"Tch, I was just joking. Did you really think I was that stupid?"
The man glanced at him. "Then tell me, what is this thing?"
"...It's junk."
"..."
People on the street were abuzz as they watched Minato push out the object. Many thought it was a new invention from Amado, while others genuinely believed it was just trash to be thrown into the recycling center.
Minato, unhurried, placed the vehicle at the entrance, and under the gaze of all the villagers, he hopped on. At that moment, all the villagers' minds crashed simultaneously; they stood frozen, watching Minato ride the bicycle away down the street.
After a good while, the villagers on the entire street finally snapped back to reality.
"Holy cow!"
"Holy cow!!"
"Did Minato-sama just pass by? How did he leave?"
"He rode off on junk!"
"Junk, my foot! That must be Amado-sama's new invention!"
"Quiet! I'm thinking!"
The villagers had all realized by now that this thing was definitely a new invention, though they hadn't expected its purpose to be quite so... mind-boggling. It had short-circuited their brains.
"Hokage-sama and Amado-sama are truly amazing. Is this a vehicle?"
"It should be a vehicle. Didn't you see it has wheels?"
Less than ten minutes later, the news of Minato speeding through Konoha Village had already spread. The news had gotten around even before he had ridden across the entire village himself. Many villagers rushed out of their homes and into the streets, eager to see what new contraption Amado had invented this time. But when they saw Minato whiz past them, their minds also crashed.
Thus, the entire Konoha Village seemed to fall under some kind of spell; whenever Minato passed by, the surrounding crowds would collectively pause their thoughts.
Minato rode all the way to the entrance of the Senju Clan compound, where he was "captured" by Hashirama and Tobirama, who had come out to watch the commotion. They too were extremely surprised by the bicycle, finding it somewhat unbelievable.
But after Minato explained it to them in detail, Hashirama and Tobirama quickly understood its function.
"Torifu and that Amado, one dares to imagine, and the other dares to create. They truly are a family," Hashirama said with a chuckle.
Tobirama, however, paid no attention to that. He kept staring intently at the bicycle, making Minato feel a little unnerved. The young man was slow to react, only realizing after Tobirama had stared for a full three minutes.
"Tobirama-sama! If you're interested, you can give it a try. However, my big brother said that everyone falls the first time."
Tobirama hadn't had much of an internal reaction until Minato's words sparked his competitive spirit.
"Did you fall?"
Minato nodded seriously. "I almost fell, but that was because of my big brother's reminder."
Excellent, this was the answer Tobirama liked. Everyone falls? Nonsense, they just hadn't seen true skill. A mere bicycle? He could ride it just by looking at it once.
Tobirama looked at Minato with a teasing glint in his eyes, as if to say, 'Young man, you surpassed the Flying Thunder God, so I'll surpass you back with this bicycle!'
Then Tobirama took the bicycle, mounted it gracefully, and, mimicking Minato's posture, pushed off with a foot! The next second, the bicycle shot forward with a whoosh! It was incredibly fast and remarkably stable! There were no signs of wobbling, twisting, or falling.
This left Minato utterly stunned. "As expected of Tobirama-sama! To find the balance point instantly!"
Hashirama was also surprised by his brother's performance, but he thought Tobirama might be taking it a bit too seriously. Was he really planning to use the bicycle to reclaim his pride?
As the bicycle moved further away, Tobirama also slowed down, then turned around and effortlessly rode back, stopping smoothly beside Minato.
"Well, young man, still saying everyone falls?"
Minato shook his head incessantly like a rattle-drum. "No, Tobirama-sama is truly too amazing."
Tobirama stood with his hands on his hips, a smile on his face, completely immersed in the joy of victory.
Hashirama at this moment was truly helpless. Even though he was already over seventy, he was still acting like a child, so fiercely competitive.
Tobirama's ride on the bicycle had once again caused a large group of villagers to experience a mental shutdown. Among the first villagers to recover were a few old shinobi who were quite familiar with Tobirama. They came forward to ask what this thing was. Tobirama couldn't quite explain it himself, so he let Minato answer.
"This is actually a vehicle? Did the Hokage specifically ask Amado-sama to create it because ordinary people found it inconvenient to travel around or go on long journeys?"
The villagers were incredibly moved by this, and they eagerly asked when it would be mass-produced, how difficult it would be to learn, and how much it would cost. Minato told the villagers everything he knew; as for the price, he couldn't say, as Torifu would have to decide that.
"That's how it is. If all goes well, it should be officially available for purchase in about two or three months."
The surrounding villagers were very grateful for Minato's answers. They had been on the phone all night, asking many relatives, but hadn't gotten any useful information. They never expected to be the source of firsthand news!
The crowd immediately dispersed, spreading the news throughout Konoha Village. Minato knew that his hidden mission was complete; he had successfully helped his elder brother disseminate the news and also gathered the villagers' satisfaction with the bicycle.
"Grandmaster, Tobirama-sama, then I'll be going? It's getting late, so you two should also go back and rest early."
Minato politely bid farewell to Hashirama and Tobirama, both of whom chuckled, "Alright, you go home first."
Minato had just thought of asking Hashirama to try it as well, but Hashirama ultimately didn't ride. If he lost his balance and fell, wouldn't his younger brother and the villagers laugh at him? Tobirama naturally had excellent balance; it was a talent, not something gained from improved strength. Thus, Hashirama felt he would definitely be among those who fell, so he naturally didn't want to try. He planned to secretly practice in the courtyard after the bicycles became available for purchase. Learning to ride and then taking it out for a stroll every evening seemed like a pretty good option.
And so, Minato got on the bicycle, pushed off with his foot, and began riding towards the Kumotsuru Clan compound. The news of the bicycle also spread rapidly; even before Minato reached home, the news had already reached every corner of Konoha Village. The message that the Hokage had considered ordinary people's travel and specifically had Amado invent the bicycle circulated throughout the entire village.