"If you're feeling confident, don't you dare try this on your own!
Otherwise, if you end up missing a leg, don't say I didn't warn you!"
Minato nodded solemnly at the stone-faced Rinjin, looking a bit worse for wear after training.
Don't worry, Rinjin-sensei!
Even if I want to try, I'll drag you along as my sparring partner!
Unlike those bratty kids like Fugaku before, Minato felt no resentment.
He was already fourteen or fifteen—nearly a grown man, with a maturity to match.
More importantly, what he'd learned this morning was worth more than weeks of solo practice.
Rinjin-sensei was absolutely right: the Flying Thunder God Technique was all about practice!
Only when you could go anywhere without walking had you truly mastered it.
As he mulled this over, Rinjin and Jiraiya had already wandered off together, arms slung around each other's shoulders.
Minato peeled off his sweat-stained shirt and gave it a quick scrub by the riverbank—couldn't be helped, the collar reeked.
He was drenched in sweat and desperate for a little comfort.
After freshening up, Minato stood quietly in the clearing of Training Ground Nine, waiting.
Soon, a flash of vivid red cut through the green of the sparse woods.
"Minato~!"
A clear, ringing voice called from afar.
Minato's lips curled into a smile as he strode toward the sound.
Not far away, Kushina Uzumaki waved enthusiastically, her face beaming with joy.
As she approached, Minato's voice softened.
"Mission's over?"
"All done! Just a D-rank cat-catching gig—like that could ever stump me~" Kushina grinned.
Minato smiled and nodded, naturally taking Kushina's hand as they walked back toward the village.
"What do you want to eat later?"
"Hmm… ramen! Miso soy sauce ramen—I haven't had it in ages." Kushina said, eyes sparkling.
"Sounds good." Minato agreed.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through bare branches, casting a warm glow on the happy couple.
They strolled through Konoha's bustling streets and soon arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
"Teuchi-san! One miso soy sauce ramen, one chashu ramen!"
From behind the steaming counter, Teuchi poked his head out, lips pursed in mock annoyance.
"Minato, don't call me 'uncle'—I'm only six years older than you!"
Minato just scratched his head and gave a goofy grin, making no effort to change his greeting.
Teuchi clicked his tongue and turned to make the ramen.
As Minato and Kushina chatted and waited, the shop curtain lifted, and two red-haired heads peeked in.
One, clearly the elder, glanced at Kushina's vibrant hair, brow furrowing slightly.
The younger one, rubbing his hands and blowing warm air, strode in with an easy swagger.
"Boss, one extra-large mentaiko fish ramen!
What about you, Tengen-nii?"
The older man, Tengen, pulled his gaze from Kushina and answered casually,
"Just a regular mixed ramen for me."
"Large mixed ramen and an extra-large mentaiko fish ramen!" Teuchi called out.
Across the room, both Minato and Kushina had noticed the new arrivals—
after all, in the entire shinobi world, only the Uzumaki clan boasted such striking red hair.
As Kushina peeked out from behind Minato, sizing them up, the elder redhead suddenly turned to her.
"Excuse me—are you Kushina Uzumaki?"
Kushina blinked in surprise, a flicker of déjà vu washing over her.
She poked her head out from behind Minato and nodded, puzzled.
"How do you know my name? And you are…?"
Before Tengen could answer, the younger man shot to his feet, eyes wide with excitement.
"Princess Kushina?!"
Wait, what?
Princess?
Wasn't the Uzumaki clan wiped out?
Minato was stunned for a moment, glancing at the frowning, deep-in-thought Kushina.
Then, with a tilt of her head, Kushina hesitantly asked,
"Are you… Meichū? Uzumaki Meichū?!"
The young man's face split into a huge grin, nodding eagerly.
Kushina turned to the older man, half certain, half unsure.
"And you're Tengen—Uzumaki Tengen?"
Tengen returned her gaze with a gentle, confirming smile.
Suddenly, Kushina bounced with joy, her face alight with disbelief.
"Tengen, Meichū—you're alive? Where have you been all these years?"
Tengen gave a bittersweet smile, glancing at Minato.
"That's a long story. By the way, who's this?"
Handsome as ever, Minato stood and introduced himself with a warm smile,
"Nice to meet you.
My name's Minato Namikaze. Ready to blow your mind? (Er, scratch that last part.)"
Tengen looked him up and down, then offered a firm handshake, his tone suddenly serious.
"Uzumaki Tengen. This is my younger brother, Uzumaki Meichū. We're from Amegakure—the Hidden Rain Village."
Minato's eyes narrowed slightly, but he reached out and shook hands.
Just then, Teuchi set bowls on the counter, speaking offhandedly,
"You two from Amegakure? How's Big Sis Rii doing these days?"
Tengen turned and smiled,
"The First Lady's probably the most carefree person in our whole village."
A wistful smile tugged at Teuchi's lips.
"It's been ages… I really miss her."
He set the ramen in front of the brothers.
"Dig in! This one's on the house."
"No, no, we can't let you—"
After a bit of polite back-and-forth, Teuchi used his status as the First Lady's junior disciple to insist, and the two brothers had no choice but to accept the free meal.
As Tengen and Meichū began eating, Kushina had to swallow her confusion and focus on her own bowl of miso soy sauce ramen, though her mind was anything but settled.
After a while, the four finished up and left Ichiraku together.
Outside, as the crowd bustled by, Kushina couldn't hold back any longer.
"Tengen, Meichū—how's everyone else from the village?"
Tengen met her gaze, then shook his head with a gentle smile.
"Princess Kushina, Meichū and I are here in Konoha on a mission this time.
We'll come visit later and fill you in on everything that's happened."
With that, he and his brother bowed slightly and took their leave.
Watching their retreating backs, Kushina felt a wave of unease.
"That's so weird! I get Tengen being reserved, but Meichū used to adore me—why's he suddenly so distant?"
"That's normal, isn't it?" Minato said, scratching his head. "He looks about our age.
Back when all that happened, he was just six or seven—of course it would change him."
Then, a bashful question:
"Kushina, were you really a princess?"
"Uh…" Kushina hooked her arm around Minato's shoulder, laughing awkwardly.
"Not really—since the last generation, that title doesn't mean much."
"Then why do they call you princess?"
"Well… my grandfather was Mito-baachan's younger brother. Some of the clan probably just… have their own opinions…"
She trailed off, but Minato got the gist.
It was just clan politics—different people supporting different heirs.
Too many sons, too much infighting.
Especially for Uzushiogakure, which had once depended on Konoha. With no ambition to expand, all that energy turned inward.
As they chatted, the two returned to Kushina's home.
10 Hokage Street—a cozy two-story house, specially allocated by the village for jinchūriki.
Her treatment was very different from what Naruto would face years later, all because Mito Uzumaki was still alive when Kushina arrived.
As the First Hokage's wife, she might not have held power, but she commanded respect—and that meant Kushina received the best.
...
After a long, restless afternoon, dusk finally brought a knock at Kushina's door.
She leapt up from the living room, where she'd been chatting with Minato, and hurried to answer.
Outside, Tengen and Meichū bowed politely.
After a round of greetings, the four gathered at the table.
"Is everyone okay? How did you escape back then? Does the village still exist?" Kushina blurted out, unable to contain herself.
Tengen sipped his tea, then offered a wry smile and a shake of his head.
"Princess, the night the enemy attacked… Uzushiogakure was lost."
"Then… what about everyone? You survived, so the others must have too, right?" Kushina asked, voice trembling with hope.
Tengen sighed.
"Some of the clan were rescued by a masked benefactor, but a few… didn't make it."
"And the ones who escaped?"
"They're all in Amegakure now—Hidden Rain Village."
At this, Kushina's eyes lit up—
But the joy faded almost instantly, a shadow crossing her face.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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