Two days later, the admission list was announced.
As expected, Minato was successfully admitted.
It's worth noting that the Ninja Academy's admission criteria were actually quite lenient.
Firstly: A deep love for the village and a sense of belonging.
Secondly: Mental fortitude.
Thirdly: Physically and mentally sound individuals...
In short, anyone considered a "good citizen" of Konoha would generally meet the admission requirements.
However, meeting the criteria didn't guarantee admission.
Because among the applicants, the majority were ordinary people without ninja aptitude.
At the academy entrance, many children burst into tears, wailing loudly, while others dejectedly followed their parents away.
Of course, there were also those like Tsuchiya Naoto, bitterly disappointed, convinced they were only slightly inferior to those on the list and planning to return after a year of reflection to retake the assessment.
"Great job, Minato!" Nawaki exclaimed excitedly, pumping his fist.
His words hung in the air as Minato and Tsunade stared at him, utterly speechless.
Nawaki froze, then remembered their dual Bloodline Limit talents and forced a dry laugh.
"Well... it's not exactly surprising, but it's still something worth celebrating."
Tsunade smiled and tousled Nawaki's hair. "For the past two days, Minato has been either training or cooking. Let's celebrate today by relaxing properly!"
"Relax..."
Nawaki hesitated, looking at Tsunade. "Are we going shopping? Or maybe gambling...?"
"What are you talking about? Why would I take a kid to a gambling den?" Tsunade flicked him on the forehead. "I'm taking you two to buy new clothes, have a big meal, and soak in a hot spring. Unless you don't want to..."
"I want to! I'd love to!" Nawaki grinned widely, eager to please. "I knew you were the best, Sis!"
"Heh, don't flatter me!"
Tsunade rolled her eyes and turned to Minato. "What do you want for lunch, Minato?"
"Hmm... Sukiyaki, maybe?" Minato pondered. He was craving hot pot, but the Shinobi World didn't have the real thing, and he didn't know how to make it himself, so he'd have to settle for something similar.
"Great! Sukiyaki it is! I know a great place!" Tsunade waved her hand dramatically. "Now—let's head to the Shopping District!"
"Yesss—!!"
Nawaki pumped his fist with enthusiasm.
Minato glanced at them and awkwardly raised his own fist. "...Yesss!"
The trio arrived at a clothing store on the Shopping District. The shop looked old, and the shopkeeper appeared to be in her fifties.
Tsunade pushed Minato forward and said to the shopkeeper, "Hello, could you help me pick out some clothes for this young man?"
"Oh my, what a handsome lad!" The shopkeeper beamed, examining Minato. "What colors do you like to wear, young man?"
"Black and white," Minato replied politely. He wasn't particularly skilled at choosing outfits, but he knew a classic color scheme when he saw one.
"I thought only teenage boys dressed like that. Isn't it a bit early for you? Children should wear bright, lively colors." The shopkeeper chuckled, though she still picked out a pure white T-shirt. "How about this?"
"Too plain," Tsunade shook her head before Minato could even speak.
Minato glanced at her. "Actually, I quite like it."
"See? What do children know about picking clothes?" Tsunade's face twisted into a stern, adult expression as she glanced at Minato with a raised chin. "Do as I say!"
As if! How could she resist the opportunity to dress up such a cute boy? Even a tomboy like her had her feminine instincts!
"How about black, then?" The shopkeeper produced a black T-shirt.
"That one's worth trying," Tsunade agreed.
Tsunade gestured for Minato to change his clothes. He smiled helplessly and walked into the fitting room.
It was just a T-shirt change, and he quickly emerged again. The deep black made his bright blonde hair stand out even more, giving him a more assertive air than before.
"Not bad. Wrap this up!" Tsunade's eyes lit up as she waved her hand with the air of a wealthy businesswoman. "Pick out a few more for him!"
Nawaki glanced at the pair, then quietly slipped behind a clothes rack to silently select clothes he liked.
Minato, like a puppet on a string, was dragged around by Tsunade, endlessly trying on different outfits.
"Orange is great! It looks so vibrant!"
"Right? But it also helps that this kid's so handsome. It probably wouldn't look as good on anyone else."
"Wrap it up!"
"Huh? Blue looks nice too. It gives off a beachy, sunny vibe..."
"Ooh, you've got such a good eye!"
"Wrap it up!"
After buying several outfits, Tsunade looked at Minato, her brow furrowing slightly.
She couldn't put her finger on it. Minato looked good in everything, but she kept feeling like something was missing.
It was a vague, unsettling feeling, like trying to scratch an itch through a boot, making her increasingly irritable.
Minato glanced at the small mountain of shopping bags and advised, "Teacher, that's more than enough clothes. You'll need to buy new ones anyway when you get taller."
"No, let's wait a little longer..."
Tsunade casually picked up a light green hoodie, held it up to Minato, shook her head, and set it back down, her fingertips idly brushing against the hanger.
Suddenly, her movements froze as she caught a glimpse of an Uchiha passing by outside the window. Her gaze locked onto the high-collared hoodie he wore, and her mind seemed to spark with sudden inspiration. Her face lit up as she turned to the shopkeeper.
"Do you have any high-collared clothes?"
"...Yes."
The shopkeeper scrutinized Minato thoughtfully, suddenly understanding what Tsunade was after.
Moments later, she produced a white coat.
The coat was made of thin, lightweight fabric. It had an open front without buttons, a high collar, short sleeves, and a length similar to a standard coat.
When Minato saw the coat in the shopkeeper's hands, he was taken aback.
Apart from the length, the overall design was identical to Nagato's divine garment from the original story!
"Try it on! My instincts never fail me!"
The shopkeeper looked at Minato, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Minato nodded and was about to take the clothes when she suddenly grabbed a long-sleeved black robe from the nearby rack and stuffed it into his arms. "Change into both."
Before long, when Minato emerged from the fitting room, the two women in the store visibly perked up.
"That's it!"
Tsunade pushed Minato in front of the full-length mirror. Looking at his reflection, even Minato was slightly taken aback.
In that moment, he seemed to be looking at the original Nagato—the child version.
"So handsome!!"
Behind a row of racks, Nawaki, who had just finished selecting his clothes, froze in place upon seeing Minato.
"Is that a shintōshi?"
(Correction: The term "shintōshi" doesn't actually appear in the original Naruto series. It's a term from fan-made works. In the original series, the Fourth Hokage wears a hakama, and the author mistakenly assumed it was a shintōshi. To avoid confusion, I'll refer to it as a special-style hakama from now on. My apologies to all.)
"Exactly, a shintōshi..."
The shopkeeper chuckled. "I told you my eye never fails. After all, I personally embroidered every Hokage's hakama stitch by stitch."
"Huh—?!!"
Tsunade, Nawaki, and even Minato were all stunned.
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