Kushina had long, red hair. She did her best to keep it neat, but due to its length, it often looked slightly messy. Though small, the hairpin helped greatly in keeping it under control.
Her eye color was similar to Minato's, giving her a bright and alert appearance. When she first arrived at the Ninja Academy, baby fat gave her a round face, but after a year of training, she had become extremely slim.
That's one reason you rarely see overweight people among ninjas—ninja missions, even the most basic ones, require physical exertion.
"You really think so?" Kushina asked, locking eyes with Minato as she raised an eyebrow and touched her hair.
Her long hair often covered her left eye, but this hairpin prevented that.
"If Minato likes it, then I'll wear it always."
Kushina gave a soft smile—over the past year, her life had completely transformed.
Minato looked at her smile and felt that nothing else in the world could move him more than this moment.
"How about we go shopping together next weekend?" he suddenly suggested.
Kushina paused, surprised, and fell silent for a moment.
She would never refuse Minato, but... those around her would never allow it.
Minato blanked out for a second, then quickly realized what she was thinking. He smiled and said, "Don't worry. We can sneak out just like last time."
The Third (the Third Hokage) had already given his permission—as long as they didn't leave Konoha, there wouldn't be any problems.
Kushina nodded almost immediately. Although she'd been in Konoha for quite a while, the only places she had been to were where she lived, the Ninja Academy, and the Back Mountains that Minato had shown her.
After briefly chatting, the two returned to their classroom.
The moment they walked in, Minato noticed several pairs of eyes fixating on Kushina.
Most of them belonged to boys.
For the first time, Minato felt an inexplicable hostility toward those staring at her.
"What's wrong?" Kushina hadn't even noticed the looks. She thought Minato looked strangely troubled.
Minato pulled his gaze away and gave an awkward laugh. "Nothing."
Yet inwardly, he questioned himself.
What exactly was going on with him?
"Kushina, your hairpin is so pretty! It really changes your whole look," Rina Takeuchi noticed the boys beside her staring and turned toward Kushina, surprised.
She sat in the front row of the classroom, not far from where Minato and Kushina stood.
"Thanks," Kushina replied shyly, her face blushing faintly.
...
In the days that followed, Kushina continued wearing the hairpin Minato had given her. Minato didn't know that even while sleeping, she never took it off.
That simple hairpin felt almost magical. Each night when someone peeked into her room, she would be fast asleep, smiling happily in her dreams.
The appointed time for their meeting was drawing near.
At Mito's residence in Konoha...
Kushina swiftly formed hand seals and pressed her palm against the person before her. Sealing array patterns immediately spread from his abdomen across his entire body.
The man's expression shifted slightly as he realized his chakra had been sealed.
"Yes! I finally did it!"
Feeling the gradual weakening of the man's chakra fluctuation, Kushina jumped up excitedly while glancing toward Mito lying on the bed.
But in Kushina's senses, that weakened state didn't last long. Only a few seconds later, his chakra fluctuations returned to normal.
Her face suddenly showed disappointment, but Mito smiled gently and consoled her: "Within merely ten days you've already grasped energy sealing basics well enough to suppress a Chunin's chakra for several seconds. That itself is an amazing accomplishment."
Although the Uzumaki Sealing Techniques are extremely powerful, they're also incredibly difficult to master. Even among the Uzumaki clan at its peak, very few members could truly apply these techniques effectively in combat.
Kushina had only been learning this energy sealing technique for ten days—reaching this level already proved her extraordinary talent.
Moreover, her Sensor abilities seemed to be unconsciously improving as well, although she herself wasn't fully aware of it yet.
"You may all leave first," Mito then instructed, and everyone in the room exited accordingly.
Looking at Kushina with a gentle smile, Mito asked, "Is there something on your mind?"
Since Kushina arrived today, Mito had noticed her unusual demeanor compared to normal times. Plus, someone who never cared about personal appearance lately started wearing a hairpin every day.
As someone with extensive knowledge about Kushina and having gone through similar experiences herself, Mito naturally understood what was happening, though she feigned ignorance.
"Grandma Mito... May I request some time off? Tomorrow, I have something..."
Kushina rarely stammered when speaking, but now she displayed obvious nervousness along with strange trailing tones.
Hearing this, Mito narrowed her eyes with a smile, "Is it that young man named Minato Namikaze you told me about earlier?"
"Yeah..." Kushina knew from past experience that she couldn't hide anything from Mito—she always saw straight into her thoughts.
Seeing the look on Kushina's face now, Mito couldn't help but smile.
Back then, when she first met 'that guy,' weren't they about the same age as Kushina and Minato now?
Who would have thought back then that this bowl-cut-haired, sweet-looking boy would grow up to bring peace to the warring lands and become known as the [God of Shinobi] by countless people?
"Of course you can go," Mito readily agreed with laughter.
Overjoyed, Kushina threw herself back into her training.
...
Not long after her departure, a middle-aged man entered, and everyone outside the room bowed respectfully upon seeing him.
"My little monkey, you came," Mito greeted the visitor warmly.
This person was none other than the Third Hokage.
Nowadays, only Mito was left who could still call The Third by that name.
"Lord Mito, have you been feeling well lately?"
The Third asked with genuine concern, bowing low before Mito, every gesture lacking the commanding presence expected of a Hokage.
"Cough, cough."
As soon as he finished his question, Mito began coughing violently. Servants burst into the room and quickly surrounded her.
The Third's brows furrowed gradually.
After quite some time, Mito, in her twilight years, finally caught her breath. She looked toward The Third and said, "Lately, [Nine-Tails] has grown ever more restless... As for me... I fear my days are numbered."
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