Academy life was meaningless. At least, it was for Jin. He'd already memorized everything in the textbooks. The Will of Fire had been relegated to the trash; even combat experience was best learned firsthand.
The commotion roused Jin from his slumber. He opened his eyes to the setting sun and saw Inoue, his face grim. He simply ignored the teacher.
Minato, about to wake Jin, awkwardly withdrew his hand. Jin woke up at precisely the right time. No need to rouse him.
"We're going for yakitori. Jin, are you coming?" Minato asked, smiling brightly. Kushina was listening intently. Jin was tired of being an unwitting third wheel to their burgeoning romance and didn't want to endure their awkward sweetness.
"Are you paying?" He'd go if someone else was footing the bill.
Minato looked embarrassed. He couldn't afford to treat everyone; he was from a regular family, the only ninja amongst his siblings.
"I'll pay!" Kushina slammed her hand on the table. Those two were her minions, after all. Jin was becoming her minion by default.
But just as Kushina made her offer… Jin vanished from his seat.
"Eh?!" Where did he go?
"Hey! What are you waiting for?" Jin appeared at the classroom door, waving. "Let's go get some yakitori!"
Those who don't diligently eat lack strong resolve! Especially when someone else was paying.
Minato: (⊙_◎)
Kushina: (⊙_◎)
How did he do that? So… fast!
"Wait!" Hyuga Kiyoshi, his face dark, stepped in front of Minato. "I'm coming too."
Kiyoshi was curious about Minato's sudden improvement in strength. He was determined to uncover the secret.
"I'm not paying for you," Kushina said, turning away. She wasn't close to Kiyoshi, or anyone else in the class except Jin and Minato. She wasn't going to be anyone's meal ticket.
Kiyoshi smirked at Kushina. "I'll pay." The Hyuga were wealthy, even the branch family could afford a meal.
"Now that's what I call generous," Jin said, clapping Kiyoshi on the shoulder, surprising him. Kiyoshi almost instinctively used the Gentle Fist. Where had Jin come from? He'd been at the door a second ago. This guy was not ordinary.
Inoue watched them leave the classroom, his face grim. He was overcome with self-doubt. "Am I… really cut out to be a teacher?"
Jin was unusual. And Minato and Kushina were no ordinary students.
At the yakitori restaurant, Kiyoshi stared at the mountain of dishes. His heart ached. No normal person could eat this much. He could almost hear his wallet crying.
"I'm sorry, wallet. I can't save you," he thought, offering a silent prayer. The Hyuga kept their promises, especially when facing a detestable Uchiha. Hyuga First in Konoha! (Breaking voice).
"Boss, another order," Jin called out.
Kiyoshi's face fell. He really shouldn't be so stubborn.
Jin and Kushina were engaged in a fierce battle over the yakitori platter. They stared each other down, sparks literally flying.
A formidable opponent, Kiyoshi thought, as they simultaneously grabbed for the meat with their chopsticks, the utensils clashing like swords.
Minato apologized to Kiyoshi and quickly snatched a piece of meat from amidst the chaos. Since training in the Foundation Training, his appetite and strength had both increased. While not as prodigious as Jin and Kushina, he was also a substantial eater.
Kiyoshi watched them devour the food, his savings dwindling with every bite.
The dinner table is a battlefield.
As he reached for a piece of meat, he found his chopsticks empty. "Where's my meat?!" He stared at the three, their cheeks bulging with food, and they showed no sign of stopping.
"Fine. Let's play this way, shall we?" "Byakugan, activate!" Kiyoshi declared war, inserting his chopsticks into the fray like a seasoned warrior. He understood the rules of this culinary combat. Those who couldn't get meat only got rice.
When Jin was finally finished, meticulously cleaning his teeth, Kushina glared at Kiyoshi. "You cheated!"
Who used a kekkei genkai and taijutsu during a meal? That's unheard of!
Kiyoshi, his eyes welling with tears as he looked at the mountain of empty plates, turned to Kushina. "Do you have a problem with that?" He'd spent a fortune; he wasn't leaving without eating.
Kushina gave a weak smile and looked away. "I have some money…"
Minato pulled out his meager savings: one hundred Ryo.
Kiyoshi's eyes welled up at the sight of the offering. Minato, the perennial top-ranked student, had extended a hand when he was at his lowest.
As he reached for the money, his expression changed. Minato was his lifelong rival! He couldn't be bought so easily.
"I won't fall for your trap!" Kiyoshi declared.
"Huh?" Minato looked confused.
"It's time to pay," Jin said, picking his teeth. "Let's go to the training ground afterwards. I'll teach you something." He'd developed new techniques—the four styles could be shared now. But he was still limited by Deduction.
Kiyoshi, perplexed, went to pay. The restaurant owner barely suppressed his laughter as Kiyoshi emptied his wallet. Seeing the almost maniacal grin on the owner's face, Kiyoshi knew he'd paid dearly. Clutching a few measly coins, he felt utterly defeated.
Maybe I can ask my cousin to let me stay with them for a few months. His month's allowance was gone in a single meal. What kind of gluttons were they?
He walked out to see the trio discussing something. He clenched his fists. He felt like a total sucker. He heard Jin say, "There are fewer and fewer people in the streets."
The usually bustling commercial street was almost deserted.
Kiyoshi, having heard similar discussions in his clan, spoke. "I heard ninjas from the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind are trying to invade the Land of Fire. Konoha's ninjas are patrolling and defending the borders."
Minato sighed. "People are afraid of other countries' ninjas invading the village."
Kushina remained silent. Of the four, only she understood the brutality of war. Her home had been destroyed. They all felt the war's shadow.
"Let's get stronger. When we graduate, we'll probably be sent to the battlefield," Jin said cryptically, his certainty unshaken. They would be involved in the war.
"So, what will you teach us?" Kiyoshi asked Jin.
Jin glanced at him, resting his chin on his interlocked hands. "Follow me, and you'll see."
Kiyoshi, noticing Minato and Kushina's unhesitant agreement, followed Jin without question. They walked through the streets, venturing further and further away from the village, entering the forest.
"Why are we going so far out?" Minato asked, confused. Last time it was by a stream; now, they were in the middle of the woods.
Jin grinned. "I found a secret training ground. Just for the four of us." His eyes swept over the trees as he said "us." Kushina and Minato saw this. They fell silent.
Since practicing the Foundation Training, their senses had sharpened. They'd noticed the ANBU tails following Kushina. Kushina knew what was happening and pretended not to notice. Minato, though unsure, realized this was beyond his purview.
A dilapidated training ground deep within the forest. Minato, Kushina, and Kiyoshi sat on the ground, Jin standing on a tree stump.
"Today, I'll be teaching you four taijutsu techniques."
"Taijutsu?" Kiyoshi scoffed. That's all?
"You seem unconvinced. Want to try?" Jin grinned.
Kiyoshi, never one to back down, especially not from Minato, stood up, ready to fight. "This is…"
Before he could finish, Jin was before him, his smile infuriating. "Swift Step."
Kiyoshi's hands flew, his Gentle Fist moving at incredible speed, leaving a blur of motion. Yet, Jin swayed like a piece of paper, dodging effortlessly. The more Kiyoshi attacked, the more frustrated he became.
"This is Paper Arts." Jin paused abruptly, his body tense, giving Kiyoshi an opening. Kiyoshi unleashed a flurry of strikes to Jin's chakra pathways. Jin remained standing, completely unharmed, even winking at Kiyoshi. This guy was even more annoying than Minato!
Kiyoshi stopped, taking a step back, his hands swollen and red. The guy was too strong!
Jin spoke calmly. "This is Iron Body." He pointed a finger at a tree branch. When he withdrew it, a deep hole remained. "And this is Finger Gun."
"These are the four taijutsu techniques I'll be teaching you."