"Granny Mito, you can keep teaching Kushina. I'll rest for a bit!"
With that, Night Maple hopped up into a nearby tree.
Uzumaki Mito scolded him with frustration. "Night Maple, this arrogant complacency won't do. No one can do things without learning."
"Mm, Granny Mito, I'll just watch from the side."
Kushina snorted. "All right, Granny Mito. I don't believe he can learn just by watching like that."
Uzumaki Mito gave Night Maple a look and felt he could use a little humbling.
The arrogant and complacent have no future.
Besides, Kushina's talent was nothing to scoff at.
Let Kushina knock Night Maple down a peg.
With that in mind, Uzumaki Mito ignored Night Maple and turned back to teaching Kushina.
Night Maple eyed the system rewards: A-rank Sealing Technique: Four Symbols Seal, and S-rank Advanced Sealing Technique: Dead Demon Consuming Seal, feeling thoroughly pleased.
During the Chūnin Exams, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal Orochimaru's hands.
During the Nine-Tails' rampage, Namikaze Minato used it to seal half of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Now that he'd learned the Four Symbols Seal and the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, once his Senju Hashirama character card hit 100 percent, could he try sealing a Nine-Tails for fun?
He opened his status panel.
[Name: Night Maple]
[Power: Quasi-Kage]
[Position: Genin]
[Character Card: SSS-rank Senju Hashirama (Fusion Rate 25.01%)]
[Kekkei Genkai: Divine Wood Release (from character card)]
[Ninjutsu: Flying Thunder God Technique Lv3, Impure World Reincarnation Lv3, Lightning Release: Chidori Lv3, Front Lotus Lv3, Yin Seal Lv1, Four Symbols Seal Lv1, Dead Demon Consuming Seal Lv1]
Seeing the fusion rate up to 25 percent, Night Maple felt he'd finally reached quasi-Kage level.
He'd probably already been at the Legendary Sannin's tier before this, yet his status screen still showed "elite jōnin."
Come to think of it, power tiers in Naruto were puzzling. The Legendary Sannin were "elite jōnin," and grown-up Konohamaru was also "elite jōnin." Can you believe that?
And so, Night Maple quietly watched Uzumaki Mito teach Kushina, holed up in the Uzumaki courtyard and not going out.
Uzumaki Mito had also said Konoha was unsettled these days and told Night Maple not to go out.
A few days passed. Night Maple didn't go out, yet visitors came anyway.
"Old Madam, someone outside is here for Kushina."
Kushina blinked. "Who?"
"Uchiha Mikoto from the Uchiha clan."
Uzumaki Mito smiled. "Mikoto, is it? Bring her in."
"Kushina, take a break. The Four Symbols Seal is a bit harder. No need to rush."
Kushina wiped the light sweat from her brow and nodded.
"You young folks can have your get-together. This old woman won't intrude."
With that, Uzumaki Mito left.
A moment later, Uchiha Mikoto came in.
Best friends reunited, they hugged and playfully fussed for a bit.
Then Mikoto looked around curiously.
"Where's Night Maple? I heard he's been staying here."
Kushina glanced behind Mikoto. "Right behind you."
"Behind me?"
Mikoto turned, saw a tree, and looked up.
"What are you doing up there?"
Night Maple smiled. "Resting."
"So weird."
Mikoto snorted, ignored Night Maple, pulled Kushina aside, and started whispering.
Night Maple's ears twitched. Naturally, he heard.
With quasi-Kage strength, it wasn't that he wanted to eavesdrop. The two girls were just a bit loud.
"Hey, Kushina, I heard you're going to marry Night Maple. Is that true?"
"Th-this hasn't happened!"
"Not yet? Tsk, tsk, so it's soon. When are you handing out wedding sweets?"
Kushina snuck a look at Night Maple in the tree and said shyly, "What nonsense are you talking?"
Then she whispered to Mikoto, "He's really aloof."
"But he's really handsome. You didn't see it. That day he used Deep Forest Emergence and wiped out all those ninja who attacked us."
"Heh heh, Kushina, I heard you fainted then. How would you know? Were you faking it?"
Kushina blushed. "No. I just blacked out for a moment and woke up quickly. I didn't faint."
Night Maple snickered to himself. With quasi-Kage senses, he couldn't have been mistaken.
Back then, Kushina had fallen to a genjutsu and fainted in his arms, not waking from start to finish.
Now here she was, bragging to her bestie.
As expected, bragging is a universal human trait.
After a bit of chatting, Uchiha Mikoto said, "Kushina, did you know? The preliminary results of the investigation into Danzō and Root are out. The Hokage has already ordered Root to disband, Danzō to be removed from his post, and the two senior advisors to take a leave of absence..."