"Namikaze Minato?"
Uzumaki Mito lowered her head slightly in thought. The name didn't strike her as one belonging to any known ninja clans. While Mito had already guessed that Minato wasn't from a prominent ninja family when she sensed his chakra earlier, having it confirmed still left her astonished.
The blond boy before her was no ordinary ninja. His strength likely rivaled that of a Jonin, and even an average Jonin might find it hard to defeat him.
"Grandma Mito, he's my classmate. He just passed the exam and became a ninja. I trust him," Uzumaki Kushina quickly interjected, misunderstanding Mito's intent in questioning Minato. She thought Minato was under suspicion and hurried to defend him.
"Genin?" Uzumaki Mito raised her eyebrows, carefully studying Namikaze Minato again. A subtle smile tugged at her lips.
"With strength like this, it won't take long for you to make a name for yourself!"
"To reach the level of a Jonin at the age of 12... what an incredible talent," she mused, still marveling at Minato's abilities.
Raiden, however, looked unimpressed, more eager to return home and sleep than dwell on Minato's achievements. To him, Minato's prowess was no surprise. After all, Minato was destined to become the first Hokage from a civilian background in Konoha's history.
The first, second, and fifth Hokage came from the esteemed Senju clan, the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the sixth, Kakashi Hatake, hailed from prominent ninja families. Minato alone was a true civilian rising to the top. His talent had to be extraordinary to surpass the established clans and become Konoha's leader.
Even as a Jonin, Kakashi became notable at a young age as Minato's disciple. Considering that, Minato's current strength at 12 wasn't surprising.
After their sparring session, Raiden had gained clarity about his own abilities. His physical skills placed him somewhere between a Genin and a Chunin. Watching Minato parry effortlessly had made it clear—Raiden had a long way to go before he could rival a Jonin.
"Kushina, the village ninjas will arrive soon. I'll take Raiden with me and leave first," Mito said, turning to Kushina.
"You and this boy stay here and cooperate with the Konoha ninjas to investigate the enemy's identity. Don't worry; just tell them the truth. But you don't need to mention that Raiden and I were here."
Mito placed a reassuring hand on Kushina's shoulder before turning to Minato. After a moment's consideration, she pulled a scroll from her robes.
"This is?" Raiden's sharp eyes immediately recognized the scroll in Mito's hands.
"That's the technique!" he thought, stunned.
Mito tossed the scroll to Minato with a kind smile.
"Child, this is to thank you for saving Kushina. The ninjutsu in this scroll is my gift to you. Keep it safe. If Hiruzen asks, tell him I gave it to you."
Without waiting for a response, Mito disappeared into the trees with Raiden in tow. As they left, Raiden shot Minato a mischievous grin. "I think we'll be seeing each other often."
Watching them leave, Minato couldn't help but smile wryly. He tucked the scroll into his robe without looking at it and hurried to Kushina's side, his concern evident.
"Kushina, are you alright?" he asked, his tone filled with worry.
"I'm fine, Minato. I didn't expect you to be so strong! Why didn't I notice before?" Kushina asked, her boldness showing now that Mito and Raiden were gone. Hooking her arm around Minato's shoulder, she looked at him with curiosity.
Though cliché, Minato's heroic rescue had left a strong impression on Kushina. She couldn't deny that her feelings for him had grown.
"Where~ I just practice a little more than others," Minato stammered, his cheeks flushing at Kushina's attention. However, their conversation was interrupted as Konoha ninjas arrived, having detected the Cloud shinobi earlier.
The Konoha ninjas quickly regrouped with Kushina and Minato, escorting them back to the village. That night, both would face thorough questioning.
"Raiden, your earlier actions to release the seal seemed reckless, unlike you," Mito remarked as they sped through the forest.
"It's... I don't know why, but when I saw Minato, I just wanted to beat him up. Maybe it's because the cabbage at home is about to be taken by pigs," Raiden grumbled.
Mito laughed softly. Raiden had always acted more mature than his age, which often worried her. Seeing him behave like a typical child now brought her relief.
"Jealous, are we? You're still just a kid," Mito teased.
"Not at all! I just don't like watching Minato act smug," Raiden replied defensively. Then, recalling the scroll, he asked, "Grandma Mito, why did you give him the Flying Thunder God technique?"
"You're jealous again," Mito teased. "You've seen the Flying Thunder God before, haven't you? You can't learn it, so why not let someone else have it?"
"Tch, I just don't want it to go to waste," Raiden muttered.
Mito smiled. "I gave it to him because I think he might be able to learn it. Since Tobirama's death, no one has mastered the Flying Thunder God. I don't want the technique to be lost."
"When you fought Minato earlier, I noticed his incredible reflexes and mastery of the Body Flicker Technique. Few in Konoha can rival his potential in space-time ninjutsu. If he masters the Flying Thunder God, Konoha could enjoy another 50 years of peace."
Mito's expression turned nostalgic, recalling the era of the First and Second Hokage.
Raiden, however, thought differently. "Fifty years of peace? I'll make sure your wish comes true. But if you knew he'd use his body to block the Nine Tails' claws one day, would you hang him up and beat him?"
Resolving to prevent future tragedies, Raiden felt a renewed urgency to grow stronger.
(End of the Chapter)
>>>>>>>
Please leave PowerStones and Reviews if you're enjoying the story
Read up to Chapter 65 ahead on [Patreon.com/ggfanfiction]
For every 100 PowerStones I'll post an extra Chapter