Days went on, and continued into months. Kushina was able to adjust the atmosphere in Konoha, but the bullying still happened all along—even though those bullies got their own taste of payback.
Since Kushina was never the type to back down. She beat those bullies at their own game and turned them into smashed tomatoes. Naturally, she won all the fights, which made the rumors spread far across the village as "the girl with the long red hair who beat the boys half to death."
As expected, she was stuck with a new nickname which many people called her.
"The Red Hot Habanero," Minato said.
Minato chuckled while sitting on top of the 3rd Hokage's face monument, his legs dangling off the edge. Shikaku leaned back against the stone, lazily watching the clouds roll by with his usual disinterested expression. Choza—who for once wasn't eating, which was rare—sat cross-legged, arms resting on his knees. Inoichi sat a little further ahead, visibly straining as he tried to use his family's technique on Asteru but, as always, failing to get even a grip on his mind.
Shibi was off to the other side, quiet and composed, his posture perfect as always. And then there was Asteru, sprawled out on the ground with his hands tucked behind his head and ankles crossed, eyes half-lidded as he drifted into sleep in that lazy, carefree manner of his.
"Didn't think that she would still be stuck with the same nickname that Asteru guessed… right, guys?" Minato's grin widened, glancing at his friends.
Shikaku gave a nonchalant shrug. "Troublesome or not, he was right on the mark. Figures."
Choza chuckled, though his eyes flickered to Asteru. "He always guesses right about these things. Almost eerie sometimes."
Meanwhile, inside his dream, Asteru's chest tightened. He reached out, but the woman blurred, her outline breaking into static, her voice stuttering like a broken record:
"You… not my… child… I don't… need… YOU...."
The dream dissolved into dust. The world flickered. And then—light.
Sunlight. The smell of warm air and the sweet scent of sakura blossoms. A single petal floated down gently and landed right on the middle of his forehead.
Beside him, Minato, Shikaku, Choza, Inoichi, and Shibi all noticed when Asteru suddenly jolted awake.
Asteru clutched his head and groaned softly.
"Ugh… what a bad dream to get during the start of warm season…"
He folded his legs as he sat upright, exhaling heavily, his gaze a little distant as if the dream still lingered.
Minato, sitting cross-legged next to him, leaned closer with a concerned expression. He handed Asteru a small flask of water, his blue eyes carefully scanning his friend's face. "Bad dreams can really shake us up. Want to talk about it?"
Shikaku adjusted his dress slightly, leaning forward, his mind already analyzing the situation. Choza reached out with his broad hand and patted Asteru's shoulder, offering quiet reassurance.
Shibi stayed silent but attentive, his sharp eyes watching closely from under the shadow of his hood.
Inoichi tilted his head, curiosity burning in his expression. He was always fascinated by how unaffected Asteru seemed when faced with mental techniques. "It's just the start of spring; bad dreams can sometimes be more frequent due to changes in weather," he offered, a little too quickly.
Asteru turned his head and gave him a plain look.
"I never heard of anything like that, don't make it up on a whim, Inoichi~"
He grinned slightly, deliberately trying to lighten the mood and steer their attention away.
Inoichi chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, it was worth a try."
Minato's grin matched Asteru's as he squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Whatever it was, just know we're here for you."
Asteru glanced at him, his expression softening into a small, genuine smile. "Thanks, Minato."
With that the peaceful days continued. One day, when spring had reached its peak—
Asteru was walking alone down the road toward the academy. The building wasn't open, but he used the grounds to practice his kunai and shuriken throws. His hands were tucked in his pockets, his pace casual, but his senses were sharp. From behind the trunk of a tree ahead, he felt a flicker of moment behind it.
When he turned, his eyes narrowed slightly. A boy from his class—Renji—stepped out, accompanied by his older brother, now a genin.
Renji's lips curled into a smirk, though there was tension in his eyes. He was still bitter. Asteru remembered why: a year ago, Renji had been one of the bullies who went after Kushina. But he'd been "playing unconscious" during her retaliation, so Kushina had missed her chance to pummel him. Instead, Asteru had been the one to knock him out cold.
"Hmm. You brought someone else to pick up on me now… heh, what a loser…" Asteru's voice carried that dry, cutting tone.
Renji's bushy brown hair shifted as he stepped forward aggressively. His eyes burned with defiance, his fists balled. Behind him, his older brother loomed, arms crossed, a stern scowl plastered on his face.
"Listen up," Renji spat, his voice trembling with suppressed anger. "You think you're tough because you took me down last year? That was a fluke! I'm not the same kid anymore."
His brother nodded, cracking his knuckles with a sound meant to intimidate. "We're here to settle scores. You embarrassed my little bro in front of everyone; it's time for some payback."
Asteru tilted his head, his lips quirking into a smug grin and he spoke in a half-mocking, half-taunting way.
"How are you not the same when you're still like that? You're just the same—weak little peanut, aren't ya? Hehehehe~"
He let his hands slip out of his pockets, his posture calm but alert, eyes never leaving them. He suddenly realised what might be going on and ran back towards the direction of the academy. 'Crap. Now that I think about, wasn't this scene happened in Naruto flashback's before. The extreme bullying that Kushina ever faced and she will face it today... I need to step in for once.'
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, Kiyou had indeed tracked down Kushina. She was walking along another path toward the academy, humming lightly to herself. Stopping mid-step, she noticed a shadow behind a tree.
Kiyou stepped out, a frown plastered on his face. His older brother followed, taller and more imposing, placing a hand on Kiyou's shoulder. Kushina's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but then her stance shifted, bracing herself. "Mmh…"
The genin took three casual steps forward, stopping just short of her. His smirk was thin, dangerous.
"Are you the one who's always making my kid brother cry?"
He took a few more steps closer until the space between them was minimal, then crossed his arms. Kiyou also edged forward, though he stopped right behind his brother, fear still written in his body language.
Kushina planted a hand on her hip and jabbed her finger toward Kiyou accusingly. Her long red hair bounced with the motion, her expression fiery.
"That's because he's always messing with me, ya know! And he is such a wimp!"
Kiyou's mouth opened, but no words came out. His guilt sealed his lips. His brother glanced at him sideways, unimpressed. "Mmh…"
Then the genin smirked and leaned forward, tapping his shiny forehead protector. "I'm a genin! Cool, huh?" he said cockily.
Kushina's eyes widened slightly. 'That's a real genin headband…'
The boy straightened his back, cracking his knuckles with a low chuckle. "I have to teach anyone who bullies my kid brother a lesson."
Back with Asteru, Renji and his brother had regrouped and were charging after him. They wouldn't let him slip away so easily. Asteru vaulted into the trees, branches swaying under his weight.
'I need to adjust as fast as possible. I'm still not sure how easily children here are used to tree-jumping, while I'm trying so hard not to fall down every second…'
Renji and his brother trailed behind, shouting challenges.
"Hey, kid, come back right now… are you hearing me?"
Asteru abruptly slipped behind the trunk of a large oak and stilled his breathing. Moments later, the brothers landed near the base of the tree, laughing mockingly.
"Hahahaha… hiding behind the tree gets you nowhere, idiot!" Renji barked.
Asteru peered out from behind the trunk, expression unreadable.
'These guys won't leave me alone like this. I have to use that, since I don't know the genin capacity yet.'
He turned his gaze away, making sure they weren't rushing, then inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, focusing.
'If I remember it correctly, it goes like this, right…'
On the other side, Kushina darted from tree to tree, her red hair trailing behind her like a streak of fire. Her breathing was steady, her eyes sharp. Behind her, Kiyou's older brother chased relentlessly, his steps heavy but experienced.
'Tch… she'll get away at this rate.'
His left hand slid to his back pouch, fingers closing around cold steel. Without hesitation, he whipped out a kunai and flung it forward in a clean arc, the weapon whistling through the air.
Kushina's instincts screamed. She twisted her body mid-swing, barely shifting left. The kunai sliced past her waist, embedding itself into the trunk of the tree ahead with a sharp thunk.
Her eyes widened. 'A real kunai?'
No time to hesitate. She pushed her body further, flipping twice in mid-air before planting her foot firmly on the very tree that had caught the kunai. Using the trunk as her springboard, she propelled herself backward.
"Yaaah!" she cried out, driving her arm straight into the chest of Kiyou's brother. He barely had time to blink before the impact forced him back—yet his body dispersed with a puff of smoke.
Kushina landed gracefully on one knee, her gaze hardening as she recognized the trick. The scattered smoke revealed a wooden log left behind.
'Substitution Jutsu… damn it!'
Her eyes darted around, but too late. Kiyou's brother dropped from above, landing silently behind her. She felt the rush of air at her back and tried to turn, but he was already smirking. His hand chopped toward her neck in a knifehand strike, grazing her carotid sinus.
"Ugh—!" Kushina staggered forward, her body heavy but not giving in. He wasn't strong enough to knock her out.
"Tch." Clicking his tongue, the genin followed up with a hard kick to her back, knocking her onto the ground.
Kushina grunted, arms trembling as she tried to push herself up. But before she could regain her footing, he strode forward and grabbed a fistful of her crimson hair, yanking her upward with cruel satisfaction.
Kiyou, who had been trailing behind, finally caught up. He skidded to a stop, eyes shining with delight as he saw Kushina wincing in pain.
"You can't even recognise a substitution jutsu?" his brother taunted, pulling her hair tighter until she cried out. His lips curled into a proud smile. "You're still just a kid!"
He let his gaze travel down to her fiery locks, twisting them in his grip. "Your hair's so red… and it's stiff like threads. Hair like this is ugly!"
Kiyou's laughter bubbled out cruelly as he bent closer, his eyes gleaming with petty revenge. "Hehehe~ Serves you right!"
Kushina grit her teeth, her whole body trembling—not from weakness, but from the storm of emotions rising inside. She had never once cried since joining the academy. Even when bullies ganged up on her, even when she was bruised and exhausted. Every time the tears threatened to come, Asteru would appear, smirking, his teasing voice cutting through her walls.
"Are you crying~? Maybe I should call you crybaby from today~"
Those words would always snap her back, make her fight harder, never let a tear escape. But now—he wasn't here. And the tears slid silently down her cheeks.
Kiyou froze, eyes widening. He had bullied her countless times, but seeing Kushina cry stunned him. For the first time, she looked vulnerable.
Realizing it, Kushina gasped softly. Her hands clenched. 'I shouldn't cry. Kushina, don't cry. You're not a weak kunoichi. If Asteru sees me like this, he'll tease me forever…'
She forced her head up, eyes burning through her tears.
"I… I don't like my hair either!"
With those words, she surged forward. Despite Kiyou's brother yanking harder, she dragged herself several steps, teeth clenched against the pain. Every step was defiance.
"W-what the—?" He struggled to hold her down, pulling even harder.
Then, with one violent jerk, Kushina ripped herself free, leaving strands of crimson in his fist. His eyes went wide with shock as he stared at the hair in his palm.
Before he could react, her fist slammed into his gut. Thud! He coughed, stumbling back, only to eat a roundhouse kick to the chin. Her momentum spun her like a top, and before he could even crash, she coiled her body like a spring.
"RAAAH!"
Launching upward, she twisted mid-air and brought her right leg down like a hammer on his head. The blow sent him crashing onto his back, the ground shaking from the impact.
Kiyou froze, eyes wide in horror. His brother—the one he thought invincible—was downed by the girl he called weak.
Before the genin could recover, Kushina straddled him, fists flying.
"But…" Bam!
"Even with hair like this…" Bam!
"I'm still me…" Bam!
"What choice do I have?!" Bam! Bam! Bam!
Each punch cracked across his cheeks, her voice breaking but her fists unwavering.
Kiyou's heart pounded. The sight of Kushina's blazing eyes, her hair wild and her fists relentless, shattered the last of his bravado. Fear overtook him completely.
"Ahhh! It's the Red-hot Habanero!" he screamed, turning on his heel and bolting, never daring to look back.
After a final blow, Kushina stopped, panting. She rose from the battered genin, who sat up weakly, humiliated. In a last act of spite, he flung the strands of red hair into her face.
"Outsider!"
Kushina's chest tightened at the word. Her face shifted from fury to sadness in an instant.
The genin staggered to his feet, glaring down at her. "As if an outsider can become a Hokage!" he spat before jogging away, leaving her standing there alone, trembling but unbroken.
On the other side—
Asteru clasped his hands together, forming an "X" shape with his fingers. Extended his index and middle fingers on both hands, then crossed his left hand horizontally in front of his right hand, which remains vertical, his voice came out low but steady.
"I never wanted to try this before and even now, I don't want to do it. But… situation demands. Here I go."
He inhaled sharply, focusing his chakra. 'Now I just need to direct my chakra onto the ground or into my surroundings… then visualize the number… let's go with the minimum. Last step—exhale and release the chakra.'
Renji and his brother closed in from either side. At the last moment—wham! Two simultaneous kicks met their targets.
Renji took the blow to his chin, his eyes rolling back as he crumpled instantly, unconscious just like before. His brother managed to block, but another kick came from the opposite side, slamming into his face and sending him stumbling.
"Kugh… why are you kicking me, Renji…" he groaned, turning toward his brother—only to see Renji sprawled unconscious by the tree roots. His eyes widened in shock.
"W-what?! How is that possible… that's just a clone technique! How are you able to hit me?"
From above, Asteru's calm voice answered. The real boy stood perched on a branch, looking down with sharp disdain.
"Idiot… that's not a Bunshin no Jutsu. That's obviously a Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. You call yourself a genin when you can't even recognise a proper clone technique? What a waste of the forehead protector on your head."
As the words sank in, the two clones dispersed into smoke. The genin blinked, stunned—only for Asteru to vanish from his sight.
Thud! A heavy stomp connected with his face, dropping him flat. This time, it was no clone—the real Asteru had struck, knocking both brothers completely unconscious.
Minutes later, he dragged them under the shade of a tree, brushing dust from his palms.
"Tch… this guy looks thin but was more heavy. I'm glad that jutsu worked perfectly fine. And that too—I was able to make two clones."
He stared at his hands briefly, expression thoughtful.
"I was successfully able to divide my chakra into thirds… otherwise, even I don't know how I'd look with chakra exhaustion."
Straightening up, he exhaled.
"If I remember correctly, there's also a risk of death too… I need to keep this technique secret until I come up with a lie to cover it. Since I didn't steal the Scroll of Seals, it'll undoubtedly raise suspicion with the 3rd Hokage."
Meanwhile—
Kushina noticed movement in the trees to her right. Minato stood on a branch, one hand resting against the bark. Her anger still burned hot. She narrowed her eyes, spinning toward him.
"You're not going to help me because I'm an outsider?"
Minato's eyes widened in surprise. "I…"
Before he could finish, Kushina cut him off, her voice sharp with hurt.
"I bet you agree with them too!"
Without waiting, she bolted eastward, straight toward the Hokage monuments. Minato reached out helplessly, but lowered his hand, watching her vanish with conflicted eyes.
Kushina didn't stop until the monuments rose before her, framed by drifting sakura petals. Tears welled again as she looked up at the faces of the Hokage.
'It's because… I don't want to be an outsider. It's because I want this village to be my home… that's the only reason I said those words in the classroom that day.'
Her fists clenched.
"Who would want to become the Hokage anyway?!" she shouted bitterly, before running off toward her home.
Elsewhere, Asteru spotted Kiyou and his brother arguing as they retreated, voices loud with frustration. He frowned, following their trail until he came across Minato. The blonde boy sat on a branch, staring after Kushina, his lips curved in a faint, puzzled smile.
'Why is he smiling like that…?'
Asteru dropped down beside him on the branch, glancing at him sideways.
Minato blinked when Asteru landed beside him, the branch shifting slightly under their combined weight. He kept his gaze fixed in the direction Kushina had run, the faint smile still tugging at his lips.
"What happened? You look both happy and confused for some reason…" Asteru asked, arching an eyebrow as he leaned back against the trunk, one leg swinging casually over the branch.
Minato exhaled softly, his arms folding over his knees. "She's strong… but she's carrying more than she lets on. When she looked at me, it wasn't anger I saw—it was pain."
Asteru tilted his head, studying him. 'So, he really did see it… he's sharper when it comes to people than most give him credit for.'
Minato's smile softened. "She said those things because she doesn't want to be seen as weak. Even when she's hurting, she'd rather pick a fight with me than show it." His eyes glimmered with admiration. "That kind of fire… it's something I can't help but respect."
Asteru chuckled faintly, closing one eye as if half-dozing again. "Respect, huh? I thought you'd say something like that. You're too nice for your own good, Minato."
Minato glanced at him, curious. "What about you? You've known her longer. What do you see in her?"
For a moment, silence lingered. Asteru opened his other eye slowly, watching the sakura petals drifting on the wind. He smirked, though his voice carried a quiet weight.
"I see a girl who refuses to break… even if the whole village calls her an outsider. That alone makes her stronger than most of us."
Minato's lips curved into a genuine smile at that. "Then we'll have to make sure she never feels like she's standing alone."
Asteru gave him a side glance, the corners of his mouth twitching into a grin. "Heh. You sound like you're already halfway to becoming Hokage with talk like that."
Minato laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe… or maybe I just don't like seeing people cry."
'Cry…' Asteru's eyes narrowed for a split second, remembering the dream that had shaken him few days ago, the woman's fragmented words echoing in his head. His chest tightened faintly, but he shook it off before Minato could notice.
Stretching his arms, he stood up on the branch. "Well, whether you become Hokage or not, I'll be here to make sure Kushina doesn't cry either. After all…" His grin widened lazily. "…who else would tease her if she did?"
Minato chuckled again, shaking his head. "You really don't make things easy for her, do you?"
"That's the point," Asteru said with a wink, before hopping off the branch, hands slipping back into his pockets as he headed down the path.
Minato lingered a moment longer, watching the direction Kushina had disappeared. His smile faded into quiet determination. 'No matter what anyone says… I'll never see you as an outsider, Kushina.'