It was a well-known fact that Ino Yamanaka loved handsome guys. Throughout her time at the academy, her favorite handsome person had always been Sasuke Uchiha. It is worth mentioning that Sakura Haruno, her best friend and main rival, also liked Sasuke. Driven by a deep sense of competition, Ino did not want to lose to the girl she had once helped overcome her own insecurities. Because of this, a constant battle for Sasuke's affections had broken out between the two girls. However, regarding Sasuke, she mostly just liked his physical looks. As for his personality, she could only say his cool aura was decent, but it was never enough to truly make her heart flutter.
That changed today when she saw Minato. With just one look, his handsome and gentle features struck her right in the heart. Unlike Sasuke's forced coldness, Minato possessed a more composed and restrained aura. He had a quiet temperament that a young girl like her had no way of resisting. One look made her heart pound, and she was instantly captivated, completely forgetting about Sasuke. Ino felt like she was in love. Peeking at Minato out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him casting a curious glance her way, and Ino felt her breath grow a bit more feverish.
"Hurry up and tell me everything! Naruto!"
"Well—" Naruto said with a grimace. "His name is Minato Namikaze. He is staying with me for now. Also, I should tell you that he already has a girlfriend."
"I don't believe you!" Ino turned to face Minato, her hands clasped behind her back in a charming pose. "Um—nice to meet you, I am Naruto's classmate, Ino Yamanaka. What's your name?"
Minato nodded gently. "My name is Minato Namikaze."
"Ah, what a wonderful name~" Ino held her hands to her heart, speaking with a beaming smile. But for some reason, she felt like the name sounded very familiar.
Shikamaru, on the other hand, froze in place, his pupils trembling violently. He looked toward the Hokage Rock, then back at Minato, his expression full of existential doubt.
"So—Minato-kun, is there someone you like?" Ino pursed her lips and asked boldly, summoning all her courage.
"Yes." Minato nodded.
Not only did he have one person he liked, but he actually had more than one!
Ino lowered her head in disappointment. Since he already had someone he liked, what Naruto said was likely true—he probably already had a partner. Unlike the frustration she felt when her invitations to Sasuke were rejected, she felt a sharp pang in her heart, followed by a hollow sense of oppression. Ino felt like her romance had ended before it even began.
"I see. Sorry, I was being too forward—" She bowed slightly toward Minato, her tone tinged with embarrassment.
"It wasn't forward at all. I think being straightforward is a good thing," Minato said warmly. He nodded slightly to the three of them. "You are Naruto's friends, right? I'm sure Naruto has often caused you trouble at school. Thank you for taking care of him."
"Oh, not at all—" Ino waved her hands hurriedly, feeling a bit strange. Why did Minato sound so much like Naruto's parent? Could he be some distant cousin?
Just as she was thinking this, Shikamaru, standing behind her, suddenly raised his hand and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Ino turned around and saw Shikamaru pointing toward the Hokage Rock. Ino followed his finger, and her whole body instantly froze. Then, her gaze darted back and forth between Minato and the Hokage Rock several times, her eyes twitching.
Come to think of it, Minato Namikaze—isn't that the name of the Fourth Hokage? As the successor of the Ino–Shika–Cho, although she had been momentarily blinded by Minato's looks and had not realized it right away, she still knew the name of the Fourth Hokage.
Ino looked at Minato awkwardly. "Um—if I may ask, what is your relationship with Naruto?"
"You can think of us as father and son." Minato did not hide it, saying softly. "I am from another world. The 'me' in this world is the Fourth Hokage, and also Naruto's father."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ino and Shikamaru's mouths fell open. Choji stared blankly at Minato, and the bag of chips in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. Shikamaru was the quickest to react. Although he was shocked, he realized that if Minato was here, it was impossible for the Village higher-ups not to know. He also noticed the strange looks from the surrounding pedestrians. With his mind racing, Shikamaru smiled and looked at Ino, teasing her casually. "Should I call you Mrs. Namikaze, or Mrs. Uzumaki?"
"Aaaah! Stop it, you jerk!" Ino's face instantly turned bright red. She finally had a crush, and it turned out to be her classmate's father. Thinking of this, she gave Shikamaru two solid punches. These two punches were very firm, making Shikamaru grimace in pain.
Minato also looked embarrassed, lightly scratching his cheek with his index finger. His son's female classmate? He seemed to have seen similar themes in his previous life—
"By the way, Ino, don't you like that Sasuke guy?" Naruto looked at Ino out of the corner of his eye, feeling secretly on guard. I treat you as a classmate, but you actually want to be my mom?
"Well—I just thought Sasuke was relatively handsome. As for his aura and everything else, he can't compare to Minato—the Fourth Hokage at all." Ino shrugged nonchalantly, but she could not help stealing glances at Minato, her secret desires not yet entirely dead. To be honest, after seeing Minato, she felt that Sasuke was just a little kid. His aura was far inferior to Minato's, and she felt somewhat disenchanted.
"Just call me Minato." Minato waved his hand lightly. "I am only eight years old this year, and I haven't succeeded to the position of Hokage yet."
"Succeeded?" Shikamaru's eyes flickered. He caught the underlying meaning in those words. Minato spoke with so much confidence, as if he could take the position of Hokage whenever he wanted. It was not about competing or being nominated—was he already a candidate?
His strength must not be lacking; at the very least, he must possess power that makes the higher-ups hesitate to take action. Otherwise, the higher-ups would not easily allow a visitor from a parallel timeline to wander around everywhere. They were around the same age, but the gap between them was simply too large. Shikamaru's mind worked rapidly, and he soon guessed most of the key points.
But what he cared about most was what kind of impact Minato's appearance would have on Naruto. In the past, everyone's gaze toward Naruto was cold and distant, but today there was a different flavor to it. And Naruto's personality—though he still seemed thick-headed—he wasn't shouting and making a scene like he usually did. Just standing quietly beside the Fourth Hokage, he seemed more cultured than usual, and his aura had a bit more relaxation and confidence.
Is this the change brought about by parents? This guy did not have it easy before—it's just—when this Fourth Hokage leaves, what will happen to Naruto? Having nothing from the start is completely different from having something and then losing it. Shikamaru worried that once Minato left, Naruto might become very depressed, or even unable to accept that kind of loneliness. If that were the case, then the appearance of this Fourth Hokage might not necessarily be a good thing. But on the other hand, he actually wanted to see. With the Fourth Hokage personally teaching him, what kind of growth would Naruto achieve? Would he grow into the next Yellow Flash?
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