"Especially that Uchiha kid,"
Kushina paused slightly, her eyes filled with surprise and approval.
"His strength and mental fortitude are both outstanding. When he fought me, he stayed calm and collected, and his thinking was clear. He not only devised a clever strategy but executed it very well. Faced with the pressure of a Jonin, he didn't back down at all. Instead, he seized the moment to attack."
"Uchiha Amada?"
The Third mused, gently stroking his chin.
"I made a point of looking into him. At school, he only managed to pass his classes. Unlike the other Uchiha, he's a quiet child who doesn't like showing off. He's steady and reserved, so he must have been hiding his strength at school.
"He has the potential unique to the Uchiha Clan, but none of their arrogance. If we nurture him properly, he'll become another excellent Konoha Ninja."
Kushina nodded, deeply agreeing.
After chatting briefly, Kushina said goodbye to the Third and turned to leave.
Night had fallen over Konoha, and Amada returned home.
His thoughts drifted back to his battle with Teacher Kushina earlier that day.
He closed his eyes and began replaying the entire fight in his mind.
A moment later.
"Ah, the gap is still too wide."
Amada sighed softly.
The only reason he had managed to cause a little trouble for a Jonin today was that Teacher Kushina hadn't fought at full strength.
Once she got serious, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Suddenly, Amada's eyes flew open as a flash of inspiration struck him.
He finally remembered why that familiar red Chakra had looked so familiar.
"Isn't that Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra?"
He muttered under his breath, stunned and confused.
"No wonder it's so powerful. Even the Chakra leaking out has such terrifying strength."
He recalled the scenes in the original story where Naruto unleashed the Nine-Tails Chakra in moments of danger.
It was exactly like the Chakra surrounding Teacher Kushina that day.
"And her name is Uzumaki, too."
Amada furrowed his brow, sinking into deep thought.
"Are they from the same clan, or is there some other connection?"
The mornings in Konoha always carried a slight chill. Amada stood outside the mission office, watching Teacher Kushina storm out once again.
Her bright red hair fluttered in the morning breeze like a dancing flame.
"Another D-Rank mission!"
Kushina gritted her teeth.
"Catching cats, pulling weeds, babysitting... These missions are a complete waste of our time!"
Asuma leaned lazily against the wall, a blade of grass between his teeth.
"Sensei, didn't you go talk to the old man yesterday?"
"Hmph!" Kushina planted her hands on her hips.
"That Third said 'new Genin have to start with the basics.' I think he's doing it on purpose!"
Kurenai gently tugged at Amada's sleeve and whispered,
"Actually, I think D-Rank missions are pretty good. At least they're safe..."
Before she could finish, the mission office door opened again, and the Third slowly emerged.
With his pipe between his teeth, he squinted at the furious Kushina and sighed. "All right, all right. Since you're so set on it... Here's a C-Rank mission: go to a border village and drive off the wild boars destroying the crops."
"Wild boars?" Asuma straightened up.
"Isn't that too easy? How can that count as C-Rank?"
The Third gave him a meaningful look.
"Don't underestimate any mission, Asuma. Even a wild animal can pose an unexpected danger."
Early the next morning, the team set off for the mission site.
Along the way, Asuma kept complaining that the mission was too boring.
"It's just one wild boar. I can handle it by myself."
He plucked a leaf and twirled it between his fingers.
"You can all wait back in the village."
Kushina glared at him.
"Asuma, remember that you're a ninja, not a lone wolf. Teamwork is what matters most."
But when they reached the village, the sight before them made everyone draw a sharp breath.
The neat rice fields had been thoroughly ravaged, and enormous hoofprints were deeply embedded in the mud.
Every mark showed that this wild boar was far from ordinary.
"Th-those hoofprints are huge..." Kurenai crouched down and measured one with her hand.
"It's at least three times bigger than an ordinary wild boar."
Amada carefully studied the tracks nearby. Suddenly, he noticed a deep mark on a tree trunk, more than three meters above the ground.
His pupils contracted slightly.
"Sensei, I don't think this is an ordinary wild boar..."
"Hmph. Big or not, it's still just a beast," Asuma said dismissively.
"I'll go find it in the forest. You can wait here."
"Wait!" Kushina tried to stop him, but Asuma had already vanished into the trees.
She stamped her foot in anger. "That brat!"
Amada and Kurenai exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in the other's eyes.
They could feel that something strange was lurking in the forest.
Deep in the forest, Asuma advanced cautiously.
Suddenly, he heard branches snapping up ahead.
He tightened his grip on his Chakra Blade and smiled confidently.
"Finally found you..."
But when he saw the creature in front of him, his smile froze.
It was a gigantic wild boar, over three meters tall.
Its tusks gleamed like scimitars, and its body was covered in bristles as sharp as steel needles.
Worst of all were its eyes: blood-red and filled with fury.
"Wh-what kind of monster is this...?"
Asuma swallowed, his palms already slick with sweat.
The boar let out a deafening roar and charged at him.
Asuma hurriedly threw a Shuriken,
but the sharp weapon hit the boar with a dull thud and bounced right off!
"Damn it!"
Asuma leaped onto a branch, but the boar crashed straight through the tree trunk.
He barely managed to adjust his posture in midair, but the boar's tusks still slashed his arm.
Outside the forest, Amada warily watched for any movement.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded, accompanied by the crack of breaking branches.
He jerked his head up. Asuma came stumbling out of the forest, his right arm drenched in blood and his face pale as paper.
"Run!" Asuma shouted hoarsely.
"That thing isn't an ordinary wild boar!"
Before he could say more, a deafening roar came from the forest.
The ground began to shake, and the trees swayed violently, sending a flock of birds into the air.
Amada's pupils contracted sharply—a huge creature was charging out of the forest at incredible speed.
The wild boar stood over three meters tall, with sharp tusks and a savage appearance.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Amada quickly formed Hand Seals, and a scorching fireball roared toward the beast.
The flames exploded across the boar's body, but only made it pause for a moment.
Taking advantage of the opening, Kurenai hurried to support the staggering Asuma.
"Are you all right?"
Keeping his eyes on the boar, Amada asked.
Asuma panted heavily.
"Its hide is too thick. I couldn't even cut through it with my Chakra Blade..."
The boar shook its head, let out an enraged roar, and charged again.
Amada quickly hurled Shuriken and kunai, but they all bounced right off!
"How is that possible...?"
Kurenai stepped back in terror, her kunai trembling in her hand.
She instinctively tried to form Hand Seals and cast an Illusion Technique, but as she watched the unstoppable giant charge toward them, her mind went blank.
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