Chapter 43: Shadow Clone, Shared Path

"I don't mind!" Kushina said, looking over at Minato. Although she still thought of him as a bit of a "yellow smear," they were friends now—and friends should respect each other's feelings.

"Oh?" Minato blinked, glancing at Gin. He hadn't expected such kindness. A child from a major clan… not acting arrogant, but instead offering friendship and help?

Gin watched quietly. Favorability up by 10—now it's 65.Not bad.

"There's nothing weird about it," Gin said with a calm smile. "We all train anyway—why not progress together? We're friends, right?"

Truthfully, even without personal gain, Gin didn't mind forming bonds with people like Minato. At least with him, there was no need to worry about schemes behind the scenes.

"But… I don't know the Shadow Clone technique. I won't learn that until after graduation," Minato said hesitantly. "Isn't that a problem?"

Gin waved it off. "Trifles! I believe in your potential, Minato. As an advance, I'll teach you Shadow Clone—and even a few useful ninjutsu. You can pay it back in the future, when you're strong, and when the village needs you."

He gave a sly smile. "So? Dare to accept the offer?"

Gin knew Minato might refuse out of humility, so he poked at his pride. A little provocation never hurt.

Minato's expression flickered, the challenge landing squarely. "You're bold."

Then, more quietly, "But… won't I owe you too much?"

He wasn't sure he could ever repay this. Gin seemed to believe in him more than he believed in himself.

"You'll repay it over time," Gin said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'm not worried—so why should you be?"

"Thank you, Gin."Minato's voice was full of something more than gratitude—it was the voice of someone whose heart had been reached for the first time. From now on, he thought, Gin is my best friend. Always.

Gin watched as Minato's favorability jumped—84 points.

Huh. That's fast. Can I form the soul contract now?He restrained the thought. Too soon. We've only just become friends—it would feel… transactional. Better to wait until I teach him the jutsu. Let goodwill take root first.

He gave Minato a nod. "Come on. Let's head to my place. First, I'll teach you Shadow Clone. Then we'll talk about the rest."

He turned to Kushina. "I'll see you later. Make sure to ask Lady Mito, but if she says no—don't push it, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah! Got it!" Kushina gave a quick wave and ran off, her red hair bouncing behind her.

"Let's go!" Minato said, bumping Gin lightly on the shoulder as they headed down the road.

The two boys passed through the Uchiha District. Along the way, clan members paused and stared, surprised to see Gin walking with someone outside the clan.

"Gin! You're back? Is that your friend?" someone called.

"Yes, Uncle Shius," Gin replied, smiling. "How's business?"

"All's well! I finish up today. Tomorrow we open the new clan pharmacy—I'm helping manage it."

"Oh? It's opening already?" Gin's eyes sparkled with interest. He'd been making medicine two hours a day, but hadn't expected his mother to move so fast. Looks like I need to pick up the pace. Might not be enough to meet demand.

Transferring production to others had proven tricky—most of the medicines required rare materials like Sea King meat, and a high level of pharmaceutical skill.

I need to start training proper pharmacists… or build a production line.

Later, on the Uchiha training grounds, Gin explained the Shadow Clone technique in full. Step by step. Slowly. Clearly.

Then, he demonstrated.

Minato nodded seriously and began training.

Gin watched him succeed on the second try.

"I knew I wasn't wrong about you," Gin said, clapping his shoulder again.

"Heh… nah. You're just a good teacher," Minato grinned, slightly embarrassed.

"Keep practicing. Once you've got it solid, we'll wrap up for today."

Minato ran through the technique four or five more times, his clones becoming increasingly stable.

When he was done, Gin gave him a nod of approval. "You've got it. You can train harder tomorrow. As for joint training—I'll swing by after things are settled with Kushina. For now, I'll walk you back."

"No need," Minato said cheerfully. As they reached the edge of the Uchiha district, he paused and bowed slightly. "Thanks again, Gin! See you tomorrow!"

And with that, he turned and jogged off into the sunset.

Gin chuckled, hands in his pockets. "That's the guy…"

Back home, Gin created three Shadow Clones:

One to study fuuinjutsu (sealing techniques)

One to refine chakra control and pressure techniques

One to train ninjutsu

The real Gin teleported to the Pirate World—specifically, to where Mikoto was—resuming their efforts to awaken Observation Haki.

According to Hikari, Haki could only be awakened in the Pirate World. The conditions simply didn't exist in the shinobi world.

Gin had his theories—likely something about differing world rules—but once awakened, Haki could be trained and improved anywhere.

Their training method was… unique.

Snowball fights.

Fast, unpredictable, and painful.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The sound of snowballs ripping through the air echoed through the air, occasionally followed by—

"Ow!""Argh!"

Mikoto's mother, who had been enjoying a rare moment of peace in the house, frowned and shook her head in resignation.

What sin did I commit to deserve two maniacs like them?

But outside, Gin and Mikoto were lost in the rhythm of movement, snow, and sharp eyes—completely immersed in the game that was slowly forging warriors.