"No problem."
Ren smiled, already picturing the possibilities ahead. In his mind, a brand-new "Encounter target" was practically taking shape.
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Teacher Minato."
Minato returned the smile, calm and gentle as always.
The two rested for a short while, letting the quiet of the training ground settle around them.
Then—
Footsteps approached.
Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha appeared at the edge of the field. All three of them looked like they had just completed an intense training session. Their clothes were slightly disheveled, their breathing uneven, and faint traces of exhaustion lingered on their faces.
The moment Obito spotted Ren, he pointed accusingly.
"Hey! Ren! You're slacking off again!"
Before Ren could even respond, Kakashi snorted coldly beside him.
"Shut up, dead last. Ren isn't slacking. He's working with Teacher Minato on developing new ninjutsu."
"Eh?! New ninjutsu?!"
Obito's eyes lit up instantly.
"Then I want to join too!"
"You?" Kakashi glanced at him with mild disdain. "You should focus on mastering your Fire Release first."
Obito froze for half a second before exploding.
"Huh?! What's wrong with you lately, Kakashi?! Why are you always picking on me?!"
"I'm stating facts."
"Facts?! I've already learned two new Fire Release techniques recently! If you dare to spar with me, I'll definitely surprise you!"
"Hmph."
Kakashi turned his head away, clearly uninterested in continuing.
And just like that, the two of them fell into another pointless argument.
Ren and Rin stood to the side, watching the scene unfold.
Rin covered her mouth lightly, smiling helplessly.
Ren, on the other hand, folded his arms, observing them with amusement.
These two really were something else.
They could argue about anything.
It was almost impressive.
After a few minutes of bickering, the argument finally died down.
Ren stepped forward, resting his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword.
"I discussed something with Teacher Minato just now," he said. "I'm thinking of engraving a binding seal onto my blade. If it works, anyone cut by it would be temporarily immobilized."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly.
He fell silent for a moment, clearly considering the idea carefully.
"…That's possible," he said finally. "As long as it doesn't weaken the blade's durability."
Ren grinned.
"Thanks."
He reached out and gave Kakashi's shoulder a light pat.
"If I get the chance in the future, I'll go to the Hidden Mist Village and snatch the Kubikiribōchō for you."
Kakashi didn't respond, but his eye flickered ever so slightly.
On the other side—
Obito scratched his head, clearly intrigued.
"Wait… so you engrave a seal on the sword, and whoever gets cut gets stuck in place? That sounds awesome!"
He immediately turned toward Minato.
"Teacher Minato! Can I learn that too?!"
Minato paused, thinking.
"Sealing techniques don't necessarily align with your current combat style," he said gently. "But understanding them won't hurt. At the very least, it will help you recognize and counter such techniques in the future."
He smiled slightly.
"When I teach Ren later, I'll explain it to all of you as well."
"Yay!"
Obito pumped his fist, clearly satisfied.
The training ground returned to a relaxed atmosphere.
Then—
Whoosh.
Minato vanished.
Before anyone could react—
Whoosh.
He reappeared in the exact same spot, as if he had never left.
Except now, he was holding two thick books.
He handed them to Ren.
"These are for you."
Ren glanced down.
On the covers, written in archaic script, were the titles:
"Basic Sealing Technique Analysis"
"Chakra Rune Structure and Energy Guidance"
"Start with these," Minato said. "They contain the fundamentals—rune construction, chakra flow control, simple barrier principles, and the basics of sealing."
He looked at Ren with a calm but serious expression.
"Once you fully understand them, I'll teach you more advanced techniques."
Ren nodded.
"Got it."
But inwardly, he couldn't help but marvel.
This is the value of 'Homecoming Minato'…
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly retrieve items—this kind of convenience was practically cheating.
Still…
Before mastering that technique himself, learning sealing techniques was already a massive advantage.
After all, in the ninja world, sealing arts were absurdly powerful.
From suppressing tailed beasts… to sealing souls…
Their versatility was almost limitless.
Being able to step into this field now—
That was a huge opportunity.
---
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
Evening.
The group had just finished another round of intense training.
They gathered in a quiet clearing within the forest, sitting or lying on the grass, catching their breath.
The golden glow of sunset filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the ground.
About twenty minutes later—
Whoosh.
Minato appeared.
He looked at his students—scattered, exhausted, but clearly improving—and smiled warmly.
"You've all worked hard."
His voice carried a gentle pride.
"You've been very diligent lately. I'm pleased."
He paused, then added—
"Let's end here for today. I'll treat you all to dinner."
"Really?!"
Obito shot up instantly, eyes sparkling behind his goggles.
"Are we going to Yakiniku Q?! I haven't been there in forever!"
He paused, then scratched his head sheepishly.
"Well… it's kind of expensive. Ichiraku Ramen would be fine too!"
Minato chuckled.
"Neither, actually."
Obito blinked.
"Eh?"
Minato's smile widened slightly.
"Come to my house tonight. I'll cook for you."
Silence.
Then—
"…What?"
Ren raised his head in surprise.
Even Rin widened her eyes.
"Teacher Minato… can cook?"
"Yes," Minato said modestly, raising two fingers. "Just a little."
Ren didn't believe that for a second.
"Go home, clean up, and change your clothes," Minato continued. "Come over in about an hour. I still need to buy some ingredients."
"Okay!"
This time, even Ren responded without hesitation.
Obito looked like he might explode from excitement.
Only Kakashi remained calm, as if such things didn't interest him at all.
---
An hour later.
Ren and Rin, having washed up and changed into clean clothes, met Kakashi on a small path near the old Hatake residence.
Kakashi stood there quietly, hands in his pockets.
Without much conversation, the three of them headed toward the Uchiha clan compound.
They knocked on Obito's door.
It opened almost immediately.
Obito rushed out, hair still damp, clearly not fully dried.
"You guys are finally here! Let's go!"
He didn't even bother finishing drying his hair before dragging them along.
Their destination—
Minato's home.
It wasn't the place Naruto would later grow up in.
Instead, it was a modest standalone apartment located near the civilian district.
The courtyard was neat, lined with greenery, giving off a calm and tidy feeling.
"Teacher Minato, excuse us!"
Ren knocked on the door.
"Come in," Minato's voice called from inside, accompanied by the sound of cooking. "Make yourselves at home."
The four of them removed their shoes and stepped inside.
The interior wasn't large—roughly seventy to eighty square meters.
A living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a single bedroom.
But everything was spotless.
The low table in the living room was piled with scrolls and books.
The walls were lined with ninja tools—most notably, rows of specially crafted Flying Thunder God kunai.
Ren and Rin looked around curiously.
Kakashi, however, calmly sat down on the sofa, posture straight, gaze lowered as if meditating.
A few moments later—
Knock knock knock.
A sudden sound came from the door.
Ren looked up.
All of Team Minato was already here.
So who could it be?
"I'll get it!"
Obito jumped up eagerly and ran to the entrance.
He flung the door open.
And then—
He froze.
Standing at the doorway was a tall girl with vibrant red hair.
Her bright smile radiated energy.
The moment she saw Obito, her eyes lit up.
"Oh! You must be one of Minato's students!"
Without hesitation, she reached out—
"Come here, let big sister take a look!"
"W-WHAT?!"
Obito let out a startled cry.
Thanks to his recent training, his reflexes kicked in just in time.
He ducked awkwardly, narrowly dodging her incoming hand.
His face flushed bright red.
"W-who are you?!"
The girl didn't mind at all.
She laughed cheerfully and stepped inside as if she owned the place.
Her gaze immediately locked onto the others.
In an instant, she dashed over to Rin.
"Wow! What a cute little girl!"
Before Rin could react—
Her cheeks were caught between two hands.
"Mm—!"
Rin let out a muffled sound, her cheeks puffed out as they were pinched.
Her face turned crimson instantly.
Next—
The red-haired girl turned toward Ren.
Ren's instincts screamed danger.
He tried to dodge—
But he was too slow.
Her hand reached him in an instant.
With a gentle squeeze—
She pinched his cheek.
There was even a faint whoosh of air from the speed of her movement.
Ren froze.
"…."
He hadn't even had time to react.
This woman—
She was fast.
Very fast.
Only Kakashi, sitting further away, had managed to escape the "attack."
He watched the scene silently, his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile—
The red-haired girl finally straightened up, clearly satisfied.
Her presence filled the room like a blazing flame.
This was none other than—
Kushina Uzumaki.
The legendary—
Red Hot-Blooded Habanero.
--------------------------------
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