"Hey, Shimura Saburo, no fair cheating!" Murashita Ryukawa cried out in disapproval.
"Exactly!" Kushina joined the girls in cheering Sen on.
Shimura Saburo just made himself an even smaller target. "Teacher, you said the target would move. Doesn't that mean we're allowed to find cover?"
"Well..."
As Murashita Ryukawa hesitated, Sen spoke up calmly.
"It's fine. It makes no difference."
Before the words had even left his mouth, one of the Kunai in his hand sliced through the air and soared high into the sky. It wasn't aimed at Shimura Saburo at all.
Just as everyone thought he was giving up, a second Kunai shot from his hand at even greater speed!
"Clang!"
The second Kunai struck the tail of the first with pinpoint accuracy, changing its trajectory.
The first Kunai dropped straight down like a precisely guided shell. With a thud, it struck Shimura Saburo's helmet squarely!
"Damn it!" Shimura Saburo cursed under his breath. He was just about to run when he saw Sen's Shuriken already flying.
But the Shuriken curved along a strange arc, flying behind the three of them.
"It's wire!" Shimura Saburo shouted, watching the Shuriken's bizarre path. Then he turned to run.
Just as the three of them were about to split up, the Shuriken had already looped around behind them.
Suddenly, the Shuriken seemed to be pulled by something. It snapped tight, binding all three of them securely.
Shimura Saburo struggled in vain. "Damn it! How does he know this Shuriken technique? I've only ever seen Jonin use it!"
Meanwhile, the Shuriken that had just flown past continued to wind around them.
As it completed its final loop, the remaining length of wire struck Shimura Saburo's head with pinpoint accuracy, ringing out with a metallic clang.
The whole sequence was smooth and lightning-fast!
Everyone on the training field, teachers included, was stunned.
Could a nine-year-old student really pull that off?!
"That's incredible! The control..."
"I bet his Shuriken are specially made. How else could they curve?"
"That's the Uchiha Clan's throwing technique!" a student from the Nara Clan declared.
Sen paid no attention to the praise. He threw three more Shuriken. They traced three graceful arcs through the air before striking Shimura Saburo's helmet with pinpoint accuracy, hitting him right between the eyebrows!
For once, Murashita Ryukawa smiled. He gave Sen a perfect score on the report card. Technically, Sen had wasted one Kunai to knock the other one off course.
But Murashita had privately decided to give him full marks for what he'd just done.
Watching Sen alongside Minato and Kushina, he finally felt some comfort.
With war looming, at least these few might survive, wouldn't they?
That afternoon, after school.
At the school gates, Sen took out three Soldier Pills. He ate one, handed one to Minato, then held the last one out to Kushina and asked:
"Pick the red pill: go train some more in the woods, or head straight home?"
The afternoon's sparring had left Kushina aching all over, with several bruises on her body.
But this time, she didn't back down.
She snatched the Soldier Pill and swallowed it, her gaze resolute. "Hmph! No one's stopping me from training today!"
Sen and Minato exchanged amused glances, then headed toward the forest behind the school with Kushina.
Beneath the rising moonlight, they began another round of grueling training.
Night deepened, and elsewhere in the village, people were discussing their fates.
At Sarutobi Hiruzen's home.
"Monkey!" Shimura Danzō stormed in, furious. "I saw the assignment list for the graduating teams! How could you put the Jinchuriki and that Uchiha brat on the same team? What were you thinking?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a knowing smile as he leisurely sipped his tea.
"Danzō, what's the problem?"
"There's a huge problem!" Shimura Danzō strode up to him and roared. "You have time to sit around drinking tea? Do you know how important the Jinchuriki is? She's the village's most important weapon. How can you be so careless with her?"
Noticing the smile on Hiruzen's face, he demanded, "What are you smiling about?"
"Perhaps he can smile because I'm here?" an old woman's gentle voice came from behind the screen.
Shimura Danzō was startled. Only then did he realize someone else was behind the screen.
The moment he recognized her, his attitude changed completely. He quickly bowed. "Lady Mito! I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were here!"
At that moment, Shimura Danzō was as meek as a quail.
After all, she was Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage. Her every word and deed could influence Konoha's decisions!
"Danzō, you're showing me less and less respect," Uzumaki Mito said, her aged voice edged with reproach.
"Back then, whenever you, Monkey, and Koharu had a falling-out, wasn't I always the one who helped you work things out?"
Under the weight of her invisible pressure, Shimura Danzō couldn't even lift his head. At the same time, he cursed Sarutobi Hiruzen over and over in his heart.
At this point, how could he not know he'd been set up by that damned monkey again?
He dropped to one knee. "Lady Mito, I'm very sorry. I didn't know this was your arrangement. What brings you here today?"
Uzumaki Mito held out her hand, and her attendant helped her up. Only then did she answer, "It seems my words don't carry enough weight anymore. I had to come here myself before the Hokage would agree to change the team assignments."
Hearing her call him Lord Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly stood and bowed respectfully. "Lady Mito, I arranged everything just as you asked. Please don't tease me. You can just call me Monkey."
With her attendants helping her to the door, Uzumaki Mito spoke calmly. "Monkey, you and the other senior officials must treat Kushina well from now on. In a few years, she'll become the Jinchuriki for real.
"By then, she may be like me and be unable to leave the village for more than a decade.
"While she still isn't the Jinchuriki, you should show her more care. That will help her accept Konoha sooner."
"Yes, Lady Mito. We understand," the two men replied quickly.
Only after Mito's footsteps had faded did Shimura Danzō get to his feet. He glared at Sarutobi Hiruzen and snapped, "Monkey! You set me up again! Come on, let's fight!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled. "Fight? When have you ever beaten me?"
His words left Shimura Danzō red-faced.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat down and explained leisurely, "I'd already arranged everything. Didn't you notice? The other member of their team is Namikaze Minato."
He took another leisurely sip of tea. "You're forty years old. When are you going to fix that temper of yours? Why the rush?"
"That kid's a civilian, and he has extraordinary talent. More importantly, the 'Will of Fire' is already deeply rooted in Namikaze Minato. With him by Kushina's side, it's like putting double safeguards on the Nine-Tails.
"Besides, they're still young. We have plenty of time to bring them together. That way, both Kushina and the Nine-Tails will remain firmly in the village's control."
Only then did Shimura Danzō understand. He marveled at Sarutobi Hiruzen's deep-laid plans.
But he still refused to concede. "It's a decent plan, but it's missing something. At the very least, you need to stage a 'hero saves the beauty' scene to make it perfect."
Sarutobi Hiruzen neither agreed nor disagreed. "Do as you like. First, let's see if he can survive this war.
"As for Kushina, I've already ordered my student to protect the Jinchuriki. It's the most important mission I've given him."
Before you continue