Chapter 5: The Sudden Arrival of a “Little Follower”

With his two small, fair hands folded, Yuanye strode forward on his little legs. Behind him, Tomoko kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings. Though they were in the village and nothing untoward should happen, she remained dutiful as ever.

Suddenly, Yuanye noticed a crowd gathered outside a shop ahead. “Heh, looks like there’s some excitement,” he chuckled to himself, tugging Tomoko as he squeezed into the throng.

After much effort, he finally made his way inside. Yuanye couldn’t help but curse the villagers of Konoha in his heart: “Of all things to learn, why did they pick up the Celestial Empire’s love of gathering to watch a spectacle?” Of course, he seemed to have forgotten how eagerly he’d just pushed his way in himself.

“I didn’t steal anything, you’re accusing me unfairly! This kunai is mine; I bought it myself…!” Just as his dizzy head reached the center of the crowd, Yuanye heard a fierce argument break out.

“Oh, it’s just a case of catching a thief in the street. All that squeezing for nothing,” he grumbled and was about to leave when a small voice caught his attention. Yuanye would later reflect on this moment, wondering what made him stop. Was it the dazzling flash of gold beneath the streetlamp?

He saw a small boy with golden hair surrounded by a group of children. The boy looked about the same age as Yuanye, dressed in a faded gray t-shirt and shorts, though undeniably adorable.

The children encircling him were all around five or six, with black hair and eyes, blue t-shirts, white shorts, and each shirt adorned with the Uchiha clan’s fan crest. Yuanye couldn’t help but mock the Uchiha clan’s sense of style—unchanged for decades!

He couldn’t say why, but when he watched the anime years ago, he’d thought this t-shirt, worn by the legendary “Second Pillar” for dozens of episodes, looked pretty good. Now, suddenly, he found it hideous. Perhaps it was just that these Uchiha brats were so annoying? Yuanye wasn’t sure.

“We of the Uchiha clan are in charge of Konoha’s police force. We suspect you of stealing, so you did it. Come with us for questioning,” declared the leader, a sharp-featured Uchiha boy with a proud tilt to his lower lip, hands on hips, exuding authority.

A skinny monkey-like child behind him, eager to prove his loyalty, spat, “Yeah, move it! How dare you resist Boss Fugaku! I’ll beat you to a pulp!” With that, he grabbed the golden-haired boy’s collar and pushed hard.

But the golden-haired boy, though small and thin, moved with surprising agility. Instead of being knocked down, he sidestepped neatly, causing the Uchiha boy to topple to the ground himself.

“Wah… Boss, he hit me! Wah…” the fallen child wailed, face smeared with dust, crawling up and spitting out a tooth as he cried.

Yuanye ignored the unfortunate kid, instead glancing at the leader. “Uchiha Fugaku? He does look like someone with a heavy fate,” Yuanye mused, nodding as he mentally checked off another famously strong-blooded character.

“Get him! How dare he defy the Uchiha clan! Beat him!” At Fugaku’s command, the Uchiha boys swarmed the golden-haired child.

Unbelievable—the nerve of someone to resist the Uchiha so openly! It was practically an affront to heaven.

The golden-haired boy was nimble, dodging and even landing blows, knocking down two attackers. But his two fists were no match for so many hands, and before long, he was battered and bruised.

The sight brought back memories for Yuanye, memories of being bullied as a child in the orphanage in his previous life—no one had ever helped him then. He could only curl up and take the beating, plotting his revenge in secret afterward.

“Tomoko, let’s help him,” Yuanye shouted, charging into the fray.

He unleashed every trick he’d honed in countless childhood brawls—Monkey Steals the Peach, the infamous low kick, a slap to the kidneys, a stomp to the toes—taking down four or five Uchiha boys as he fought his way to the golden-haired child lying on the ground.

With a well-timed Thousand Years of Pain, he brought Uchiha Fugaku to his knees, then grabbed the golden-haired boy and ran.

Tomoko, for her part, simply shielded Yuanye and the boy, never needing to strike. After all, with her top-graduate skills from the ninja academy, these children wouldn’t last a second against her.

Pulling the little boy with him, Yuanye dashed for the Hyuga clan’s compound. He had just knocked down Fugaku, son of the Uchiha clan head and likely next in line—if they called their parents, things could get ugly.

Sure enough, just as the three reached the gate, Yuanye blinked and suddenly found several fierce-looking young men blocking their path. They, too, had black hair and eyes, but wore green Konoha vests and forehead protectors.

“How dare you! You actually struck the Uchiha clan head’s son!” shouted one of the young men, lunging to seize them.

Tomoko reacted instantly, drawing a kunai and stepping in front of Yuanye and the golden-haired boy.

“Take them to the police department, and notify the Hyuga clan to collect their people,” ordered their leader, advancing on Tomoko as his men closed in.

This was bad!

Yuanye knew immediately: if they were taken to the Uchiha police department now, he’d be in for a beating!

Without hesitation, he unleashed the ultimate secret weapon for any childhood brawl.

“Grandpa, help! Someone’s trying to kill your grandson!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs, his shout echoing far and wide, leaving the Uchiha men momentarily stunned.

The atmosphere froze.

One, two, three, four… seven seconds passed before a figure shot out from the Hyuga compound with a series of thunderous thuds.

In the blink of an eye, the Uchiha lackeys were sent flying in bizarre poses, dust swirling in the air.

When it settled, an elderly man with a fierce look stood before Yuanye and his companions—it was none other than Yuanye’s grandfather, Hyuga Hao.

Seeing Yuanye unhurt, the elder finally relaxed.

“How dare you lay a finger on my grandson, Hyuga Hao’s kin!” he thundered.

The battered Uchiha lackeys, immobilized by pressure point strikes and lying helpless on the ground, could only weep in silence. They’d only meant to scare a few kids—was it necessary to go so hard on them?

Paying them no further mind, Hyuga Hao led Yuanye and the two boys inside the Hyuga compound.

Half an hour later, a few Uchiha clan members finally came to carry away their wounded comrades. The Uchiha clan was arrogant, but they knew whom to pick a fight with. They wouldn’t start trouble with Hyuga Hao over a few disposable underlings.

The poor lackeys could only accept their misfortune, even having to pay their own medical bills—no workplace injury compensation here!

In Yuanye’s courtyard, under the cherry blossom tree, Tomoko sat on a stone bench, gently applying medicine to the little boy they’d brought back.

Ever since Yuanye dragged him from the fight, the boy had been dazed. Now, as the burning sting of the alcohol brought him back to his senses, he finally reacted.

“Ow… That hurts… hurts so much,” he whimpered, baring his teeth as Tomoko’s touch grew gentler.

“Thank you,” he said awkwardly when the treatment was done, glancing at his dirty, dust-covered clothes.

“Hey, what’s your name, and why were they picking on you?” Yuanye asked, propping his chin on another stone bench across from him.

Seeing someone his own age, the boy finally relaxed.

“My name is Minato Namikaze. I live in the orphanage. I saved up my allowance for half a year to buy a kunai today, but they said I stole it and tried to drag me to the police. When I wouldn’t go, they beat me,” Minato explained, rubbing his eyes, voice trembling with emotion.

Minato Namikaze!

Yuanye’s eyes lit up as he stared at the wronged little boy before him.

“Not bad—golden hair, as cute as me, about the same age, also an orphan. No doubt, this is Minato Namikaze!”

After a careful inspection, Yuanye was certain: this tearful, bruised, yet irresistibly adorable child before him would one day become the legendary Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the man who could take on the heavens themselves.

How exciting! Should he cozy up to him now?

If he grabbed hold of this thick thigh, and warned him in the future to watch out for Obito’s betrayal, he could live it up in Konoha forever.

Wealth beyond measure! Three wives and four concubines! Life would be easy indeed!

Just as Yuanye, brimming with excitement, was about to step forward and swear brotherhood, the little boy suddenly grew solemn.

“Big brother, thank you so much for today. You’re the first to ever help me in a fight. From now on, you’re my boss—Minato Namikaze will follow you! Please take care of me!”

Thud!

Yuanye slipped and fell flat on his backside, utterly dumbfounded.

Wasn’t he the one supposed to cling to this future legend?

How did he end up being recognized as the big brother by the future Fourth Hokage?

And so, less than a day after regaining his memories, Yuanye inexplicably gained a little follower—a future powerhouse at that!

Yuanye could only sigh, “I need a cup of hand-ground coffee to calm my nerves first!”