One-Punch Man—Kushina Uzumaki

"Shiraha, are you serious? Are we really going to release Kurama someday?"

After leaving the Sealing Space, Kushina could not help asking again. After all, Grandma Mito had repeatedly emphasized how terrifying Kurama was.

"Why not? It is not like I am telling you to release Kurama right now.

And if one day you become as strong as the First Hokage, then you will not need to fear Kurama at all.

For now, you can try getting along with Kurama properly."

Shiraha explained.

What mattered now was soothing Kurama and gaining his cooperation. As for the future, that could wait. Was it not easy enough to paint a rosy picture?

"How am I supposed to get along with Kurama?" Kushina froze.

"You can experience for yourself what Kurama is really like. Maybe his nature is not bad after all? Did I not tell you to look at problems dialectically?"

"Ah? I forgot." Kushina smiled sheepishly and blinked her pretty eyes, trying to act cute and get away with it.

"..." Shiraha was speechless. Making Kushina a little smarter was clearly not something that could be done overnight. Talking alone definitely would not work; he would have to guide her slowly.

"Since you put it that way, Shiraha, I will reluctantly try getting along with this stupid fox."

Kushina continued.

"Do not call this old man a stupid fox! Damned human brat!" Kurama's furious voice echoed through the Sealing Space.

"Uh, the stupid fox is angry again. His temper really is awful!" Kushina could not help complaining.

"That is where you are wrong."

"Ah? Me?"

"Think about how people used to call you 'Tomato,' and how they call you 'Red Hot Habanero' now. How would that make you feel?"

"I would definitely want to beat them up!" Kushina waved her fists.

"So you should call him Nine-Tails, and be more polite. Use love to win him over!"

"Love? For Kurama?"

"Yes!"

"Then I will give it a try. I am only willing to do it for your sake."

Kushina spoke with a reluctant expression. Compared to dogs, she still preferred cats.

"This old man does not accept your charity!" Kurama flew into a rage from embarrassment. Did these two human brats not understand fox language at all? This was utter nonsense!

"He is angry again," Kushina relayed.

Shiraha smiled. "Maybe he is just shy. Afraid of strangers. It is understandable."

Kushina: "..."

Kurama: "*****"

Over the next month, Shiraha kept his promise and did morning training with Kushina every day.

On Sunday morning, the moment they met, Kushina winked at Shiraha as though she were throwing him a flirtatious glance.

Shiraha immediately understood. He leaned close and whispered, "Go ahead. No one is watching."

This was a prearranged signal between them.

"Shiraha, I slept really well last night!" Kushina said excitedly.

"?" Shiraha paused. Did she really need to confirm it with their signal before saying that?

But he quickly realized. "Was it because Kurama did not cause trouble?"

"Mm!" Kushina nodded heavily. "Whenever I slept before, as soon as the Nine-Tails Chakra appeared, my body would heat up, and then I would wake up from the heat.

It seriously affected my sleep quality. He was always trying every possible way to mess with me.

When I got up to refine Chakra this morning, I found that the interference had also become weaker.

Do you think the stupid... Kurama is scared—"

Shiraha hurriedly stepped forward and covered her mouth.

A pig teammate was just too hard to carry!

"This is called cooperation! You moved Nine-Tails with love, understand?!" Shiraha glared at Kushina with wide eyes, looking as if he would "eat her alive" if she dared say another word.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm!" Only then did Kushina realize.

It could not be helped. She had always been so carefree; it was not something she could change immediately.

During this time, she often went into the Sealing Space to talk to Kurama. Although Kurama usually could not be bothered with her, he would still answer her with a few words.

It seemed Shiraha's method had really worked!

"It was my love that moved Nine-Tails. I will continue getting along with him properly."

Inside the Sealing Space, Kurama's closed eyes opened slightly, leaving a narrow slit, and his upright ears twitched gently.

Just as that brat had said, the brat named Kushina had not volunteered for this either.

Kurama could sense the fear and unease deep within her heart.

This was the first step he had taken.

One final attempt to trust humans.

It was the "magnanimity" of the strongest Tailed Beast. He could not possibly stoop to arguing with a brat.

As Kurama thought this, he felt that his position was somewhat uncomfortable. He wanted to turn over, but the Golden Chains wrapped around him left him unable to move.

Kurama immediately flew into a rage. "Damn brat! Who wants to get along with humans!"

"He is cursing again," Kushina said helplessly.

Kurama's temper was way too awful. If only he could be more likable, like Shiraha.

"Use—love." Shiraha did not make a sound, merely mouthing the words.

"Got it." Kushina sighed.

In any case, she did not really believe Kurama could live peacefully with humans. But she believed Shiraha. And after getting along with Kurama for some time, she was not as afraid of him anymore. He did not seem as terrifying as the rumors claimed.

"Let us do morning training first," Shiraha reminded her.

The important thing was not what Kurama said, but what he did.

The experiences of Shiraha's first life had taught him that in this world, no one could escape Jingze the Great's "it smells so good" law.

No "one"!

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was September of Konoha's thirty-third year.

The first day of the second semester of fourth grade.

During class, Shiraha noticed that many familiar faces were missing.

Minato Namikaze was gone.

Several other students with good grades but no Ninja Clan background were missing as well.

They were all students who had previously clamored about graduating early.

"Students, Minato, Yusuke, Yamazaki, and six others from our class have passed the early graduation assessment, a total of eight people. They have become honorable Konoha Genin.

"I hope everyone will take them as examples and continue working hard."

As soon as their homeroom teacher, Sakamoto Midorikawa, arrived, he explained the matter.

However, Shiraha noticed that powerful Ninja Clan children like Hyuga Toma and Sarutobi Keita were all still here, not a single one missing.

It seemed the honor of becoming a Konoha Genin was reserved for commoners.

After all, it was wartime.

Other than Minato Namikaze, the remaining seven graduates were far behind Shiraha in strength. Were they really not worried about being assigned to classes led by Chūnin?

Under Konoha's Guiding Ninja team system, one veteran led three rookies.

But Jōnin were scarce resources. Naturally, Jōnin would lead geniuses and Ninja Clan children.

As for those of ordinary birth and mediocre talent, graduating this early—were they afraid the grass on their graves would not grow faster than everyone else's?

Although newly graduated Genin would not be sent to the front lines immediately, when manpower ran short, they would sooner or later be assigned dangerous missions.

Saturday morning.

Boom!

A tremendous crash came from the dense forest on the Back Mountain behind the Ninja Academy.

A huge tree thick enough for two people to wrap their arms around snapped in half at its middle. Its upper half exploded apart, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

And the thing that caused all this was a fair, delicate little fist.

The fist belonged to a girl with waist-length fiery red hair. Her smooth locks were tied up with a black headband. She wore an off-white short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with a black belt around her waist that made it look even slimmer.

The black thigh-high stockings on her lower body outlined her long, shapely, perfect legs.

Faced with Kushina's transformed look, which had shed all its rusticness and highlighted her beauty to the fullest, Shiraha had no mood to appreciate it at all. For the first time, he blurted out a curse.

"Fuck!"

Shiraha stared at the broken tree beside him, cold sweat dripping from his temples as his face turned pale.

"Kushina, were you trying to kill me?"

"Ah? Hahaha! I just wanted to test the power of the Breathing Technique!" Kushina laughed awkwardly. She had not expected the Breathing Technique Shiraha taught her to be so terrifyingly powerful.

"You..." Shiraha was at a loss for words. He could only raise a thumb to show that Kushina was incredible.

He had never imagined that Kushina's talent for the Knight Breathing Technique would be this high!

Since he had not reached the Third-Class Apprentice stage, he could not test Kushina's Wizard Talent. Teaching her the Meditation Method rashly would be dangerous, so he taught her "Crimson Dragon Calamity" instead.

Kushina had trained for only a year, yet she had come from behind and surpassed Shiraha's progress in the Breathing Technique.

The power of that punch had definitely approached that of a Formal Knight!

And Shiraha had even told her to use as much strength as she wanted. He had nearly died on the spot.

"I only added a tiny bit of Chakra. I did not expect the Breathing Technique and Chakra to become this powerful when combined!" Kushina tried to explain as she looked at Shiraha sweating coldly.

Shiraha made a gesture and said irritably, "I know. Just a teeny tiny bit."

Kushina's tiny bit and Shiraha's tiny bit were probably separated by an entire galaxy.

Ever since Kurama had gradually stopped causing trouble, Kushina's Chakra control had improved greatly.

"Do not use the Breathing Technique unless it is a life-or-death situation from now on. This is not a joke."

Shiraha said seriously.

"Oh, I will not use it then." Kushina nodded obediently.

As she spoke, her cheeks reddened slightly, and she said softly, "Do not be mad. At worst, I will let you touch them."

"?"

Shiraha looked baffled.

"What did you say?"

"You often stare at the female nurses' legs at Konoha Hospital. You must like them." Kushina raised her right leg.

"Do not talk nonsense. When have I ever?" Shiraha's gaze wandered as he feigned calm. "They are like dead branches. Who would possibly have any intere—"

Boom!

Another tree beside Shiraha died on the spot.

Veins bulged on Kushina's forehead. Her fiery red hair floated upward as she revealed a pleasant smile. "What do you mean, like dead branches—!?"

"I am sorry, I was joking." Shiraha immediately apologized sincerely. "Please, by all means, let me touch them!"

After they had grown closer, Kushina seemed to be getting more and more short-tempered.

"Hmph!" Kushina snorted softly, raised her chin slightly with a girl's tsundere pride, and turned to leave.

But as she turned around, her gaze drifted somewhat.

"See? This old man was right, was he not? Even if you lose your temper, that brat Shiraha will not fall out with you. That is what friends are." Kurama's certain voice sounded in Kushina's heart.

Kushina was indeed somewhat impatient by nature, but Shiraha was special to her. If Kurama had not urged her again and again, she would not have been so bold.

But it looked like Shiraha really did like this approach. So he liked being passive!

In truth, Kurama's real thoughts were simple—

"Damn brat, that is for saying I look like a dog!"

PS: The two chapters together are nearly 6,000 words. That should count as the early stage of three updates, right? Could I get some votes?