Minato Namikaze, the one who'd been called out, scratched his blond hair, his face plastered with an awkward smile.
Blondie? Sissy?
Was she talking about me?
Wasn't the boss unable to mold Chakra? Then what was this? Why was he even faster than me?
Aside from the awkwardness of being called a sissy and Blondie by Kushina, Minato Namikaze was even more shocked by the speed Bai Lin had just displayed.
The moment Kushina was ambushed, he'd already been preparing to rush over and save her, confident he could reach her in time to block the attack.
But just as he was about to move, Bai Lin's figure had already blurred into a streak and swept past him.
By the time Minato reacted, Bai Lin had landed beneath the old locust tree beside Kushina. He'd even had time to raise a hand and straighten his collar, ruffled by the wind.
Only when the Shuriken was about to touch Kushina's back did Bai Lin slowly draw the sword at his waist. In an instant, he appeared beside her and knocked the incoming Shuriken aside, his movements so casual it was as if he'd merely brushed away a speck of dust.
"Could the boss really be a genius?" Minato stared at Bai Lin, bewildered. Then an overwhelming rush of joy and excitement welled up inside him.
"If the boss is a genius, then my boss has what it takes to become Hokage."
Bai Lin was the person he admired, someone born with the makings of a leader.
To become Hokage, one needed not only the villagers' approval but also great strength.
Unfortunately, Bai Lin had never shown any strength in Minato's eyes, and that had always been a source of regret for him.
He'd once had a thought: if Bai Lin couldn't become Hokage, then he would become Hokage himself and spread Bai Lin's ideals throughout Konoha.
"If the boss is a genius, and has such formidable strength and foresight, then he absolutely has what it takes to become Hokage!"
Minato's eyes gradually grew fervent. As he gazed at Bai Lin's back, they were filled with admiration and resolve.
"I, Minato Namikaze, have decided you're my boss for life! From now on, I'll not only grow stronger by following you, but I'll also help you take the Hokage Position, so your Will of Fire can truly illuminate all of Konoha!"
Once the thought had taken root, it grew wildly like a weed.
Minato clenched his fists, his blood surging.
Before, he'd only thought about growing stronger and protecting the people around him. But now, he had a clearer goal: to help Bai Lin, a leader truly worthy of becoming Hokage, guide Konoha toward an even brighter future.
The boss was the true heir to the Will of Fire.
"You're lying!" The boy lifted his head, his eyes red-rimmed. "You hit me first! My brother's a Konoha Genin. He'll definitely get revenge for me!"
"Revenge?" Bai Lin raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping coldly over the young ninja. "You're already a ninja. You should understand that the core of the Will of Fire is protection and inheritance."
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on."
"The Will of Fire isn't about taking revenge over a personal grudge, much less using it as an excuse to ambush a fellow villager with a Shuriken."
"As a Konoha Genin, you should be protecting the people in the village. But you let your younger brother provoke someone first, then attacked from behind yourself. Is that what you think the Will of Fire means?"
"No, that's not it." The young ninja's face turned pale, then flushed as he struggled to defend himself. His voice had clearly weakened. "I... I only wanted to teach her a lesson. She hit my brother!"
Bai Lin stared at the two of them, his tone cold. "I'll let you off this time, but remember: a Konoha ninja's techniques are meant to protect, not bully the weak."
"Now apologize to Kushina, then take your brother to the Konoha Military Police Force and turn yourselves in. Accept your punishment."
"Don't push it!" The young ninja gritted his teeth, his hands clenching involuntarily. "I can apologize to Kushina, but..."
As a newly promoted Genin, he still had some pride in him and didn't want to bow his head and admit defeat just like that.
"Push it?"
Bai Lin vanished on the spot. The young ninja's pupils shrank. He was just about to move when he felt a chill against the back of his neck.
The flat of a sword rested lightly against his skin. The lethal threat it carried left his whole body rigid, unable to move.
"So you have a problem with me, is that it?"
Bai Lin's voice rang out softly, without the slightest inflection, yet it made the young ninja's scalp prickle.
"You just became a Genin and already think you're invincible?"
"In my eyes, you're nothing but a fool begging to be killed."
"If I cripple you today, even the Konoha Military Police Force wouldn't have the right to interfere—because a piece of trash like you doesn't deserve to call yourself a 'Konoha Ninja'!"
"I... I was wrong..." He finally broke, his voice on the verge of tears, his pride utterly crushed. "Kushina, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have ambushed you, or let my brother behave that way... Please, be the bigger person and let me off this once!"
The little brother beside him was so frightened that he burst into tears with a "Waaah!" He threw himself against his brother's leg and apologized over and over. "Kushina, I'm sorry! I'll never call you a tomato again. I won't do it ever again!"
"Who are you calling a tomato?!" At his words, Kushina instantly flared up, the anger she'd just managed to suppress rising again. If Bai Lin hadn't still been holding the other boy in check, she would've loved to punch the little brat again.
Bai Lin couldn't help laughing. He flicked his wrist, and the Kusanagi Sword slid back into its sheath. He'd already returned to where he'd been standing, as if he'd never moved.
"All right, if you're going to apologize, do it properly." He looked at the young ninja. "If you're truly sorry, go turn yourself in to the Military Police Force. Don't think you can talk your way out of it."
There wasn't a single threatening word in his voice, yet the ninja stiffened all over and hurriedly nodded. "Understood. We'll go to the Military Police Force right now."
Only after watching the two flee did Kushina let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Bai Lin, gratitude mixed with embarrassment on her face. "Th... thank you."
Kushina gazed at Bai Lin's handsome face beside her. Remembering how he'd stood tall in front of her, and how calmly he'd knocked away the Shuriken, she felt a faint warmth rise to her cheeks, and her heart began to race for no apparent reason.
A maiden has no way to repay you, except...
Bai Lin sighed. If this had happened when he'd first crossed over into the Naruto world, with strength like this, he wouldn't have spared anyone who bore a grudge against him.
He would have made sure this brat never lived to see another day: first, he'd use the Kusanagi Sword to chop him into pieces, then use Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique to destroy the body and leave no trace, making sure there was nothing left to bring back with Impure World Reincarnation.
Although he now had the strength to defect from the village, was he really going to throw away the good reputation he'd built in Konoha over some nobody, become a rogue ninja, and wander the Ninja World?
Of course not—unless he became strong enough to fear no one.
Bai Lin shed his cold demeanor. His expression changed in an instant, and he once again wore his usual warm smile. He narrowed his eyes as he studied Kushina's slightly flushed face.
What should I do?
Is he looking at me?
When he smiles, his eyes curve, and he looks so gentle. He's like a completely different person from how cold he was just now.
Kushina's thoughts ran wild.