[Mikoto Uchiha] [End of the fifth year]

We are about to be sorted into teams pretty soon and I have a feeling that I am going to be on the team with my best friend due to some guys complaining about me being on the same team as the 'Senju Vassal' which obviously refers to a certain red-haired cutie!

The last 3 years haven't been less than a miracle for me. First, Minato showed me that Fugaku can be defeated. I was brought up with the mentality that Fugaku couldn't be defeated however much I tried but Minato proved that wrong. He beat the shit out of Fugaku in his first year.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't dislike Fugaku. Hell, I haven't talked to him more than 6 times. We don't know each other and that's why I dislike the marriage contract I am bound by.

Mom and Dad died when I was 5. I don't remember much about them other than the fact that they loved me. Nana has given me the love my parents were unable to and she has done a very good job at that.

Nana has raised me with stories of Mom and Dad's love. Mom was a Special Jonin while Dad was a career Chunin. He wasn't even a High Chunin, just an average one but they fell in love and married. They loved each other and they loved me. Those were the tales I grew up listening and then... I got told that I have to marry some guy to ensure the purity of the bloodline.

I was...pissed. I couldn't even get out of this wedlock as I was way weaker than Fugaku and I had no delusions of getting the Special Jonin rank faster than someone who was clearly superior to me. I was trying to be content with my life. My dreams of finding true love were squashed but maybe I could find love in Fugaku? (I didn't even know what love meant at that time but it was just stuck in my head)

Then, in my second year of attending the academy, Fugaku got owned by a first-year student. The day when I got the news, I spent 3 hours verifying the news from different sources. I honestly thought that someone was trying to prank me.

When I finally got out of my shocked state, I was delighted beyond any limits. I kinda... challenged Fugaku to a duel after some days due to being high on the confidence Minato's win provided me with.

I lost...badly. I didn't get discouraged by my loss but that loss did remind me that it's not Fugaku who was weak but Minato who is a freak... Wait that rhymed didn't it? I am getting infected by Kushina's tics!

I put my hand on my mouth and laugh a little. Minato's freakishness has been affirmed in my mind throughout the last year. He doesn't have any sense of things considered normal during training sessions. He expects at least 40% of what he accomplishes from you... Now that may sound easy after listening to it the first time- I thought so too- but people forget that we have to complete 40% of Minato's regime.

The guy has no sense of acceptable violence during training. He straight-up broke half the bones in my body during a 'sparring match' some months ago. I was rightfully pissed at him and then he got Tsunade Senju- I still can't believe my idol is such a rude woman- to personally heal me as he was 'acquainted' with her.

In other words, she went 'What the fuck do you want, brat?' and then healed me after seeing my fractured bones. Minato was sorry for breaking the bones because it was inconvenient for me and not because breaking bones is bad. He is...weird but well...that just adds to his charm.

My taijutsu has improved by leaps and bounds. I am confident enough to challenge Fugaku in a match and not be thrashed around. Of course, I don't expect to win against him...yet.

My ninjutsu has improved a lot as well. Minato's hand seal system is pretty damn convenient. Of course, using it is tough and it required almost a year of chakra control exercises Minato taught- This reminds me... why the hell are those exercises not mainstream? Learning them only requires time and effort.

Minato didn't start teaching me how to use his system of hand seals until a quarter of the current academic year had passed. It was during that time as well that Minato started behaving more freely(?)... Yeah, I think that's the term. I hadn't noticed it before Minato changed but there was always a certain tension to him. He was never quite bereft of stress.

I don't know what happened to him but I thank Kami same for making that happen. Minato became a lot happier after that...

Oh yeah... Where was I? Oh right, his hand seal system. Kushina had been using that system for more than 7 months by the time I started on it. I was a bit envious of her but I know why he did that.

He had to be sure that I wasn't just going to blab his secrets over to my clan members. He introduced his way of using hand seals when he became confident enough in our friendship and started genuinely trusting me.

Shikaku-san is the only one other than Kushina and me to know about that method and somewhat use it. It is only because of the Elemental nature of Nara Jutsu that he is allowed to use that system. Choza-san and Inoichi-san haven't been told about it due to them not being particularly interested in Ninjutsu. Choza-san is geared to be a mid-ranged Taijutsu fighter while Inoichi-san is fairly proficient in Yamanaka techniques.

Inoichi-san is thinking of learning some basic water style Jutsu but that's it. He wants another avenue of attack but he isn't dedicated to Ninjutsu.

Minato's system requires heavy effort before showing results. It's not feasible to give that much effort and time to something you are prepared to use only occasionally. Shikaku-san has clearly benefited from it and from our occasional spars, it is evident that he has improved his techniques in creative ways.

One of the only limitations of Minato's way of using hand seals- other than the necessity of very high chakra control to even start up on it- is the method's inability to replicate non-elemental type Jutsu. That is another reason why Inoichi-san hasn't been told about it.

Kushina is my... best friend. If someone had told me that an Uzumaki would be my best friend some years ago, I would have been offended and kicked their ass. However much I despise the marriage contract, I have been raised with the traditional Uchiha values. Friendship with Senju shinobi is frowned upon in the clan. You can maintain friendly relations with a Senju but proper friendship is a thing abhorred by most.

Nobody- not even Minato- knows how our first meeting went. It was a normal day. I went to the academy, attended my classes and then proceeded to return home. Unfortunately for me, I was the latest target of a certain red-haired prankster- turns out that the distaste was mutual- and was pelted by water balloons. Unfortunately for her, I was a shinobi in training and not a civilian...

I spotted it in a matter of minutes and we proceeded to have a fight( which seems so dumb nowadays). I was fairly proficient in Taijutsu and had learnt the Fireball Jutsu a few months ago so, I was confident in my ability to defeat the foolish girl... It was an even match at mid-range with both our proficiency in shurikenjutsu. I even held the advantage at range due to me having learnt the Fireball Jutsu and her not possessing any Ninjutsu then.

I then committed a big mistake and paid for it. Me being fairly confident in the imminent win against the foolish girl who thought of challenging me, I went against in a pure Taijutsu match... I got beaten down for that mistake. Kushina is a Taijutsu beast and I found that the hard way...

After losing that match, I was sure that the red-haired girl would lord her win over me but to my utter surprise, she started gushing out about how awesome I was and stuff...

Kushina always comments that if a device capable of instantly drawing pictures existed, she would want to see that dumbfounded face of mine again. To be fair, it was the first time someone around my age beat me and didn't lord it over me. Uchiha clan did have some kids who beat me before the second year of the academy but they always insulted me after their wins as did I...

Finding someone who didn't do that was an utter shock to my system... Even Fugaku who considered me well below his level didn't forget to insult and degrade me over his win. For a person living in the Uchiha clan, it was just tradition. We even had classes for learning how to insult people elegantly-yes, that is an actual class on it as elegantly insulting your opponents is an Uchiha skill.

Kushina then proceeded to chatter on and on about many...many things. I was so shocked that I forgot that Uchiha didn't laugh in the presence of outsiders...we just offered polite smiles. Our first meeting was unusual but the subsequent friendship which formed between us is something I will never regret.

Kushina just has that aura of rambunctiousness. She is just so damn lively. Her smile can melt stone hearts and she is just that good of a friend. Is it any surprise that I have a bit of a crush on her?

Look, Minato has that pretty boy face, his hair's just gorgeous and he is the reason why I am so better at things than I was before but he can't compare to Kushina's sweet smiles, her adorable responses and general happy-go-lucky nature. Maybe, if he confessed to me, I would choose him over Kushina but that's a big maybe...

Oh, Kami! I have a crush on him as well, don't I? Well no worries, when I become the clan head, I will just induct them both into my harem. Wait...did I just think that me becoming the clan head is a foregone conclusion? Minato has given me hell of a confidence boost! If I could, I would kiss you for that Minato...

I just hope that Kushina, Minato and I get on the same team. Our synergy is great and that way I can spend more time with them we will be the best team.

Okay...okay. Stop with the internal monologues. Sensei's finally announcing the teams.

"...it has been a brilliant experience teaching you all. Now I will be announcing the teams formed this year.

Let me remind you all that teams 1-6 are already in circulation so the available teams this year are a bit fewer than the years before. Don't be discouraged if you end up in the genin corps. You can be a great shinobi as well. The whole village is your family after all. Remember, the will of fire burns in you.

Team 7- Minato Namikaze in the apprenticeship of Jonin Jiraiya.

Team 8- Hyuga Hiashi, Choza Akimichi and Shikaku Nara under the care of Jonin Kagushi Hyuga

Team 9- Kushina Uzumaki, Mikoto Uchiha and Inoichi Yamanaka under the tutelage of Jonin Hirano Inuzuka

Team 10..."

The only way my smile could have been wider is if Minato was on our team as well but I do have to agree that Minato deserves a genuine apprenticeship. He is just that awesome. I don't think anyone from our group of friends will disagree on that.

Being beaten to a near unconscious state in sparring matches by the same guy for the better part of the year while you can clearly see improvements in yourself does a good job of reminding you that the other guy is freak of nature.

Ah...well, at least Kushina is on our team. I can use this opportunity to corrupt my cute red headed friend just like the romance novels develop our friendship.

I am definitely not planning to seduce my best friend in the upcoming years. Anyone who says that is a sick piece of shit trying to besmirch our pure relationship.


A/N: Minato's hand seal system isn't developed enough to work on non-elemental Jutsu yet. However skilled Mito may be, it is clear that research wasn't really her cup of tea so Minato's system is still in its developmental stages.

Minato teaching his friends is a thing which was going to happen regardless of any other changes. Why? Because Minato is a guy dependent on his friends even after his issues got resolved. Minato was pissed about the Rasengan as it was supposed to be one of his signature Jutsu.

There is no profit of having a brand new Hand seal system if you don't share it with your allies. Mikoto only has a crush on both of them. She isn't a Yandere. Her mental age in regards to our world's standards would be around 15-16. She crushes on Minato due to the mentioned reasons and because of his strength. She is still an Uchiha after all and Uchiha are mostly obsessed with strength. Kushina is her connection to the mundane non-shinobi aspect of life. She is an Uchiha but she has a life outside of that. Kushina represents that as her best friend.

Minato's acceptable violence meter has been severely affected by Mito's training so yeah... Also, Mikoto's Sharingan isn't mentioned as I don't have any idea as to how she would gain hers. Feel free to pass ideas...

Anyways, hope you all enjoy the chapter. If you spot any bullshit plotholes, point them out and I will patch them up.

If you are interested, here's the discord server's link: discord. gg /72vandfbmG

Goodbye and stay tuned for the next chapter.