Chương 6: Chapter 4 - Meeting Again

By the time the sun was about to come up and would shine into my room, I was already awake as if someone had kicked me out of bed with two feet. No hesitation, no groggy blinking my eyes in annoyance, I was up and ready to conquer the world. Damn… I haven't felt this energetic in… forever. But it wasn't a coincidence, as today would be the first proper day in school. Huh… I can't believe myself to be this excited about going to school…

Shaking away my thoughts, I kicked off the blanket and nearly tripped over my sandals as I jumped up to gather my clothes.

"Ow! Okay, maybe pace yourself a bit," I muttered, catching myself, but the grin permanently etched onto my face made it hard to slow down. Before Truck-kun dropped me into this new life, I had usually slept through multiple alarms and begged for five more minutes every time I had to wake up. This time? I beat the sun to it. Heh, take that! If that wasn't character growth, I didn't know what was. By the time I was out of my room, the smell of grilled rice cakes hit me halfway down the hall.

Evidently, Mom was already up, humming quietly while arranging food, waking up earlier than any of us, it seems.

"Morning, Mom! Morning, Dad!" I said in one breath, sliding into my seat, noticing that Dad was also sitting at the table.

"You're visibly buzzing," He chuckled behind his mug of tea, "Couldn't sleep?"

"I slept," I answered, pouting, "I'm just… efficient about it."

"I heard that excuse already," Mom raised a brow, looking at me over her shoulder, "If you fail something in the Academy because you are exhausted… I'm going to punish you."

"I wouldn't want that!" I chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't!"

"I'll hold you to that!" She laughed as she set a plate before me, "Eat properly. You'll need the energy." I obeyed, of course, knowing she was right… Well, I might've inhaled the meal a little too fast because she sighed, watching me wolf it down.

"Slow down! You'll choke on your own enthusiasm, then what?"

"I can multitask," I said around a mouthful of rice.

"It's not an issue!"

"Chew more, talk less!" Dad reached out, flicking my forehead, a smile hiding behind his cup of tea as he kept sipping it.

"He reminds me of myself when I first joined the Academy."

"That's the issue," Mom rolled her eyes, "He's exactly you, just smaller and louder. Weren't you a returning patient in my medical training sessions? Always having an injury that needed to be fixed?"

"It worked out, no?" Dad asked, his smile widening, making my Mom shrug. I just listened, realizing I was hearing how the two met and got together. Now… that meant that Dad either was involved in a lot of fights or intentionally injured himself to meet with my Mom. Both felt weird... What kind of dating is that? That sounds... kinky.

"I'm off!" I said after finishing, not wanting to ruin my parents' image in my head, but I was stopped before I could stand up from the table.

"Wait a moment," Dad said, putting out a hand to stop me. I watched as Mom disappeared for a moment and returned with a tiny leather pouch tied with a red string. Oh?

"What's this?" I asked, but I already knew, as its weight and clanking told me that it was money.

"Your first allowance," Mom explained, smoothing my hair and fixing my wrinkled clothes.

"You're growing up. It is time for you to learn how to handle money before missions teach you the hard way."

"Yep," Dad leaned forward, "So don't spend it all on dango. Or some nonsense, like some fake scroll that older students will try to sell you. Watch out for swindlers!"

"Why would you even assume that I would buy something like that?"

"Because I did." He shrugged, "It was a hard lesson… You don't have to repeat mine, son. Learn from my experience and be smarter than your old man!"

"I see," I grinned, tucking the pouch safely into my pocket.

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. I won't waste it!" I gave them a hug before leaving.

"You'd better not," Mom whispered, patting me on the back, as they watched me hurry away. Outside, the village was on its way to waking up. Walking through the streets, chimneys puffed trails of smoke into the sky while vendors rolled up their awnings, greeting each other with yawns as they prepared for the day. I could hear the clatter of pans, the bark of dogs, probably coming from the Inuzuka's compound... Haahh... So this is how Konoha felt in reality... This is something that the books can't convey.

I breathed it all in, wanting to miss none of it. Even if I knew it was just the calm before the storm, I could still allow myself to enjoy it. In the previous years, I'd explored these streets dozens of times, mapping every shortcut, every hidden corner. So... Today, with a few coins burning in my pocket, they felt brand-new, because now I had the capital to also enter some of the shops and see if I could find something for myself. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site.

Support the author by reading it there. Well... I promised to not spend it on something stupid, so it had to be... cool. Or useful. Breakfast had technically happened, but… breakfast sweets didn't count as indulgence, right? It's... extra energy... no? Besides, the first-day tradition demanded celebration. With that in mind, I turned down a narrow side street between a tailor's workshop and a storage shed, heading towards a small stall I found before.

The place itself was barely more than a counter wedged between two alleys, paper lanterns dangling above trays of pastries. There were everything to make someone salviate... Sweet bean buns, chestnut rolls, and mochi dusted in flour... Best thing? Everything was cheap, warm, and perfectly unhealthy. Already tasting it in my mouth, I stepped closer, already fishing out coins... but then I froze. Someone was already there, standing quietly at the counter, with a bright, blond hair decorating his head... This...

can't be a coincidence...

"Minato?" I asked without thinking about it.

"Hm?" He turned at the sound of my whisper and my sandals scraping the stone as I came to a halt, while his blue eyes widened slightly.

"Renji?"

"You too?!" I blurted.

"Wait... You found this place first, no? No fair, you bought the best ones already?!"

"Ehm.. I..." He blinked, looking at his hand, holding the cinnamon rolls I wanted, "I was here first so... Yeah?"

"Heh!" The elderly shopkeeper chuckled, looking at us.

"Seems my little alley attracts the hungry ones with good eyes. Too bad, kiddo, you must arrive in time to get the good stuff."

"We can share," Minato offered, but I just shrugged.

"Nah, you were first indeed." I stepped beside Minato, smiling, "Good taste recognizes good taste. Its yours, you earned it."

"..." Watching me, he looked mildly amused, looking my way as I was browsing through the remaining sweets, "You talk a lot in the morning."

"I talk a lot, period. It's called charisma." I said without looking back.

"It helps in sticky situations too... You learn to talk yourself out of a pinch." I added while I ordered some sweet red-bean buns fresh from the steamer.

"Good choice," The woman handed mine over with a wink.

"First purchase? I haven't seen you come up to us before."

"Yes, ma'am!" I nodded, flicking my purse, "My first allowance, too."

"Well, then... May it bring you fortune and full stomachs!" She chuckled as both of us left. Walking, still having some time, we found a spot under a tree near the main street, enjoying the taste of my second breakfast... I was right the moment I bit into it... Ahhh... crispy outside, warm sweetness inside. Pure bliss.

"Okay, this is officially heaven."

"It's," Minato took a smaller bite than me, being thoughtful about his meal, unlike my big mouth, almost destroying it under a minute.

"It's good."

"Just good? Come on, rate it. Out of ten." I nudged him.

"Hm..." He considered it seriously, taking a few more bites before giving me his answer.

"Eight."

"Eight? Blasphemy." I gasped, licking my fingers clean, "It's a ten. No! An eleven."

"We can't just throw out perfect scores so easily when we have nothing to compare them to." He smiled, looking at me and shaking his head a little, "But I guess it just means that you like it more than I do."

"Obviously. I have refined taste." I chewed, pointing at him with the second one already in my hand.

"You come here often?"

"Sometimes. It's cheap."

"Smart. Future Hokage material right there! Economic awareness and all that. I would clap if my hand wouldn't be full of food."

"Ah..." He blinked, almost missing the bite and chomp down on his finger.

"A future what?"

"Nothing! Forget I said anything." I coughed into my pastry, trying to look away.

"How did you know?"

"Hm?" I asked, trying to play the idiot.

"How did you know I wanted to be Hokage?" He asked again, visibly curious, trying to read my eyes.

"It is evident." I shrugged, wiping my mouth, "Your performance yesterday gave it away. If you aren't aiming for the spot, then why show off like that?"

"What about you?" He asked another question, not even denying or getting angry about my assessment.

"Dunno." I answered honestly, "The position smells from the stench of responsibility. I don't mind being a responsible adult after growing up, but... There is a limit. I'm fine with less responsibility on my shoulders and leave it to those who can handle it. But competing for being the best? That does... sound fun."

"I..." He fell silent for a moment, nodding his head in the end, "I see." After that, somehow none of us brought up anything to say. We just sat in companionable silence until all the food was gone. I caught Minato watching the street multiple times, calm and focused as always, like he was cataloguing everything, the people walking by us, the patterns of their steps, who knows what else. Heh... For someone so quiet, he noticed everything, huh?

His perception was probably amongst the best of the best in Konoha's history.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "first official day of school. Any predictions?"

"None, really," He shrugged, blinking his thoughts away, "Lots of lectures. Maybe chakra theory."

"Ugh. You sound prepared already."

"Yes," He gave a slight nod.

"I read the orientation notes they gave us before leaving. You didn't?"

"We got what?" I asked, totally missing it... But of course he did read it... I think I was too excited to pay attention that I was given anything, and I just pushed it into my Mom's arms. Haaah... Oh well!

"I bet they'll split us into squads soon, like how Genin teams work," I said while we stood up, beginning to head to the Academy.

"I hope we're in the same class, though. Wouldn't want you stealing first place without competition."

"Competition's good," he said, agreeing with my words.

"It makes people better. I would also like to be in the same class and compare my progress with yours."

"Exactly! See, this is why we'll get along." I elbowed him "I refuse to be left behind."

"Yes," He chuckled, "I noticed. I... I also thought that more of the others would be..."

"Better?" I asked, watching him nod, being a bit shy, not wanting to sound so full of himself. But true, he was way ahead of everybody.

"What can I say? We are just too good!" I joked, kind of, right as we turned a corner where a vendor was roasting chestnuts, the scent making me slow down.

"Think we have time for another snack?"

"..." Stumbling once, Minato gave me a look that said we absolutely do not have time, nor would he want to.

"Right, right. Punctuality, responsible shinobi, yep, yep... Got it." I pursed my lips, falling into step beside him once again. A minute later, without further distractions, the Academy gates appeared ahead of us. There, dozens of kids had already gathered outside, buzzing with energy, just like I was. I hope this won't turn out to be boring... or too tricky.