After dinner, Shin took Minato to a training ground.
On the training ground, Minato was earnestly showing off the results of his recent training in front of a wooden post. Sometimes he would create distance and throw shuriken; other times, he would dash in close and execute a combo of melee techniques on the wooden dummy.
Shin, however, sat idly on the side, occasionally pretending to watch with interest. But in truth, all of his attention was focused on Minato, carefully sensing every detail of his movements.
After half an hour, Minato stopped demonstrating and walked over to Shin, proudly saying, "I'm awesome, right?"
"Haha, yeah, awesome, really awesome!" Shin said with a smile, patting Minato's head and not holding back his praise.
Kakashi's father, Sakumo, who was secretly monitoring Shin, only observed this familiar scene from a distance, sensing nothing unusual.
Back in the bedroom, Shin's expression turned serious, which made Minato's heart skip a beat. Without wasting time, he took out a sheet of paper and started writing. When he finished, he handed it to Minato, who took the paper and read it carefully.
After reading for a long while, his eyes grew brighter. He nodded firmly and started writing on the remaining space. To outsiders, it appeared as if Shin had never trained in ninjutsu. But in reality, his mind had never stopped thinking about ninjutsu for even a second while he was awake.
So, in terms of theoretical knowledge and understanding of ninjutsu principles, there were few in the entire shinobi world who could match him.
Under his guidance, Minato's talent and strength were developing at a pace far beyond the normal timeline.
This written form of communication was his unique way of instructing Minato, and the only method he dared to use.
Just to be safe, they didn't use the standard writing system of the ninja world, but instead used cryptography that only the two of them understood.
One had to admit, Shin truly racked his brain to repay the kindness of the Namikaze couple who raised him. Of course, he also used Minato as a way to test many of his own ideas, a win-win situation.
After exchanging writings for a while, Minato wrote: [I've run into a problem practicing the Chakra Body-Enhancement Technique you taught me.]
[Tell me in detail.]
Minato took out a diagram of the pressure points and pointed to three of them. Then he wrote: [When the chakra passes through these three points, it gets stuck.]
[Activate the technique right now. Let me sense it.]
After sensing carefully for a while, Shin smiled and wrote: [It's because your chakra reserves are still too low and can't break through the pressure points. This problem will disappear in at most six months. When that happens, your physical strength will get a big boost.]
Smiling and nodding hard, Minato tore the paper into pieces and flushed them down the toilet. And so, their exchange came to an end for the day.
Shin was used to it. But Minato felt a pang in his heart every time. His brother had done nothing wrong, had incredible talent, and his understanding of ninjutsu was far beyond that of their Academy teachers.
So why wasn't he allowed to train? Why did the Hokage have to assign people to watch him all the time?
Shin's explanation was: Maybe it's because I'm too talented… and I'm from the Uchiha clan.
Minato didn't buy that. He only wanted to become strong as fast as possible, so his brother could train without fear, and live freely.
That was why he wanted to become Hokage, and was willing to give it everything he had. Because only if he became Hokage could all of this change.
To outsiders, Shin and Minato were not biological brothers.
But from the moment Minato could remember, Shin had always been his older brother, one who had treated him better than even a real sibling.
Shin didn't know what Minato was thinking. And even if he did, he would only laugh it off. He had no intention of placing hope in a child who wasn't even seven years old. If he wanted freedom and the ability to train, he had to save himself.
Right now, the only thing troubling him was, if he escaped, how could he ensure it wouldn't affect the Namikaze family?
Faking his death to get away?
---
Early the next morning, Shin went to the hospital as usual. But as soon as he stepped into his office and saw the person inside, he quickly backed out and looked up at the door number.
"What are you hiding for?"
Before he could turn around and run, a hand grabbed his collar and yanked him into the office.
"Why are you running when you see me?" Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, fuming.
"Can't I even go to the bathroom?" Shin would never admit he was trying to flee.
"No, you can't!"
"Do you have to be so unreasonable? You barbaric creature, baboon, gorilla, monkey, caveman..."
"Shut up!" Tsunade roared, cutting him off the moment she heard that all-too-familiar string of insults.
She honestly didn't know how she'd survived the past five years. If not for her competitive streak and her unwillingness to accept defeat, she never would've come back to deal with this guy again.
But now? She'd somehow gotten used to the way he insulted her!
One had to admit, habit was a terrifying thing.
Realizing he couldn't escape, Shin sat down in his chair in defeat, grumbling, "What do you want this time? Hurry up and say it so you can leave."
"Of course, I came to continue our competition!"
"Can't you just give it a rest?" Shin instantly lost his temper. "I already admitted defeat! What more do you want?"
"This is how you treat your savior?" Seeing Shin finally lose his cool, Tsunade felt a sense of petty satisfaction and teased him.
"Savior?" Shin replied perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, from now on, you're my savior. I'm so grateful. So grateful, in fact, that you better leave now, because I don't think you can handle the way I express gratitude."
But just as he finished speaking, the office door opened. Two men came in carrying a desk, placing it directly across from Shin's.
Then the hospital director walked in, personally carrying a cushioned chair, which he placed behind the newly set-up desk.
"Lady Tsunade, this will be your desk from now on," the director said respectfully.
Tsunade sat down without hesitation, throwing Shin a smug, challenging look.
Shin was stunned. What the hell was going on here?
"I get it now." Shin quickly came to his senses, grabbed a pen and paper, and said to the director, "Hold on, don't leave yet. I'm going to write my resignation letter right now."
Tsunade snatched the paper and ripped it to pieces.
"What the hell are you playing at?" Shin was genuinely confused now, he had no idea what she was up to.
He could tell that she would be working at the Konoha Hospital from now on, and in the same office as him. But how had it come to this?
Sensing that things were about to get ugly, the hospital director quickly made his escape, even kindly closing the door behind him as he left.
"So, the Hokage is assigning you to monitor me now?" Shin asked cautiously, guessing one possible explanation.