan!"
Yuki rolled his eyes. "Stop calling it 'spinning-hand-openhand-ball stuff'!"
Minato's naming skills were on par with the First Hokage's.
"It's my original unmarked jutsu," Yuki said, grinning while giving Minato a suspicious look. "I have a feeling you'll eventually steal it."
"Kakashi-like, huh!" Minato cheered. "Seisui, you really are a ninja jutsu genius. Ninjustu, kenjutsu… that seductive technique from before!"
Yuki quickly caught his mouth. "No more describing that!"
Haru turned to them curiously. "What seductive technique?"
Yuki muffled Minato's mouth. "Nothing. Nothing happened."
Really, if Minato said that name in public, total social death.
Haru shrugged and began warming up.
Minato glared at Yuki, but understood that best not to speak of the seduction jutsu either.
==========
The three assigned fields, and began.
Yuki harvested with explosive slashes of wind chakra, Minato used kunai as chakra blades, but Yuki ruled the competition, ignoring Minato's method.
Minato started fast but soon ran out of chakra. Haru, matching Yuki's speed using Body Flicker and sword, stayed ahead.
By dusk the whole field was cut.
They collapsed atop the pile of wheat, utterly spent.
"This mission, man. So exhausting," Yuki sighed.
Haru stared at the flaming clouds overhead in silence. She'd used Body Flicker so frequently she was drained, later resorting to hand-harvesting with a tired blade.
Thankfully, the cleanup wasn't on them.
"You win again," Yuki murmured. "No shock, you're too fast."
Haru continued staring blankly at the sky.
Minato was even worse, face covered in dirt from exhaustion.
Just then, Jiraiya appeared before them.
"Excellent!" He sat cross-legged. "Fantastic job on the mission! Three days' work, done in two."
Heh, outsmarted my own calculations.
They were exhausted, so he didn't press them.
"Have tomorrow off. Meet me at the field the day after!"
He then pulled out a pouch of 10,000 ryo.
"This is your reward, D-rank task cap of 10,000 ryo for long, difficult work."
He pocketed 5,000 and handed the rest to Minato.
"As your guide, I take half."
"You three split the rest. Be at the field at dawn the day after tomorrow."
And with that, Jiraiya disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Yuki clutched his fist in frustration.
Everyone knows your sensei gets a share, but you are my sensei!
This was a betrayal, such a scam sensei!
==========
In the ninja world, missions were strictly tiered:
S-rank: 1,000,000+ ryo, most dangerous
A-rank: 150,000–1,000,000
B-rank: 50,000–150,000
C-rank: 10,000–50,000
D-rank: 500–10,000
So 10,000 ryo was the max for a D-rank mission. Still.
Minato stared at the money and wasn't sure how to divide it.
Haru nodded and said briskly, "You two take 2,000 each. I'll keep 1,000."
"Deal!" Yuki said, grabbing 2,000 ryo from Minato's share and slipping it into his pocket.
"You're truly noble and generous, Uchiha heiress!" he told Haru.
5,000 ryo to split between the three of them, still better than none, at least.
A notification popped into Yuki's mind:
[First mission completed. Officially a shinobi. Shop opened.]
[Uchiha Madara (Reanimated), Summer Swimsuit · Chiyo, Senju Tobirama]
=============
95+ Advance Chapters Available on Patreon.com/Veltoria
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support