Chapter 22: Minato Namikaze
In the blink of an eye, half a day passed.
Ruofeng was still sitting in the classroom, his gaze resting on the blond boy in front of him.
"Hello… my name is Minato Namikaze. I'll be sitting in front of you!"
The young Minato spoke with a gentle smile. Even as a child, his presence carried warmth.
It had to be said—Minato was handsome even at this age, and his smile was naturally disarming.
Ruofeng smiled faintly. "Aren't you afraid you'll be pushed away for coming over?"
As he spoke, his eyes swept across the classroom. The moment his gaze moved, the once-noisy room instantly fell silent.
Earlier that morning, his words had drawn hostility from the other students. Now, under Ruofeng's calm but heavy stare, fear showed clearly on their faces.
So his sensory ability had this effect as well… Ruofeng thought. He wasn't fully sure why, but perhaps his grandfather would know. For now, the other children clearly didn't dare approach him. They had already isolated Ruofeng and the two girls without saying a word.
Yet Minato, who was quite popular in class, still came over without hesitation.
Minato scratched the back of his head and laughed softly. "It's fine. They just don't understand you yet. Once they do, they'll naturally accept you."
"Hmph."
Kushina Uzumaki let out a cold snort, clearly unimpressed by his gentle smile. Minato looked a little awkward.
Ruofeng chuckled. "She really has personality. Let's introduce ourselves again. My name is Ruofeng."
Then he looked at Kushina.
Kushina puffed up slightly, then said, "Alright, alright… since it's for Ruofeng's sake. My name is Kushina Uzumaki, and my dream is to become the first female Hokage of Konoha!"
Her straightforward declaration made Minato smile awkwardly.
As for Uzumaki Reiko, she introduced herself quietly, but Minato still heard her clearly.
As they talked, Ruofeng gradually became more familiar with Minato and also learned quite a bit about the Ninja Academy from him.
Before they knew it, dismissal time had arrived.
Before Yamada-sensei could even speak, the classroom door burst open, and Nawaki rushed in.
"Ruofeng! Come out quickly—today I'm taking you to have fun!"
He shouted so loudly that it was as if Yamada-sensei didn't exist.
Yamada-sensei could only smile helplessly. He knew very well who Nawaki was—the grandson of the First Hokage. In Konoha, that identity came with certain privileges. Even the Third Hokage wouldn't easily interfere.
Yamada-sensei cleared his throat. "Alright, class dismissed. You may all go home."
Ruofeng took Kushina's hand and walked toward Nawaki.
The other students stayed silent, not only because they feared Ruofeng, but also because they were intimidated by Nawaki, the undisputed little tyrant of the academy.
Shaking his head, Ruofeng followed Nawaki out of the classroom.
Not long after, they were sitting inside a shop.
Ruofeng calmly enjoyed some tea and snacks while listening to Nawaki talk.
"Ruofeng, no one bullied you in class, right? If they did, tell me! I'll beat them up for you. I'm the boss of the Ninja Academy!"
His words sounded exactly like a street punk, which felt oddly out of place.
Ruofeng twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Just eat your ice cream and stop talking about being a boss."
At this point, Ruofeng was fully convinced—Nawaki truly was the First Hokage's grandson.
From what Ruofeng remembered, Nawaki should've been a passionate, straightforward boy like Naruto. But now, it seemed he had inherited plenty of Hashirama's bad habits as well.
Calling himself a boss, gambling, fighting—he had all of it.
Tsunade had inherited those flaws, and so had Nawaki. The First Hokage's way of teaching was… certainly unique.
Before they noticed, night had already fallen.
A servant quietly approached Nawaki and whispered, "Young master… Lady Mito Uzumaki is asking you to return."
Nawaki nodded, then turned to Ruofeng. "I'm heading back now. Tomorrow, I'll take you out again!"
Ruofeng looked at him with clear disdain. "You mean you'll come eat for free again. This shop is part of my family's business."
Nawaki laughed. "Well, you're rich! No wonder my sister always talks about you!"
With a playful grin, he quickly ran off.
After Nawaki left, Kushina looked at Ruofeng. "Ruofeng… I'm going back too."
Ruofeng nodded, watching as all three of them disappeared into the night.
His relationship with Kushina had always been good, and what happened that morning only deepened her trust in him. She now held nothing back. At present, she lived with the Senju clan and was personally taught by Mito Uzumaki.
That guidance was likely the reason why Kushina would become so strong in the future. Even though she rarely appeared in the original records, it was clear she was anything but weak.
Nawaki also knew Kushina's identity. His visit today wasn't just to see Ruofeng—it was also to make sure his sister hadn't been bullied.
As they left, a servant approached respectfully. "Young master, shall we return home as well?"
Ruofeng nodded. "Yes. From now on, those three may take anything for free at all of our shops. Especially Kushina—make sure she's treated well."
The servant quickly agreed, carefully memorizing Kushina's appearance. In his mind, she might very well become their future mistress.
Ruofeng ignored whatever they were thinking and left the shop, heading home.
Not long after, Ruofeng returned to his room.
Just as he settled in, his grandfather walked in.
"Ruofeng," his grandfather said with a smile, "you gained quite a lot today. It seems you've already begun to use your sensory ability unconsciously."
Ruofeng blinked in surprise. "Grandfather, how did you know?"
Earlier, in a moment of anger, his mental power had surged outward, carrying a chilling pressure that frightened the other students. Even Ruofeng himself had found it strange.
Yet his grandfather knew about it the moment he returned.
His grandfather chuckled softly. "Very good. You truly inherited your mother's powerful spirit. To awaken our clan's ability so quickly… impressive indeed."
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