On the way home, Minato Namikaze gave a sheepish smile.
"Hey… sorry about earlier. I didn't expect things to turn out like that."
Ryoma smirked.
"Minato, you didn't deliberately lure me out here, did you?"
Minato's expression stiffened, and he quickly waved his hands in denial.
"Of course not! I just thought… if you hadn't been called out, none of this would've happened."
Ryoma shrugged.
"This isn't on you. Sooner or later, something like this was bound to happen. Even if you hadn't called me out, I would've gone out on my own."
He glanced down at the slender hand now resting quietly in his own—Kushina's—and felt her relaxed grip.
"Besides… this little trip had its benefits."
First, it let him gauge his current strength. In an actual fight, he was confident he wouldn't be weaker than a Kage—at the very least, he was already at the quasi-Kage level.
Second… Kushina's favorability toward him had risen above 90, according to the system. At that level, there were many things he could do with her without resistance.
Ahead of them, Uzumaki Mito walked with a warm smile. If she could match Ryoma and Kushina together, it would fulfill one of her long-held wishes.
"Minato, why don't you come over for lunch?" she offered.
Minato shook his head. "No, Granny Mito! Ryoma, let's talk another time when you're free."
With that, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished in a flicker.
Seeing Minato's retreating figure, Ryoma could tell the young man was nursing a bruised heart. Minato had always liked Kushina, but Ryoma had gotten ahead of him—and now he was walking hand in hand with her. Minato's appetite for lunch had clearly evaporated.
[Ding! Choice triggered!]
Option 1: Abandon Kushina and invite Minato to Ichiraku Ramen.
Reward:Ichiraku Ramen VIP Card ×1.
Option 2: Let Minato cool off on his own—people must learn to grow.
Reward:B-rank Ninjutsu – Water Release: Water Formation Wall.
Option 3: Forcibly invite Minato to lunch at home—preserve the friendship.
Reward:S-rank Sealing Technique – Yin Seal.
The Yin Seal was a sealing technique that allowed its user to store vast amounts of chakra over time, releasing it when needed to unleash powerful forbidden jutsu or large-scale medical ninjutsu.
Created by Uzumaki Mito and later perfected by Tsunade and Haruno Sakura, it was the foundation for techniques like the Creation Rebirth and Strength of a Hundred Seal. Without it, those techniques would be impossible.
For Ryoma, the Yin Seal's effect would be even greater. His chakra reserves—already immense thanks to Hashirama's cells—would, with this seal, potentially rival the combined chakra of a hundred shinobi.
"Hey, Minato! Wait up!" Ryoma called.
"Huh?" Minato turned, but before he could react, Ryoma caught him by the shoulder.
"Come on, don't be shy. Have lunch at my place."
"That's… really not necessary—"
"What's unnecessary? You can eat Ichiraku any time. This is a one-time opportunity."
Not giving Minato a chance to refuse, Ryoma tugged him along straight toward the Uzumaki compound.
One hour later
In the Uzumaki dining room, Ryoma, Minato, Kushina, and Mito sat around the table, ready to eat.
[Ding! You have completed Option 3. Reward acquired: S-rank Sealing Technique – Yin Seal!]
In Ryoma's mind, detailed knowledge of the Yin Seal unfolded instantly.
He could picture the technique's process—storing chakra over time until a diamond-shaped mark formed on the forehead, ready to be unleashed in an instant.
Once he got back to his small house, Ryoma planned to study the Yin Seal in detail.
If he could master it, and then learn the Creation Rebirth and Strength of a Hundred Seal, he would be one step closer to becoming a truly all-around shinobi.
"Minato, don't be shy—eat up!"
"Yes, Minato, dig in," Kushina urged.
Uzumaki Mito, seeing how polite the boy was, took a liking to him immediately. Noticing that Minato was hesitant to start eating, she quickly served him a few dishes herself.
"Here, Minato. Eat."
"Thank you, Granny Mito."
"No need for thanks. Drop by more often when you have time."
Kushina glanced at Ryoma, noticing he hadn't taken any food yet. She promptly picked up a piece of meat and placed it in his bowl.
"Eat."
Minato's chest tightened with envy.
So this is what it's like to have a girlfriend…
Despite being a ninjutsu prodigy, Minato was completely inexperienced when it came to romance. Watching his crush smiling and serving food to someone else, the scene felt like a kunai to the heart.
Why… why did I agree to come here for lunch? Am I out of my mind?
The meal had barely begun, yet Ryoma had already managed to wound Minato's heart a second time.
By the afternoon, Minato had already left. Before going, he'd agreed to spar with Ryoma a week later. With a confident smile, he claimed he was working on a powerful ninjutsu—once he mastered it, he promised, Ryoma would be shocked.
Powerful ninjutsu? Ryoma thought.
Don't tell me… the Flying Thunder God Technique?
If that was the case, Minato was in for another surprise—because Ryoma could use it too.