Skipping Grades

Yakushi.

That surname seemed rather uncommon.

As a key figure in the main storyline's shadows, an N-sided spy, and one of Orochimaru's most outstanding disciples, Yakushi Kabuto was second in importance only to the "keywords."

For Satoru, his strongest impression of Kabuto remained his outstanding performance during the battle of the Three Sannin before Shippuden.

Later on, during the era when godlike beings were brawling everywhere, Kabuto's role had been reduced to pushing the plot along.

Though he seemed to have been redeemed later, discussions about him were far less frequent than those about other heavyweight figures.

Even so, Satoru knew that this Yakushi Nonō was the adoptive mother who had given Kabuto the surname "Yakushi."

And their tragic story was one of the countless sins created by that Lord Pot King.

A powerful Medical Ninja with great maternal love and a spirit of universal compassion had actually been forced by that Lord Pot King to become a spy...

He truly deserved to die.

Satoru's expression shifted slightly, but for now, Nonō could only be considered someone he half cared about.

There was too little information about her.

Still...

"I wonder what the future will become?"

With a faint smile, Satoru dismissed the Mage Eye, opened The Book of Medivh that no one else could see, and immersed himself in spell research once more.

The new semester's school life remained peaceful and steady.

Until, half a year later, a transfer student arrived in the first grade.

During lunch break, Choza and Shikaku leaned over beside Satoru. The three of them lined up at the window and looked outside.

The other students in the class were doing the same—but these little troublemakers who feared the world was not chaotic enough wore complicated expressions.

The boys looked as though they had toothaches, while the girls were inexplicably excited. Some were even shouting encouragement...

In the plaza outside, a round-faced little girl with red hair was chasing and beating several boys. From the shouting and pleas for mercy, they appeared to be classmates.

"How many groups has that been?"

Choza scratched his head. The red-haired girl had just knocked a chubby boy to the ground. He seemed to be Choza's cousin from the main family.

"Is she going to beat up every boy in her class?"

"Looks like it..."

Shikaku wiped away some sweat and curled his lip.

"Women really are troublesome... When I get a girlfriend in the future, I definitely won't choose that type. Including this group, she's beaten nearly an entire class of boys already."

"Hey, I found out!"

Inoichi Yamanaka, who had vanished earlier, suddenly appeared between the three of them. In a low voice, he shared the information he had gathered.

"Her surname is Uzumaki! The Uzumaki Clan from Whirlpool Country! Look at that signature red hair!"

"Oh? You found out about her?"

Satoru was quite interested. As the Fourth Hokage's wife and the mother of Naruto, the savior of the world, he naturally knew Kushina Uzumaki's name.

But he had never paid much attention to what Kushina had been like as a child.

"Yes, Kushina Uzumaki. She came from the same country as Lady Mito Uzumaki, the First Hokage's wife—Whirlpool Country, which has already been destroyed."

Inoichi quietly shared the hard-won information with his friends.

"I heard Lady Mito likes her very much and is personally teaching her!"

"Then what's this about...?"

Choza looked at his cousin lying helplessly on the ground with a pained expression.

"Even Lady Mito wouldn't allow her to act so recklessly, would she?"

"Um..." Inoichi scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, they gave Kushina a nickname. They called her 'Tomato'..."

"Pfft!"

Choza and Shikaku covered their mouths, struggling not to laugh. "It really does suit her~"

"When Kushina transferred in, there was naturally an introduction session where everyone got to introduce themselves."

"She said she wanted to become a female Hokage. The boys thought she was overestimating herself, so they all started teasing her and gave her that nickname."

Inoichi cleared his throat and said solemnly.

"She originally put up with it, but the younger students were hostile toward her as an outsider and wouldn't let it go. So she got angry and started dealing with them one by one... Not a single boy could beat her!"

"Gasp..."

Choza and Shikaku drew in a breath. This was the truth behind Kushina chasing down all the boys in her class.

"That's terrifying!"

"So now her nickname has become 'Blood Red Habanero'..."

Inoichi smiled wryly. "I heard that the ones in the plaza are the last group. Once she finishes with them, there'll be only one boy in the whole class she hasn't beaten up."

"..."

Satoru's mouth twitched. That one boy had to be Minato Namikaze. Had that guy already taken an interest in Kushina when he was this young...?

What a clever little rascal...

"Why is there still someone she hasn't beaten up?"

Shikaku asked. In his view, with Lady Mito Uzumaki as a backer—even one more senior than the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen—Kushina had nothing to fear in the first grade.

Even fifth- or sixth-graders would get beaten too, as long as she could defeat them, right?

"Ah, I heard that boy named Minato Namikaze also dreams of becoming Hokage. But Kushina thinks he's strange and girly. Although he didn't mock her, he just stood by while she was bullied and didn't help, so even though she didn't beat him up, she still dislikes him."

"Girly..."

Satoru nearly burst out laughing. So the Fourth Hokage had been looked down on by his wife like this when he was young?

"Ah... The boys have all been wiped out."

Choza rubbed his stomach and sighed. He considered going to help his cousin home, but after thinking about it for a while, decided against it.

"Can't afford to provoke her, can't afford to provoke her..."

"Ring-ring-ring..."

Lunch break ended, and the students who still wanted to watch returned to their seats one after another.

The homeroom teacher soon entered the classroom, but a little girl came in with him.

The little girl had long beige hair and wore round black-framed glasses, looking very well-behaved.

"Hm?"

Satoru showed a puzzled expression. This was...

"Students, let me introduce your new classmate, who will be skipping ahead into our class—"

"Yakushi Nonō!"

"..."

The whole class erupted. Satoru pinched the bridge of his nose. What was this? He had heard of graduating early from the Ninja Academy, but skipping grades was possible too?

But upon further thought... early graduation and skipping grades did not seem to conflict.

The first three years at the Ninja Academy mainly taught basic theoretical knowledge. Only in the final three years did students begin drills and practical application.

In other words, as long as one learned theory quickly and thoroughly and had a solid foundation, skipping grades during the first three years was no problem.

"Although Nonō is two years younger than all of you, she has already completed the entire first-grade curriculum in half a year!"

The homeroom teacher enthusiastically introduced the somewhat timid Nonō. A genius student had transferred into his class, and as the homeroom teacher, he felt immensely honored.

"From now on, Nonō will study the second-grade curriculum together with everyone..."

The homeroom teacher swept his gaze across the classroom. Satoru keenly noticed that his eyes had settled on him.

"Oh no..."

"Then for the first half of the second-grade curriculum, I'll have to ask Satoru, whose foundation is the most solid, to help Nonō catch up!"

The homeroom teacher caught Satoru completely off guard, then said to Nonō.

"Nonō, you can sit beside Satoru—Satoru has always been happy to help others, so he'll definitely help you well!"

Happy to help others, my ass...

Satoru complained silently. As Choza, Shikaku, and Inoichi covered their mouths and snickered, he watched little Nonō hug her small bag and run to the seat beside him. She bowed to him.

"S-Satoru... h-hello. I'm... Yakushi Nonō..."

"Ah, please sit down, Nonō," Satoru said, forcing a gentle smile. "I'm Mitokado Satoru. Welcome."

"Everyone, welcome her!"

"Welcome, Nonō!"

Satoru glared fiercely at Shikaku, who had started the commotion. At his call, the entire class grew excited.

"Satoru! You bear a heavy responsibility!"

"If you don't want me to beat every last one of you up, shut up, you bastards!"