Whoosh!
Before anyone could blink, Minato's figure vanished in a flash of golden light.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Jiraiya didn't hesitate. He unleashed the Wind Release jutsu he had been preparing, a powerful gust bursting from his mouth like a living force, sweeping across the field. It was far stronger than Uchiha En's Fireball Jutsu.
Whoom!
The blazing orb of fire was instantly scattered by the wind, the flames bursting apart like fireflies in the air—visually dramatic, but with no destructive power left.
The attack had happened so fast, even the chūnin-ranked instructors on the sidelines hadn't reacted in time.
Bang!
As their expressions began to thaw from the shock, a sudden sound drew their attention.
Dust drifted up from the training field. Minato had subdued Uchiha En and pinned him to the ground. His fist hovered just an inch from En's face, stopped at the last second. His piercing blue eyes burned with real anger.
"Uchiha En, are you insane?!"
Minato's voice thundered. He wasn't angry that En had used such a powerful jutsu in their duel—after all, it was a challenge Minato had accepted willingly.
What he couldn't forgive was how recklessly En had put their classmates in danger.
They were just ordinary students. A jutsu of that scale could have seriously injured—or even killed—someone.
Minato's gaze flicked to the side. He finally noticed Jiraiya's sudden arrival, and for a brief second, his expression froze. But when he saw the two students who had been near the edge of the fireball now safe, relief slowly settled in his chest.
His fist, still trembling slightly, stayed frozen in place—just shy of impact. In the end, he didn't let it fall.
Uchiha En's expression was similarly frozen. It wasn't until after he had released the Fireball that the consequences even occurred to him. In that moment, his mind had gone completely blank.
He had come terrifyingly close to an irreversible mistake.
"If you still want to fight, I'm game," Minato said, rising to his feet, though his movements were unsteady. The speed technique he'd used had consumed a significant amount of chakra. But before he could stumble, a small pale hand shot out and caught his arm.
It was Kushina.
While the rest of the class still stood dumbfounded, Kushina didn't look the least bit fazed by the fierce battle. The only thing she cared about—was Minato.
"Are you okay?" Her voice quivered, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
She might've acted brash on the surface, but Kushina had a girl's intuition and sensitivity. She knew exactly why Minato had accepted this duel.
It was to protect her.
Just like last time—when Akasaka Yu had insulted her with his words.
Minato's face flushed a deep red. He quickly pulled away, clearly embarrassed.
Kushina blinked, then frowned slightly in worry. "You're hurt? Why's your face so red?" she asked, inching closer.
Minato gave an awkward laugh and waved her off. "Haha… I'm fine. Really. Don't worry."
Kushina's concern quickly shifted to suspicion.
Meanwhile, Minato turned to face their teacher, Mr. Jotamoto. He bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. I promised to handle this matter properly, but things still got out of hand."
But Jotamoto didn't know how to respond. The truth was, Minato wasn't really at fault at all.
"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya."
Several teachers and the two students Jiraiya had saved were now bowing in gratitude. One of the instructors, the homeroom teacher of Uchiha En's class, looked especially grim.
Jiraiya, however, didn't seem concerned. He merely frowned, his eyes scanning from Minato to En, who still lay flat on the ground.
"I'm sorry..." Uchiha En finally croaked, his voice hoarse and his face a mess of guilt.
Only then did Jiraiya's expression ease slightly. At least En had the decency to admit his mistake—unlike some other Uchiha brats who relied on their family name to act with impunity.
He was still young. That toxic clan pride hadn't fully taken root in his mind yet.
Minato paused, then turned slightly to look at En.
"You should apologize… but not to me."
His voice was complicated, laced with something unreadable.
With a brief word to Mr. Jotamoto—and receiving a nod of permission—Minato walked off the field.
Kushina and Mikoto, who had finally snapped out of their daze, followed him.
Neither Minato nor En said anything about who won the fight—but the outcome was clear enough.
The incident settled down. Because of Uchiha En's reckless actions, the afternoon classes were canceled and replaced with self-study.
As for Minato, no one questioned him. He sat quietly at his desk the whole afternoon, deep in thought, not saying a word.
Many classmates kept sneaking glances at him. They weren't thinking about the consequences of what had happened. They were still in awe of Minato's power.
Not only had he shown overwhelming strength—but he'd seemingly defeated Uchiha En, the undisputed top student in their grade.
Some of En's fangirls were already shifting their allegiances. Minato was just as good-looking—maybe even better. While En's aura was sharp and cold, Minato carried a gentler, warmer charm.
But Minato had no mind for any of that. His thoughts were tangled.
What's been happening to me lately? he wondered.
He was acting impulsively. And all of it… seemed to revolve around Kushina.
The red-haired girl who kept appearing in his dreams—was she somehow connected to Kushina?
He couldn't see her face clearly. But her long, crimson hair... it was exactly the same.
Soon, the final bell rang.
A figure bolted from the classroom like he was fleeing for his life—Akasaka Yu.
But as he passed through the doorway, he came to a dead stop.
Minato was standing there, waiting for him.
Akasaka's face turned pale. After what he'd witnessed between Minato and Uchiha En, he knew now—he wasn't even in the same league.
He was the one who had leaked information about Kushina to Uchiha En.
But the punishment he expected… didn't come.
Instead, Minato bowed.
"Akasaka Yu, I went too far last time. I shouldn't have hit you."
He had meant to apologize a week ago, but Akasaka hadn't been in school since then.
"So please… don't do something like that ever again. No matter what, we're in the same class. We're comrades. Hurting your comrades… is something I hope you'll never do again."
Minato's voice was calm.
Then he walked away, leaving Akasaka frozen in place.
His nerves finally began to unwind—just in time for two more figures to appear before him.
Mikoto and Kushina.
Kushina frowned. Clearly, she wasn't fond of Akasaka. But out of respect for Mikoto, she didn't turn away.
"You two—" Akasaka had just opened his mouth when a sharp pain exploded in his gut.
His expression twisted in shock, mirroring the stunned faces of the classmates nearby.
The one who hit him… was Mikoto.
Sweet, polite Mikoto—who was kind to everyone.
She didn't even flinch under their stares. Her delicate face was etched with fury.
"Anyone who betrays their comrades is the worst kind of trash," she said coldly. "Even if Minato doesn't hold it against you, I want you to remember this—when you hurt someone else, there will always be a price."
She hadn't held back. Mikoto might not have the raw power of Minato or En, but she was still far stronger than most kids her age.
Akasaka collapsed against the hallway wall, sobbing—whether from the pain or the shame, it was hard to tell.
Mikoto grabbed Kushina's hand and, under the stunned gazes of their classmates, turned and walked away.