Tragedy in the Small Forest

The dismissal bell rang.

It was time for lunch break.

"I'm starving, finally, I can eat." Kushina quickly took out her bento box and placed it on the table. She and her younger brother each had a portion, both made by Kushina early that morning.

Golden fried eggs, red octopus sausages, emerald green broccoli, and black shiitake mushrooms, along with three rice balls wrapped in seaweed and sprinkled with salt, were neatly arranged in the lunchbox. The colors were vibrant, the layers distinct, and the rich aroma made one's mouth water.

Katsuki swallowed hard. His older sister could be terrifying when she lost her temper, but her cooking was truly amazing. He'd eaten it since he was little and never gotten tired of it.

He subconsciously glanced to the side and found Minato's seat already empty. As expected of the future Yellow Flash, he hadn't noticed when he left at all. While part of it was because he'd been distracted by the bento, Minato's speed was truly remarkable.

"Tomato, tomato, tomato."

"Big-talking tomato, big-talking tomato, big-talking tomato... Ooooh!!!"

An exasperating scene unfolded. Katsuki and Kushina's seats were in the third row. The six little brats were currently standing in the first row, making faces at Kushina, sticking out their tongues, and incessantly shouting the newly coined nickname 'Tomato', laughing boisterously and looking quite pleased with themselves.

Katsuki's lips twitched. Alright, these little brats have some nerve. They're even singing it... How talented!

"Sis..."

Katsuki was a bit troubled by these audacious little brats. How should he handle this? Should he beat them up?

However, before he could act, a teacher passing by yelled at them, and the group of brats scattered and disappeared.

Kushina ate her bento slowly and elegantly, seemingly unfazed by the little brats. But Katsuki saw it and couldn't help but shiver. His sister was furious.

If she had made a big fuss, that would have been fine. As long as she vented her anger, it would be over. This kind of suppressed rage was the most terrifying!

After finishing lunch, there was still some time before the break ended. Katsuki volunteered to wash the lunchboxes. The pressure of being around his sister was too much; the oppressive atmosphere around her, like the eye of a storm, made him afraid to even breathe.

Returning to the classroom with the thoroughly cleaned lunchboxes, Katsuki froze. His sister, who had been napping at her desk, was gone. The seat was empty.

He put the lunchboxes back in the bag and sat in his chair, waiting and waiting, but his sister didn't return. His heart sank, and a bad premonition struck him. Could it be that my sister went to 'get revenge'? He immediately became anxious.

He stood up abruptly and rushed out in a flurry. However, standing in the hallway, he became troubled. The Ninja Academy was quite large, and he hadn't mastered the Uzumaki Clan's sensory ninjutsu. He had no idea where to find Kushina!

Moreover, during lunch break, everyone was either eating or napping at their desks, conserving energy for the afternoon's physical education class. The hallways were empty with hardly anyone around, so there was no one to ask for information.

"Classmate, have you seen a girl with red hair? The same hair color as mine, she looks a bit like a tomato." He finally caught a black-haired boy near a corner and rushed forward, grabbing his shoulder, and asked repeatedly.

The black-haired boy raised an eyebrow, glanced at Katsuki, and pointed out the window. "A group of people went into the woods by the school building earlier. There was a red-haired girl among them..."

However, before the black-haired boy could finish speaking, he saw a blur before his eyes. The pressure on his shoulder loosened, and Katsuki was already gone. Only his voice could be heard from outside the window.

"Thanks, man, I'll treat you to a meal next time."

Katsuki sprinted towards the small grove. He wasn't worried about Kushina being at a disadvantage; he knew his sister's strength well. He was worried about her not holding back and hitting them too hard.

As the small grove came into view, Katsuki heard a familiar voice from within.

"A bunch of wimps. See if you dare to mess with me again. If you dare to provoke me next time, it won't be this easy." Kushina waved her fist, looking triumphantly at the unlucky guys lying on the ground. They were the same six little brats who had shouted 'Tomato' earlier.

Their previous arrogance was completely gone. All six were bruised and battered, lying on the ground in disarray, groaning softly. One of them was even crying.

Katsuki clicked his tongue and hid behind a large tree, not daring to rush out.

Then, his gaze shifted, and he saw someone else hiding behind a large tree, looking at Katsuki with a wry smile. That bright golden hair and sea-blue eyes belonged to Minato, who had disappeared during lunch break!

"Be careful, your sister is very angry. If she finds us hiding here, we'll probably be in trouble too!"

His lips moved, and Minato silently spoke to Katsuki.

"Got it."

Katsuki also mouthed a silent reply. He wasn't foolish enough to show himself now. Kushina always cared about her image as an older sister. If Kushina knew he had witnessed the scene here, she might inflict 'extreme punishment' on him to make him forget this memory.

Seeing someone crying, Kushina suddenly felt uneasy. She hadn't expected these boys to cry. After all, Katsuki rarely cried. She panicked a little, her eyes darting around. After leaving a few stern threats, she hurriedly... fled.

As Kushina left, the six boys on the ground quickly got up. They looked miserable, but their injuries were mostly superficial. The six of them complained to each other and, shoving each other, also left the small grove.

"Phew! They're finally gone." Katsuki breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the tree. He glanced sideways at Minato. "You... Minato, can I call you that?"

"Of course, Katsuki." Minato smiled brightly, omitting the honorific 'kun'.

"Minato, why were you here?" Katsuki asked curiously.

Minato scratched his head at the question. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "I was practicing throwing shuriken here during lunch break. I didn't expect your sister and those guys to come over. I originally thought your sister was being bullied... but it turned out like this."