It was a rare, peaceful night's sleep.
Hayashi had gone to bed unusually early the night before, and as a result, he woke up at dawn. He tried closing his eyes again, but no matter how hard he tried, sleep refused to return.
Without the usual intensity of training at the grounds or Tsunade's relentless surprise attacks through the night, his routine suddenly felt strange, almost empty. With no better option, he rose from his soft bed and slipped on his Uchiha trench coat.
The village outside was still quiet. Under the faint sunlight, morning dew shimmered before dissolving into a thin mist.
Mikoto hadn't come by this morning either. She was probably exhausted after the grueling training of the past week. With no one around, Hayashi made breakfast for himself. The meal was terrible, but he forced it down regardless.
After eating, he left the clan grounds and made his way to the academy.
"Good morning, Minato," Hayashi greeted as he passed through the school gates.
"Morning, Hayashi. You're early as always." Minato looked unusually drained.
"What's wrong, Minato? You seem out of it." Hayashi asked with concern. It wasn't often that the "little sun" looked so gloomy.
Minato sighed. "I got caught up with the police force yesterday."
Hayashi tilted his head. "Wait, arrested? Why?"
Inwardly, Hayashi bristled. The Uchiha police force had a reputation for acting rashly, and even he wasn't free from that worry. But he held back his words.
"It was Master Jiraiya's idea," Minato explained. "He said gathering… material would help me practice stealth and observation. So I followed him. But when we got spotted, he used Body Flicker and ran, and… well, I got caught."
Hayashi chuckled lightly. The lesson was clear. Speed was everything. Perhaps this was the very spark that set Minato on the path to becoming the fastest shinobi alive. Jiraiya really did have a strange way of teaching.
"Sounds like an adventure worth a novel," Hayashi grinned. "So how'd you get out? Peeping isn't exactly a light offense."
Minato gave a mysterious smile. "I just kept grinning whenever they asked me questions."
Hayashi raised a brow, then nodded. "Playing dumb. Clever."
"Ahaha…" Minato rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
The two entered the classroom together, settling into their seats. Soon, the room filled with other students.
"Mikoto, good morning," Hayashi greeted warmly.
"Hayashi, morning," Mikoto replied quickly, looking a little rushed.
"You're late today. Overslept?" he asked.
She gave a small nod. "Training was too intense this week. I couldn't wake up on time."
As class was about to begin, Hayashi noticed Nawaki's seat was still empty. That was unusual.
"Minato, where's Nawaki? Isn't he training with Jiraiya-sama these days?"
Minato sighed. "He got caught reading Jiraiya-sama's books, and Tsunade-sama dragged him away. Last I heard, she was threatening to sell him off to the Land of Earth."
Hayashi smirked. "Guess I'll have to look for him there someday. Hopefully he's still alive."
...
Soon, Teacher Nishimura entered the classroom and addressed the students.
"Due to special circumstances, our class will be welcoming a transfer student today. She's from another village, so please get along well."
"Yes!" the children responded in unison, full of energy.
"Will it be a girl?" someone whispered.
"Or maybe a boy as handsome as Hayashi?" another teased.
"Kushina-chan, please come in."
The door opened, and a girl stepped nervously inside. Her long crimson hair flowed behind her, and her white ninja outfit contrasted with black leggings.
She scanned the classroom, her eyes landing on Hayashi, and her nervous lips curved into a small smile.
The room instantly erupted with chatter.
"Wow, she's cute!"
"Her hair—look at that red color!"
"Strange, but kind of amazing."
Kushina blushed furiously, her voice trembling as she introduced herself. "I-I'm Uzumaki Kushina! I'm going to become the first female Hokage!"
The class exploded in laughter.
"She's from outside the village and wants to be Hokage?"
"That's hilarious. I could do it too."
"Yeah, who does she think she is?"
Her face burned brighter, like a tomato. She froze, realizing she had slipped up badly.
Hayashi sighed, covering his face with his hand. She was just trying to be accepted, but the other kids weren't ready to welcome an outsider with such a bold claim.
Raising his hand, Hayashi spoke firmly. "I support Kushina in becoming Hokage. When the time comes, I'll cast my vote for her."
The classroom went silent. Dozens of eyes turned toward him.
"If Hayashi supports her, then I will too!" one of the girls shouted.
A wave of agreement rippled through the female students.
Minato's jaw dropped. "Hayashi! You didn't say that before. At Ichiraku, you promised you'd vote for me. I even paid for the ramen! Now you're throwing me overboard for a girl?"
Hayashi ignored Minato's dramatic protest. He could feel Mikoto's gaze on him, calm and knowing. At least the hostility toward Kushina had eased for now.
Standing quietly at the doorway, the Third Hokage adjusted his hat. Watching Kushina's nervous form at the podium, he let out a small chuckle before walking away.
---
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