The Next Step

"Yueshu, Yueshu!"

An excited voice suddenly rang out in his sleep. Just as Yueshu was about to slowly open his eyes, he was subjected to an unconventional wake-up call the very next second.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

As the girl's voice entered his ears, Yueshu was still dazed. Before he could even open his eyes to see what was in front of him, he was blown away.

Like a kite with a broken string, Yueshu was sent flying without any preparation, crashing into a tree.

The thud was far from quiet; even the tree he hit swayed for a moment.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch."

Yueshu clutched the back of his head.

His eyes were still filled with confusion and the grogginess of someone who hadn't fully woken up.

"What's going on?"

Yueshu slowly stood up.

No sooner had he risen than he saw Kushina pouting.

Her red hair was damp with beads of sweat, and her eyes were fixed intently on Yueshu, making him feel somewhat uneasy.

"Kushina, what's wrong?"

Yueshu asked cautiously. As someone who had lived through decades of life, Yueshu understood deeply that one should never try to reason with a girl; regardless of the situation, it was always your fault anyway.

"Hmph."

Kushina huffed, not answering Yueshu.

"..."

Yueshu considered himself a fairly straightforward guy. After all, he was a man who had guarded his virginity for decades across two lifetimes. Forget having a girlfriend; he didn't even have any close female friends, though he did change his "waifus" from another dimension every season.

"Dummy, look at where Kushina is standing right now."

Just as Yueshu was at a loss for what to do, Mikoto's voice sounded from the side.

"Where is she standing?"

Hearing Mikoto's words, Yueshu immediately shifted his gaze toward Kushina.

Kushina still looked angry, her petite figure standing right on top of the small river, with ripples from her arrival still echoing across the water's surface.

Yueshu's eyes gradually brightened, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

Kushina had successfully completed the water-walking training!

Ever since their special training began, Kushina's progress had consistently lagged behind Mikoto's. Of course, they were currently only practicing tree-climbing and water-walking.

Mikoto of the Uchiha clan had a natural aptitude for chakra control, while Kushina, although from a renowned clan, showed no difference from the average person when it came to controlling her chakra.

Yueshu naturally knew the reason for this: Kushina's identity wasn't just that of a survivor of the Uzumaki Clan; she was also the jinchuriki vessel for the Nine-Tails.

Just like Naruto in the original story, the presence of the Nine-Tails caused the jinchuriki's own chakra to become chaotic, leading to problems in chakra manipulation.

A classic example was how Naruto couldn't even perform the basic Three Basic Jutsu properly in the original, with his Clone Jutsu being a clear display of this for all to see.

Yueshu could still remember those limp, pathetic clones.

Although later on, Naruto did use his clones as one of his trump cards.

But who was Naruto? He was the genuine protagonist. Not everyone could use clones as a trump card, especially those who were jinchuriki.

Kushina wasn't an outstanding genius. She might have been decent among ordinary people, but compared to those from major clans, she wasn't particularly eye-catching.

It was fine at first, but as time passed, the gap in progress between Kushina and Mikoto's special training became obvious.

When Mikoto finished the tree-climbing training and moved on to water-walking, Kushina was still struggling with the trees. It was no wonder Kushina was excited after mastering water-walking, and no wonder she was angry that Yueshu hadn't reacted immediately.

"Kushina!"

Yueshu looked at the still-sulking Kushina and called out loudly.

Kushina quietly shifted her gaze toward him.

Yueshu flashed a smile. While it couldn't compare to the "little sun" smiles of Minato Namikaze or Sakumo Hatake, it was full of a youth's brightness.

"Well done."

Yueshu grinned, showing his teeth, and the corners of Kushina's mouth rose slightly in response.

"Hmph, what a slow-witted guy."

Kushina whispered to herself, composing her emotions before turning toward Yueshu.

Mikoto had been standing by Yueshu's side for a while, and Kushina slowly walked over from the river.

Yueshu's gaze was fixed on Kushina, failing to notice Mikoto, whose cheeks had flushed red beside him.

It wasn't just for Mikoto; this smile of Yueshu's was a feeling he had never shown before—full of youthful spirit. It left Mikoto, who was standing nearby, stunned for a moment, and she blushed even more deeply once she came to her senses.

Yueshu, however, had no idea that his casual smile had caused such an effect.

Yueshu's appearance wasn't bad at all; he just usually looked very lazy and seemed rather mature for his age.

When a mature boy suddenly acts like a youth, it is impossible for those around him not to take notice.

It is as if a fairy had shed her celestial shawl and descended to the mortal realm; surely, all mortals would turn their gazes toward her.

"Good!"

As Kushina stepped onto the bank, Yueshu called out.

Kushina and Mikoto fixed their eyes on Yueshu.

"Let's make it next week."

"Next week for what?"

Yueshu flashed a grin, his smile appearing entirely natural.

"What else? Do I even need to say it?"

"The graduation exam, of course!"

Yueshu's words were brimming with such absolute confidence that it instantly infected both Kushina and Mikoto.

The unease that Kushina and Mikoto had been harboring was smoothed away by Yueshu in an instant.

That feeling.

It was as if they were walking down a dark road, guided by a brilliant light shining ahead.

Kushina and Mikoto looked at Yueshu.

Yueshu's frame was not tall—he was only eight, after all—and he did not look particularly robust; he was exactly what a young boy should look like.

His slender figure stood there, the usual air of laziness and his listless gaze long gone, replaced by eyes full of light and a proactive demeanor.

Kushina and Mikoto stared, stunned.

They had never seen Yueshu like this before.

It was a complete reversal of his usual self, as dazzling as a beam of light.

Kushina's eyes slowly softened, and the anger she had felt just moments ago had long since vanished, she knew not where.

"Honestly."

"That doesn't sound like you at all."

"Indeed."

"It really doesn't sound like you."

Kushina and Mikoto spoke one after the other, and in an instant, Yueshu's persona reverted to its original form.

"Eh? Is that so? I thought I looked pretty cool."

Yueshu returned to his former self, yet the light in his eyes did not dim; it remained just as brilliant.

It was as if.

As if he were looking at something.

That was what Kushina and Mikoto thought.

The first step of the special training for early graduation was finally complete, taking less than two weeks in total; one had to admit, the speed was truly impressive.

Jiraiya had disappeared again since his last visit to the Ninja Academy, and after asking Tsunade, they learned he had taken Minato Namikaze out on another mission.

Himegami's token remained in the ninja tool pouch at Yueshu's waist, the characters upon it still giving Yueshu a sense of trepidation.

There was something waiting for Yueshu to find the answer to—something he did not know, something that had never appeared in the original story.

Yueshu's hand tightened inadvertently, and the ninja tool pouch at his waist seemed to grow warm; that heat slowly spread throughout his entire body, finally gathering at his heart.

Although I am not the type to be hot-blooded, and I am too lazy to be that passionate.

But!

I will definitely find the answer, for your sake, and for my own!

Yueshu said this in his heart.

He could feel a sense of peace rising from the depths of his body.