Introducing Ourselves

Then she turned to Kushina Uzumaki and Tomoko. "Find an empty seat in the classroom and sit down."

Kushina Uzumaki was brash, acting as though she didn't care about anything, while Tomoko was her complete opposite, looking extremely shy.

"Their hair is so strange. It's red, like Choza's."

"Yeah! Look at Kushina Uzumaki. Her face is so round, just like a pancake. With that red hair, she looks like a tomato."

A vein popped on Kushina's forehead. She held back her anger as she walked down the aisle, then plopped herself into Mikoto's seat.

Hyuga Shin couldn't help looking at her.

"What are you staring at, young lady? Are you making fun of me too? Believe me, I'll hit you." Kushina raised a fist and waved it at Hyuga Shin.

"Can't you see the books here? Someone's already sitting here." Hyuga Shin pointed at the books on the desk.

"So what? Sitting with you is a privilege. Don't tell me you look down on me. I'm sitting here whether you like it or not. What are you going to do about it?" Kushina said haughtily.

"You can sit there for today. When Mikoto comes back tomorrow, you'll move." Hyuga Shin finished speaking and went back to resting his head on the desk.

"Hmm? Where's Mikoto? Why isn't she here?" She had been about to scold the students for misbehaving, but then noticed Kushina in Mikoto's seat and asked.

"Teacher, Mikoto isn't feeling well today, so she didn't come to class," Hyuga Shin said, standing up.

"What happened? Is it serious?" Ueno Juri asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just a minor problem. She'll be fine after a nap." Hyuga Shin shook his head.

"That's good." Ueno Juri nodded, then turned to the class with an angry expression. "You little brats! What did I just tell you? The moment I turned my back, you were gossiping about the new students. Let me hear you do it again, and you'll see how I punish you."

"Kushina, you can sit there for now. Tomoko, take a seat in the back. I'll find you both new seats when there's room."

"Ah... y-yes!" Tomoko Uzumaki answered nervously, then hurried to the back.

"You don't have to be so nervous, Tomoko." Ueno Juri tried to reassure her. The two girls had been personally entrusted to her care by Lord Hokage, so she couldn't afford to be careless.

Chapter 39: Introducing Ourselves

"I've already introduced you by name. Now I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves and tell us what you like and what your dreams are, so your classmates can get to know you."

"Kushina, why don't you start?"

Knowing Tomoko was shy, Ueno Juri decided to let Kushina go first.

Kushina Uzumaki wasn't the least bit nervous. She slapped the desk and stood up.

"My name is Kushina Uzumaki. I like ramen, and I hate tomatoes, sissies, and that guy." Kushina pointed at Hyuga Shin.

Hyuga Shin looked puzzled. Had he done something to offend Kushina?

"My dream is to become the first woman Hokage. That's all." Kushina puffed out her cheeks and sat down.

"Hahahaha... You want to become Hokage? That's hilarious. Nawaki, Minato, you've got a rival!"

"Did she call Minato a sissy? He does look kind of girly."

"And Shin claims he's a ladies' man who can charm any girl, yet he's already been rejected."

As soon as Kushina finished, the class burst into laughter. Hyuga Shin, Nawaki, and Minato were all caught in the crossfire.

"Hmph! Just a girl, and she thinks she can become Hokage? What a joke." Uchiha Ken scoffed. He hadn't said so before, but he also wanted to become Hokage.

Uchiha Ken had even set himself a smaller goal first: becoming the head of the Uchiha Clan.

"I'm the only one who can become Hokage." Flames of ambition blazed in Nawaki's eyes. Whenever the Hokage came up, he was full of fighting spirit.

"Let's all work hard to become Hokage!" Minato said with a smile, though Kushina's calling him a sissy had left him feeling awkward.

"Hmph! Sissy." Seeing Minato's sunny smile, Kushina snorted. She couldn't stand sissies.

Minato gave an awkward smile, then sat back down.

"He acts tougher than everyone else, but he's actually fragile inside. She's nothing like Mikoto, who's gentle on the outside but strong within," Hyuga Shin murmured.

Though Hyuga Shin spoke softly, Kushina heard him and glared at him angrily.

With her slightly chubby cheeks and a head of red hair, Kushina really did look like a tomato.

I guess there's no such thing as a wrong nickname, only a wrong name, Hyuga Shin muttered to himself, then lowered his head onto the desk.

Kushina glared fiercely at Hyuga Shin, then sat down in a huff. She planned to wait until school let out, corner him, and beat him up. Then she'd see if he still dared call her fragile.

In truth, Kushina really was just as Hyuga Shin had said. She was only using a tough exterior to hide her vulnerability.

She had just been through the destruction of her homeland, and had spent only a few days in this unfamiliar village. Tomoko was the only person she knew, so she instinctively tried to protect herself by putting on a tough front.

She was desperately short of a sense of security.

But having Hyuga Shin see through her made Kushina feel mortified. She was already planning how to beat him up.

Kushina hadn't realized that, despite saying she hated Hyuga Shin, she didn't really dislike him. In fact, she sensed something familiar about him that made her feel close to him.

"Tomoko, why don't you introduce yourself too? Don't be nervous." As Ueno Juri spoke, she fixed the whole class with a fierce glare.

These kids were acting as if she weren't even there. She'd already told them what to do, and they'd ignored her completely. Ueno Juri was starting to think she ought to teach them a lesson and show them who was in charge.

At Ueno Juri's stern look, the students quickly sat properly, all pretending to be model students.

Tomoko Uzumaki stood up timidly and spoke softly. "M-my name is Tomoko Uzumaki. I l-like doing housework. There's nothing I dislike. My dream is to live an ordinary, peaceful life."

Her introduction was perfectly ordinary, and no one interrupted or made fun of her.

Unlike Kushina, Tomoko was so timid that the students didn't have the heart to bully her.

"If any of you dare bully Tomoko, I'll knock your heads off!" Kushina said fiercely.

But with her slightly chubby cheeks, she wasn't intimidating at all.

"Woof, woof!" Kuromaru barked at Kushina in annoyance, feeling that he'd been dragged into this for no reason.

"Quiet, Kuromaru. It was hard enough getting you into the school." Tsume Inuzuka pressed down on Kuromaru's head.

Kuromaru lowered his head sulkily.

Ueno Juri was at a loss for words. Their Class A was definitely the most unruly class in the first year.

They'd made a name for themselves across the whole school by getting into a fight on the first day. Then they'd beaten Fugaku Uchiha so badly he ended up in the hospital, making their reputation even worse.

It was no wonder. There were too many students from powerful clans in this class, and they were difficult to manage. Ueno Juri could only accept it.