Takuya decided not to bring Kushina into this situation; if Minato found out, he wouldn't know how to face her. It might even make him refuse to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Trying to get something out of this under a false pretense?

Forget it—I'd rather let Tsunade benefit from this than you.

"But why would Lady Tsunade give you a ninjutsu scroll? When did this happen? Why didn't I know about it?" Minato was even more confused.

Takuya casually flicked his silver hair back. "Obviously, it's because I'm handsome. Isn't that an easy question?"

Minato: "..."

Whether you're handsome or not, I can't say, but your thick skin is undeniable.

Whatever. The real question is, should I learn this jutsu or not?

Minato looked at Takuya, torn.

Takuya slapped him on the shoulder.

"Of course you should learn it! Why wouldn't you? The scroll's already been given to us; even if we don't learn it, the reward has been recorded. When we graduate, we'll have to pay it back through missions. Are you dumb?"

"Come on, let's ditch class and head to the river to practice. I'm sure the teacher will understand."

With that, Takuya decisively chose to skip class, dragging Minato along.

Minato thought about it for a moment, then followed Takuya over the school wall.

"You little punks!!"

When the teacher came into the classroom and saw the empty seats where Takuya and Minato should have been, his eye twitched.

Seriously? I just gave you the reward scroll, and you immediately skip class?

The Shadow Clone Jutsu was only a B-rank technique, not too difficult to master. It didn't take long for Takuya and Minato to get the hang of it.

"You go to class for me—I'm going to train." Takuya sent his shadow clone to attend class while he lounged at home.

Before, he had no choice but to sit in class. Now that he had a shadow clone, who wanted to sit there bored and sleepy?

When you have plenty of chakra, you can afford to be a little indulgent.

"If Minato knew I was sending a clone to class while I hid away to train, he'd probably be furious."

Takuya sat by the river where he usually trained, holding a grilled fish skewered on a branch, grinning mischievously.

The more time he spent with Minato, the more he noticed how Minato's worldview was shifting.

Minato, who once idolized the Third Hokage, was now showing less admiration, thanks to Takuya's influence.

What impact this would have in the future, Takuya couldn't say.

"So this is what you're using the Shadow Clone Jutsu for?"

Tsunade suddenly jumped out of the trees and landed in front of Takuya.

"How did you figure that out?" Takuya asked as he flipped the fish over.

"Seriously? Do you really think a shadow clone is the same as the real thing? I knew you had ulterior motives when you wanted to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and now I've caught you red-handed."

Tsunade sat down casually, her eyes fixed on the grilled fish in Takuya's hand, making it clear she wanted a bite.

"..."

You've got the bigger fists, so whatever you say goes.

Takuya handed her the grilled fish and started cooking another one.

Tsunade didn't hold back, taking big bites out of the fish. Watching her eat so heartily, Takuya couldn't help but worry she might choke on a bone.

"Did you need something from me, Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade wasn't the type to wander around aimlessly. If she had free time, she'd rather spend it sleeping in or enjoying herself at a casino.

"The old man wants Jiraiya and me to go see him."

"The Hokage?"

"Because of me?"

Takuya didn't think he was important enough for the Third Hokage to go out of his way.

"Because of you and that little Minato."

Tsunade didn't hide anything. She tossed the fish bones and stick aside, dusting off her hands as she spoke.

"The old man wants Jiraiya and me to become jōnin instructors."

Already?

There was still some time before this year's students graduated, so why was the Third Hokage assigning people so early?

Takuya didn't really care whose team he ended up on, as long as he was with Mikoto. If Minato was on the team too, that'd be great.

If not, it couldn't be helped.

As long as the instructor wasn't Orochimaru, Takuya could deal with it.

He really couldn't stand Orochimaru's mannerisms, especially when he'd flick out that long, forked tongue—it made Takuya's skin crawl.

"So, does that mean you'll be the instructor for Mikoto and me?"

"It's possible," Tsunade said, crossing her arms. "But it'd only be you—Mikoto Uchiha isn't being considered. After all, she's part of the Uchiha clan."

"Huh?"

Tsunade noticed Takuya's gaze shift and followed it, only to laugh in exasperation.

"Have you seen enough? Want to get a little closer? You'll get a better look that way."

"Ahem!"

Takuya coughed and rubbed his nose, embarrassed at getting caught sneaking a peek.

It seemed like Tsunade had gone through another growth spurt. Her chest had gotten noticeably larger since they last met just a month ago.

Takuya had glanced at her unintentionally, and now he'd been caught.

"What about Mikoto? Why isn't she included?" Takuya quickly changed the subject.

Mikoto had stayed back a year just for him; if they couldn't be on the same team, what was the point?

Tsunade looked at Takuya but didn't answer.

Takuya could already guess some of the reasons.

It was likely a decision made by the higher-ups, more specifically, the Third Hokage. It had nothing to do with Tsunade herself.

He couldn't blame her for it.

"If that's the case, then Mikoto and I will form our own team and find a suitable third member."

Graduates of the Ninja Academy typically fell into three categories. The first were those who graduated early.

After graduation, the village would assign them to a team, or they could find their own, though those teams were usually unstable.

Future Kakashi fell into this category, constantly changing teams because he couldn't get along with his teammates.

The second group was students who graduated with their peers and were placed in teams by the village, with a jōnin instructor assigned as their leader. The less skilled teams might get a chūnin instead.

The last group refused the village's team assignments and chose their own path.

If he couldn't be on the same team as Mikoto, Takuya would rather not accept the village's team assignment.

He'd prefer to team up with Mikoto on their own.

Takuya didn't believe that without a jōnin instructor, he'd starve.

At worst, they'd be a restricted two-person team. He'd take the chūnin exam as soon as possible; once he passed, all their problems would be solved.

A strong ninja could take on various missions alone, so a two-person team wouldn't be an issue.

And let's not forget, Mikoto was no slouch in terms of power.

A team with just Takuya and Mikoto would be stronger than most chūnin squads.

Since that was the case, why bother accepting the village's arrangement only to be split up?

"If we can't be on the same team, then Mikoto staying back a year and me skipping a grade will all have been for nothing. There's no need to discuss it further. After graduation, I'll team up with Mikoto, and as for Minato..."

It wouldn't be fair to drag Minato into this.

Even though Takuya was sure Minato would jump at the chance if he asked.

"I'll respect whatever choice he makes."

Tsunade frowned at him. "Are you really going to do this?"

"Yeah."

Takuya nodded. "I don't want to be separated from Mikoto, and I wouldn't feel right if she got placed on another team. If we can't be together, then I'll give it up. I choose to team up with Mikoto."