Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Hey you little blondie, don't hide if you've got guts!"

Inside the school training ground, a panting Kushina waved her little fists, trying her best to catch up with the lithe Minato, but each attack missed by a hair's breadth. Her round little face turned red with anger, like a delicious tomato.
The surrounding classmates, watching the two chase each other, all showed expressions of helplessness. Akimichi Choza, rubbing his rumbling stomach, couldn't help but mutter under his breath,

"Minato-kun, really. Just take a hit already and end the fight so we can all have lunch early."

"Let's wait a bit longer. It'll probably be soon. Minato's stamina can't compare to Kushina's. It's only a matter of time before he's punished by the Iron Fist."

Shikaku, who was squatting on the ground, shrugged and then continued playing the mini shogi game he had brought with him on the ground.
"Haiyi, you've lost again."

After blocking the enemy general's last escape route with his flying chariot, Shikaku shook his head listlessly. He glanced up at Kushina, whose anger was at its peak and who exuded a terrifying aura, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Sigh, women are such a hassle. Whoever marries a woman like this is probably in for a world of trouble."

"Shh! Watch your voice, Teacher Mi Luo is still here!"

Hearing Shikaku's complaint, Inoichi, who was reviewing why he had lost so quickly, quickly made a shushing gesture and secretly glanced at Uzumaki Miro, who was watching the battle not far away. Her timid little face was full of worry.
"Uh, thanks for reminding me."

Shikaku, who had just pulled back from the brink, paused for a moment, then gave Inoichi, who had reminded him, a grateful look.
If Uzumaki Miroku were to hear him criticizing Kushina, he probably wouldn't be able to have lunch today.

Unlike the isolated Uzumaki orphan in the original timeline, Kushina Uzumaki in this timeline was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She not only had parents who held high positions, but also an aunt who was a daimyo and a grandfather who was a protector general of the country. She was the apple of the eye of the entire Land of Whirlpools.
Even after transferring to Konoha to study abroad, with her uncle, a Kage-level slam ninja, protecting her around the clock, anyone who dares to point fingers at her will have to get past Uzumaki Miro first.
Of course, the only drawback is that the meals are usually a bit lacking.

"Shh!"

Enraged, Kushina unleashed another terrifying punch. Feeling the wind pressure hurtling towards his face, Minato's fair forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.
"Hiss~"

No, we didn't completely dodge it.

"Gudong."

Minato glanced down at his jacket, which had been ripped open by the force of a punch, and unconsciously swallowed.

Should we give up one more time?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head and rejected it.

The reason Kushina is targeting him like this is because he took the initiative to admit defeat in the training ground last time, right?
"We have no choice but to take this seriously."

Thinking of this, Minato's eyes gradually sharpened. Kushina keenly sensed the sudden change in his aura, her bright eyes filled with eager anticipation.

"So you've finally stopped hiding?"

"Kushina-san, excuse me."

With a serious expression, Minato gripped a wooden training kunai in one hand, assuming an attack stance.

"Hurry up, my fists are itching for a punch!"

"Whoosh~"

Minato didn't respond further, but instead raised his hand and threw a wooden kunai at Kushina.
While everyone's attention was drawn to the rapidly shooting kunai, his figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.
"This kid is pretty fast."

The supervising officer, Miro, raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He knew Minato's movement skills far surpassed those of his peers, but he hadn't expected his speed to have already reached the threshold of a genin.

"Bah!"

Kushina punched and shattered the kunai flying towards her, sending splinters of wood raining down.
"Hmph! A small skill."

However, before she could even feel smug, she felt a slight chill on her neck as a wooden kunai pressed lightly against her groin.
"Sorry, I won this time."

Minato, who had appeared behind her unnoticed, smiled slightly. But to Kushina, that benevolent smile was nothing short of mockery, making her teeth itch with rage.
"I haven't lost yet!"

"This is."

Seeing the golden chains suddenly appear on Kushina's body, Minato's eyes widened in astonishment, witnessing this incredible ability for the first time.
The next moment, these thumb-thick chains quickly wrapped around him. Sensing something was wrong, Minato immediately retreated, distancing himself from Kushina, whose entire body was covered in chains.

"The Adamantine Lockdown, huh? My aunt is really something, always teaching Kushina such dangerous abilities."

Uzumaki Miro recognized the sealing technique her niece had used at a glance and couldn't help but roll her eyes.

This is an A-level sealing technique, and its danger level is no less than that of forbidden techniques.

However, judging from the thickness and density of the chains, Kushina must have only recently mastered them and wouldn't be able to cause much damage.
It's tough on Minato; he's probably going to get beaten up again.

"What is this?"

Minato pulled out a wooden kunai from somewhere and looked warily at the golden chains floating beside Kushina.
"Hmph~ This is a new technique that Grandpa Silver rewarded me with. I practiced for a long time before I learned it!"

Looking smugly at the ready Minato, Kushina didn't hide anything and openly explained the origin of the Kongo Seal.
As she spoke, she manipulated the golden chains behind her, weaving them into a large net that enveloped Minato's small figure.

"Enough with the nonsense, you little blondie, prepare to be whipped by me!"

"hiss"

With his escape route blocked, Shui Men bit his lip, refusing to give up his pursuit of victory despite his current predicament.
"Den!"

With a leap, he escaped just before the golden chain net could cover him. Landing somewhat awkwardly on one knee, Minato wiped the sweat from his brow, his azure eyes gleaming.
Seeing Minato slippery as an eel, Kushina wasn't annoyed. In her eyes, it was nothing more than a trapped beast's struggle.

"Want to fight me for the long haul? You're just asking for trouble."

The Uzumaki clan is least afraid of wars of attrition. Compared to Minato, who was covered in sweat, she hadn't even finished her warm-up exercises.

"I will never give up until the very last moment."

"Then why did you deliberately admit defeat before?"

"."

Faced with Kushina's questioning, Minato showed a hint of embarrassment.
He conceded defeat on the premise that he was certain of winning, but in the current situation, Minato was not confident of victory.

"Humph!"

Seeing that Minato didn't answer her question, Kushina pouted, and the golden chains behind her grew wildly, attacking the blond-haired guy who had embarrassed her from all angles.

Meanwhile, in the principal's office on the rooftop of a nearby office building, Hiruzen Sarutobi, pipe in hand, was intently watching the contest between the two children.
"Monkey, did you hear what I said?"

This action immediately provoked strong dissatisfaction from another person in the room. Danzo, holding a large stack of documents, looked at his childhood friend, whose mind was wandering, and the veins on his forehead bulged into a large grid.

"Uh, I'm listening, I'm listening."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head and nodded perfunctorily.

"If you have no objections to this list of candidates for Tailed Beast Riders, then sign it."

"Ah this."

Looking down at the list in his hand filled with the name "Shimura," Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips twitched slightly, and he shook his head with a strange expression.
"Why don't we wait a little longer? Hishi is still young."

"No, I don't trust Senju with the Nine-Tails."

Danzo replied coldly, "The ownership of the Nine-Tailed Knight System has always been in the hands of our Shimura clan. Senju Hisashiro has been playing with it for so many years, it's time to give it back. Have you forgotten how she tricked us back then?"

Little Tuantuan has no other special talents, except for being petty. To this day, he still remembers how the Senju clan betrayed the Ninja Alliance during the election for the Third Hokage.
"Those are all old, forgotten things. I've long forgotten them."

"Hmph! It's normal that someone didn't remember because they were lucky enough to get the Hokage position."

Looking at the aggressive Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe, his prematurely aged face filled with helplessness.

"Danzo, I'm not trying to be rude, but these people on your list probably wouldn't even pass the test of the Tailed Beast Cards."

"Nonsense, these are all outstanding candidates carefully selected by us. Each of them is determined and will be able to master the power of the Nine-Tails as long as they spend enough time with the Tailed Beast Cards."

As the saying goes, one should not avoid recommending relatives for the best; the people on the list just happen to have the surname Shimura.

"is it?"

"Why don't you give it a try?"

Under the teasing gaze of his childhood friend, Danzo, feeling guilty, lacked confidence.
What do you think of that child?

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe, his gaze lingering on the training ground not far away. Danzo approached upon hearing this, and when he saw Kushina's signature red hair, his brows immediately furrowed deeply.

“Uzumaki? No, the Uzumaki clan will always be outsiders.”

"Open your eyes and look carefully."

Hiruzen Sarutobi rolled his eyes at Danzo beside him, then pointed at Minato, who remained calm and collected despite being surrounded by golden chains.
I'm talking about that child.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew Kushina's true identity perfectly well, so naturally he wouldn't set his sights on this little princess of the Land of Waves.

However, Minato, who was born into a commoner family, impressed him with his impressive performance, which made Minato show some appreciation for talent.
"he is?"

Danzo's focus was not on education, so he knew very little about the children at the Ninja Academy.
“Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya once mentioned him to me. He is a child with both outstanding temperament and talent.”

“Namikaze? If you think he’s good enough, then add him in and get him signed off quickly.”

Danzo had some recollection of this surname; he was a true Konoha native.
"No rush, let me observe for a while longer. By the way, how are Jiraiya and the others doing lately?"

Signing the document meant allocating funds, so Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally wouldn't agree easily. After employing delaying tactics, he turned to inquire about his disciple's recent situation.
"Hmph! They did a good job on the mission. According to my inside informant, Hanzo of the Salamander has already begun to secretly carry out operations against Iwagakure."

Knowing that signing was hopeless, Danzo snorted coldly, then praised Jiraiya and the others for their superb execution, successfully sowing discord between Amegakure and Iwagakure in such a short time. He had indeed made the right choice in recruiting them.

"Jiraiya and the others have matured."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had thought that Jiraiya, given his personality, would never do something so despicable.
In retrospect, he underestimated Jiraiya's resolve.

"Hehe, monkey, your disciple is really useful."

"Shh!"

Unaware that someone was watching him, Minato twisted his body and barely dodged a menacing chain. His azure eyes were filled with weariness.
"Whoosh~whoosh~whoosh~"

Before he could catch his breath, several chains attacked from four directions, completely blocking his last escape route.
"Well"

Minato attempted to repeat his previous tactic, using agile footwork to dodge, but lacking the stamina to sustain himself, he was ultimately cornered by the chains.

"I think."

Facing the sharp, golden chains at the top, a bitter expression appeared on his slightly disheveled face. He was about to raise his hand to concede defeat when Kushina on the other side objected.
"Don't give up!"

"what?"

Kushina looked down at the dejected Minato, her expression one of utter disillusionment.

"Didn't you just say something very nice? 'I will never give up until the very last moment,' as expected, you're just an untrustworthy and boring guy."

After listening quietly to these words, Minato neither refuted nor became angry. A flame gradually rekindled in his eyes, which had previously lost their fighting spirit.
"Thank you."

Yes, it's not even the final moment yet, how can he give up so easily?

"Oh?"

Kushina was incredibly pleased with herself after humiliating Minato. Her anger had subsided, and she was about to stop when Minato's renewed fighting spirit left her completely bewildered.
Do you really think you still have a chance of winning?

Minato, regaining his usual confidence, smiled slightly, raised a wooden kunai with one hand, placed it at eye level, and pointed it at Kushina not far away.

"How will you know if you don't try?"

Kushina suddenly had a strange feeling of being locked on, but she didn't pay it any mind.
"Out of control."

To utterly shatter Minato's confidence, she unleashed the full power of her chains, a barrage of attacks about to rain down.
Through the gaps in the countless golden chains, the focused Minato saw a blurry, indistinct phantom.

As a barely perceptible glimmer flickered in the Flying Thunder God kunai in Minato's arms, the illusory figure gradually became clearer in Minato's view.

It is a "door" that does not exist.
Minato, in a state of profound mystery, had a strong premonition that if he could step through that "door," he might be able to survive his desperate situation and turn defeat into victory.
"Whoosh!"

The wooden kunai, imbued with his last chakra, flew from his hand, heading towards the "door."

Go all in, victory or defeat hinges on this!
"Sushi bar!"

Kushina scoffed at the mere kunai, its fate sealed by crushing destruction. With a flick of her wrist, the chains shot forth like arrows.

"Tonic medicine!"

"Minato-kun!"

As the dense barrage of attacks was about to engulf the lone Minato, the surrounding students screamed in alarm.

"Point to"

Mi Luo, who was overseeing the operation, narrowed his eyes. It was time for his teacher to step in.

"who?"

Just as he was about to intervene and prevent the tragedy, an unfamiliar spatial fluctuation instantly alerted him.

Thinking there was an enemy, Miro Uzumaki erupted with a dazzling blue light, his chakra cloak blazing fiercely, causing the bewildered students beside him to sway from side to side.

"Shh!"

At that moment, everyone present, including Kushina with a victorious smile on her face, saw a faint golden light flash by.

The next second, Minato, who should have been bound in a tortoise-shell style by chains, miraculously appeared in front of Kushina, holding a cracked wooden kunai to her brow, his sunny smile reflected in his eyes.
"Sorry, I won again this time." (End of Chapter)