Naruto Card King

The unexpected scream grabbed everyone's attention. At the school gate, a little red-haired girl pointed a trembling finger at Haruto Saito and Minato Namikaze, her hair practically standing on end from sheer rage.

"It's him! He's the one who dumped noodles on my head! That bastard! And he still dares to show his face in front of me?! Catch him! Catch him!!" Uzumaki Kushina shrieked hysterically.

She didn't even need to see Haruto's face—just recognizing the black cloak from behind was enough for her to identify him.

"How dare he bully Kushina!"

"Get him!"

"Don't let him escape!"

The students at the school gate were instantly riled up. Kushina's status at the ninja academy had drastically changed from when she was initially bullied and mocked. Now, a single shout from her could rally a whole mob of students charging toward Haruto.

Haruto glanced back at Kushina and muttered, "Annoying brat," before grabbing Minato Namikaze and darting into a nearby forest. Within moments, they had vanished from sight.

The students chasing him were all from the ninja academy—there was no way they could keep up. By the time they reached the edge of the forest, Haruto had already disappeared. They had no choice but to give up the pursuit.

Except for Uzumaki Kushina.

She clenched her little fists and charged headlong into the woods, unwilling to let it go.

Just then, Tsunade flickered behind her and scooped her up into her arms, chuckling. "My little darling, what did he do this time? Why are you so mad?"

"Aunt Tsunade! It was him! It was him!!" Kushina fumed, frantically waving her arms. "He always bullies me! The other day, he even dumped a bowl of noodles on my head! Everyone saw it! It was so embarrassing..."

"Alright, alright, I get it." Tsunade ruffled Kushina's hair with a teasing grin. "I'll help you get revenge. But not now—Grandma wants to see you. We're having dinner at her place."

Kushina was still panting in anger, her eyes filled with frustration. She stole one last glare in the direction Haruto had run off before looking back at Tsunade, pouting. "Then… Aunt Tsunade, you have to keep your word! You have to punish that big pervert for me!"

"Hmm!" Tsunade nodded with a mischievous smile, taking Kushina's little hand. "Come on, Grandma's waiting for us."

Still sulking, Kushina kicked a small rock on the ground, sending it flying. As she walked, she kept glancing back toward the forest, her irritation lingering.

Tsunade, holding Kushina's hand, also took a quick look in the direction Haruto had run. Then, she suddenly asked, "Kushina, that… um, big pervert… the boy he took with him—do you know him?"

Kushina looked up at her, then nodded grumpily. "Yeah, we're in the same class."

"Oh? Your classmate? What's his name?"

"That sissy," Kushina huffed. "I've told you about him before."

"You mean… Minato Namikaze?"

"Yeah, that sissy!"

Tsunade blinked in surprise. She actually knew of Minato Namikaze—not personally, but he had a bit of a reputation. Every generation at the ninja academy had a few standout talents, and Minato was one of them.

More importantly, though, Kushina had talked about him before!

Tsunade often asked about her school life, and Kushina had once mentioned Minato Namikaze in particular. She had complained that he was too delicate, almost like a girl, with his fair skin and gentle features. To make things worse, he was obsessively clean and rarely fought with others.

Despite being labeled a genius, Minato didn't like to spar. He always carried himself with an aloof, superior attitude, refusing to engage in fights. And if someone tried to push him into one? He would just report them to the teachers.

Snitching to the teachers—an unforgivable sin in the school's social hierarchy.

Among students, there were unwritten rules: fights happened in places where teachers couldn't see, and challenges were either accepted or conceded. Reporting to the teachers was the ultimate betrayal, and those who did so were outcasts.

Because of this, Minato Namikaze was widely considered a coward. Despite his talent, he was seen as timid, overly clean, and a tattle-tale. That's how he had earned the nickname "sissy."

Kushina had always looked down on Minato. She was a dominant force in the school, often leading the charge in group fights.

But that wasn't the important part.

Tsunade didn't really care what kind of person Minato was. He was just a kid still studying at the ninja academy. Every year, so-called "genius" students appeared, but very few of them actually became true powerhouses. Most ended up as regular jōnin after ten or twenty years of training.

What really intrigued Tsunade was—why was Haruto Saito looking for Minato Namikaze?

When had they even met?

What was Haruto planning?

An Unlikely Meeting

Busy Market District – Senmi Guesthouse

It was a mid-tier restaurant, not particularly grand, with only three floors. But it was clean and well-maintained.

Haruto led Minato up to the second floor, choosing a seat by the window. Minato, sitting across from him, was unnaturally composed for his age. Unlike most kids who would glance around in curiosity, he sat still, his movements measured and quiet.

Haruto called a waiter over, ordered food, then handed the menu to Minato. The boy took it without hesitation and selected his favorite dishes.

After the waiter left, both of them instinctively reached for napkins and wiped down the table in front of them.

Then, they looked at each other.

Neither of them spoke.

Apparently, they both thought the table wasn't clean enough.

"You're not curious?" Haruto chuckled. "About that brat yelling at me just now?"

Minato shook his head but then added, "I've heard a few things. Apparently, Lord Haruto once… harassed her."

"Uh… That was a misunderstanding!" A black line appeared on Haruto's forehead. This kid was way too blunt.

"I thought so too," Minato replied evenly. "I don't believe Lord Haruto would do something like that."

"Good kid!" Haruto grinned. "You don't believe in baseless rumors. That means my reputation is still intact."

"I don't know much about Lord Haruto's reputation," Minato said matter-of-factly. "But I do believe that Lady Tsunade wouldn't let someone who actually harassed Kushina live this long."

Haruto twitched. This kid really had a sharp tongue.

"Lord Haruto, is there a reason you're looking for me?" Minato asked directly.

"I just wanted to meet you," Haruto replied with a smile. "I heard you're a genius, and I feel like we have a lot in common. For example, we both like cleanliness."

"Oh." Minato nodded but didn't say anything else.

"So, you and that brat—Kushina—you're classmates, right?" Haruto asked.

"Mm." Minato hummed in agreement.

"How's your relationship with her?" Haruto continued. He was genuinely curious. After all, in the original timeline, Minato and Kushina would eventually become husband and wife.