As expected, the school bell rang.
The girls who'd been fawning over Minato Namikaze reluctantly returned to their seats.
Everyone sat up straight. Even the mischievous kids didn't dare act out—because this next class was with their homeroom teacher.
And everyone knew… homeroom teachers didn't mess around.
There wasn't a single student who hadn't been smacked on the head at least once.
But today was a little different.
Standing beside the teacher was a new student—a red-haired girl. She looked about seven or eight, had a soft oval-shaped face, big eyes, and a shy, slightly nervous posture.
But what drew the most attention was her hip-length crimson hair, so bright and vivid that people subconsciously thought of tomatoes.
Minato Namikaze sat beside Uchiha Ren. The moment he saw the girl standing at the front, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
It felt like a dying traveler crawling through a desert had finally seen an oasis.
He quickly reached out and nudged Ren, whispering excitedly,
"Ren… I think I'm in love."
Ren had just finished integrating all the experience and insight he'd gained from training and fighting earlier into his sea of consciousness. Minato's voice snapped him out of it.
He turned toward the front of the room. The moment his gaze landed on the red-haired girl, a flicker of recognition lit up in his eyes.
Uzumaki Kushina...?
He glanced back at Minato's dazed expression, and a sly grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"You might be right, Minato. She's probably going to be your future wife."
Minato's eyes lit up. His cheeks flushed, but he still leaned over and asked seriously,
"Ren, I really want to marry her. What should I do? Any tips?"
Ren's smile deepened, the glint of mischief growing in his eyes.
⁄(⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄)⁄
He leaned close to Minato's ear and whispered playfully,
"Easy. Just follow these golden rules:
One—no letting friends or coworkers into your house.
Two—don't randomly bring your boss home for drinks.
Three—never let her go out alone, not even to take out the trash.
Four—avoid letting her take jobs like secretary, nurse, or teacher.
Five—try not to go on business trips... and—"
"Hold it—hold it—hold it!" Minato waved his hands to interrupt, eyes twitching.
At first, he'd taken the advice seriously, but by point five, he started to feel something was off.
Wasn't this the stuff Jiraiya wrote in his dirty novels?
Even at seven, he was no fool—he'd already picked up on a few things.
His face went from rosy to a darker shade, and he gave Ren a dirty look.
"Are you messing with me right now?"
Ren shrugged, sitting up straight again and ignoring him.
At the front of the room, the homeroom teacher clapped his hands.
"Alright everyone, we have a new classmate joining us today. Come on up and introduce yourself."
The last part was directed at the red-haired girl beside him.
Nervous under the stares of dozens of curious eyes, she fidgeted slightly. But when she remembered that this was going to be her new home, she mustered up some courage.
"Hi everyone! My name is Uzumaki Kushina!"
But right after she spoke, she gasped—and immediately slapped her hands over her mouth.
Oh no… I did it again! Why did I say that in my usual tone?!
Now they'd think she was some kind of freak!
Sure enough, a few troublemakers in the classroom burst into laughter.
"...Eh? What a weird catchphrase!"
"This girl's not right in the head!"
"Look at her hair! It's like a walking tomato!"
"Tomato hair! I hate tomatoes the most! Must be from eating too many!"
"Yeah, gross! Tomatoes are like, anti-human food!"
"So that makes her a heretic!"
The teasing and jeering filled the room, making Kushina's face fall.
Her hand instinctively reached up to touch her red hair, her eyes starting to glisten.
She hadn't wanted this red hair.
Back in the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan, people had mocked and feared her hair just the same. Worse, some even coveted it, planning to capture her and trade her in for high bounties at major villages.
She'd nearly died multiple times because of it.The old man who'd protected her had been killed not long ago.
If the people of Konoha hadn't found her when they did, she wouldn't be standing here today.
Hearing the cruel comments from her new classmates, her heart shrank with disappointment and pain.
The teacher, meanwhile, was furious.
The vein on his temple throbbed. His voice exploded like thunder:
"BAKAYARO!!!"
"You rotten brats, knock it off!!"
Silence.
The classroom went dead quiet in an instant.
Every student sat straighter in their seat, afraid to even breathe loudly. Some kept stealing glances at the teacher, nervous sweat on their brows.
Uh oh... he's really pissed.
The teacher took a deep breath, trying to calm the volcano in his chest.
"Idiots. Uzumaki is from the Uzumaki Clan—one of Konoha's closest allies."
"You've all seen the red swirl on our flak jackets, haven't you? That symbol is from the Uzumaki Clan. It stands for the deep bond between our village and theirs."
"If I ever hear anyone bullying her again… I will make an example out of you."
Dead silence.
No one dared reply.
They'd seen what happened to the last kid who pushed his luck with the teacher. Expelled from the academy—now probably digging irrigation ditches on a farm somewhere.
The teacher turned to Kushina. His scowl softened into a warm smile.
"Uzumaki-san, anything else you'd like to say?"
Kushina thought about what she'd overheard when she first arrived in Konoha—how so many people dreamed of becoming Hokage or raising children who could.
Maybe... if I share that dream too, they'll accept me.
Summoning her courage, she said proudly:
"My dream… is to become the wife of the future Hokage!"
For a second, silence.
Then—
"Pfffft—HAHAHA!"
"No way! She wants to become Hokage?!"
"She's not even from here! This is the funniest thing I've heard all week!"
"Weird hair, weird attitude… what a total freak."
"Yeah, I'm not talking to her."
The laughter stung. Kushina's eyes dropped to the floor.
Why... why does this keep happening?
Just as the teacher's rage was about to erupt again—Minato Namikaze stood up.
His motion was subtle, but somehow every eye in the room turned to him.
Minato always had a calm, sunny glow. Even now, his presence drew the room's attention like a magnet.
He looked at Kushina, smiling gently, his eyes forming small crescents.
"I want to become a Hokage that's respected by everyone in the village, too."
Kushina blinked.
This guy's kind of… girly.
Still, the teacher clapped his hands and took the lead.
"Now that's the spirit! I support your dreams!"
Applause spread throughout the room.
Well, mostly for Minato.
Kushina noticed—almost no one clapped for her.
When the clapping stopped, the teacher glanced around and realized only one seat remained.
Unfortunately, it was the one next to Uchiha Ren.
His expression stiffened.
It wasn't that he disliked Minato—but Ren?
That kid was a menace. Half the students in the room were afraid of him. Even model students like Minato liked to hang out with him.
The teacher forced a smile.
"Uchiha Ren, you don't mind if Kushina sits next to you?"
Ren rested his chin on his hand and shrugged lazily.
"Doesn't matter to me. Ask Minato."
Minato, still standing, quickly added,
"I don't mind at all, teacher!"
The teacher breathed a sigh of relief.Right, Minato was between them—Ren wouldn't dare act up too much.
"Alright then, Uzumaki. That's your seat now."
He looked at her kindly.
Kushina nodded, heart warming slightly.
This teacher's not bad at all. I think I'll like him.
"Thank you, teacher."
She walked to the last table in Group 3, slipping quietly into the seat beside Minato and Ren.
The teacher watched her go with a satisfied expression.
Good kid. Polite and easygoing. Should be no problem adjusting.
Then he turned to the board and announced,
"Today, we're talking about the Will of Fire."
"Wherever the leaves dance… the Will of Fire burns eternal…"
"This was how the Third Hokage described the spirit of our village. Now then—"
As the lecture began, most students tuned in with interest. As long as it wasn't dry theory, they enjoyed it.
Uchiha Ren, however, tuned it all out.
His eyes drifted back to the window again.
[Ding…]