Chương 22: Chapter 20 - Kushina

Luckily, it didn't take too much to convince Minato to stay in the Academy. The fact alone that we could use it to hone our skills to the maximum before becoming genins and getting assigned to a team was already enough to make him nod. As for me... I knew what was coming, still… seeing the moment about to unfold in front of me made me feel... I don't even know what. Excitement? Fear? Anticipation?

Probably all three at once, making my stomach tighten the moment I thought about it, because of the significance this transfer will bring to everyone. That particular day when it happened was, as usual, nothing out of the ordinary. Minato was sitting at my side as we waited in the classroom. Most of us didn't know why, but we were told yesterday that we had to gather here in time for a serious announcement... and I had to play along, looking curious. Not that it was hard with all the excitement in me.

As for Sayuri, she leaned forward in her seat beside me, her braid swinging behind her neck as she tried to peek over the heads of students to see the door.

"What is taking so long?" she whispered, "Shinno-sensei said 'special announcement' at eight! It's already past that! He never once was late before..."

"Probably someone important held him up," Minato murmured, sounding distracted, "We never had something like this so... It could be good or bad... I just hope there is not another war brewing, that would be bad."

"I don't think so," I added, knowing that thing is still... a bit away from us. But it was already brewing.

"Maybe the Hokage's coming," Naoto added dryly from the next row.

"Or maybe you two are getting to graduate early."

"Maybe..." Sayuri muttered, looking at us both, knowing that she and the rest would still have a few years before that happens. Two at the minimum... As for us...? She even brought it up once: Why haven't we finished school yet? Before I could open my mouth, though, the door opened, and Shinno-sensei walked in, his hand held behind his back, looking over us, leaving the door open.

"Quiet down!" He spoke strictly, scanning everybody as some of the kids were lazing around the windows, "Everyone in your seats. Now!" Watching everyone take their seats, he nodded to himself, finally glancing at us, for a moment making me think it was indeed about forcefully graduating Minato and me ahead of time... but luckily, he then looked towards the open door, waving his hand. On order, a small figure, maybe eight or nine, with bright red hair, walked in, looking somewhat... timid. Here we go...

I couldn't help but let out a long breath, watching Kushina appear, making me scan her one more time, finally meeting her in the flesh... then I threw a glance at Minato and almost laughed out loud, because he was totally lost. He looked like he was hit in the head by a raikiri, numbed to his toes, heh! Love at first sight... huh? Go for it, buddy!

"You are getting a new student from today on! She is Kushina Uzumaki," Shinno-sensei announced, "and she has just transferred to Konoha. She will be joining your class, and I expect you all to be welcoming and friendly towards her!" Of course, the moment he stopped speaking, a wave of whispers rippled through the room as everyone began whispering amongst themselves...

"Uzu-… as in Uzumaki-Uzumaki?"

"She's from the Whirlpool Country? What is she doing here?"

"Her hair is so red…"

"Too red…"

"It's like... A tomato..." Yeah… the red hair did things to the collective brain of the Academy, eh? It will be hard to stop them from bullying her for it, but... Some things have to play out as they did in the story, and I won't stop it from happening. I think she also heard them, realizing that this integration thing won't be easy... I could tell by how she bristled defensively at once, her chin going up, eyes scanning for the source of the threat and insult, for the one calling her a tomato.

While she did that, I also spared a second glance at Minato, and I swear he forgot how to breathe. His posture was already ramrod straight until Kushina scanned his face, and he immediately turned his head down like he was trying to hide behind his own collar. Pft... His ears went red first, then his cheeks, and by the time Kushina's eyes went past our row, Minato looked like he had been smacked in the face with a hot frying pan. He was more of a tomato than Kushina's hair...

"Hey," Sayuri slowly leaned toward me, whispering into my ear, noticing Minato's change, "…did he just...?"

"Yup," I whispered back, grinning.

"Love at first sight."

"Hoooh..." Of course, Sayuri returned my grin, nodding her head, "I can understand that."

"You can?" I teased her, now watching as her face went just as red as Minato's. Two for two... eh? Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Meanwhile, Kushina finally gave up finding the source of the annoying comment and glanced at Shinno-sensei, who gestured for her to introduce herself.

"My name is Kushina Uzumaki! And I came here to become the first female Hokage!" Her voice thundered across the room like she was declaring war on everyone inside, and even knowing it was coming, I still reeled back in my chair. Woah... She has a powerful voice, that's for sure. Of course, after the initial surprise, there came the snickering and some outright laughter. Ah, and there was no surprise in whose voice I was hearing... Arai.

I didn't look towards him at all, and we didn't speak since that incident either. We never once met, as I somehow never turned a corner or got to a street to run into him. Was he actually avoiding me? I don't know, but both of us acted as if the other didn't exist. That was fine with me, really. As for his actual situation... well, he became a bit of an outcast, with barely any friends remaining, but he wasn't totally alone. One of the friends he still had was the Inuzuka kid, who was next in line to speak up.

"She wants to be Hokage? She is not even from the Village... Hah!" Explosion incoming... I could feel it... And Kushina, to her credit, did not hesitate to let it out the moment it reached a boiling point.

"What are you laughing at, you dattebane?!" Eh... There it is, the infamous tick... Well, at least I will know when she is actually angry, and it comes out. It is the best indicator for when her buttons are being pushed. Of course, the moment she said it, she slapped her own mouth, mortified, cheeks going red in a completely different way than how her hair looked. Overly conscious about it, huh? I can see why...

"Ah..." Sayuri muttered, blinking her eyes, "She is kinda... cute...."

"I know." I nodded, making her look at me with a raised eyebrow, and for a moment, I could swear she even had a slight jealousy flash through her eyes.

"Language pattern anomaly noted," Naoto muttered somewhere behind us, making me shake my head.

"It's not an anomaly, it's a canon fact, one that will be inherited by your future Jesus..." That's what I wanted to say, but I just gulped it all back and quickly glanced at Minato, noticing how his eyes were literally sparkling like some firework. That boy was gone... completely. Good, at least I won't have to worry about making sure they end up together. As for Shinno-sensei, he finally cleared his throat, signaling that the show was over and motioning her toward an empty seat.

As if pardoned, Kushina stomped toward the back row but paused mid-step, once again noticing the whispering, the giggling, the staring that was coming at her from most directions. I watched as her shoulders tightened, the embarrassment increasing once again... Haaah. Sorry. I can't help you now. Just as I was thinking that, Kushina stomped her foot hard enough to rattle the desks around her, like a mini earthquake, which told me she had some innate strength, maybe even akin to Tsunade's abilities...

Okay, perhaps not that strong, but who knows? She could be!

"Keep laughing, and I'll pound you flat, including your faces, dattebane!" Well... that brought an instant silence to the group, for sure, and even I didn't expect she'd threaten violence this early.

"Heh," Sayuri nodded, genuinely looking impressed, "Okay… I kind of like her." When she finally sat down, two rows behind us, I could hear how she huffed, crossing her arms like she'd been forced to find an empty seat inside a cell, like some wrongly convicted criminal. Then, from my left, too quietly for most to hear, Minato whispered, way too afraid to look back towards her.

"… she's amazing." Grinning, I kicked his ankle under the desk, just enough to snap him out of whatever genjutsu he was under.

"Ah?" He jumped, flustered, looking at me, opening his mouth, then closing it, "I..."

"Dude," I whispered with a deadpan look on my face, "You're smitten to your core. Get a hold of yourself, or she will think you are a simpleton!"

"I am not sm—!" He tried to say something, but he choked on his own voice, because Sayuri covered her mouth with both hands to stifle a snort and a laugh at once, drawing his attention to himself.

"Please, Minato… your face is redder than her hair." She said between two quiet giggles.

"I...! It's... just... It... It's... hot in here!"

"It's spring." I shot him down, no mercy. Sorry bud.

"I..." The poor guy shut down like a broken puppet whose chakra strings were cut, and then he spent the rest of class staring anywhere except in Kushina's direction. Or he was just staring at her reflection on the window so he wouldn't be caught... Or staring at the back of his textbook, which was upside-down... Not that it mattered, that thing was long memorized from back to finish.

"Renji," Sayuri leaned toward me again, after we were through three lessons and Minato didn't improve, not even a little bit. He could barely focus at all on the lessons we were having... Not that we needed to, I think we were long ahead of the curriculum.

"You have to help him."

"I will." I giggled, crossing my arms.

"You can't just push him into talking to her." She warned me, and I know... But I could probably do something to ensure everything happens as it should. Speeding up the inevitable... That should be fine... no?

"I won't do anything drastic," I spoke up, mostly talking to myself.

"You're going to do something stupid, though, aren't you?" She asked, making me shake my head.

"Almost definitely not."

"That... That is not... a proper answer," She sighed, feeling defeated and deflated, "Why did I even bring that up...? Stupid me..."

"Because I'm his best friend," I smiled as I reclined in my chair, watching Kushina stare out the window during our break time, probably feeling overwhelmed and alone... scared.

"Do you like red hair?" Sayuri suddenly asked, noticing that I was looking at Kushina for way too long, and I was so lost in my thoughts that I answered without thinking, missing how she was playing with her braid, watching me for my answer.

"I don't really care about colors," I answered honestly, "I care about personality... Girls who are more mellow and caring are my type. I like spicy, but only in food."

"I see... So... You like the ones who cook?" She asked again, pulling her chair closer, making me finally realize I was babbling, letting my thoughts flow out of my stupid mouth again. In the end, I just glanced at her, nodding my head.

"You could say that."

"I see." She smiled, suddenly very satisfied, but she kept avoiding my gaze, "That's good to hear!"

"Is it?"

"Of course!" She scoffed, looking away, "It is..."

"Mhm..." I nodded, returning to my thoughts. Now... How should I make them talk and finally open up? I can't wait to get her kidnapped; that is still probably a few years ahead of us all. Haaah... This will be a tricky one, but... let's get to work!