All Just Slightly Familiar

"Ah, I still have to study. Goodbye, Chiga!"

"Right, right, we really should get back to the classroom and study."

Watching his classmates scatter in a rush, Chiga froze.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't leave! Asuma, I remember when Kakashi was promoted to chunin, you gave him a One Million Ryo Short Sword. Since I've only been promoted to genin, I won't ask for much—five hundred thousand will do!"

"Don't bring that up! Because of that short sword, my old man gave me a vicious beating!"

Asuma spread his hands. To avoid giving a gift, he even exposed his own embarrassing past.

"Kurenai, we're both genjutsu-type ninja. Given our friendship, don't you think...?"

Chiga turned his gaze toward Yuhi Kurenai.

"Hmph!"

Yuhi Kurenai could not even be bothered to acknowledge Chiga. She turned and left.

"Hey, aren't we classmates? Why is the difference this huge?!"

At that moment, Chiga was heartbroken. Two years as classmates could not compare to half a year's acquaintance. Was he really that unpopular?

Just then, Kushina and Minato walked over. Kushina said to Chiga, "All right, stop pretending. Who goes around asking for gifts like that?"

Chiga looked at Kushina expectantly and said pitifully, "Then, Teacher, please show some support and comfort my wounded heart."

Kushina smiled gently, bent down, grabbed both of Chiga's cheeks, and pulled them apart.

"Chiga, promise me that you won't put on an act in front of your teacher again, all right?"

"Teacher Kushina, I understand!"

Feeling the pain in his cheeks, Chiga nodded repeatedly with tears streaming down his face.

What was going on? He had passed the graduation exam and graduated successfully, yet Kushina was somehow still angry.

"All right, it's about noon now. Let's go have a meal together and celebrate your successful graduation."

"Okay."

Upon hearing that, Chiga followed behind Kushina.

But after only a few steps, Kushina suddenly stopped and frowned at Minato beside her. "Why are you following us?"

"Aren't we celebrating Chiga together?"

Minato knew Kushina was still angry with him, so he quickly forced a smile. "Someone has to pay for the meal, right? Let me treat you this time!"

Chiga had no idea why the two of them had suddenly started arguing.

But he knew this was a rare opportunity.

"Teacher Kushina, I want barbecue!"

Kushina had not wanted Minato to come along, but hearing Chiga say that, she glanced sideways at Minato and said, "Sure. Then Teacher will take you to the most expensive barbecue restaurant in Konoha."

Minato: "..." That spendthrift woman—didn't she know his money was her money?!

Negative emotion from Minato Namikaze, Emotion Points +3. First time obtaining Emotion Points from Minato Namikaze. Reward: Flying Thunder God Technique—Beginner!

Chiga's face lit up with delight. He had not expected the reward to be this powerful.

The Flying Thunder God Technique!

This was an S-rank Space-Time Ninjutsu!

Chiga hurriedly opened his status panel to take a look.

Flying Thunder God Technique: Beginner (0/1000)

Seeing that it required one thousand Emotion Points just to level up from the start, Chiga clicked his tongue in amazement.

Still, no matter what, Chiga had made an enormous profit.

The three soon arrived at the barbecue restaurant. After finishing their meal, Minato painfully paid a hefty bill.

"Since we're done eating, Kushina, I'll be leaving first."

Looking at his shriveled wallet, Minato bid Kushina and Chiga farewell.

Although Minato had already coaxed Kushina into forgiving him at the barbecue restaurant, he still wanted to leave some room for the new teacher and student to talk.

After Minato left, Kushina led Chiga to the Training Ground.

"All right, the nuisance is gone. It's time for us to get to know each other!"

"There's no need to say my name. I'm a jonin from the Konoha Sealing Team. I like Salty Ramen, hate bitter things, and most of all, I hate being called Tomato. I hope you remember that. My dream is to become Konoha's first female Hokage!"

Chiga knew this was an old Konoha tradition.

Whenever a new team was formed, they would go through introductions like this.

"My name is Uchiha Chiga. I like barbecue—the meal earlier suited my tastes perfectly. I hate sweets, don't have any particular hobbies, and as for my dream... I guess I hope to lie flat for the rest of my life!"

Kushina nodded after hearing that. Aside from his dream being a bit problematic, everything else was perfectly normal.

"Then starting today, Kushina Squad is officially established!"

"With your strength, there's no need for any more tests, but I still need a general understanding of your abilities."

"How about this? Show me everything you've learned, and I'll take a look."

Chiga nodded. Since they had become master and disciple—and teammates at that—they should understand each other's strength.

Next, Chiga demonstrated his swordsmanship, Wind Release, and Fire Release.

There was no need to mention the Sharingan, but Chiga did not tell Kushina that he knew a few other genjutsu besides the Sharingan's abilities.

"Not bad. I didn't expect you brat to have kept so many tricks hidden."

Watching Chiga cast so many ninjutsu in succession without even breathing hard, Kushina immediately realized that Chiga's Chakra reserves were astonishingly vast as well.

"I only know a little, that's all."

Kushina shot Chiga a contemptuous glance and said, "Alright, I have a preliminary understanding of your strength now. Next, we'll go accept some missions."

After becoming Kushina's disciple, Chiga would, in a sense, find it difficult to get another chance to go to the front lines.

What was more, their entire squad consisted of only him and Kushina. There was simply no way to form a standard four-man combat team.

Kushina was, after all, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Even if she could perfectly control the Nine-Tails within her and become one of Konoha's greatest fighting forces, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, still would not send her to the battlefield.

For one thing, the chances of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki being discovered at the front lines were far too high. Once enemy nations learned of her identity, whether they tried to kill her at any cost or capture and take her away, neither outcome was something Konoha could bear.

For another, it was Hiruzen Sarutobi's own attitude. Regarding the tailed beasts, he valued containment over combat. Unless they were in a desperate situation, he would not send Kushina to the front lines.

And in truth, that was exactly how things went. Other newly formed squads only needed to complete a few low-level missions in the village and build some teamwork before charging boldly toward the front lines.

Meanwhile, Kushina was still leading Chiga through Konoha's sewers, hard at work.

With Chiga as an added ingredient, Kushina was far quieter in Konoha than before and no longer went to bother Hiruzen Sarutobi.

At a sewer outlet on the outskirts of Konoha, a small figure was cleaning household trash from the filthy river surface.

Soaked from head to toe and reeking of stench, Chiga hummed a tune as he picked up a bottle filled with some unknown liquid and accurately tossed it into the trash can behind him.