Chapter 21: Kushina and Minato
"First place, Hoshikawa!"
Eichiro couldn't help but praise, "Hoshikawa's improvement since enrolling has been evident to all. Everyone should learn from him."
Kakashi Hatake subconsciously clenched his fist.
Though it was just an inconsequential physical training exercise, a hint of unwillingness still gnawed at him.
After all, he had always been first in every aspect of their class.
"Argh!"
Might Guy clasped his hands over his head.
If he hadn't suddenly developed an ailment just before the finish line, he might have won.
But it was no big deal.
Physical training meant little; what truly excited him was finding a new rival.
"Kakashi lost?!"
Obito Uchiha felt worse than if he'd been killed. "Damn it! Kakashi can only lose to me!"
Rin Nohara blinked, looking at the boy who remained handsome even drenched in sweat.
Curiosity stirred within her. How could a ninja from an ordinary background be so strong?
He'd defeated Sarutobi Asuma, and now he'd outrun Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy. Could their class be producing a commoner genius?
Rin Nohara thought of Minato Namikaze, who had been taken as a disciple by Jiraiya.
"It's just physical training," Sarutobi Asuma muttered through gritted teeth.
The next second, the small figure he was watching suddenly stood up.
He suddenly wanted to go home. He was exhausted.
"Hoshikawa, you're amazing!"
Kurenai Yūhi jogged to Hoshikawa's side and sat down beside him.
She caught her breath, pushing sweat-dampened strands of hair behind her ear, revealing her fair forehead.
Hoshikawa weakly nodded.
He'd unleashed a fierce burst at the end to surpass Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy, and now he felt utterly drained.
But he was still very excited deep down.
Two entries, combined with a month of effort, had actually given him the qualifications to catch up to them. His cheat was truly powerful.
Of course, this only applied to running.
He definitely couldn't beat them in a fight right now.
With physical training over, it was time for dismissal.
Hoshikawa told Kurenai Yūhi to go home, while he headed north.
Having trained extensively at the Fourth Training Ground, he was familiar with the surrounding area.
North of the Fourth Training Ground lay the infamous Forest of Death, a marvel created by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, with his Wood Release.
Hoshikawa walked for a while, then noticed footsteps behind him.
He turned and saw Kakashi Hatake.
"Heading to train?" Hoshikawa asked.
Kakashi Hatake nodded slightly.
He was planning a bit of extra training today, having lost the physical training.
"Are you training too?" Kakashi Hatake asked in return.
"Something like that," Hoshikawa replied after a moment's thought.
Normal ninja wouldn't bother with explosive tag training.
Saying so would only make people think you were rich and foolish.
But he had a system panel and needed to fill progress bars.
Upon reaching the Fourth Training Ground, Hoshikawa continued walking north.
Kakashi Hatake glanced at him, a little curious, but didn't ask.
After a brief thought, he began to run.
"Sorry, I had a mission today, so I'm a bit late."
Half an hour later, Sakumo Hatake appeared.
Kakashi Hatake shook his head, indicating it was fine.
"Why are you running today?" Sakumo Hatake asked, a little surprised.
"Warm-up," Kakashi Hatake said calmly.
For some reason, he didn't want to tell Sakumo Hatake that he'd lost the physical training to Hoshikawa.
But now he had to admit that his old man's judgment was indeed spot-on.
Hoshikawa's rapid progress made him feel a subtle pressure.
Of course, he still believed he would be the ultimate victor.
Inside the Forest of Death.
Dense branches covered the sky, blocking most of the sunlight.
Even though it was daytime, it felt almost like night.
Hoshikawa's eyes suddenly lit up. He accelerated forward, and his vision immediately opened up.
A very spacious riverbank.
Seeing this, Hoshikawa took out an explosive tag and tossed it casually.
Boom!
A shallow crater was blasted into the ground, the earth scorched black.
Sure enough, cheap goods are never good.
The problem wasn't the explosive tag's cost; it was his.
Hoshikawa felt that the 300-ryo explosive tag was even weaker than the most basic Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu.
He thought for a moment, opened his panel, and looked at the progress bar.
It had increased by 1%, indicating that explosive tags were indeed considered ninja tools and had an effect.
Hoshikawa continued to train.
He felt like he was back to playing with firecrackers during Lunar New Year as a child.
It was a shame that later, when he had money, he didn't get the chance to play anymore.
Not long after, the ground became pockmarked, and an invisible wave of heat rose.
"Which bastard?!"
Just then, a furious roar came from afar.
Hoshikawa followed the sound and saw a young woman with red hair.
"Was that you?" the red-haired young woman asked, her expression softening considerably when she saw him.
"I was practicing with explosive tags," Hoshikawa said, blinking.
"Explosive tags?" The red-haired young woman pouted. "No wonder I didn't catch a single fish."
Since he was just a child, she didn't get angry.
"Fish?"
Hoshikawa realized, "Wait a moment."
He took a few steps to the riverside. The nearby fish had all been scared away by his explosive tags.
That's pretty awkward.
Hoshikawa walked upstream and quickly found a school of fish. He casually threw down an explosive tag.
With an explosion, many stunned fish floated to the surface of the river.
"Come quick!" Hoshikawa waved to her.
"Using explosive tags to catch fish, only you would think of that."
The red-haired young woman glanced around and couldn't help but laugh.
The fish here probably weren't even worth the price of one explosive tag.
She casually waved her hand, forming a net of chakra, and pulled the fish out.
Hoshikawa's mouth twitched slightly.
Terrifying chakra control.
He roughly knew who this was; after all, red hair had a special meaning in the ninja world.
"Little one, what's your name?"
The red-haired young woman put the fish into a bucket she carried.
"My name is Hoshikawa," Hoshikawa replied.
"Kushina Uzumaki."
Kushina Uzumaki shook the bucket and invited, "There's too much fish for just two people. Do you want to join us?"
Two people? Minato Namikaze?
As a fan of the original, he naturally couldn't miss this.
Hoshikawa nodded.
"Follow me."
Kushina Uzumaki walked away, carrying the bucket.
A few minutes later, Hoshikawa saw a blond young man busy cooking.
"Minato! Look!"
Kushina Uzumaki said with a wide smile, "I estimate about three or four pounds!"
Who asked you that?!
A thought suddenly popped into Hoshikawa's mind.
In his previous life, one of his neighbors loved fishing.
Every time Hoshikawa passed his house, the old man would walk incredibly slowly, just to tell him how many pounds of fish he'd caught.
Once, he caught seven or eight pounds of fish and walked three laps around the neighborhood.
"The smell of explosive tags," Minato Namikaze said, sniffing.
"An expert, huh?" Kushina Uzumaki said with a laugh. "He used explosive tags to catch them."
Minato Namikaze took the bucket, set it aside, and began to process the fish.
Kushina Uzumaki pulled Hoshikawa aside and chatted.
She spoke non-stop, as if she hadn't talked in ages, extremely talkative.
Hoshikawa couldn't get a word in.
....
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