"Uh, looks like we don't have to worry about him causing trouble anymore."
Under Minato Namikaze's watchful eye, Satori Hyūga effortlessly slumped onto the desk for a quick nap.
Minato slapped his forehead, feeling a pang of concern for his teacher. He could already imagine how furious the teacher would become upon entering the classroom and seeing this scene.
"This guy really has guts, actually daring to sleep in class," Kushina said in amazement, watching Satori, her eyes alight with curiosity and excitement.
As the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, she was quietly ostracized by the village.
Because of this status, she had been held back for two years and never truly became a ninja.
She'd long grown weary of the same classroom lectures.
Now that Satori had acted so boldly, Kushina also felt an urge to do the same.
Minato's eyelid twitched as he sighed in resignation. "Kushina, please don't copy him. Satori is a genius—he can probably get away with skipping class."
"Besides, the teacher hasn't shown up yet. Maybe he'll give Satori a hard time later."
As for what would actually happen, he wasn't sure either.
He could only pray Kushina wouldn't be influenced negatively by Satori; otherwise, the teacher would definitely give him a hard time.
"Fine, I hope the teacher gives that guy a good scolding when he arrives."
After hearing Minato's words, Kushina finally calmed down.
She looked at Satori, her eyes gleaming with anticipation and vindictive joy.
That Satori guy actually ignored her, and being a Main House member—didn't seem like the decent type.
With this first impression, Kushina naturally disliked Satori.
When the class bell rang, a middle-aged man with a square face and thick eyebrows walked in.
The moment he stepped in, his eyes locked onto Satori, who was lying on his desk.
"Dammit! On the very first day in my class and already sleeping—completely shameless!" Yamada Takeshi's voice boomed with fury.
"Satori Hyūga! Get up—stand outside now!"
Satori: "..."
On the first day of switching classes, he'd already received a warning shot.
But Satori wasn't afraid. He rolled his stiff shoulder and strode confidently toward the door.
Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to take a nap at all.
It was because [Feeding-Back Jutsu] had to be practiced with full concentration to achieve 100% effectiveness.
If he were distracted, not only would it waste large amounts of chakra, but it would also cut into training efficiency.
If he could gain 100% training speed, why bother with only forty or fifty percent?
The issue was difficult to explain openly.
Telling others he was practicing secret techniques might attract suspicion, envy, or even scrutiny.
Yet it was simply a health-enhancing technique.
After careful consideration, Satori decided to pretend to be a bad student and slack off by napping.
How effective was it? Surprisingly decent.
It was just hard for teachers to accept.
Unfazed, Satori stood by the door like he belonged there.
Standing outside as punishment didn't bother him much.
The important part was staying focused.
Whether standing or sitting, he could still practice [Feeding-Back Jutsu].
However, as his eyes scanned the edges of the classroom, his gaze stilled suddenly.
He noticed Kushina staring at him, clearly finding the situation amusing.
"Kushina, you dare laugh at me? Get over here!"
Satori Hyūga pulled a silly face near the doorway.
Kushina didn't miss this act and, unable to hold back, burst out laughing.
"Kushina, you're not paying attention in class and now you dare laugh out loud. You too—you're out!" Teacher Yamada Takeshi said, pointing to the door and sending Kushina out as punishment.
"Teacher Yamada, it was Satori Hyūga who made a face. I couldn't help it! If you don't believe me, just ask Minato Namikaze—he saw it happen."
With a quick spin, Kushina grabbed Minato Namikaze and pulled him out to join her.
Minato Namikaze: "..."
"You and Kushina are both out—go stand outside."
Minato closed his mouth before he could say anything and followed Kushina outside with a helpless smile.
"Welcome, welcome!" Satori clapped enthusiastically, warmly welcoming the future young couple.
"Cursed little Hyūga brat, if not for you, we wouldn't be standing out here," Kushina said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring furiously at Satori, clearly ready to gnash her teeth.
Satori rolled his eyes and mocked, "If you had a better sense of humor, the teacher wouldn't have noticed."
"Just look—Minato didn't even say a word after getting dragged into this."
Kushina clenched her fists angrily, her little face flushed red.
"You rotten little brat! Minato, back me up on this!"
Standing beside them, Minato gave a bitter smile and gently tried to reason, "Forget it. We're all classmates. There's no need to make things so awkward."
Kushina huffed indignantly and retorted, "You're just too gullible. With that goofy look on your face, there's no way you'll become Hokage."
Back during the class introductions earlier, Minato had mentioned his dream was to become Hokage.
Meanwhile, Kushina's own dream was to become Konoha's first female Hokage.
In truth, they were rivals.
Kushina didn't think much of Minato, considering him far too kind-hearted, always smiling foolishly at everyone.
"Kushina, Minato stands a better chance at becoming Hokage than you do. You should work on toning down your explosive personality."
"What? How could he possibly have a better chance than me? I'm super strong, got it?"
Angry enough to lose her composure, Kushina nearly revealed her secret identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Luckily, she caught herself in time and changed what she was about to say.
Otherwise, Minato Namikaze and Satori Hyūga might have found themselves sipping tea with Anbu.
Satori chuckled mockingly, wearing an expression of disbelief.
Leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, he pretended to be deep in thought—but was actually plotting how to use Kushina.
Don't let her small age, average strength, or fiery temper fool you—she was like a massive treasure trove. Once she matured, she'd become a goldmine.
Of course, the Nine-Tails itself was off-limits, but the powerful sealing techniques she possessed were invaluable legacies from the Whirlpool Country.
"Hey, why the sudden silence?"
"Kushina glared at Satori Hyūga," she snapped.
Satori shot her a sidelong glance, pursed his lips, and gestured toward Minato Namikaze.
Confused, Kushina followed his gaze and saw that Minato Namikaze was intently listening to the lecture.
"What's it got to do with you whether Minato listens in class or not?"
Minato had been standing by the doorway, eavesdropping intently, but when the conversation suddenly turned to him, he quickly looked away.
He turned to Kushina with a curious look and asked, "What's going on?"
"Nothing. I was just telling Kushina to keep it down so she doesn't interrupt your studying. You actually need to focus — unlike us," Satori explained.
Kushina mimicked Satori's expression, curling her lip in skepticism as she muttered, "What's even the point of what they're teaching in there? I've heard all this a thousand times already."
"Minato's different from us. Don't mess up his studying."
"How's he any different?" Kushina asked, frowning in confusion.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!