Minato and Kushina

"That's truly remarkable."

Uchiha Gensai stood atop the raised platform, looking at the two young men chatting in the arena, voicing that same sentiment for who knew how many times.

Whether it was the two powerful Hand Seal-less Ninjutsu Sahara Mizu had mastered, or Namikaze Minato's extraordinary combat intelligence under extreme conditions, both stirred his heart deeply.

He even felt a little jealous of the younger generation.

They were only fifteen.

And both were commoners.

At least Namikaze Minato had received the guidance of Jiraiya, the direct disciple of the Third Generation, and undergone systematic elite ninja training.

But Sahara Mizu had truly come from nothing.

That background meant that both the unprecedented high-speed Body Flicker Technique and that remarkably powerful Chakra sphere had all been developed by him alone.

Uchiha Gensai understood perfectly well what that meant.

Then, when he turned to look at his eldest son beside him—fierce-looking, yet with nothing in his head and, damn it, a little slow besides—the gap in Uchiha Gensai's heart grew even wider.

Sometimes, he did not even know whether he should let this boy inherit the position of clan head.

His strength was barely acceptable, but he simply did not have the brains for it.

As he sighed inwardly, Uchiha Gensai suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Fugaku."

"Yes, Father."

"If I remember correctly, Sahara-kun is quite close with one of the children in our clan, isn't he?"

Uchiha Fugaku paused. He had studied the materials diligently before coming and nodded in reply.

"Yes."

"Sahara-kun used to be classmates at the Ninja Academy with the Shimaji Family's daughter, Uchiha Yayoi."

Uchiha Gensai's eyes lit up, and he immediately pressed, "How is their relationship?"

"I heard it's fairly good." Fugaku seemed to understand. In a low voice, he said, "Father, do you intend to use her to pry those two techniques out of Sahara Mizu?"

"...?"

"Pig brain! So shortsighted!"

The faint satisfaction Uchiha Gensai had just felt instantly sank to the bottom.

He glared fiercely at his idiotic son. If not for the Konoha higher-ups nearby, he would have loved to slap this fool on the spot.

"Ninjutsu, ninjutsu—you only know how to stare at those little techniques!"

"The times have changed. Do you think we Uchiha can still fight alone like we did during the Warring States era?"

"If the Uchiha are to rise, what we need are people! Talented people!"

"You—"

Fugaku's shoulders trembled under his father's scolding, and he instinctively pursed his lips and lowered his head.

Seeing him like this, Uchiha Gensai could not help but lose his spirit for a moment. He no longer felt like saying anything further.

This idiot, honestly...

"Enough."

"You don't need to concern yourself with anything related to Sahara Mizu."

Uchiha Gensai looked down at the two as they left with the medical team and said impatiently, "Once the recent matters are settled, get yourself over to the Frontline Staff Department."

"The clan has no use for you. At the very least, go learn how to wage war first."

"Yes."

Several hours later, Namikaze Minato emerged from the gates of Konoha Hospital. Aside from significant physical exhaustion and a dull ache in his ribs, the injuries elsewhere on his body had mostly healed.

Lord Mizu had shown great restraint. Even his heaviest blow had landed on Minato's chest and abdomen, causing no fatal injuries—not even a fracture. Throughout the entire match, he had kept things at the level of an "exhibition match," and even at the fiercest point of the battle, he had still held back.

Minato had personally witnessed the miserable state of those Iwagakure ninja. If Lord Mizu had truly gone all out, he did not even know whether he could have lasted twenty seconds.

He had likely done so both to display more of his talent before the higher-ups and to leave some dignity for Minato, this so-called "genius."

Being a ninja was not just about fighting and killing. It was also about human relations.

It was enough to make one sigh.

In terms of physical damage alone, these injuries were nothing.

But the blow to his spirit was quite severe.

The frustration of knowing that his opponent had controlled the extent of his injuries was not something he could simply smile off.

For that reason, ever since his treatment in the hospital, Namikaze Minato had been replaying his battle with Lord Mizu over and over in his mind. He even forgot to watch where he was going, unconsciously walking forward.

Before he knew it, he had arrived in a quiet district by the mountains.

When he finally came to his senses, two figures had appeared in front of him.

"Minato-kun?"

One of the people standing at the entrance called his name, then casually teased, "Here to see your little girlfriend again today?"

Namikaze Minato paused at the words before realizing what he meant. Looking toward the district completely covered by an enormous barrier, he smiled at the guard in front of him.

"Yeah."

"How has Kushina been lately?"

"That's not something we'd know." Daimon-kun, one of the guards, waved him inside. "Don't forget to sign the visitor log."

"Alright, thanks for the trouble."

Namikaze Minato smiled politely and stepped into the barrier.

As Uzumaki Kushina's boyfriend, he was one of the very few people in all of Konoha who could freely enter and leave this district.

Ever since the Nine-Tails had been sealed into Kushina when she was twelve, she had been kept here, practicing methods to control the Nine-Tails' power as required by Lord Third Hokage.

In truth, this was already an exceptionally lenient arrangement.

Konoha had even cleared out an entire district for her alone to use as a training ground, while allowing the small number of people closest to her to visit from time to time.

In other villages, even subjecting a Jinchuriki to daily psychological torture in order to strengthen their mental endurance would not have been considered excessive.

As for the psychological problems that might arise in a Jinchuriki?

Compared to their immense combat power, so what if they became mentally ill?

Of course, Konoha was not much better.

Boom—

Not long after entering, he felt the ground shake.

A cloud of dust rose from the forest training ground in the distance.

Clearly, Kushina was practicing Fuinjutsu.

Namikaze Minato hurried over.

Before long, he saw Uzumaki Kushina under the watch of two Anbu Squad Leaders draped in white cloaks, struggling to wrap the chains formed by Adamantine Chains around her own body.

Tailed Beast Chakra floated like bubbling vapor, continuously leaking from the seal and drifting over the surface of her body.

The girl's red hair rose like true crimson tails. Deep whisker marks lined her fair cheeks, and even the pupils in her eyes had become slitted.

Simply maintaining three tails while conscious had already exhausted all her strength.

"Phew!"

Nearly fifteen more minutes passed before Kushina finally drew all the Tailed Beast Chakra back into her body and let out a long breath.

Then she immediately turned toward Minato, planted one hand on her hip, and waved her little hand as she shouted energetically:

"Hey! Minato!"

"You've been staring over here with those mushy eyes this whole time, yet you're still standing so far away!"

As she spoke, Uzumaki Kushina jogged toward him excitedly.

The two Anbu behind her were about to follow, but Kushina immediately turned back with a fierce glare and snapped irritably:

"What are you doing? Never dated anyone before?"

"You still dare to follow me?"

"Go on, get farther away!"

The two Anbu looked at each other and did not continue after her, merely watching from afar.

Only then did Kushina run up to Minato with a grin, complaining somewhat unhappily, "They're driving me crazy. They even wait outside the door when I go to the bathroom, like guardian statues!"

"Don't mind it. Anbu guards are all like that." Minato sounded rather helpless as he quietly lowered his voice. "Lord Third is the same as you. He's constipated too."

"Pfft—Keh heh heh!"

As if imagining the old Lord Third being constipated while Anbu listened outside the walls, Kushina burst out laughing. But halfway through, the girl suddenly punched him.

"I'm not constipated."

"I've been eating my vegetables properly lately!"

"Ungh!"

That punch landed right on his side, making him cry out in pain.

"Minato?!"

Kushina froze, then asked awkwardly, "Y-you got beaten up? Are your injuries serious?"

Namikaze Minato looked at her with resentment, putting on a pitiful expression as he said:

"Yeah, I just got out of Konoha Hospital."

"I got beaten up really badly today. I couldn't fight back at all, and I'm covered in injuries!"

"Huh?!"

Sparks flew in Uzumaki Kushina's eyes at once. Her delicate fists clenched with cracking sounds as she gritted her teeth and declared fiercely:

"Who dared beat you up?"

"I'll beat them up for you!"

"A few days ago, I could even control the Three-Tails. Today, I'll show you the power of a Tailed Beast Bomb—"

"Wait! Wait!"

Namikaze Minato immediately gave in, wrapping his arms around Kushina's waist to stop her from charging outside as he hurriedly said:

"I was joking, joking!"

"Actually, it was a work-related injury from a promotion assessment."

"Huh?"

Kushina looked at him with obvious suspicion. "Didn't you become a Jonin last year? Why are you getting promoted again?"

"This time, I was the one assessing someone else."

"And you got beaten up like this?" Kushina really had a knack for roasting people.

Minato-kun instantly grew a little dejected and sighed.

"Yeah~"

"Do you remember? Back at the Ninja Academy, there was a boy in our class named Sahara Mizu?"

Kushina thought for a moment, then gave a rather distinctive description. "That guy who looked kind of secretly pervy!"

"Hahaha, that was called being composed!"

"He's become incredibly strong now. I'm afraid even many veteran Jonin can't compare to him."

Smiling, Namikaze Minato told Kushina the whole chain of events involving Sahara Mizu as though he were telling her a story, giving her boring daily life a little more color.

"Uwah, he sounds like a super dangerous guy!" After hearing it all, Kushina pouted and gave that assessment.

Minato did not say anything. Instead, he fell silent for a while. Sitting on the hillside, he gazed at the district below, slightly lost in thought.

Then, he suddenly reflected, "Kushina, was I a little too arrogant before?"

"..."

"No."

"You were just too stupid."

Namikaze Minato froze at her words and turned to look at Kushina beside him.

Kushina sat on a rock on the hillside as well, hugging her fair legs as she said nonchalantly:

"If you're not fast enough, then just run faster."

"If your jutsu isn't powerful enough, then develop something better."

"If you can't do any of that, then find another way to surpass him!"

"Grandma always said so." The girl turned with a cheerful smile to look at the one she loved. "There has never been a perfectly flawless person in this world."

"Everyone living in this world is merely an ordinary person constantly coming to understand and make up for their own shortcomings."

"If there's something you don't do well enough, then just fix it, right?"

As Uzumaki Kushina spoke, her eyes shone as she looked at Namikaze Minato, her tone carrying not the slightest doubt.

"If it's you, Minato, you can definitely do it."

"If you still can't, I'll sneak out and beat him up for you!"

The girl looked as fierce as ever.

Namikaze Minato watched her quietly. Then, for no apparent reason, he reached out and stroked her smooth red hair. Leaning his forehead against hers, he murmured:

"Kushina."

"I'll keep working hard until... the day I can let you walk out of here openly and proudly."

Hearing this, the red-haired girl who usually seemed so wild and unruly could not help but fall quiet. With her forehead resting against his, she gave a soft, slightly shy hum, her cheeks flushed crimson.

"I'll hold you to that."