The lunch break passed quickly, and soon the bell rang for class.
Uchiha Lei packed away Uchiha Mikoto's lunch box for her. Carrying it in one hand and holding Mikoto's hand with the other, he wore a happy smile.
They left the rooftop together, and Uchiha Lei escorted Uchiha Mikoto to the elite classroom on the third floor.
Reluctance lingered in Uchiha Mikoto's eyes as she let go of Uchiha Lei's hand and gently reminded him:
"Lei, wait for me in your classroom this afternoon. We'll go home together! Hurry back to class. Don't be late."
"Got it, Mikoto! See you this afternoon. Remember to come find me quickly."
Only after watching Uchiha Lei disappear from sight did Uchiha Mikoto enter the classroom.
There was a boy with short brown hair, sharp brows, bright eyes, a slightly baby-faced appearance, and a blush on both cheeks. He wore a green-and-white high-collared, long-sleeved top, dark blue trousers, and dark blue ninja sandals.
He stopped in front of Mikoto and stammered out a question:
"Mikoto, that boy who brought you back just now... who was he?"
"Oh, it's you, Nawaki! The one who brought me here was my childhood friend, Uchiha Lei."
Uchiha Mikoto answered casually, then walked past Nawaki toward her seat.
In the second-year elite classroom~
Uchiha Lei had already hurried back to his seat. Seeing that Kushina Uzumaki had returned, he raised a hand and greeted her warmly:
"Good afternoon, Kushina."
"Good afternoon, Lei."
As usual, Uchiha Lei held out his right hand and looked expectantly at Kushina Uzumaki.
But Kushina Uzumaki recalled the chatter around her about Uchiha Lei and the school beauty, Uchiha Mikoto. Frowning slightly, she asked curiously:
"Lei, answer me first! What's your relationship with Uchiha Mikoto?
"When I came back from lunch, the whole school was talking about you two."
Looking at Kushina Uzumaki gripping the hem of her clothes with both hands, her expression solemn and serious, Uchiha Lei replied:
"Kushina, Mikoto is an older girl I grew up with! Isn't it perfectly normal for us to be close?"
"Is that all? But... they said you were holding Uchiha Mikoto! What was that about?"
Kushina Uzumaki's brows were tightly furrowed, her rosy lips pouting as she questioned him angrily.
Uchiha Lei thought to himself:
What's going on?
That accusatory look on Kushina's face...
It makes me feel like she's put herself in the role of my girlfriend, as though I've been caught red-handed.
But we're only friends at most right now! Forget it, I'd better explain!
"Kushina, Mikoto and I like each other. Isn't it normal for me to hold her? What's gotten into you?"
Kushina Uzumaki froze. Only then did she realize that she should not interfere in Uchiha Lei and Uchiha Mikoto's private affairs. She seemed to have overstepped a little.
Somewhat embarrassed, Kushina took Uchiha Lei's hand in her left hand, rested her other arm on the desk, and lay her head down before apologizing quietly:
"Lei, I'm sorry... I had a bad attitude just now! Please forgive me."
Hearing Kushina Uzumaki's soft, gentle voice, Uchiha Lei, who had not been angry to begin with, replied with a smile:
"It's fine, Kushina. I don't blame you."
After speaking, Uchiha Lei likewise rested his left arm on the desk and lay his head down.
Their afternoon class was also taught by Sato Ichiro, though the subject was Konoha's history.
Sato Ichiro glanced around the classroom, then at Kushina Uzumaki and Uchiha Lei. Finding nothing unusual, he went on with his lecture.
Uchiha Lei's consciousness entered the system interface.
[Plundered Uchiha Mikoto's one-tomoe Sharingan for two hours. Progress: 4%. Gained ocular power +40 points.] [The Uchiha's one-tomoe Sharingan has 1,000 points of ocular power, the two-tomoe Sharingan has 2,000 points, the three-tomoe Sharingan has 5,000 points, the Mangekyō Sharingan has 10,000 points, and the eternal Mangekyō Sharingan has 50,000 points.]
System, after I plunder the Sharingan, can I switch between the Sharingan, Rinnegan, and normal eyes whenever I want?
[Yes, host.] [Detected hand-holding with Kushina Uzumaki. Plundering 1% of the basic Uzumaki Sage Body. Countdown begins...]
Another pleasant plundering session. What a joy.
Time flew by, and soon it was four in the afternoon.
The teacher, Fujino Ichiro, announced the end of class and quickly left the classroom with the Body Flicker Technique.
The students also streamed noisily out of the classroom.
Uchiha Lei pushed himself upright with his left arm, naturally released Kushina Uzumaki's hand, and stretched both arms overhead.
[Plundered Kushina Uzumaki's Uzumaki Sage Body for three hours. Progress: 3%. Total progress: 5%. Reward obtained: "1.5 ka of chakra."]
Kushina Uzumaki's farewell rang out beside his ear~
"Lei, I'm going home! You should head back early too."
By the time Uchiha Lei reacted, Kushina Uzumaki was already walking toward the door.
As she reached the doorway, Uchiha Mikoto also arrived to pick Uchiha Lei up. Mikoto raised her right hand, waved, and called loudly:
"Lei, let's go home."
"Coming, Mikoto."
Uchiha Lei nodded to Uchiha Mikoto, quickly stood up, and ran toward the door.
Hearing Uchiha Lei's running footsteps, Kushina Uzumaki glanced at Uchiha Mikoto and quickly ran out of the classroom.
Uchiha Mikoto was stunned for a second before Uchiha Lei took her right hand and hurriedly pulled her toward the main gate.
Coming to her senses, Uchiha Mikoto asked curiously:
"Lei, why are you running so fast? Is something wrong?"
"Mikoto, the girl who just looked at you is my friend, Kushina Uzumaki! I'm afraid someone might corner her at the gate and bully her. Hurry."
Hearing Uchiha Lei's concern for Kushina Uzumaki, Uchiha Mikoto tightened her right hand slightly around Lei's. Looking at his anxious expression, she pouted, a little angry.
At the Ninja Academy gate~
Beneath the large cherry tree beside it, beautiful cherry blossoms covered the ground. The three children who had bad-mouthed Kushina earlier that day stood there.
One was tall and thin, with a brown afro, narrow eyes, and blue clothes.
Another was short, dark-skinned, and stocky, with short brown hair, a bandage across the bridge of his nose, and green clothes.
The last was tall and strong, with black hair, a cotton dressing on his chin, and dark blue clothes.
The three children stood at the gate with their arms folded, looking like the bosses of the school as they stared inside.
When Kushina Uzumaki came out, the three surrounded her.
The boy with the afro grabbed Kushina's hair from behind and said with a laugh:
"Little tomato, you had that sickly weakling standing up for you at school! He's not here now."
The brown-haired boy restrained Kushina's left hand and joined in the mockery:
"I think we should call her little chili pepper. Hahaha!"
The black-haired boy grabbed Kushina's right hand and mocked her as well:
"Who cares what we call her? First, let's teach this tomato girl who the real bosses of the second-year elite class are."
"My name isn't little tomato! Or little chili pepper! Let go of me!"
Kushina Uzumaki gritted her teeth in pain and retorted, but with her hair held fast, she could not muster any strength. All she could do was twist her body, trying to struggle free.
Meanwhile, up in the cherry tree behind them~
Stood Minato Namikaze, a sunny, handsome boy with yellow hair, wearing a gray top, dark blue trousers, and dark blue ninja sandals.
Holding Uchiha Mikoto's hand, Uchiha Lei quickly ran to a spot not far from Kushina. He released Mikoto's hand, recalled the hand seal sequence she had taught him for the Body Flicker Technique, and raised both hands to form the seals:
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Uchiha Lei vanished on the spot and reappeared beside the boy with the afro. He abruptly seized the boy's wrist and squeezed, shouting:
"All of you, get the hell away!"
A crack rang out.
"Aah!"
The boy with the afro cried out in pain and released Kushina Uzumaki's hair.
Uchiha Lei lifted his right foot and drove a front kick into the brown-haired boy's abdomen. The instant his right foot touched the ground, he twisted his waist and hips, raised his left foot, and delivered a side kick to the boy with short black hair.
Two thuds rang out~
The two bullies flew five meters backward and slammed heavily onto the ground, clutching their abdomens, their bodies curled into V shapes like shrimp.
The sound of metal cutting through the air came from behind~
Uchiha Lei raised both hands and rapidly formed hand seals.
The boy with the afro gripped a kunai in his left hand and thrust it toward Uchiha Lei's back at heart level, his face contorted as he roared:
"Die, you sickly weakling!"
"No!"
Uchiha Mikoto's anguished cry came from a distance. She reached out her right hand, her eyes already misting over.
"No!"
Beside him, Kushina Uzumaki, who had still been about to speak, cried out.
Shhk~
The kunai plunged into Uchiha Lei's body.
"You sickly weakling. You shouldn't have messed with me."
Just as the boy with the afro rejoiced, Uchiha Mikoto was overcome with grief, and Kushina Uzumaki was in agony.
There was a bang.
White smoke rose from Uchiha Lei where he stood, and then he turned into a log.
Uchiha Lei's cool voice rang out from behind~
"Afro, you're nowhere near good enough to kill me."
The boy with the afro did not turn around. His gaze icy, Uchiha Lei swiftly twisted his waist and hips and drove a side kick into the boy's kidney.
"How... could-"
The boy with the afro flew six meters sideways and fell to the ground, clutching his kidney, his body bent into a sideways V.
Before you continue