Chapter 7:
Outside the classroom, Asakawa Naoki stood calmly, practicing basic Qi techniques while chatting casually with Kushina.
In his past life in the Celestial Empire, he had never spoken to a girl for this long. To think that in less than half a month after arriving in the Ninja World, he'd already made his first female friend—it felt surreal.
But as he looked at Kushina, memories of her tragic fate flickered in his mind. If the opportunity ever came, Asakawa decided he would help her. That was the least he could do.
Still, with the butterfly effect caused by his arrival, who's to say if things would unfold the same way?
While standing in punishment, Naoki let his thoughts drift to his own future.
Without the fairy scroll, he would've been stuck—unable to walk the path of cultivation, unable to refine chakra. At best, he might've ended up living as a powerless civilian, relying on his parents' modest inheritance and scraping out a quiet life through business.
But now, everything had changed. He had a way forward.
He was still weak, yes. But Naoki believed, without a hint of doubt, that one day he would become someone powerful—perhaps even surpassing the so-called God of Ninja.
At the very least, he would protect himself. At best, he'd change the world.
There was no longer a need to dream of a quiet life. With power at his fingertips, how could he sit idly by?
He was going to rise. To become strong. And then… to reshape the ninja world.
Still, that was far in the distance. Though confident in his future, Naoki knew how many geniuses had died young, never realizing their potential.
Survival came first. That was his current strategy. Grow strong, quietly. And the ninja academy? It was the perfect safe zone for now—at least until the Second Ninja World War began.
When that war reached its later stages, even students who hadn't graduated would be pushed to the front lines. But for now, in the 34th year of Konoha, there was still time—years, even—to grow.
"Naoki Asakawa, Kushina Uzumaki! You're here as punishment, not to gossip!"
The sharp voice of their homeroom teacher, Masaki Yuto, rang out from the classroom.
He had caught them chatting. Clearly, standing outside was more entertaining for them than sitting through class.
Kushina flushed slightly and went quiet, leaning back against the wall with a huff. Still, Naoki could tell she was a little annoyed at being cut off.
After that, he didn't say another word. He focused completely on cultivating.
As his mana circulated through his meridians, a single cycle yielded visible results. His energy increased—slightly, but noticeably.
By the time the bell rang, his total mana had grown by nearly a fifth. If he could keep this pace, he might even double it by the end of the day.
"Alright, Asakawa Naoki, Uzumaki Kushina—back to your seats," Masaki Yuto said, stepping outside. "You'll be cleaning the classroom after school as punishment."
He sighed. If it had been any other student, he could have called their parents. But both Naoki and Kushina were orphans. As long as they didn't stir up any serious trouble, he preferred not to get involved.
"We understand, sensei," Naoki replied. Kushina nodded beside him.
They returned to their seats, and this time no one dared meet their eyes.
Yamagami Taro sat stiffly, his wounds still bandaged, and the rest of the class shot uneasy glances at the two of them. There was fear now—respect through intimidation.
One decisive show of force was all it took to avoid endless harassment. Naoki knew no one would be bothering them anytime soon.
He and Kushina weren't troublemakers, anyway. They just wanted to be left alone. If others didn't push them, they had no reason to retaliate.
Later that afternoon, after classes ended, a boy with yellow hair stood in front of them. He had a kind smile, calm eyes, and an aura that felt… warm.
It was Minato Namikaze.
"Asakawa-san, Uzumaki-san… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called the teacher yesterday," he said, bowing slightly in apology.
Looking at the seven-year-old Minato, Naoki couldn't help but acknowledge how impressive he was.
Minato was handsome, smart, kind—he had the makings of a perfect ninja. Even now, it was obvious.
There weren't any official class leaders, but Minato held a status far above the rest. He got along with everyone, was adored by nearly all the girls, and even the boys didn't resent him. That said everything.
Being popular with girls at age seven was easy enough—just be good-looking. But earning respect from boys, without stirring jealousy? That took something else entirely.
And now, he was apologizing sincerely for reporting their fight.
Naoki understood why Jiraiya had once said, "Compared to Minato Namikaze, no one else seems worthy."
This child, who would one day be Hokage, already showed signs of greatness.
"You did the right thing. You don't have to apologize," Kushina muttered, a little annoyed.
She was clearly echoing the teacher's earlier message—that the proper response to a fight was to report it.
But Naoki could tell her annoyance wasn't because of the punishment itself. She was upset that he'd been dragged into it with her.
"It's us who should thank you, actually," Naoki said sincerely.
Yesterday, if Minato hadn't stepped in when he did, things could have gotten out of hand. They might have been seriously injured, or punished far more harshly. His timing had been perfect.
Minato looked surprised. He hadn't expected gratitude—especially from someone involved in the fight.
Kushina's response was what he'd anticipated. But Naoki's calm tone and genuine thanks caught him off guard. The words he had prepared stuck in his throat.
"Asakawa-san… you're really composed," Minato said after a pause. "I've never met someone like you."
"Just call me Naoki."
"Then call me Minato."
"Alright, Minato. Thanks again."
Minato smiled and gave a short wave. "See you both tomorrow."
Once he was gone, and the classroom cleaned, Naoki and Kushina walked out together. She was still frowning slightly.
"You're wondering why I thanked Minato, right?" Naoki asked as they walked.
Kushina nodded. "If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have been punished."
She didn't mind the punishment itself. She just didn't like seeing Naoki punished because of her.
"He probably noticed the fight much earlier," Naoki explained. "But he waited. He only called the teacher after we'd already taught Yamagami Taro and his friends a lesson."
Kushina blinked. "So… he let you win first, and then stopped it before it went too far?"
"Exactly. That way, we got our point across, and he made sure we didn't go overboard. It was smart."
Kushina was clearly surprised. At their age, such thoughtfulness was rare.
"So Minato-san's that calculating..." she murmured, suddenly looking a bit wary.
Naoki laughed silently to himself.
So this was how Kushina and Minato got along before he was in the picture. It was kind of funny watching her slowly reassess everything.
"Well, even if Naruto isn't born, Ashura's chakra will still reincarnate," he thought. "As long as she can live happily, that's enough."
In this new world, the moment Naoki decided to stand up for her, Kushina's fate began to change.
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