Time flowed steadily on, and little Minato and little Kushina's days at the Ninja Academy drew uneventfully toward their end.
One drizzly day, after classes at the Ninja Academy had ended.
Wearing a red raincoat, Kushina slouched without a shred of decorum on the Ninja Academy's open rooftop, watching her classmates leave one by one as the school gradually emptied.
She let out a breath and tilted her head back, letting the fine drizzle fall on her face.
Being liked is nice, but having a noisy crowd around me all the time is something I'll never get used to.
I'm still not mature enough. I just can't help getting irritated.
Since it's raining today, I can tell the elders the weather held me up and made me late getting home. That excuse should work, right?
I'll take a little break before going home. While no one's bothering me, I might as well enjoy this rare bit of peace.
She stretched, letting the fresh, slightly chilly air slip beneath her scarlet raincoat and brush her skin. It felt wonderfully relaxing.
A flash of bright color suddenly caught the corner of her eye. Like sunlight, it stood out against the gloomy gray drizzle.
Kushina looked over curiously.
It was a pale yellow umbrella, and the person beneath it was reaching down to pick something up from the road.
Who's still here this late?
Kushina narrowed her eyes slightly. Her keen eyesight let her recognize him when he lifted the edge of his umbrella and revealed half his profile.
He's in my class, I think. That boy who blushes whenever he sees me. What was his name again?
Namikaze... Minato Namikaze? I think that was it.
What's he doing?
Kushina watched him for a while before realizing that he was picking up the