Uzumaki Kuming had decided when he would set out on his travels: he would leave Konoha after the start of spring. He informed his two disciples, Uchiha Itachi and Shisui, of his decision, then passed the news on to Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. He planned to take all three of them with him.
In the days that followed, Kuming enjoyed a relatively peaceful life. He didn't need to worry about the village's affairs at all. Every day, he played ninja games with Naruto. At least, that was what Naruto's training amounted to in Kuming's eyes.
Kushina Uzumaki had a big heart, too. Since her younger brother had nothing else to do, she simply foisted her son on him. She dropped Naruto off at Kuming's house in the morning, then picked him up after returning from the hospital in the evening. Sometimes, she went straight to the house with groceries and cooked there with Minato.
Kushina was quite comfortable playing the hands-off parent who didn't have to look after her son.
Kuming didn't mind Kushina's arrangement. For one thing, he really had nothing to do; for another, Naruto might have been a little wild, but he was still fairly obedient. Besides, Naruto seemed to have taken Sasuke Uchiha as his rival. One moment he wanted to learn shurikenjutsu, the next he wanted to learn taijutsu.
Kuming didn't hesitate to teach Naruto, who was so eager to learn.
"Naruto, kick higher. Your kick only reaches chest level. That's not enough."
"A kick to the chest and a kick to the chin have completely different effects!"
Beside the waterfall, Kuming sat by a large tree, holding the Heavenly Feather Blade. A thick winter mat covered the ground, keeping out the chill. Beside him, a chubby boy was munching on snacks. When Kuming finished