The sun broke through the night, and dawn swept across the horizon.
It wasn't until the blinding sunlight hit his face that a certain lazybones reluctantly sat up in bed.
(「-)
"Damn it!"
Kaze bleary-eyed glanced at the alarm clock and instantly snapped awake. He had an appointment to meet someone at seven, and it was almost eight!
He quickly jumped out of bed, grabbed two random pieces of clothing, and changed. He ruffled his short black hair in the mirror, then rushed out of the room with a slice of bread in his mouth.
In Konoha Village, tall trees could be seen everywhere, providing shade for people in the hot summer.
Amidst the dappled light and shadow, a blond boy in a white zippered top and blue pants sat quietly on a stone bench, seemingly waiting for someone.
"Sorry, I got lost on the road of life and ended up being late again." Kaze gasped as he ran over, apologizing to the blond boy.
"It's okay. I just got here not long ago." The blond boy stood up, a hint of a smile in his deep blue eyes.
Kaze caught his breath, looked around, and asked curiously, "Minato, where's that guy? Why isn't he here?"
Minato gave a shy smile. "Well... I told her you'd surely be late, so it's okay to come at eight."
"You!"
Kaze gave Minato a punch on the arm, then put his arm around his shoulder and whispered in his ear.
"...Blah-blah... Yadda-yadda... Get it?"
Minato looked surprised. "You've arranged it so soon? Are we going this afternoon?"
Just as the two were whispering to each other, a complaining voice came from behind them.
"Hey, what are you two whispering about so secretly? You're so engrossed that you didn't even notice I'm here, dattebane!"
Kaze turned around with Minato in his arm and saw a girl in a mesh short-sleeved top and a yellow skirt walking towards them.
The girl had long red hair cascading over her shoulders and a chubby face with a touch of baby fat. When she stared with her big eyes, she looked both cute and fierce.
Seeing the girl approaching, Minato quickly broke free from Kaze's embrace and gave a shy smile.
"You're here, Kushina."
Kaze rolled his eyes, withdrew his arm, and pretended to be profound as he said to Kushina,
"Woman, take my advice and mind your own business."
"Huh?" Kushina looked at Kaze with a scowl and waved her clenched fist at him.
"You always gotta act up, don't you? I think you're just asking for a beating! Just say so if you want one!"
Seeing this, Kaze shrank his neck and wilted... It's not that he was scared; it's called being broad-minded, okay?
"Hey, since we're on vacation, I'm gonna take Minato to intern at my dad's place for a while." Kaze answered honestly.
Kushina then put down her small fist and let out a coquettish snort. "Oh, I see. Then I..."
Kaze shook his head and interrupted Kushina. "Minato can, but you can't."
Kaze didn't know if Kushina had become the Jinchūriki Power of Human Sacrifice of the Nine-Tailed Fox by now. But considering the sensitivity of her identity... she'd better stay at home obediently.
Kushina also knew that her identity was special, so she didn't ask further. She stamped her foot unhappily, feeling annoyed.
"Then you and Minato are going for an internship. Who will play with me during the holiday, Databane?! (Note: 'Databane' is a catchphrase of Kushina)"
The other kids in the village either laughed at and ostracized her or feared her. Only Kaze and Minato truly regarded her as a friend.
And she liked to be with them every day... She didn't like the feeling of being lonely!
Minato took two steps forward, patted the somewhat dejected Kushina on the shoulder, and comforted her with a smile.
"Don't worry, Kushina. Kaze said the internship won't take up too much time. We can still see each other every day."
Kaze chimed in beside him. "Yeah, we're just going to learn some things. Maybe it'll be over in a week or two."
The Third Great Ninja War was in full swing later. None of the ninja school students who were about to graduate could escape. They'd all be sent to the battlefield.
Taking advantage of the holiday to experience the ninja life in advance and learn some professional knowledge might save their own and their teammates' lives in the future.
Moreover, Kaze had an idea, which was to change Minato's life trajectory as early as possible so that this guy could live a few more decades in the future.
After hearing what they said, Kushina showed a smile again. "Then it's a deal. You have to cross our pinkies with me, Databane!"
"Pfft, a pinky promise? How childish... Ah! Minato, help me~!"
Minato watched Kaze being beaten up and half-heartedly tried to stop Kushina twice, then just let it be.
"Hey, you two, stop fighting~~"
In the afternoon, at the entrance of Konoha Village.
Kaze and Minato were squatting on the ground. Kaze was propping his chin with one hand, looking around boredly.
Just then, a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old and had a short sword around her waist walked towards them.
The girl wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she was gentle and charming. Her hair was casually tied up, and she was wearing a simple grayish-white clan robe embroidered with the Shimura clan's pattern.
"Sister Yukino!"
When Kaze saw the girl, his eyes lit up. He immediately stood up and plunged into her rather ample chest.
"..."
Seeing this, Minato half-turned his body, looked up at the sky, and tried his best to pretend that he didn't know Kaze.
"Alright, Kaze." Yukino was quite helpless with Kaze and gently pushed him away.
Kaze just gave a nonchalant laugh, pulled Minato over, and said with a big smile.
"Minato, let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Yukino Shimura. Although she's only fourteen years old, she's already a Tokubetsu Jonin."
"She's also my enlightenment teacher. She taught me all my Taijutsu."
"Minato bowed slightly towards Yukino and gave a shy smile. "Hey, Senior Yukino! I'm Minato Namikaze, one of Kaze's classmates."
"Hello," Yukino nodded with a smile, greeting Minato.
In fact, she already knew who this boy was. After all, a few days ago, she had investigated Minato's family for three generations.
"Okay, let's talk on the way. Let's set off now."
After Yukino said that, she turned around and walked towards the gate first. Seeing this, Kaze and Minato quickly followed.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Led by Yukino, the three left the village and ran in the forest.
"What I'm going to take you to next is a secret stronghold near the village. No matter what you see or hear inside, you must keep it strictly confidential. Understand?"
Even though Minato has passed the strict review, it's impossible to take him into Root (a secret organization in the village) due to the numerous secrets within it.
As for Kaze Shimura... There are some things that Lord Tanzō doesn't want him to be exposed to too early. So, he chose an unimportant stronghold outside the village for his son to gain some experience.
"Understood, Senior Yukino!" The two quickly promised.
Yukino nodded with satisfaction, looked back at the two, and said, "If you perform well enough, I'll consider taking you on real missions outside."
Real missions... Kaze licked his lips, feeling even more excited.