"I bet on you winning that fight, and I lost a meal of grilled meat," Tsunade said, her expression stern as she gazed at Minato's sun-kissed, adorable face after a brief silence.
She didn't ask why he had conceded; she could guess the reason without being told.
"Personal matter."
Minato scratched his head and pulled out a few bills from his pocket. "Um, I still have some of this..."
"Huh? What do you think I am?" Tsunade's face darkened. Her threats were one thing, but she would never rob a kid.
Though she always felt justified in tricking her younger brother out of his allowance in various ways, he was still her own brother.
Anyone with a younger brother knew that these creatures were born to be their sisters' slaves.
Glancing at the bills in Minato's hand, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for pocket money, kid."
"Actually, it's this week's living expenses..."
"Living expenses..."
Tsunade seemed to realize something, her lips twitching. "You're..."
"An orphan."
Hearing that crisp voice, Tsunade silently released Minato, mentally slapping herself.
Damn it! I'm such an idiot!
This kid is an orphan!
No, I should have realized that earlier. What normal family would let a child come alone to take the academy entrance exam?
The realization hit Tsunade like a ton of bricks, leaving her momentarily at a loss.
Minato stood frozen, watching Tsunade's expression shift like the weather. He had his own agenda; as the granddaughter of the First Hokage, her family must possess rare Wood Release ninjutsu techniques. With Tsunade unexpectedly approaching him, Minato couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip away. But his introverted nature made it difficult for him to approach women. In both this life and his past life, women had always taken the initiative to approach him. Now, he found himself at a loss for words, unsure how to bridge the gap between them.
Seeing Tsunade's silence, Minato ventured cautiously, "How about... I treat you to a meal?"
"A meal?"
Tsunade was pondering how to kneel without casting a shadow on the child when she heard this. Her tension eased, and she couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Oh? You're already trying to impress girls with dinner dates at this age, huh, kid?"
"Umm..." Minato pursed his lips, realizing he couldn't think of a suitable excuse. Finally, he slapped the back of his head in exasperation and grinned awkwardly. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor, ha ha..."
So that's why he's being so good-natured.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Go on."
Minato shook his head and subtly glanced in the direction of the school. "If you don't mind... could you stay a little longer? My cooking skills are decent, I promise."
This must be something troublesome...
But who can blame me for getting myself into this?
Tsunade sighed helplessly. "Alright, let's go. I'd like to see your cooking skills."
Minato's face lit up. He quickly formed hand seals and created a Shadow Clone, delegating the task of buying groceries to it.
"You can use Shadow Clone?" Tsunade looked astonished.
"It's one of the ninjutsu techniques left by my father."
Minato nodded and led Tsunade toward his house.
Minato's house, just like the one in Tsunade's Infinite Tsukuyomi, was the same small building featured in the Naruto: Path of the Ninja movie.
The house's location was prime, nestled within the inner ring of Konoha, close to Shadow Rock. The area was home to several prominent ninja clans, including the Uchiha, whose current members also resided in the vicinity.
Due to the street's slope, the two-story building stood on a two-meter-high stone platform, divided into two main sections.
One part housed the living quarters. A steel staircase led to the second floor, where the second and third floors served as the daily living space.
The other part resembled a massive thermos. Internally connected to the living quarters, the first floor housed storage, the second floor contained a study, and the third floor held a tea room. Thanks to its elevated position, the third floor offered a panoramic view of most of Konoha.
Upon entering, Minato immediately headed straight for the kitchen.
Tsunade leaned against the kitchen doorway, her arms casually draped across her ample hips, watching Minato skillfully wash and prepare vegetables. Her voice softened slightly. "Your place is in a great location, right in the heart of the village. How come I've never seen you around before?"
"Hmm, I rarely leave the house since my parents passed. But lately, I've been getting up early for morning training."
"Morning training..."
Tsunade chuckled. "So, you've only been training recently?"
Minato shook his head. "I started refining my chakra six months ago. My father left behind training scrolls from his days as a ninja. I taught myself some basic ninjutsu from those scrolls. I only started exercising regularly recently, after hearing that the academy entrance exam includes a taijutsu assessment."
The Shadow Clone returned home, handed the purchased ingredients to Minato, and then dissolved.
"So you've been self-taught all this time? What ninjutsu have you mastered?" Tsunade asked curiously.
"Hmm... The Three Body Technique, Wind Release: Vacuum Jade, Water Release: Water Vortex, Earth Release: Earth Wave, and Shadow Clone."
"Those are all basic techniques... Wait!"
Tsunade suddenly straightened up, bracing one hand against the doorframe, her gaze intense as she stared at Minato. "Wind, Water, Earth—you can proficiently release all three? What's your chakra nature? Have you tested it?"
Minato nodded. "There are five natures: Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, and Earth. However, my family doesn't have any Fire or Lightning Release techniques. Apart from the Vacuum Jade, they're mostly common D-rank techniques."
Among these five natures, Wind was likely his own.
Water and Earth probably came from Senju Hashirama, while Fire and Lightning were inherited from Uchiha Madara.
Moreover, he had inherited Hashirama's Seal-less Self-Healing and Madara's Sharingan, meaning he possessed both Yang Release and Yin Release abilities.
"Five natures..."
Tsunade looked at him as if she had discovered a rare treasure, then smiled with a hint of pride. "Your request... could it be that you've discovered your talent but lack the techniques, so you want to take me as your master?"
"Take a master..."
Minato was taken aback. He had never even considered finding a master.
According to the original story, his teacher should have been Jiraiya.
However, although the current Minato's personality remained largely unchanged from the original, his memories and knowledge from his past life had fundamentally altered his worldview and understanding, creating a stark contrast with the original Minato.
Jiraiya fervently believed in mutual understanding between people and spent his entire life searching for the "Child of Prophecy" mentioned by the Great Toad Sage, who was said to bring peace. He was, in essence, a true and unwavering idealist.
But ideals detached from reality are nothing more than empty words.
Minato believed that people could understand each other, but understanding alone couldn't solve problems.
War is the continuation of politics, and politics, at its core, is simply the pursuit of interests.
As long as the issue of interest distribution remains unresolved, conflict will naturally never end.
Minato admired Jiraiya's idealism, but he didn't accept the man's views.
They weren't cut from the same cloth, so he had no intention of becoming Jiraiya's apprentice, as he had in the original story.
But if it was Tsunade... even if she couldn't teach him much, she must possess the legacy of the Wood Release ninjutsu. After all, Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage, was still alive at this time.
Noticing Minato's reaction, Tsunade realized she had been getting ahead of herself. She couldn't help but pout. "What's this? You don't want to become my apprentice?"
Minato hastily waved his hand. "No, no, no! Actually, I'd love to become your apprentice, Senior!"
"Too late. I don't like your attitude."
Tsunade hmphed, but inwardly, she grew increasingly curious about what Minato had actually come to ask her.
He had already demonstrated exceptional talent, yet he still harbored secrets he refused to reveal to outsiders.
The only possibility she could think of... was a Kekkei Genkai.