After leaving Root, Mikoto flickered out of sight, melting into the shadows.
Minato paused, turning his head toward the treetop beside him. "Senior Mikoto, you don't need to hide like this. You could just wear your usual clothes and stay close to me."
A moment of silence hung in the leaves before a gentle yet firm voice replied, "Root regulations strictly forbid revealing one's identity during missions. I... I bear the responsibility of connecting my clan and the village, so I must hold myself to the highest standards and allow no room for carelessness."
"Is that so? I've heard from classmates at the academy that you're beautiful, kind, and gentle. I never knew you had such a serious side."
Minato's voice was warm, his blond hair gleaming like sunlight. "But don't worry, Senior. I won't blame you. As a Sensory Ninja, your aura is far too obvious to me. It feels like I'm being monitored."
"..."
Beneath her mask, Mikoto's cheeks flushed slightly. She instantly teleported behind Minato and whispered, "I'm sorry. I... I just fear I might fail and not live up to the expectations of the clan leader and Teacher."
Minato understood. "Feeling the pressure?"
"Um..." Mikoto said, feeling a little embarrassed. "Teacher just accepted me as her disciple and barely knows me, yet she's entrusting me to you. I just worry... maybe she doesn't like me."
"That's not the case," Minato replied, shaking his head. His gentle tone carried a firm conviction.
"The conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure has escalated to the point of being a small-scale war. Amegakure's repeated attempts at mediation have failed, and they've entered a state of military readiness. War could break out at any moment, and Senior truly doesn't have the time to teach you."
"How do you know all this?" Mikoto blurted out, then immediately realized she had overstepped, prying into someone's secrets. She quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry..."
"It's alright. The fact that Senior entrusted you to me in the first place shows her trust in you, not to mention that you're her disciple." Minato waved his hand, reassuring her. "Besides, my teacher is Lady Tsunade. By lineage, we are equals. Just think of this as your senior taking on a routine mission. No need to be so tense."
Orochimaru and Mikoto's master-disciple relationship wasn't part of the village's standard mentorship system; it was a true legacy of inheritance.
In the Shinobi World, a successor disciple was considered as much a child as one's own, with full inheritance rights.
"I understand..." Mikoto replied softly, her tension easing slightly. "I'll go change now."
She hurried back to the base.
Within minutes, her graceful figure reappeared before Minato.
The young woman had black hair and eyes, fair skin, and a beautiful oval face flushed with a healthy glow. Her eyes held a gentle, intelligent expression.
She wore a navy blue short-sleeved shirt with her forehead protector tied around her arm, brown shorts, and black knee-high ninja boots. Her delicate toes peeked out, tinged pink.
She's so beautiful! Minato thought. No wonder she gave birth to Uchiha Sasuke...
"I asked Teacher, and she said we don't need to act as Root members during this time."
Noticing Minato's scrutinizing gaze, Mikoto fidgeted with her hair.
She understood now—this wasn't a mission at all, just an excuse for Minato to keep her company for a while.
"Isn't that great? At least you won't have to put so much pressure on yourself for now," Minato said with a smile. "Just train with me during the day and go home at night. I live with Teacher, so you'll be safe."
"So, are we starting our training today?" Mikoto asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.
After all, her Teacher had recognized Minato's strength.
As they walked home, Minato asked, "Have you started practicing Shape Transformation and Nature Transformation yet, Senior Mikoto?"
Mikoto looked a little embarrassed. "Not yet..."
"What about climbing trees and walking on water?"
"I've been practicing those!" Mikoto retorted, pouting slightly. She felt Minato was looking down on her. "I'm a Chūnin, Junior! Don't underestimate me!"
"Ah... sorry, sorry." Minato smiled. "Just call me by my name, Senior."
"Alright, then you call me by my name too, Minato-kun. It feels rude if only I use names." Mikoto agreed readily.
"Then I'll call you Mikoto-nee."
Minato nodded with a smile. "Please look after me, Mikoto-nee."
"Not at all, I should be the one saying that," Mikoto replied, bowing slightly with the grace of a well-bred lady.
Rustle, rustle...
Suddenly, several figures darted through the trees, as if they had noticed the pair. One of them exclaimed in surprise.
"Huh? Minato? What are you doing here?"
Nawaki stood on a branch, his voice filled with surprise.
As he spoke, the other three figures also stopped. Leading the group was Nawaki's Jonin squad leader, Dan Katō.
"Someone you know?" Dan Katō asked.
"Yeah, my sister's disciple—Namikaze Minato!"
Nawaki introduced him casually. "Didn't I tell you guys before? He's super strong! Minato, this is our squad leader, Brother Dan Katō. And these are my teammates, Takuno and Ayako."
"Oh, nice to meet you all," Minato said.
Dan Katō's expression turned surprised. "Nawaki's told us a lot about you. Said you're a real genius!"
"Nice to meet you too," Minato replied, nodding slightly at Dan Katō. "Are you guys on a mission?"
Nawaki waved dismissively. "Just helping some farmers drive off wild boars, that's all~"
"What a coincidence. I actually need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
"Something about training."
Minato turned to Dan Katō. "Senior Katō, after today's mission is over, would it be possible for Nawaki to temporarily leave the squad for a while?"
"Leave the squad?"
Dan Katō paused, then sighed resignedly. "Minato-kun, our squad's only been together for two days. We're just starting to build team cohesion. Having Nawaki leave now wouldn't be fair to Takuno and Ayako."
Nawaki looked equally puzzled. "Yeah, why should we disband the team?"
"To give you special training—I need you to trust me."
Minato gazed calmly at Nawaki. While there was no need to hide the impending war from Mikoto, it wasn't something they could tell ordinary people without causing panic.
"I see..."
Noticing that Minato seemed reluctant to share more, Nawaki didn't hesitate. He turned to Dan Katō. "Brother Dan, since Minato says this, I'll trust his judgment."
Dan Katō was somewhat surprised. In his view, Nawaki had only recently become a full-fledged ninja and should be eager to take on missions to prove himself. Yet Minato's single statement had earned him Nawaki's unconditional trust.
Little did he know that Nawaki felt equally helpless. While he trusted Minato, he could tell this wasn't a consultation—it was a decision already made.
Dan Katō turned to Minato. "Forgive my boldness, but why the sudden decision to give Nawaki special training?"
"..."
Hearing Dan Katō's question, Minato gave him an inscrutable look. "Senior Dan, you realize how bold this question is?"
Dan Katō: "..."
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