"Whoa, whoa, whoa—hold on!"
Jiraiya quickly pulled Uchiha Kaien aside, clearly trying to bribe him again.
But Kaien suddenly smiled, his soft, almost lilting voice making Jiraiya blurt out how adorable he sounded.
"I was just messing with you, Jiraiya-sama. This is Minato's chance to become Hokage one day. Of course I'll support him becoming your student."
[Affection from Jiraiya +2]
Jiraiya gave Kaien an approving look.
This kid from the Uchiha clan was really something. No wonder he was called a genius—he was already thinking about his friends at this age. On top of that, he had the classic Uchiha good looks.
If Hiruzen hadn't told him ahead of time that this little one was a boy, he would've definitely gotten it wrong. That delicate face and noble aura left other kids in the dust.
When he wasn't speaking, Kaien had a quiet, serene demeanor that drew your eyes in. Hopefully little Minato wouldn't get too dazzled by this pretty Uchiha…
"Hey, hey, Jiraiya. You're really starting to look like some shady old man luring kids with candy."
Tsunade stepped out of the bushes at some point.
Her long, pale legs drew the eye immediately, while her slim waist made you wonder if it could even support the weight of her generous bust. Her golden hair was tied into a ponytail, bouncing with her every movement.
Her red lips curved into a faint smile—bold, confident.
"I've already chased off the ninja who came over after seeing that Fire Style jutsu."
"That's a relief. If we really got caught, our reputations would be toast," Jiraiya said, wiping sweat from his forehead that wasn't actually there.
If they slapped a "child abduction" label on him, he'd never live it down in Konoha.
"Yo, kid. You're pretty cute, aren't you?"
Tsunade didn't know why, but the moment she laid eyes on Kaien, she was struck with the urge to scoop him up and squish him silly.
"Tsunade-sama," Kaien greeted her with a slight bow.
He'd been looking forward to this for a while—finally meeting one of the big fish of the ninja world. If he could build a good relationship with this walking treasure chest, the benefits would be endless.
...
"Minato, become my student."
Jiraiya spoke with full confidence. "With your talent, if I take you under my wing, you'll definitely reach your full potential."
Minato turned back to look at Kaien.
Kaien gave him a small nod.
"Jiraiya-sama might have a... reputation, but there's no doubt about his strength. He's also the Third Hokage's student, so there's no way he's weak."
Hearing that, Minato finally nodded.
Just being the Third Hokage's disciple was proof enough of Jiraiya's status. Becoming his student would drastically shorten the long, hard path to Hokage.
Effort was one thing, but effort backed by the right connections? That was a whole different game.
And after today...
Originally, he just wanted to get stronger. But after this whole chaotic "training arc," Minato realized how far he still had to go.
He was too weak.
That helplessness... he never wanted to feel it again.
This time had just been a test. But what if, next time, it was a real attack from another village? He and Kaien could be in serious danger. Without power, he couldn't do anything—couldn't protect anyone.
"Then... I'll be in your care, Jiraiya-sensei. Please teach me well."
Minato bowed sincerely.
Kaien was happy for his friend. Just like in the original timeline, Jiraiya had taken Minato as his student. His own presence hadn't disrupted that.
Looks like Hiruzen was still pretty open-minded at this stage.
Or maybe it was because Uchiha Kagami was still alive—Danzo hadn't yet turned hostile toward the Uchiha clan.
From the original body's memories, Kaien knew he'd seen Kagami before. That meant he was still alive now.
At this point, the Uchiha and Konoha were still on good terms. The conflict and tension from the original timeline hadn't surfaced yet.
"Jiraiya-sensei, can Kaien become a student too? He's even more talented than I am."
Minato didn't forget to speak up for his best friend even after getting his own master.
"This kid, huh... I think Orochimaru might be more interested in him. Right, Orochimaru?"
"You're not wrong, Jiraiya." Orochimaru stepped forward, his voice smooth. "Uchiha Kaien, how about becoming my student? If you do... any jutsu you want to learn, I'll teach it to you~"
Orochimaru knew how to tempt people.
Unlike Jiraiya, who offered vague promises, Orochimaru went straight for the bait—jutsu. He understood how much young kids yearned to learn ninjutsu. Most wouldn't be able to resist that offer.
But that wasn't the only thing.
After reading Kaien's intel, Orochimaru's curiosity had only grown.
Like himself, Kaien had lost both parents at age five. And yet, he didn't collapse under grief. The boy was mentally strong—very strong.
Whenever Orochimaru looked at him, he saw a reflection of his younger self.
Back then, it was Hiruzen-sensei who guided him.
Now... was it his turn to guide this child?
Time really was a strange thing.
"Come with me. Become the wind that turns the windmill. There's still so much of this world we haven't seen. Child... would you like to see it with me?"
Orochimaru's tone was calm and coaxing.
At this point, he was still an ambitious youth. His Will of Fire still burned bright. He genuinely wanted to do something for Konoha.
"More than the jutsu, I think I admire Orochimaru-sensei's aura. If I become your student, I'm sure I'll learn a lot of valuable things."
"Become the wind? I'm curious to see what kind of windmill I'll be able to turn, Orochimaru-sensei."
"Haha, Kaien, you really are my kind of student."
Orochimaru grinned. "Your intellect and your... adorable looks are both ten times better than that idiot Jiraiya."
His pale hand gently took hold of Kaien's small but plump hand.
And somehow, despite his usual eerie smile, Orochimaru gave off a warm, spring-like feeling in that moment.
[Affection from Orochimaru +2]
"This is awesome, Kaien! Now we both have teachers!"
Minato beamed. He was genuinely happy for Kaien.
Now, they could grow stronger—together.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo