"Alright! Riku, go on in. I'll wait for you out here."
Soon, Riku and the others arrived at a training field within the school. Looking at the assessment area ahead, Nobuhiko gently patted Riku on the back with a smile, encouraging him.
"Mm, I'm going now."
Riku nodded and stepped forward into the examination area.
The assessment process was quite simple. First was the physical fitness test—just running.
The requirement wasn't too high: a 5-kilometer run within a set time.
Next was an optional talent assessment.
That included shuriken throwing, chakra extraction, and even ninjutsu.
If you had skills to show, you could display them for extra points.
If you didn't, you could skip them.
Naturally, Riku passed all of these with ease, receiving top marks.
He showcased his skill in ninja tools, chakra control, and even demonstrated the three basic techniques and Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique).
Of course, the power was intentionally held back.
After all, he was planning to become Tsunade's student.
He also figured the Third Hokage was definitely watching today's assessments, especially with all the recent buzz surrounding him. There was no way the Third wouldn't pay attention.
And he was right.
At that very moment, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen was watching the entire assessment through his Telescope Technique.
"This amount of chakra… already at the level of a regular Chūnin, right?"
"Based on the intel I received, he hasn't even been extracting chakra for more than two months."
"And yet, he already has this level of chakra reserves. That means his body constitution and life force are incredibly strong—even stronger than the average Uchiha."
"No wonder he's so talented in medical ninjutsu, mastering Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique) in a single day."
This was clear proof of a powerful Yang Release affinity.
"Also, his tool throwing and ninjutsu proficiency are excellent—beyond many Genin."
"This kid's comprehension must be amazing."
"A talent like this must be made mine—must be under my control. If not, then I'd rather destroy him than let him grow under the Uchiha."
Hiruzen stared through the telescope, his face full of appreciation and calculation.
...
Riku soon finished his assessment, said goodbye to Mikoto, and left the school with his father.
Apparently, today wasn't the start of regular classes—he needed to return in the afternoon to receive his evaluation results.
And only after that would he officially start school tomorrow.
"So, how do you think it went?"
On the way home, Nobuhiko smiled as he asked.
"What do you think?"
Riku replied with a bit of exasperation, "These entry assessments are basic. If I didn't do well, that would be weird."
"Haha! True! My son is a genius, after all!"
"But don't get cocky!"
Nobuhiko burst into laughter, reaching out to ruffle Riku's hair and messing it up.
Riku could only push his hand away, silently fixing his hair.
"Hahaha!"
Nobuhiko laughed even harder at his reaction.
In the afternoon, Riku returned to the academy to receive his assessment results.
As expected, he was placed in Year One, Class A.
"Huh? You're in Class A too? That means we're classmates!"
"Hi! Let me formally introduce myself—I'm Namikaze Minato!"
"Thanks for earlier this morning!"
Nearby, a blond-haired boy had just noticed Riku's placement on his assessment sheet and immediately walked over to greet him with a smile, holding out his hand.
He remembered Riku. During the morning's running test, Riku had given him a kind smile and reminded him to pace his breathing.
Minato hadn't forgotten that.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the initiative to greet an Uchiha.
It wasn't out of hostility—it was just that the Uchiha had a reputation in the village for being aloof and arrogant.
He'd heard many complaints from neighbors.
"So it's you!"
Riku smiled and shook his hand. "I'm Uchiha Riku. Let's get along from now on."
This was Namikaze Minato—one of the key people Riku would need to recruit and win over in his future plan to form a pro-Uchiha alliance.
Did anyone really think he had casually shouted advice during that running test?
Sure, it might have looked like a simple act of kindness… but of course, it was calculated.
Still, he couldn't help but note how Minato's performance this morning clearly marked him as a civilian.
He didn't even know basic techniques for body conditioning or how to pace his breathing during a run.
That gave Riku the perfect opportunity to reach out without making it look intentional.
"Not at all! I should be the one saying that."
Minato smiled warmly, a little embarrassed. "Compared to you, I've got a long way to go."
"No need to put yourself down!"
Riku shook his head with a smile. "You just didn't have access to the knowledge and training before."
"But you've got talent. Otherwise, when I gave you that small tip during the run—"
"You wouldn't have been able to adjust and improve so quickly."
"And there's no way you would've made it into Class A!"
"Remember, that's the elite class of our year!"
Each year's Class A was the top tier.
"Really?"
Minato paused in surprise, but then smiled brightly. "Then I'll take your words as a good omen!"
"Not at all."
Riku shook his head, then added, "Wanna go celebrate a bit? My treat!"
"Wouldn't that be… kind of inappropriate?"
Minato looked a little hesitant.
He wanted to offer to pay, but he didn't have the means.
As an orphan from a civilian background, he barely got by on the village's monthly support stipend. Treating someone else was out of the question.
"Why would it be inappropriate? We're friends, aren't we?"
"You know I'm a young master of the Uchiha clan—I've got more money than I can spend, so don't be shy. Unless you're saying you don't want to?"
Riku could see Minato's discomfort and casually waved it off.
"…Alright. Then I'll take you up on it. But I'll treat you next time!"
Minato saw how relaxed and sincere Riku was and couldn't turn him down. He nodded with a smile.
"Haha! That's more like it! Let's go!"
Riku laughed and patted Minato on the shoulder, then led him off toward the commercial street. The two walked around for a while, buying all kinds of snacks and eating as they went.
As dusk approached, Riku stuffed the rest of the leftover snacks into Minato's arms—despite his protests—and waved goodbye.
"Minato! Catch you tomorrow!"
"Yeah! See you tomorrow!"
Minato quickly waved back.
Then, looking down at the large pile of snacks in his arms and Riku's fading figure in the distance, Minato showed a helpless yet touched expression.
He thought to himself, "Everyone says the Uchiha are arrogant, self-centered, and hard to deal with…"
"But now I see—that's not always true."
"At the very least, Riku-kun isn't like that."
As someone who grew up on the bottom rung of society—an orphan who had long experienced the warmth and cruelty of people—Minato could tell when someone was being genuine.
And that's why Riku's actions moved him even more.
He hadn't seen even a hint of condescension or discrimination from Riku.
…
(End of Chapter)
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