After leaving the Ninja Academy, Minato moved swiftly through several streets, heading toward the forested hills behind Konoha, just as he always did.
What he didn't realize, however, was that someone was secretly following him. And even with his current level of skill, Minato had no chance of detecting his tail.
It was none other than Jiraiya.
Originally, Jiraiya had planned to stop Minato right outside the academy gates. But before he could act, Minato had already dashed away in a hurry.
Strangely enough, the boy wasn't heading toward Konoha's residential area but was instead moving farther and farther away.
Curious about what his future disciple was up to, Jiraiya decided to follow. What he didn't expect was to be led all the way to the remote woods behind the village.
Perched silently atop a massive tree, Jiraiya used a few concealment techniques to mask his presence. From his vantage point, he could see Minato clearly while remaining completely undetected.
He watched as Minato placed his bag down in a small clearing before standing still, seemingly lost in thought. For a moment, everything was quiet.
Minato was thinking about today's battle with Uchiha En. If it hadn't been for the significant speed improvement he'd made over the past week, he wouldn't have escaped unscathed from that Fireball Jutsu.
As for shuriken techniques—Minato had been practicing hard, but compared to Uchiha En, a natural-born sharpshooter from the elite Uchiha clan, his rough self-taught style still wasn't quite enough.
His only real advantage was the one thing even Uchiha En lacked—his speed.
Minato stared at his own hand in a daze. Despite thinking his biggest weakness was lack of real combat experience, today's fight had pushed his growth to a whole new level. The experience he'd gained in just one battle was staggering.
And yet… he couldn't understand why.
"Lately, there's just too much I can't make sense of…"
He sighed softly. Ever since that day he woke up from training, something had changed in him. Something subtle but undeniable. That mysterious red-haired woman who kept appearing in his consciousness… and Kushina.
There were no clear answers. Everything was fragmented. He couldn't piece it together.
Minato was trying his best to unravel the mystery around him.
Meanwhile, hidden above, Jiraiya scanned the surroundings. He saw the telltale scuffs and marks on the ground, the gashes on the trees. It was clear—this clearing was Minato's personal training ground. Judging by the wear patterns, he'd probably been coming here for over half a year.
Jiraiya was surprised—but also not entirely. What caught him off guard was that a kid this young would commit to such relentless training, all on his own, without anyone pushing him.
For someone Minato's age, that kind of dedication was truly rare.
And thinking back to the way Minato had performed at the academy earlier, Jiraiya realized this all made perfect sense. Even with his exceptional talent, Minato wouldn't be where he was without hard, secret training like this.
In this world, nothing comes from nothing.
A ninja's strength is forged through years of relentless practice. No one knew that better than someone like Jiraiya.
Under Jiraiya's silent watch, Minato eventually pushed all his confusion aside and began his training for the day.
Beneath the golden hues of a setting sun, a seven-year-old boy poured sweat in that lonely clearing, endlessly repeating the most basic drills of a ninja's regimen.
Perhaps it was because of his encounter with Uchiha En, but today Minato focused almost entirely on shuriken techniques. His tools were nothing more than a few crudely made wooden replicas, yet his progress was obvious.
He even began experimenting—trying to launch shuriken at different angles and trajectories, mimicking Uchiha En's attack patterns. It was as if the battle had etched those moves directly into his memory.
Watching this, Jiraiya was genuinely stunned.
He had always known the boy was gifted—but to accurately imitate the techniques of a skilled Uchiha after just one fight?
That kind of talent was pure instinct. He was born for this.
As night began to fall, Minato paused to rest. He pulled a rice ball from his bag and took a big bite, chewing slowly.
He'd brought it from home that morning. It had sat in his bag all day, and while it wasn't spoiled, it had long since gone cold—hardening slightly in the cool night air.
But Minato didn't care. He was used to it by now.
From his hiding place, Jiraiya watched the scene unfold—and for some reason, his chest tightened.
Kids Minato's age should be at home right now, sitting around a table with their parents, eating warm dinners in the comfort of a lit home.
But Minato was an orphan. The village supported him, and his parents had left behind some savings—merchants, from what Jiraiya recalled.
Still, that oddly shaped rice ball in the boy's hand… Jiraiya could tell he'd made it himself.
No parents. No warmth. Alone in the dark.
Minato was a shining presence during the day—cheerful, brilliant, the kind of kid who inspired others. But the version Jiraiya saw now… it hurt to look at him.
After scarfing down his dinner and resting for a bit, Minato got back to work.
The forest was completely dark now. This time, he didn't practice shuriken. He switched focus to what he did best—speed.
Jiraiya thought back to Minato's duel with Uchiha En and finally understood. After watching the boy's training method, everything clicked.
Long-term focus on agility had sharpened not just Minato's reflexes and reaction time, but also his battlefield awareness.
That was how he'd been able to predict and intercept Uchiha En's shuriken so perfectly—with just a wooden practice weapon, no less.
Jiraiya didn't want to interrupt his concentration. Quietly, he slipped away into the shadows.
…
The next day, when Minato walked into his classroom, someone was already waiting for him.
It was Akasaka Yu.
The boy's face was a mixture of nervousness and guilt. His eyes held a deep sense of regret.
"Minato… I'm sorry. It was my fault!" he blurted out, bowing low in apology.
Minato blinked in surprise.
Akasaka Yu wasn't a bad kid by nature—just mischievous and a little too playful for his own good.
Everything that happened recently had started because of him, and it had nearly led to someone getting seriously hurt.
Minato patted his shoulder and offered a warm smile. "It wasn't all your fault. I overreacted too."
He bore no resentment. As far as Minato was concerned, it was just a fight between friends. Talk it out, and that's the end of it.
Akasaka Yu was clearly moved. His eyes even welled up a bit.
But just then, two figures appeared in the doorway. As they entered the room, Akasaka Yu spotted one of them and quickly ducked his head, fleeing the classroom.
Minato blinked again, confused. Then he turned and saw who had entered.
Kushina and Mikoto.
They'd noticed Akasaka Yu fleeing, of course.
Later, Minato would learn what had happened after he left yesterday.
Mikoto had apparently confronted Akasaka Yu herself.
Even hearing about it was hard to believe—after all, Mikoto had always been so gentle...