Kushina Draws Closer

The morning class had Uchiha Yi on pins and needles. He could clearly feel Kushina Uzumaki glancing his way every three or four minutes.

It gave Yi the sinking feeling that she was coming for him. If he could, he would have shouted, "Stay away from me!"

If he had known this would happen, he would never have helped Kushina with her problem.

Being noticed by Hiruzen Sarutobi was manageable. Yi could act like an ordinary person. But if Shimura Danzō took an interest in him, wouldn't he be finished?

He still needed time to grow.

With Indra's Chakra nurturing him, Yi was confident he could become a top-tier powerhouse. The Battle Space would also let him fight all kinds of strong opponents, so he would have no shortage of combat experience later.

Last night, Yi had used his three remaining challenge attempts, only to discover, much to his frustration, that he couldn't beat a single opponent yet.

At his age, he simply couldn't stand against a Jonin.

Even Kotetsu Hagane was a veteran Chunin. Yi could put up a fight against him, but he still lost in the end, mainly because he lacked experience.

After those failed challenges, Yi had lost the chance to challenge those opponents again in the Battle Space.

Yi knew just how treacherous Danzo was. There was also a good chance the man had killed his father.

All I want is to get through my school years in peace. Why is that so hard?

The morning classes finally ended. Yi was about to go find Uchiha Mikoto when Kushina quietly approached him. He could clearly sense that she was a little nervous.

"Did you need something, Kushina?" Yi asked, sighing inwardly.

"Thank you for speaking up for me earlier." Gathering her courage, Kushina looked at him earnestly. "Can I call you Yi?"

Yi's mouth twitched. Yi? Since when are we that close?

He glanced over at Minato Namikaze, who was watching them with a delighted grin.

Go on, keep watching. At this rate, you're going to lose your future wife.

"We're classmates. Besides, I only told the truth." Yi waved it off.

"Is that so?" Kushina nodded thoughtfully. Yi was as gentle as his father.

Just as Kushina was about to say something else, a familiar figure entered the classroom carrying lunch boxes.

Mikoto looked surprised to see Kushina beside Yi. She walked over and smiled sweetly. "Yi, it's time to eat."

"Right." Yi nodded, then turned to Kushina. "If there's nothing else, we should have lunch.

"We only have an hour. If we don't eat now, we'll have to wait until school lets out this afternoon."

Lunch break at the Ninja Academy was short, though classes ended early in the afternoon, before three.

Of course, some of the more diligent students stayed to train on the school grounds.

The school's approach was rather relaxed. Whether students became outstanding ninja depended entirely on their own initiative.

"Lunch?" Kushina froze. She seemed to have forgotten to bring hers. What should she do? Go home to eat? Between the trip there and back and the meal itself, an hour wouldn't be nearly enough!

"Did you forget your lunch?" Mikoto noticed her predicament and offered gently, "If you don't mind, I can share mine with you."

"Huh? Can you really? Won't you go hungry?" Kushina's gaze lingered on the two lunch boxes. They seemed to hold all kinds of delicious food.

She couldn't help swallowing.

Before Uzushio Village fell, Kushina had been a princess. But even a princess didn't necessarily eat delicacies. Uzushio Village was, after all, only a small island village.

Fish had been easy enough to come by, but Kushina had rarely tasted delicacies from the mountains.

Mikoto noticed Kushina's little reaction and felt amused. This classmate seemed so forthright and adorable. "It's all right. I make a little extra every day.

"There's enough for all of us."

"Okay, then I won't hold back." After a moment's hesitation, Kushina looked at Mikoto with gratitude.

Konoha really does have a lot of good people.

She must be an Uchiha too.

Kagami Uchiha, Uchiha Yi, and Uchiha Mikoto... What a warm and kind family the Uchiha Clan is!

Back in Uzushio Village, Kushina had heard about the Uchiha Clan. Some people even called them a clan born evil. Supposedly, Second Hokage Tobirama Senju had grumbled about them in private, and someone overheard him and spread the remark.

But seeing was believing. Grandma Mito held no ill will toward the Uchiha Clan, and now Kushina had met three kind Uchiha herself.

Maybe it wasn't the Uchiha who were evil, but Second Hokage Tobirama Senju.

People's prejudices really are as immovable as a mountain.

"This is delicious! It's so good!"

"Mikoto, did you make this? I've decided—you're going to be my best friend for life!"

Yi and Mikoto exchanged a look as Kushina devoured her food. She ate as if she had never had a full meal in her life.

It was a bit much.

Even Yi shared some of his lunch with Kushina, leaving her with an even better impression of him and Mikoto.

They're such good people! I'm going to be friends with Yi and Mikoto for life.

For Kushina, who had only just arrived in Konoha, a little kindness and help meant a great deal.

It might well have played a part in how Minato Namikaze and Kushina fell in love in the original story.

Thinking of that, Yi sighed. He couldn't deliberately distance himself from Kushina. It would be too obvious and might attract attention instead.

Besides, he couldn't bring himself to give a girl the cold shoulder. That wouldn't fit the Will of Fire at all.

Forget it. I'll take things as they come.

Little did he know, Hiruzen Sarutobi had all of this under control. At this point, they had not decided to make Kushina a Jinchūriki. She was only a candidate.