“Alright, Hiro, you’re not leaving this classroom, until every single speck of dust is removed, I don't care how late you stay here, begin by clapping the erasers, I’ll be checking how thorough you were tomorrow morning. Maybe you will learn your lesson and not interrupt the Hokage during his speech!” Yuto sensei spat out before turning and leaving, not forgetting to slam the sliding door shut to display his displeasure.

“Totally worth it,” Hiro said to nobody as he began cleaning. This was a worthy price to pay to have such a cool interaction with one of his favorite characters. He only hoped that there wouldn’t be any lasting effect due to the conversation, but he doubted it. Naruto would still be prophesied to bring balance no matter what he did. At least he hoped so, he didn’t plan on taking any more opportunities to mess with anything canon-related. Unless the benefits were too good to resist of course.

“Even in fiction kids do this?” Hiro sighed as he scraped the last bit of gum off of the final desk: another reminder that he wasn’t in fiction any longer, but real life. Kids will be kids, he never understood it. Why not throw gum in the trash? Were they saving it for later?

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He started the long trek back to his apartment as the sun was going down on his back with a reddish hue. He glanced to his right down the dark alleyway and quickly did a double take as something caught his attention. One second there was nothing, then like a flash, a man appeared right at the entrance of the alley, causing Hiro to fall on his butt.

“Where did you come from!?” Hiro stammered as he looked up at the man.

“Don’t you know? I can be everywhere.” Minato said as he chuckled and helped the boy to his feet.

“Well, um what do you need?” Hiro asked as sweat ran down his forehead. Did he make too big of an impression? Why is the fourth Hokage seeking him out?

“I'm just here to talk, we can walk while we talk. As you were,” Minato said before they started walking towards Hiro’s apartment. Nobody was walking the streets at this time due to the sun going down and the area of town they were in, else the Hokage would have been swarmed.

“I got in trouble because of that conversation y’know?”

‘Y’know? This boy kind of has an attitude like Kushina.’ Minato noted mentally with a smile.

“I can see that.” Minato nodded to the white chalk dust covering Hiro’s new jacket.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Aw, man I just bought this.”

“Haha”

Minato continued making casual conversation until they reached the door to Hiro’s apartment.

‘What does he want? I wish he would stop beating around the bush with this small talk! I am gonna have a heart attack!’ Hiro thought as he looked at the blonde man, wondering what to do next.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Minato asked with that ever-persistent smile on his face.

“Sure.” Hiro fumbled around his pocket for the key before opening the door.

‘Hmm, pretty clean place for a child.’ Minato observed as he walked inside, where he sat down on a stool at the counter, as Hiro directed.

“Sorry, I don’t have tea. Tastes gross.” Hiro sat a glass of water before Minato.

Minato took a sip of water and spoke, “I can see that you’re a big fan of fuinjutsu.” He looked around and noticed papers covered in symbols strewn across the coffee table.

“Yeah, seals are kinda my passion, but the academy doesn’t teach them, and finding material is next to impossible for me. I don't have a clan or anything to back me, so I’ve just been practicing with regular ink and brush.” Hiro answered.

“Hehe I’ve been there, it sure does make things harder without a guide doesn’t it?”

‘He reminds me a lot of myself at his age, no parents, no clan, no kekkai genkai, yet I can feel his hunger for growth. I can tell by talking to him that he’s wise beyond his years.’ Minato thought.

“Sure does, but I believe that it leaves more room for creative freedom that way.” Hiro countered.

“You have a bright future kid, train hard, have guts, and you're gonna go places.” Minato smiled as he ruffled the hair that the boy had set meticulously to his liking before swiftly warping out of existence, scaring the crap out of Hiro.

‘What was the point of that!? Minato is going to give me a heart attack, he’s probably already marked my apartment so he can pop in anytime he wants to scare the crap outta me!’ Hiro screamed internally just in case the man was around somehow.

“But he wouldn’t do that, right? Who am I? I’m a small fry background character.” Hiro said matter of factly.

Hiro inspected the glass that Minato drank out of thoroughly as if it were a magical artifact. Surely he could sell this glass of water for at least 100,000 ryo. Wait, the price will definitely appreciate tenfold after his death! He could sell this to a fangirl for an indirect kiss. Probably not the best idea, considering that Kushina would kill him if she were to see that being advertised.

“I gotta get my money up, this is too sad to even think about.”

Hiro cleared his mind and started searching his apartment like a madman. Starting with the counter to the stools, to every single possession he had.

--------

.

“ARGH! I know for a fact he placed a flying raijin mark somewhere, I just know it!” Hiro said as he began toppling the couch over to check the bottom.

After four days of searching his apartment, and even attempting to skip the academy one of those days—before Yuto sensei knocked on his door and dragged him there—he finally found it.

“I knew I wasn’t crazy, so It was here all along?!” Hiro exclaimed as he was peering at a random page in the hardware instructions book for his fridge. The book was under his fridge which was flush to the ground. In order to reach under, he used a crowbar and a block of wood. Was it crazy to even think of doing that? Yes. Was it worth it? Also yes.

“What kind of sorcery is this!? The dust hasn’t been disturbed on this book, and I didn’t take my eyes off of him while he was here!” Hiro said in astonishment as he gazed at the small, rectangular-shaped, compact string of seals that resembled the flying raijin marker on the page.

“Now that I think about it, he teleports all over the village, but nobody sees these seals littering the place. He must have gotten good at hiding them in a pinch.”