A week passed. The eggs of Aokumo and Ryūfū had hatched. There were a total of four little cranes, and all of them were quite healthy. They didn't have any congenital defects or disabilities, which made Torifu very happy. He felt like an old father who had just held his grandchildren. Since the little cranes' bodies were still very fragile, Torifu didn't try to identify which one had the best talent yet. He decided to wait until they grew out their downy feathers before using the Summoning Contract to evolve them. This way, they would all be able to speak when they grew up.
Torifu could already imagine what his home would be like in the future, filled with the chirping of cranes. But with so many cranes, he couldn't just let them live in the house all the time. The space was too small and wasn't big enough for them to stretch their wings. He would have to find a place to build them a new home. After all, it was too cramped for a family of six to live in a small house. But this wasn't a rush. He would wait until the little cranes grew a little bigger.
At home, after a week of training with Torifu, Minato successfully cultivated his chakra. To be precise, it didn't even take him an hour to cultivate it. His talent was incredibly high. However, Torifu wasn't surprised. After all, Minato was destined to become the Fourth Hokage. How could he not have some talent? And being able to develop a ninjutsu like the Rasengan from a Tailed Beast Ball and his own spiky hair was a testament to Minato's powerful talent.
After Minato cultivated his chakra, Torifu secretly trained him for another week at home. Now, Minato was almost on par with the new students at the Ninja Academy. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about falling behind at school. Although this week had been busy, Torifu felt a great sense of fulfillment. This was a form of peaceful life. Doing things that he felt were meaningful and that made him feel good was also a peaceful life.
It was worth mentioning that Kushina had also entered the Ninja Academy, just a little after Minato. Whether it was fate or something else, in the original world, their relationship started at school. In this world, their destinies seemed to have intertwined again. The difference, however, was that the Hidden Cloud Village had disappeared, and the Land of Whirlpools had not been destroyed. Kushina was still the princess of the Land of Whirlpools. So how would two children with such a vast difference in status get together?
"How was your first day of school yesterday?"
Minato smiled happily. "It was great. My classmates were all very friendly, and a few of them even came to play with me."
Torifu nodded. "That's good to hear. Did you see that red-haired girl?"
When Kushina was brought up, Minato said, "I did. She's also very interesting. As soon as she entered the class, she said she was going to become the strongest shinobi or something, but everyone laughed at her."
"What about you? Did you laugh at her?"
Minato shook his head. "No. I have a lot of faith in her!"
Torifu patted Minato's head. "That's my disciple. Remember never to laugh at anyone's dream. It's already incredible that she had the courage to shout out her dream in front of everyone."
Minato agreed, then asked, "Nii-san, do you have a dream?"
"Of course, I do. My dream is to live a peaceful life in the shinobi world."
Minato chuckled. "Well, haven't you already achieved that?"
Torifu shook his head. "Not even close. This world is far more turbulent than you can imagine."
"What about you? What's your dream?"
Minato thought for a moment and realized he didn't have a dream yet. He stammered, "My dream... is to become the Fourth Hokage!"
After saying this, Minato looked at Torifu, who was staring at him. "Nii-san, what's wrong...?"
Torifu shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. Is becoming the Fourth Hokage your real dream?"
Seeing Torifu's serious expression, Minato didn't lie. He shook his head. "To be honest, I don't really have a dream yet..."
Torifu understood this completely. He had just arrived in this unfamiliar place and had only known him for about ten days, even though he called him Nii-san. It would take some time for them to become a real family. In this situation, he didn't have a dream. Adapting to his new life was his top priority.
"You don't have to live according to my thoughts. Your life is ultimately your own. I'm only here to guide you. Whether you want to become Hokage or just an ordinary shinobi, it's up to you."
"Whatever you choose, you'll always be my disciple, and I'll always be your Nii-san. So, act on your heart's desire. No matter what your dream is, I'll support you."
Minato was a rare genius with a unique talent for practicing and developing ninjutsu. He could even learn the difficult Flying Thunder God Jutsu faster than Tobirama, which spoke volumes about his talent. This genius, however, sacrificed himself to protect the Hidden Leaf. It was unclear whether becoming Hokage was a good or bad thing for Minato. But if he hadn't been Hokage, he and Kushina would surely not have died that night, and Naruto would have had a happy childhood. However, the casualties in the Hidden Leaf Village would have also been much higher. From the moment he stood on the rooftop of the Hokage's office building and announced that he would govern the village, the responsibility on his shoulders was not only for his own family but for every family and every villager in the Hidden Leaf.
In this world, Torifu wondered if he could let Minato live a different life. But in the end, he decided to let Minato decide for himself. He would only be responsible for guiding and instructing him. Just watching Minato grow up and seeing what he would ultimately choose felt pretty good. He seemed to understand Orochimaru's feelings in the later parts of the story. Waiting for the wind to rise.
Minato was very moved by Torifu's words. No one had ever said anything like this to him before. Not even his own parents. His parents loved him, and they wanted him to learn how to farm well at home so he could teach it to his son in the future because that was what their parents had taught them. The words Torifu said to Minato were a result of the new-age education he had received.
Torifu used his sleeve to wipe Minato's tears. "Alright, don't cry. Your classmates will laugh at you if they see you."
"Just remember what your Nii-san said. I'll support you no matter what decision you make. Just like your brother Amado, he likes to make those weird little gadgets, and I support him a lot."
Minato nodded. "Okay, Nii-san! I understand everything. I'll follow my heart's desire." He then waved at Torifu and ran out of the house to go to school.
"He's still just a child. I wonder if he even understood all that." After saying so much, he was a little thirsty. Just as he was about to go back inside for a glass of water, a shinobi in a gray uniform and a fox mask landed in front of Torifu and knelt down on one knee.
"Torifu-sama, Hokage-sama would like to see you."