Transfer Student at the Ninja Academy

Qi Luna and Kushina settled into the Senju Ancestral Residence. As the former home of the First Hokage, the house was vast, yet it radiated warmth in every corner; simple tatami mats were laid out with neat bedding, and the walls were adorned with old scrolls and paintings that seemed to brim with stories.

By evening, they had met the boisterous Big Sister Tsunade and the hot-blooded blockhead, Nawaki. Tsunade laughed with an air of nonchalance, though she was actually trying to swindle them out of their pocket money. Nawaki often acted like a natural airhead, yet he would frequently share interesting anecdotes and knowledge he had picked up at the Ninja Academy.

After the introductions, as the soft sunset spilled into the courtyard, Mito sat in her rocking chair and asked gently, "Kushina, Qi Luna, what are your plans for the future?"

Kushina's eyes sparkled as she said earnestly, "Grandma Mito, I want to go to the Ninja Academy. I want to be Konoha's first female Hokage, ya know! I want to protect the people I cherish."

Mito smiled with satisfaction, patting her head as she said, "That's good. Having a dream is a wonderful thing. However, the path of a ninja is not an easy one; you will encounter many hardships."

Tsunade, standing to the side with her arms crossed, encouraged her: "Kushina, if you go to the Academy, I'll teach you some techniques myself. Don't let those brats bully you at school."

Nawaki also waved his small fists nearby: "That's right, I'll help you too!"

Qi Luna nodded silently, his eyes full of support for Kushina's decision.

"And you? Qi Luna, what are your plans?" Watching the quiet boy standing to the side, Mito felt a pang of pity, assuming his silence stemmed from the destruction of his clan, yet she could only ask with a gentle, benevolent gaze.

"I also want to go to the Ninja Academy. Not only to protect my cousin Kushina and strive to become stronger, but most importantly, I want to revitalize our Uzumaki Clan!"

After much deliberation, Qi Luna had decided to enroll. After all, the progress gained from burying one's head in solitary training could not compare to the speed of sparring and verifying one's strength against peers of the same level.

Coincidentally, there was a genius at the Ninja Academy with whom he could test his strength! As for sealing techniques and bloodline secret arts, he could always learn those from Grandma Mito after school.

"Revitalize the clan? That's the same thought as your brother Nawaki. What a truly magnificent dream." Ripples stirred in Mito's heart. She looked at Qi Luna with eyes full of approval and expectation. "However, realizing this dream won't be easy; it will require a great deal of effort."

Tsunade walked over, patted Qi Luna on the shoulder, and said seriously, "Qi Luna, since you have this determination, I will help you too. If there is anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

Nawaki also leaned in, grinning, "If you don't understand anything about ninjutsu, you can come to me, too! In terms of the sheer number of techniques, I know even more than my big sister!"

Qi Luna looked at everyone with gratitude, a warmth flooding his heart. "Thank you all, I will definitely work hard."

At that moment, the afterglow of the sunset bathed them, casting warm and steadfast shadows.

Kushina took Qi Luna's hand, her gaze firm: "Let's work hard together. I believe we will definitely achieve our dreams and make the Uzumaki Clan shine once again."

Everyone nodded in succession, and in that heartwarming atmosphere, they ignited a fierce fighting spirit for the future path of the ninja.

That night, Mito sat in the antique room, her expression firm yet gentle. She summoned her attendant and spoke in a soft but forceful voice: "Go tell the Monkey that Qi Luna and Kushina wish to enter the Ninja Academy."

The attendant acknowledged the order and hurried away, his footsteps stirring a breeze.

The news quickly reached Hiruzen, who was sitting in the Hokage Office, leafing through a stack of documents. Upon hearing this, he set down his pen, a flash of relief crossing his eyes as his lips curled into a slight smile; he nodded in ready agreement. He quickly took paper and pen from the desk, wrote down the enrollment arrangements, and then summoned a ninja, instructing him gravely: "Arrange for Qi Luna and Kushina to transfer into the academy. Ensure they can integrate into the class smoothly."

The next morning, upon learning that their enrollment had been approved, Qi Luna and Kushina were so excited their faces flushed red. Kushina bounced around the room, her eyes filled with longing for their future life as ninjas. Qi Luna clenched his fists tightly and said firmly, "I must become a powerful ninja!"

Kushina was not to be outdone; she put her hands on her hips and shouted aloud, "I'm going to be the greatest ninja and protect Konoha, ya know!"

After a quick cleanup, Tsunade took them to the Ninja Academy and handed them over to their future homeroom teacher.

Qi Luna and Kushina followed the teacher into the classroom, where the students cast curious gazes at them. The teacher spoke up: "Starting today, these students are transferring to our school..."

"Qi Luna Uzumaki," Qi Luna said calmly.

"I'm Kushina Uzumaki, ya know!" Kushina was a bit nervous, but she held her head high and spoke loudly.

As they introduced themselves, the students below began to whisper among themselves, "Look at the color of their hair, it's unbelievable..."

"How could it possibly get that red?"

"It's so weird!"

Hearing the gossip, Kushina touched her hair involuntarily. Even when the teacher told them to be quiet, the whispering showed no signs of stopping.

"I... I will become Konoha's first female Hokage!"

With those words from Kushina, the classroom suddenly fell silent.

Then, a young boy with golden hair stood up and spoke slowly: "I also want to become an outstanding Hokage recognized by everyone in Konoha."

A confident smile beamed on his face, as if he weren't stating an ideal, but sincerely recounting a fact that was bound to happen in the future.

Found you. Watching the boy who shone like a small sun, Qi Luna's lips curled upward, and he muttered in a voice only he could hear.

The morning classes ended quickly. Since Qi Luna and Kushina were transfer students, they hadn't systematically studied the previous material, but fortunately, they had already learned a fair amount in the clan school, so it wasn't difficult to grasp. They quickly integrated their past knowledge with what they had just learned.

Just as Qi Luna was wondering how to approach Namikaze Minato, a harsh voice intruded inappropriately into his ears.

"Tomato, from today on, you're called Tomato. A round, chubby face plus red hair—isn't that just a tomato?"

"And the one who came with you, too. How could a tomato ever become Hokage? I hate tomatoes the most!"

"Me too. If there's a tomato in my salad, I always leave it behind."

"How could an unliked tomato ever get everyone's recognition? Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

Surrounded by a group of boys, Kushina listened to their mocking one after another. She lowered her head slightly, perhaps feeling that the nickname 'Tomato' was too fitting and thus feeling somewhat ashamed, causing her small face to flush even deeper.

"Hey, it's about to ripen!"

"It's the tomato harvest, go pick the fruit!"

With a weird shriek, one of the boys surrounding Kushina reached out to pull her hair.

Just as his hand was about to touch her hair, a figure abruptly appeared in front of Kushina and grabbed the pudgy hand reaching toward her.