Explosive Tag!
They're all Explosive Tag!
There are no more spaces left!
Everything is finished!
"You, you, are you a monster?"
Kushina's lips twitched violently, and her gaze toward Araki became strange. This was the first time since she came to Konoha and became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki that she genuinely felt that others were monsters.
Such a large number of Explosive Tag is already exaggerated, but there's not much time to spare. If it were anyone else, she would never believe it, but these blank tags were the ones she exchanged for, even though it was last week, it felt like it was just a few days ago in her memory.
This goes beyond exaggeration!
abnormal!
Unbelievable!
Incomprehensible!
Not human!
Words popped into Kushina's head, and even as a member of the Uzumaki Clan, she found the creation of Explosive Tag of this strength incomprehensible.
"I made this in my spare time during training. I'm out of blank talismans now. I'll leave it to you after the exams," Araki said with a smile, gradually relaxing a bit in Kushina's presence.
"Smoothly..."
Kushina's expression became even stranger. For a fleeting moment, she wondered which of the two of them was the Jinchūriki.
"Let's go take the test, we'll be late! I need to get at least 10 extra points this time!"
Araki said with a grin, even he himself couldn't explain why, but seeing Kushina so shocked by his achievements, he felt an intense sense of satisfaction, a feeling he had never experienced before.
He has always been low-key and indifferent, not caring about many things. Even when he defeated Maemoto Takashi, he didn't show any particular emotion. But now he is in a very good mood.
"Mmm, mmm."
Kushina picked up her pencil case and walked out, leaving behind the bag containing the Explosive Tag. Today was an exam, and not everything could be brought to the exam hall; she planned to get it after the exam.
Now she holds a 20-point advantage, passing the exam is no longer a problem, the pressure in her heart has subsided considerably, and she is in a relatively relaxed mood.
Immediately afterwards.
Araki and Kushina left the house together.
They walked out of the building and onto the path leading to the Ninja Academy.
Kushina stood to Araki's left, looking quite happy. She skipped around and occasionally glanced at Araki, chatting and laughing about topics that had recently interested her.
Araki chimed in with a few disjointed remarks.
Kushina wasn't angry.
Being able to walk together is a huge step forward.
She was even happier when she occasionally received a response.
This moment.
Araki suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him from behind. The gaze wasn't overly hostile, but it certainly wasn't friendly either; it contained rather complex emotions.
Out of curiosity, I turned my head to take a look.
Not far behind, at the corner of the intersection, a blond-haired boy was striding forward, his bright blue eyes fixed on him and Kushina.
This person was none other than his classmate, Minato Namikaze.
"This... sigh..."
Araki knew that Minato had a crush on Kushina at this stage, so he didn't do anything deliberately. However, he didn't expect things to happen so coincidentally. He and Kushina had just left their house when Minato saw them.
I could sense the gloom on Minato's face...
You've probably misunderstood!
but...
Araki didn't seem inclined to explain.
No need to explain!
His relationship with Kushina was purely platonic; they simply lived together!
Moreover, there is absolutely no relationship between Minato and Kushina at this stage, and there is no development between them at all. Minato's unrequited love was so real that even Kushina herself couldn't realize it.
The two of them barely exchanged a few words.
They weren't even friends.
"That's fine too."
Araki muttered to himself, unaware that his mindset had shifted. He used to be indifferent to such things, but now he secretly wished that Kushina and Minato would have no further interaction.
Kushina is now living in his house.
He Kumogakure who came to kidnap him.
He wasn't stupid; he could sense Kushina's concern and feelings for him.
Most importantly, Kushina played a crucial role in helping him sell Explosive Tag to make money and provide cover.
When Kushina first moved in, Araki thought she was a nuisance and might put him in more danger. But now, that's no longer a problem. They are indeed friends, but sometimes they are more than just friends.
After all, he still vividly remembers that gentle, fleeting sensation, and he still reminisces about it from time to time. He hasn't said it outright, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care.
"My arrival in the ninja world has already created a butterfly effect, changing many things. So what's a little change compared to that?"
Araki pondered silently in his heart, while responding intermittently to Kushina's cheerful chatter.
" Minato, you're a good person. You'll meet even better girls in the future!"
While muttering to himself, Araki took it upon himself to Minato a "friend zone" card, and thinking about it made him feel much better.
only...
Minato, who was following behind, was unaware of Araki's inner thoughts.
He just stared intently at the scene.
I feel terrible.
Heartbreaking.
I feel terrible.
But there was no way to solve it.
He didn't want to look because it hurt too much, but he couldn't control his eyes. He didn't want to look away, and he was worried that he might see something that would cause him even more pain.
He dared not think any further; he did not know what had happened between the two people in front of him during the longer period he had not witnessed.
Minato's feelings were complicated.
My head feels foggy.
The road in front of me, illuminated by the rising sun, seemed to have lost its luster.
The road ahead is long.
She is right ahead.
Yet it remains forever out of reach.
I was torn internally.
Chapter 18 Final Exams (Second Update)
Araki and Kushina strolled slowly along the road bathed in the rising sun, heading towards the Ninja Academy. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, but neither of them seemed worried about the upcoming final exams. The sun cast long, mesmerizing shadows of the two of them.
Araki hadn't really thought about it. If he hadn't seen Minato watching him from behind, he probably wouldn't have paid much attention to Kushina's words along the way, just casually giving her perfunctory replies.
However, at this moment, some other thoughts suddenly arose in his mind.
Araki glanced at Kushina beside him and saw Kushina smiling and staring at him as she spoke. Her long eyelashes fluttered like two fans, her beautiful eyes were bright and lively, and her dimples on both sides of her cheeks were faintly visible. Combined with her unadorned, naturally red hair, it was easy to be captivated by her.
No wonder she's so popular in class.
Kushina is probably already a class beauty at such a young age!
In addition, most of the children at the Ninja Academy are precocious.
It's normal for him to have feelings for Kushina.
Even the Minato are like that.
" Araki, what are your plans for this holiday?" Kushina, her beautiful eyes crinkling with laughter as she saw Araki looking at her.
"Let's train," Araki said calmly. He had noticed it too; he spoke like this whether he was speaking normally or not. No wonder Kushina didn't seem to have any complaints; she was probably used to it by now.
"Another training session..." Kushina pouted. From the day she met Araki, it seemed that he had been training all along without stopping. It seemed that nothing in the world mattered to him as much as training, including her.
"And you?" Araki gazed at Kushina's delicate face and, unusually, asked, "What are your plans?"
"I made a promise with Mikoto; she'll show me around Konoha. I've been here for a semester, and I still don't know the village well enough. There are so many places I haven't been to!" Kushina's face flushed, and her delicate lips moved rhythmically as she said, "I want to climb the Hokage Rock and see the view from the top; I also want to go on a picnic in the lakeside grove and bring homemade rice balls; I also want to visit those craft shops and make some delicate little things myself; I also want to..."
Kushina listed many wishes, all based on Konoha. For a child her age, the village was vast, and there were many things still to be explored, filling her with anticipation and curiosity.
Do you want to come with me?
As Kushina was speaking, she suddenly extended an invitation to Araki. She didn't have any expectations, especially since she knew that Araki needed to train and couldn't possibly spend his time on something like this.
But...
After she couldn't help but ask, her anticipation suddenly reached its peak.
I care about it a lot.
I really hope to get a positive and affirmative answer.
I immediately became tense.
"Hahaha, sure, when I get tired of training sometimes, I can go out and have some fun with you. Anyway, I don't have any other friends in the village." Araki hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
He has no free time at all; every day is a struggle to make the most of it. He's practically the time management master of Konoha, with the word "time-consuming" etched into his very being.
Araki agreed mainly because he heard the name Mikoto.