Naruto: Flash Reborn — Minato’s Second Life

When the morning sunlight fell upon Minato's face, he slowly regained consciousness after fainting.

He rose from the seat in the living room, lazily stretching before looking around with a trace of doubt in his deep blue eyes.

His condition last night had been worse than the previous time when he had lost too much blood—leaving him in a deeper unconsciousness.

Could completing the mission have caused him to relax mentally, unleashing all the fatigue he had accumulated over these past few days?

If that were the case, it still felt somewhat strange.

It was as if his body had been subtly changing for over a year now. Normally this manifested in rapid recovery, but even so, the speed at which his wounds healed this time surpassed anything before—Minato could feel it, despite not being a doctor.

Most importantly, after Junko Watanabe reminded him, Minato himself began to sense that his chakra felt… somehow subtly different from before.

Yet, he couldn't quite describe how.

"Hehe, you woke up early."

Just then, a familiar voice whispered by Minato's ear. Turning toward the sound, standing by the sunlit window, Sakumo was already there.

"You're up early too, Senior Sakumo."

Seeing the visitor, Minato didn't mind that he was still in pajamas with messy hair. He flashed to the window and pulled it open directly.

Then Minato stepped aside slightly, and in an instant, Sakumo materialized beside him.

"Did Lord Third Hokage agree to my request you delivered last night?" he asked eagerly.

After knowing each other for some time, this was the first time Sakumo saw Minato look so anxious. He hesitated briefly before answering, "Yes. Come see the Third now."

Delighted, Minato only just noticed his current appearance and let out an awkward chuckle. "Would you mind waiting here while I change?"

"Not at all," Sakumo nodded. Minato added an apology before quickly heading upstairs to his room.

A few minutes later, after tidying himself up, Minato rejoined Sakumo on their way to the Hokage Tower.

...

"Hey there, Minato! Long time no see. I heard the Ninja Academy is on break—you haven't been wandering around town lately."

As they walked through the streets of Konoha, the owner of a nearby barbecue restaurant called out. He knew Minato well, having been helped by him before; he recognized Sakumo too, though less closely.

"Yeah, I've just been busy with something," Minato replied with a light smile.

"It must be intense training, right? Remember to drop by my barbecue place when you're free—Uncle'll treat you to a full meal, on the house!"

The slightly overweight barbecue shop owner raised his arms, as if showing support for Minato's training.

"Thank you," Minato politely responded, as usual.

As they made their way toward the Hokage Tower, several others greeted Minato.

"You really get around, huh."

Sakumo smiled. Minato indeed had a unique quality about him that naturally drew people in.

If Jiraiya hadn't gotten to him first, he would have gladly taken this remarkably talented boy as his own disciple.

But Minato seemed not to have heard Sakumo's words, and the latter didn't interrupt him either. He appeared lost in thought.

...

"You go inside by yourself."

Before the Hokage Office, Sakumo departed on his own, just as the Third had previously instructed.

"Thank you," Minato said politely before pushing open the door and entering.

As soon as he walked in, he immediately bowed and knelt, saying, "Lord Third Hokage."

The Third raised his eyes and spoke with a warm smile. "Child, please get up. I heard you were injured during your mission? How serious was it?"

His voice carried genuine concern. Minato had been someone the Third valued from early on—a direct student of Jiraiya, making him the Third's great-disciple.

"It's already fine now. Thank you for your concern," Minato replied quickly while standing.

The Third gave him another smile before continuing, "I've already received reports from Junko Watanabe and Sakumo Hatake regarding your performance on the Land of Hot Springs mission. You did exceptionally well—far better than your teacher ever was back then."

While speaking to Minato, the Third showed no trace of the usual authority or distance expected of a Hokage.

"But without Master Jiraiya's teachings, I wouldn't have come this far."

Over the past year, although his teacher hadn't taught him many advanced techniques [jutsu], through the Chakra Aptitude Test and especially during the Land of Hot Springs mission, Minato came to understand how important those lessons truly were.

A ninja's true strength isn't just about how many techniques [jutsu] they know or how powerful those techniques are.

That's what his master always said—true ninjas are those who can endure what others can't and never give up.

Only those with such unwavering willpower could achieve true strength.

The Third's face softened again, clearly satisfied with Minato's answer.

As Hokage, what meant the most to him was passing down the Will of Fire—to his three direct pupils.

And now, among them, it was Jiraiya—the one who used to be his greatest headache—who successfully passed it on to the next generation.

Only through this could the Will of Fire, inherited from the First Hokage himself, continue to thrive endlessly.

Fire burns wherever the wind carries the leaves. It casts its shadow over the village, while also giving life to new growth.

This was the essence of the Will of Fire.

Now, Konoha had not only great shinobi like Jiraiya and Sakumo, but also promising inheritors like Minato and Nawaki. This was the kind of future he had hoped for.

"Lord Third... About what we discussed earlier..."

At this moment, Minato hesitated slightly as he spoke; naturally, he couldn't make a direct request of the Hokage.

The Third chuckled gently and said, "Don't worry, I remember."

"You performed impeccably throughout both the Chakra Aptitude Test and the Land of Hot Springs mission. You've proven yourself to me—and earned recognition from your comrades as well."

The Third smiled. He was fully aware of Junko Watanabe's behavior during her time in Anbu, and during last night's report, every time this young man was mentioned, her expression subtly shifted.

This was also the true reason why the Third had assigned her to this mission—not only because of her skills, but also because most Anbu tend to gradually shut off their inner feelings.

And the key to solving this... lies in comradeship.

You could really tell how kind and thoughtful the Third Hokage truly was.

Minato wasn't thrilled by the Third's words. Instead, he slowly clenched his fists.

The Third gave a light smile and said, "Therefore, after thorough evaluation, as of today, you have officially graduated from the Ninja Academy and are now recognized as a Konoha ninja."

...

...

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