The Strongest Second-in-Command

Thump, thump, thump...

The sound of flesh colliding echoed without pause.

The scene shifted from the bustling streets to a forest rarely visited by people.

A training ground that had been abandoned for years, its Wood Golem broken and decayed, overgrown with weeds.

A boy and a girl, both children, were locked in an extremely intense taijutsu duel on a patch of ground they had cleared themselves—fierce beyond what most their age could handle.

There was no concession for gender, no courtesy. They fought using every ounce of their physical ability and wits, and whenever one gained an advantage, they unleashed a storm of attacks on the other, as if determined to beat them black and blue.

These two children were none other than Gojo Yoru and Uzumaki Kushina.

Between the two, naturally, Kushina bore the most injuries. Her cute round face was covered in bruises, and her hair and clothes were stained with dust and footprints.

On the other side, Gojo Yoru only had a bit of dust on his clothes, with not a single bruise on his face.

But if one looked closely, they would notice how serious his expression was at that moment.

His entire body was tense, as if facing a great enemy.

Across from him, Kushina had already entered berserker mode, flaunting the Uzumaki Clan's talent, tanking Yoru's attacks head-on, trying to trade blows for blows.

Faced with Kushina's wild swings and bull-like charges, Yoru kept retreating, dodging continuously.

He had no choice but to dodge!

Last time, when he underestimated her, Yoru took a furious punch from Kushina head-on and nearly vomited his guts out—he almost lost the meal from the night before.

If he used the Body Flicker Technique, Yoru could hang Kushina up and toy with her however he pleased.

Without the Body Flicker Technique, Yoru could still suppress Kushina with his superior reflexes.

But once Kushina stopped feeling pain, the tables turned, and Yoru found himself on the back foot.

This was the gap in talent!

The Senju, Uzumaki, Kaguya, Hyuga, Uchiha... these five clans, all connected to the Otsutsuki, possessed talent that was simply enviable.

Once their bloodline awakened, they could easily become geniuses in taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, sealing, sensing, or medical arts.

If they fully realized their potential, they would become masters in those fields.

Though Kushina had yet to awaken the Uzumaki Clan's unique abilities, she had already shown the makings of a Steel Fist master.

But this future Steel Fist master was currently losing her composure.

"Ahhh... can you stop dodging? If you've got the guts, let me hit you once!" Kushina was so angry her hair started floating against gravity as she bared her teeth at Yoru.

Yoru sneered, "Can't hit me means you're too weak. Go train some more."

Seeing Yoru's mocking expression, Kushina ground her teeth again.

But soon, as if she thought of something, she suddenly crossed her arms and sneered, "Go ahead and act tough while you can. You'll be crying later."

Yoru frowned slightly, then waved at Kushina with a worried look, "Come here, let me check on you. Sorry... I guess I hit too hard and broke your brain."

"Gojo Yoru, you bastard!"

Kushina charged at Yoru in fury, only for him to hold her head at arm's length with his long reach, her little hands unable to reach him no matter how she swung.

After a bit of roughhousing, Yoru began treating Kushina's injuries.

Her cooperation and habits during the process showed that a long time had passed since their first fight.

"Tomorrow's the Final Exam. What are you planning for the holidays?"

On the way back, Kushina asked Yoru.

The anticipation on her face seemed like a hint.

But Yoru ignored it and simply said two words: "Training."

"You training maniac, all you ever do is train." Kushina couldn't help but complain, but she added, "Count me in."

Yoru remained cool and silent.

Having figured out his personality, Kushina knew that meant tacit agreement.

So, she began looking forward to the holidays, filled with motivation to grow stronger.

Noticing her change, Yoru smiled inwardly.

This way of interacting was deliberate on Yoru's part. Besides showing the higher-ups his transformation, its main purpose was to push Kushina to get stronger.

As a transmigrator, no one knew better than Yoru that when the Second Shinobi World War ended, the next era should have been named "Uzumaki."

Because that era had two Super Kage Level seedlings, both descendants of the Uzumaki Clan.

Those two seedlings were Nagato and Kushina.

One had been implanted with the Rinnegan, the other became the complete Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

If not for both willingly becoming someone else's pawns and being severely weakened, the Third Shinobi World War's protagonist would never have been Namikaze Minato or the A-B Combo.

A healthy Nagato could master at least six Nature Transformations, without splitting his power into six parts. He could use the Six Paths of Pain's abilities alone and even summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, unleashing a Chakra Dragon that killed on contact.

Besides sealing techniques and Space-Time Ninjutsu, nothing can counter him.

Uzumaki Kushina, who resides within the Senju Clan, has the qualifications to cultivate the Senju Clan's Secret Techniques, as well as the inheritance of the Uzumaki Clan's Fuinjutsu. In the future, she will become a master of Steel Fist and a master of sealing.

If she can awaken Physical Healing, she would be an even greater medical saint than Tsunade, capable of saving anyone as long as they still have a breath left.

With the Adamantine Sealing Chains, which have a special attack against tailed beasts, becoming a perfect Jinchuriki is a foregone conclusion.

Uzumaki Naruto, with half of the Nine-Tails, plus Sage Mode, is already a Super Kage Level fighter.

Uzumaki Kushina, as a complete Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, would only be even stronger.

If she could also learn Sage Mode, Uzumaki Kushina's ceiling would be an enhanced version of Uzumaki Mito.

With such potential, how could Gojo Yoru let Uzumaki Kushina become a mere decoration?

He would train Uzumaki Kushina into a super powerhouse, his strongest right-hand.

Konoha Year 33, December 23rd.

For the Ninja Academy, this day was another special one.

Because today was the last day of the second semester.

Grades one through six also faced this semester's Final Exam.

The morning was still the written exam.

In the afternoon, it was the practical combat class.

The practical combat class at the Ninja Academy was divided into three stages.

Grades one and two were the first stage.

In this stage, the practical combat class only consisted of Shuriken throwing and taijutsu duels. For the former, real props were only distributed during the Final Exam; usually, stones were used as substitutes.

Grades three and four were the second stage.

In this stage, besides adding survival exercises, both throwing and taijutsu duels were upgraded.

Shuriken throwing gained an additional kunai throwing component.

Taijutsu duels became a pseudo-no-rules duel, infinitely close to the third stage.

What is a no-rules duel?

It means using every means available: the Three Body Techniques, Five Element Ninjutsu, genjutsu, the Body Flicker Technique, Kekkei Genkai, kunai and other tools... as long as you have it, you can use it.

This is the strictest and most unfair exam at the Ninja Academy, designed to simulate life-and-death battles on the battlefield.

In a taijutsu duel, only one ordinary medical-nin is present.

In a no-rules duel, besides the teacher acting as referee, two medical-nin who have mastered the Mystical Palm Technique must be present.

However, this is an exam only for grades five and six. In the pseudo-no-rules duel for grades three and four, weapons and Five Element Ninjutsu are still prohibited.