The Sannin's Attention

March 20th, early morning.

Gojo Yoru had just woken up, but for some reason, he felt inexplicably irritated.

For someone like him, who slept nine hours every day and was full of vitality and energy, that was an incredibly strange feeling.

Anyone else might have been affected because today was the Final Exam.

But for Gojo Yoru, the Final Exam was merely a formality. It had stopped being stressful years ago.

When the time reached 7:50, Gojo Yoru, who had prepared a nutritious breakfast and was reading in the living room, finally realized something was wrong.

Normally, Uzumaki Kushina would have knocked on his door long ago.

But now, it was nearly time for school, yet there was still no sign of Uzumaki Kushina.

Uzumaki Kushina had kept up the habit for an entire semester, coming to Gojo Yoru's home for breakfast before they went to school together. There was no way she would miss it for no reason, especially not on the day of the Final Exam.

Gojo Yoru narrowed his eyes. Could it be today?

The Original Work had never revealed the exact day Uzumaki Kushina became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so Gojo Yoru did not know either.

Thinking of his irritation upon waking and Uzumaki Kushina's absence, Gojo Yoru was one hundred percent certain that it had something to do with the Jinchuriki.

"Of all days, it had to be today. Could Uzumaki Mito no longer hold on?" Gojo Yoru could not help guessing as he rose and ate breakfast alone.

After washing the dishes, Gojo Yoru headed for school.

Today was, in truth, the sixth grade's day.

Before the sixth grade graduation assessment, the Final Exams of the other five grades seemed utterly insignificant.

Just like the start of the new school year in April, the entrance to the Ninja Academy was already packed with parents early that morning.

After seeing their children into the school, they waited outside the gates for the results.

Once the sixth grade students came out together, the atmosphere here would surely be filled with joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, praise and scolding, comfort, and more...

But for now, none of that had anything to do with the students from the other five grades.

Gojo Yoru, who would only advance to Fifth Grade next month, had seen this scene many times over the years. He could not even be bothered to glance at the crowd of parents and walked straight through the school gates.

Gojo Yoru did not notice that three pairs of eyes were observing him from afar.

"Orochimaru, is that the prospect you took a liking to?"

"Mm."

"That height, and he was only nine last year? You have got to be kidding. He looks as tall as Tsunade! Are the teachers at the school and Teacher Sarutobi blind? A monster that tall should be allowed to graduate early. Why keep him at the Ninja Academy and waste his time and talent?"

"He chose to hide his abilities. He wanted to stay at the Ninja Academy."

"Why? That height means his Chakra reserves must be extraordinary too. Forget students his own age—even sixth grade graduates would not be his match. What challenge is there in staying at school?"

"He wants to accumulate knowledge, so that even when faced with a desperate situation, he will have the strength and wisdom to respond."

Hearing that, Jiraiya, who had just been ranting nonstop, was instantly left speechless.

Tsunade, who had come to the Ninja Academy specifically to see Nawaki off, looked at Gojo Yoru's back with admiration in her eyes. Then she smiled at Orochimaru. "No wonder you like that brat so much. He is practically an enlarged version of you when you were young."

Orochimaru chuckled. "He is far stronger than we were at his age."

"Oh?"

Tsunade and Jiraiya were immediately interested. The latter raised a brow. "You said he had been hiding his abilities. Does that mean he has already mastered advanced Five Element Ninjutsu?"

"With his unusual gifts and Sa and Mio's inheritance, it would not be surprising for him to master advanced ninjutsu at this age." Tsunade congratulated Orochimaru, "Congratulations, Orochimaru. You found an excellent disciple. What a pity about Nawaki, though. I had originally wanted to ask you to be his teacher."

"Isn't there still another candidate here?" Orochimaru immediately gave his best friend an assist.

Jiraiya instantly winked and made faces at Tsunade. Tsunade rolled her eyes and mocked him without mercy. "Forget it. If Jiraiya taught Nawaki, I would be afraid he would turn my adorable little brother into a pervert. Rather than let him do it, I might as well quit my job at the hospital and teach Nawaki myself."

Jiraiya took a devastating blow, his entire body turning gray and white.

Seeing that, even Orochimaru could not help him.

Gojo Yoru had no idea that the future Konoha Sannin were watching him.

The moment he entered the classroom, he could not help raising a brow.

The familiar figure beside his seat was already there.

But Uzumaki Kushina currently looked as though she were catching up on sleep, her head resting on her desk.

That obviously unusual sight made a certain blond loser, who had already given up because he could see no hope, repeatedly cast worried glances her way.

"I remember I didn't provoke you yesterday. Why are you sulking again?"

Gojo Yoru came to his seat and, under Namikaze Minato's envious gaze, reached out and rubbed Uzumaki Kushina's head.

When Uzumaki Kushina lifted her head to look at him, Gojo Yoru was immediately startled. "Did you go steal something last night? Why do you look like a ghost?"

Uzumaki Kushina looked as though she had not slept all night, and as though she had cried. Her eyes were bloodshot, while the bags beneath them were swollen and dark.

Normally, Uzumaki Kushina would have snapped back at him already.

But now, Uzumaki Kushina merely forced a smile at Gojo Yoru and said hoarsely, "I'm fine. I just don't feel very well, so I didn't come find you."

Gojo Yoru understood at once.

Uzumaki Kushina had not yet become a Jinchuriki, but she already knew about Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts.

The girl must have been afraid, which was why she had not slept all night. She might even have cried all night.

If today had not been the Final Exam, she might not have wanted to come to school at all. She did not want Gojo Yoru to see her ugly side.

So Gojo Yoru glared at the classmates who were secretly watching the show, scaring them into quickly looking away.

He moved his chair a little closer to Uzumaki Kushina. After sitting down, he said nothing. Instead, he formed hand seals and created a mass of green Chakra over his palm, then held it before Uzumaki Kushina's face to treat the swollen bags under her eyes.

Looking at Gojo Yoru's focused expression, just like when he had used Medical Ninjutsu to treat her after their first battle last year, Uzumaki Kushina vaguely remembered how fast her heart had beaten then, how hot her cheeks had felt.

Even now, Uzumaki Kushina felt her breathing catch, and the fear filling her heart suddenly became even stronger.

The tears she had thought she had cried dry spilled from her eyes once more.

Sometimes, silent crying was more infectious than loud sobbing.

Seeing that, Gojo Yoru immediately made a decision.

He lowered his hand and pulled Uzumaki Kushina out of the classroom.

Seeing this, Namikaze Minato could not suppress the urge to follow them again.

But after thinking about it, he gave up and let out a helpless sigh in his heart.

Yet only a few minutes later, he saw Gojo Yoru and Uzumaki Kushina enter through the classroom's back door.

And Uzumaki Kushina no longer looked like she had before.

Namikaze Minato froze slightly, then could not help feeling admiration for Gojo Yoru.

Amazing. He had comforted her so quickly. Was this why I could never compare to Gojo Yoru?

Then, as though he had noticed something, Namikaze Minato's pupils suddenly contracted.

No!

That isn't Uzumaki Kushina, and it isn't Gojo Yoru's real body either. This is... the Shadow Clone Jutsu?!

Upon realizing this, Namikaze Minato's first reaction was not amazement at Gojo Yoru's strength, but curiosity over where their real bodies had gone.

Looking at the two Shadow Clones waiting calmly for the written exam to begin, Namikaze Minato suddenly had a feeling.

Once Gojo Yoru and Uzumaki Kushina's real bodies returned, he would truly have no hope left at all.