Uzumaki Mito's Curiosity

"Tch... it hurts, it hurts!"

This was a one-sided battle.

Although Uzumaki Kushina was strong—her monstrous strength letting her pick up and slam peers her age, and in a rage she could even take down a full-fledged Genin—before Gojo Yoru, she was still too green.

She had brute force but no technique, her attacks straight and predictable, as if she was telegraphing her every move to her opponent.

Gojo Yoru didn't even need to overwhelm her with speed or rely on reflexes to dodge. He simply used side-blocking and deflection techniques to parry all of Uzumaki Kushina's attacks, then proceeded to beat the round-faced girl black and blue without mercy.

Before long, Uzumaki Kushina—her face bearing a few bruises but still undeniably cute—had collapsed to the ground, gasping sharply for air.

"You're so weak. Didn't you say you were good at fighting?" Gojo Yoru taunted from above, though a faint smile he himself might not have noticed tugged at his lips.

"Hmph, don't get cocky. I was just careless earlier." Uzumaki Kushina covered her bruised face and shouted back defiantly.

"I hope your body is as tough as your mouth."

Gojo Yoru gave a contemptuous smirk, then crouched down in front of Uzumaki Kushina and said firmly, "Put your hands down."

"Wha... what are you going to do?"

Under the girl's wide-eyed stare, her face reddening as if her thoughts were running wild, Gojo Yoru extended his palm. A green glow suddenly enveloped it.

His hand stopped less than two centimeters from Uzumaki Kushina's cheek, and a gentle warmth, like a hot towel, covered her face.

The swelling and mild pain quickly faded.

Her navy-blue eyes, through the green light, stared blankly at Gojo Yoru's serious expression. Uzumaki Kushina felt her heart suddenly pound wildly.

Though the pain vanished rapidly, she felt her face grow even redder.

"...There, all done."

Gojo Yoru, as if oblivious to Uzumaki Kushina's expression, used the most basic medical technique to heal the injuries on her face, then stood up, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked away.

Snapping back to reality, Uzumaki Kushina quickly scrambled to her feet and followed.

This time, she didn't trail behind him. She walked up beside Gojo Yoru, shoulder to shoulder, and mustered the courage to ask, "Does this count as 'no fight, no friendship'?"

"No, this was just a one-sided beating." Gojo Yoru said coolly.

Uzumaki Kushina, about to say something else, rolled her eyes and then put on an indignant expression. "I told you, I was just careless earlier. And I haven't eaten anything today—I'm starving and have no energy or focus. How about we fight again tomorrow? I definitely won't lose this time!"

Gojo Yoru didn't reply. He just turned his head and gave Uzumaki Kushina a contemptuous smirk, as if to say, You?

Uzumaki Kushina tilted her head up, looking at Gojo Yoru, who was nearly a head taller, and taunted, "What's the matter? Scared to fight? Don't tell me you're afraid."

Her provocation worked perfectly. Gojo Yoru sneered, "Hope you don't cry tomorrow."

"That's my line."

Uzumaki Kushina was just like Uzumaki Naruto from the Original Work in his reckless days—whether she could win or not, she had to puff up her bravado first.

Leaving the woods, Gojo Yoru didn't head straight back to school. Instead, he stopped by a shop outside and bought a few bread rolls.

He casually tossed one to Uzumaki Kushina without a word and walked toward the school.

Catching the bread, Uzumaki Kushina felt her eyes sting with emotion. Staring at Gojo Yoru's back, her goodwill toward him skyrocketed.

This guy really is cold on the outside, warm on the inside!

Unable to stop her lips from curling up, Uzumaki Kushina tore open the bread wrapper and followed after him.

Neither of them said a word. They just ate their bread in silence.

Compared to the classmates who brought bento boxes to school, this lunch was utterly meager.

But Uzumaki Kushina ate it with boundless joy.

Watching this from the shadows, Namikaze Minato's heart was filled with envy.

If he had stepped in to help sooner than Gojo Yoru, would he be the one standing beside Uzumaki Kushina now?

After the Senju Clan integrated into Konoha, the high walls surrounding their clan grounds were torn down. Over the years, the once vast compound had become part of the village itself.

Now, the only thing representing the Senju Clan was a traditional building. It was home to Konoha's current strongest, as well as Tsunade and Nawaki's residence. It was also where Uzumaki Kushina was temporarily staying.

Tsunade, who worked at Konoha Hospital, had just returned home when she heard sounds of fighting from the courtyard.

By the time she reached the engawa, the first thing she saw was Uzumaki Mito sitting in a chair, a blanket over her legs.

At this moment, Uzumaki Mito showed no sign that she had only a year or two left to live.

With her Yin Seal, she still gave off an aura of unfathomable depth.

And as a perfect Jinchuriki, she was now truly Konoha's—and indeed the ninja world's—strongest.

After all, Uchiha Madara was also old and no longer had his Rinnegan.

Walking over to Uzumaki Mito's side, Tsunade watched Uzumaki Kushina and Nawaki sparring in taijutsu and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Grandmother, how did you talk to Kushina? How is she so different today from yesterday?"

Uzumaki Mito smiled. "She met a good kid."

"Oh, right, she went to the Ninja Academy today. Did she make a friend?" Tsunade's interest piqued after a moment of realization. "In less than a day, she's like a different person, and she's even actively sparring with Nawaki. Is her friend a boy or a girl?"

"He's a very fine boy." Uzumaki Mito gave the highest praise.

Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen paid close attention to Uzumaki Kushina's first day at the academy, Uzumaki Mito did the same.

Though she lacked the Crystal Viewing Technique, after the Second Hokage's death, no one in the entire shinobi world could match her in sensory ability. She had mastered the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and fused it with the Nine-Tails' Good Evil Perception.

A child's good and evil was the easiest thing to discern.

The malice her classmates held toward Uzumaki Kushina as an outsider, as well as the goodwill Namikaze Minato and Gojo Yoru showed her—all of it was seen clearly by Uzumaki Mito.

Among them, the one who drew her greatest attention was naturally Gojo Yoru.

In this child's body, she sensed an extremely unusual chakra fluctuation.

It was an energy that ordinary perception could never grasp, one she herself could barely "see."

It resembled her husband's Sage Chakra in some ways, yet was completely different. Instead, it was closer to the Nature Transformation of Kekkei Genkai like Lava Release or Ice Release.

But those who possessed such Kekkei Genkai could only convert their chakra into that Nature Transformation when performing techniques.

The energy inside this child, however, was like Sage Chakra—distinctly separated within the body.

That special chakra was not secreted from the brain, meaning it wasn't Yin Release Chakra. Could it be a special Yang Release-type Kekkei Genkai?

Uzumaki Mito was curious, but she had no intention of probing further.

The Good Evil Perception did not lie. She only needed to know that Gojo Yoru bore no ill will toward Uzumaki Kushina—only goodwill.

Besides, her time was running short. Uzumaki Mito simply wanted to spend her remaining days surrounded by family and clan.

Tsunade, of course, had no idea what her grandmother was thinking.

Hearing that it was a boy who had changed Uzumaki Kushina, Tsunade couldn't help but reveal a gossipy grin. Rolling up her sleeves, she said, "No wonder she's training so hard. Looks like she's run into some fierce competition. Let me give her a hand."

With that, Tsunade walked over, guiding both Uzumaki Kushina and Nawaki at the same time.