Chapter 22: Fugaku! I Like You!

"What? Minato, what did you bet with Kazuyama?"

Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, perked up at the mention of a bet. He had an unusual fascination with wagers, largely because his secret love, Tsunade, was a notorious gambler.

"Sensei, I…" Minato's face turned red in an instant. It was clear the terms of the bet were highly inappropriate.

"Hahaha! Minato, remember what you said to me back then? If I ever got myself a Sensei, you'd go and confess your love to Fugaku Uchiha!" Kazuyama laughed, giving Minato a hearty pat on the shoulder.

Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected the stakes of their bet to be so outrageous—and so in line with the reckless boldness of teenagers. But Fugaku Uchiha?

The strongest young Uchiha of the generation, and likely the future clan head? What was Kazuyama thinking, pushing Minato to confess to him?

"You don't get it, Lord Jiraiya," Kazuyama explained with a grin that stretched ear to ear. "Fugaku Uchiha is the strongest young Uchiha out there. He's definitely worthy of Minato!"

Meanwhile, Minato was wearing a strained smile. It was true that Fugaku was an impressive figure, but he was also a guy! If Minato actually went through with this, Fugaku would probably activate his Sharingan and hunt him down.

"Kazuyama, can we renegotiate this bet? You know Fugaku and I are on good terms," Minato pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation. "If I confess my love to him, he'll kill me!"

Minato's face darkened as he imagined Fugaku chasing him down with deadly precision. Despite his reservations, Minato was always a man of his word—and a bet was a bet.

"Kazuyama, can't we change it? I'll give you some secret ninjutsu instead," he offered, clearly grasping at straws.

Jiraiya, seeing his student in such an awkward position, couldn't resist stepping in. "Hey, Kazuyama, let's be reasonable here. Just take the ninjutsu and let the kid off the hook," he said with a slight frown.

But Kazuyama wouldn't budge. The memory of Minato spilling everything to Kushina—and the subsequent week of merciless beatings—was still fresh. That had been an entire week of bruises, and Kazuyama had been so battered he couldn't even leave his house.

No, this was his moment for revenge.

"Hmph! A real man keeps his word!" Minato declared resolutely, clearly resigned to his fate. Without hesitation, he started running toward the village.

Kazuyama burst into laughter and followed him, leaving Jiraiya standing there, speechless.

For some reason, Jiraiya couldn't shake the feeling that ever since these two had met, Minato had slowly but surely been led astray.

…

At this time, the Uchiha Clan's situation in Konohagakure wasn't as dire as it would eventually become. Their residence was still centrally located within the village. However, due to their large numbers, the Uchiha compound was positioned slightly farther out than the Gekkō Clan's area, which only housed two members.

Soon enough, Minato and Kazuyama arrived at the Uchiha residence, their eyes scanning for Fugaku. After considerable searching, they finally located him.

Unfortunately for Fugaku, he was surrounded by a group of young Uchiha, all eagerly chattering and vying for his attention.

Kazuyama found the situation absolutely hilarious, while Minato, standing frozen beside him, looked utterly helpless.

"Go on, Minato! Show me your courage!" Kazuyama said with a mischievous laugh before shoving Minato forward. At the same time, he activated the Transparent Escape Technique and vanished from sight.

"I'll be watching, hahaha! Go on!" Kazuyama's voice echoed in Minato's ears, despite his invisibility.

Minato took a deep breath, forcing himself to muster what courage he could. Then, he took a determined step forward. For a brief moment, even Kazuyama was impressed—it really did feel like watching a brave warrior heading into battle, never to return.

Fugaku, a few years older than both Minato and Kazuyama, had progressed quickly since graduation. Now the squad leader of the Uchiha guard unit, he had earned considerable respect within his clan.

Meanwhile, Minato, a rising star among the younger generation, had established a reputation for exceptional talent. The two had engaged in numerous private sparring matches, and over time, their rivalry had transformed into a solid friendship.

As for the wager? That was entirely Kazuyama's doing.

Even now, Kazuyama couldn't stop his wild imagination. He envisioned a distant future where Minato's son and Fugaku's son would fall in love, only for their tragic fates to lead them to kill one another. The idea of their fathers sharing an awkward, ill-fated bond as a result was enough to send Kazuyama into a fit of mental laughter.

Just picturing himself one day introducing his future self to Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha:

Kazuyama Gekkō: Hmm! I was a witness to your fathers' love story.

The sheer absurdity of it made Kazuyama want to burst out laughing.

Hold it in! You must hold it in!

"Kazuyama, you're downright wicked, you know that? Minato's a good guy, and Fugaku's not bad either."

"And yet, you told Minato to confess his feelings? You're really out here causing chaos for both of them!"

"Tsk, tsk, I have to admit—you're a terrible person."

"But honestly? I love it!"

"Now hurry up and get me some insect snacks. I need something to munch on while I watch the show!"

Kazuyama laughed and quickly pulled a bottle from his pocket, taking out a number of insects and pressing them against his chest. As his chakra surged, the insects were sealed and absorbed. This was how he had been feeding Chōmei. Using the gaps in Fūinjutsu, he threw the insects in.

The scene shifted back to Minato.

By now, Minato was almost in front of Fugaku. Fugaku, noticing his good friend, greeted him warmly.

"Yo, Minato! Long time no see. Why are you at the Uchiha camp? Is there something you need from me?"

The young men around Fugaku eyed Minato with a touch of seriousness. As contemporaries, they all knew the fame of the genius Minato.

"Um... that..."

Minato hesitated, torn on how to begin. The thought of Kazuyama lurking nearby, invisibly enjoying the spectacle, made him feel both frustrated and exasperated.

Why did he make that stupid bet with that jerk?

Hey, hey, hey! This is all because of my shallow thinking. I can't even blame anyone else.

"What's wrong, Minato? Why are you stammering? Just say what's on your mind! If I can help, I definitely will."

Fugaku assumed Minato needed help with something and felt quite pleased. To him, being asked for help was a sign of trust and recognition—something Uchiha valued deeply as proof of their strength.

"I..."

Minato felt like his voice was going to give out. Gritting his teeth, he finally yelled:

"Fugaku, I like you!"

The words had barely left his mouth when he suddenly felt a push from behind. Losing his balance, he stumbled forward.

In the next instant, Minato, with his yellow hair, found himself in Fugaku's arms.

Fugaku: ??? What's going on?

Minato: Kazuyama! I'm going to kill you!