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Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the scene in the crystal ball and smiled.
"It seems that Asuma has finally found his own bonds."
Even though he was Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen found it difficult to handle family matters effectively. His relationship with his son, Sarutobi Asuma, had always been strained. Asuma had always been determined to step out from under his father's shadow, something Hiruzen was well aware of.
Though Asuma had friends, many of them only wanted to be close to him because of his status as the Hokage's son. But now, it seemed Asuma had finally found true friends of his own.
"Yuki Yuichi," Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured, picking up the file on his desk that contained information about Yuki Yuichi. After reading it for a while, he said, "Tell Umino to ease up a bit. Talented children need room to grow."
"Understood!" a voice responded from the shadows, where an ANBU agent was hidden, their presence only detectable by their voice.
Meanwhile, Yuki Yuichi had reached the training ground with Yuhi Kurenai, but upon seeing it, he stopped in his tracks, stunned by what lay before him. The training ground was located in a secluded part of the forest, and when he saw the improvements made to it, he was at a loss for words.
Behind him, Uchiha Obito and Sarutobi Asuma, who had been chasing them, also stopped when they arrived at the site. Their mouths dropped slightly in surprise.
They had expected the training ground to be a simple clearing, but what they saw was far beyond that. The area was indeed an open space, but it was surrounded by trees, and it had various training equipment. There were four or five wooden training posts, a locked cabinet for ninja tools, and even a wooden pavilion for resting, with a large medical kit placed on a bench.
Training grounds in Konoha were usually much more basic, often just an open space with a few wooden stakes. This place, however, was equipped with all kinds of gear.
Hatake Kakashi arrived a moment later and was just as surprised as the others when he saw the equipment.
Only Yuhi Kurenai seemed unbothered by the sight. She looked around, puzzled by their reactions. "What's wrong with all of you?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. "Is something out of place here?"
Snapping out of his shock, Yuki Yuichi replied, "No, it's just that... these things weren't here yesterday."
"Huh?" Yuhi Kurenai was confused. She had assumed that the equipment was always part of the training ground since Yuki had mentioned that Namikaze Minato had set it up.
Yuki Yuichi exchanged glances with Hatake Kakashi, both of them wondering the same thing. Not many people knew about this hidden training ground. How could it have been prepared in such a short amount of time?
Just as they were pondering this, Uchiha Obito pointed at the medical kit and said, "Look, there's something there."
Yuki Yuichi quickly moved over to the kit and saw a note placed on top of it. After reading it, he took a deep breath.
"Minato-senpai is truly a kind person," Yuki Yuichi said with admiration.
Kakashi came over and asked, "What does it say?"
Yuki handed the note to Kakashi. After reading it, Kakashi also took a deep breath. The note was from Namikaze Minato, and though it was short, it carried great meaning.
Minato had simply written that from now on, the training ground was theirs to use, and that he had prepared everything for their training.
Uchiha Obito and Sarutobi Asuma leaned over to read the note as well.
"My dad always said Namikaze-sensei is the kindest man in Konoha," Asuma said with a sigh. "He even calls him 'Little Sun.' Looks like my dad wasn't exaggerating."
"Little Sun?" Uchiha Obito asked, confused. "What does that mean?"
Kakashi, still holding the note, glanced at Obito and explained, "It means that Minato-sensei is as warm and bright as the sun."
"Oh, I get it now!" Yuhi Kurenai chimed in as she clapped her hands. "That's why they call him 'Little Sun.'"
"He sounds like a great big brother," Uchiha Obito said with a grin.
Yuki Yuichi then walked to the ninja tool cabinet, opened it, and found a set of practice kunai, shuriken, and senbon, all without sharp edges. Minato had even provided training tools for them.
"Minato-senpai really is a wonderful person," Yuki Yuichi thought to himself.
At the same time, at Namikaze Minato's house, Uzumaki Kushina was eagerly asking her husband, "How did it go? Did you deliver it?"
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Minato smiled helplessly. "Kushina, don't worry. I've already set everything up for them."
"Good!" Kushina patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
Minato, still a little confused, asked, "But Kushina, why didn't you go help Yuichi yourself? Why ask me to do it?"
Kushina crossed her arms, snorting in frustration. "You'd have to ask the old man Hokage about that."
"Even though he didn't say anything outright, Yuichi has the Sharingan. He doesn't want me getting too close to him," she added, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she gently touched her belly.
The Nine-Tails was a power, but it was also a prison, and even though Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't said anything directly, she was well aware of her limitations.
Minato glanced at her belly and sighed. "Don't worry, Kushina. I'll take care of Yuichi. I like that kid too."
Overcome with emotion, Kushina rushed over and hugged him. "Minato, you really are the best!"
As he held her, Minato smiled helplessly but also with contentment. "When I return from this mission, I'll ask the Hokage to let you teach Yuichi."
"You're going on a mission again?" Kushina was taken aback, worry clouding her face.
Minato reassured her with a confident smile. "Don't worry, with the Flying Thunder God Technique, I'll be just fine."
Meanwhile, back at the training ground, Yuki Yuichi had no idea that the setup was not entirely Minato's doing. Although Minato had helped, it was largely because of Uzumaki Kushina's influence. She saw Yuki Yuichi not only as a fellow ninja but as part of the Uzumaki legacy.
Though Yuki's last name wasn't Uzumaki, his father, Uzumaki Aomizu, had hidden himself under the alias "Yuichi Aomizu." This connection to the Uzumaki clan was why Kushina had been so eager to support him.
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