"What are you doing?"
That evening, seeing Kyuushin struggle to eat with his left hand, Kushina couldn't help but ask.
"My left hand isn't very flexible, so I'm going to train it," Kyuushin replied. He had only realized the extent of this problem after Makiko's reminder earlier that day. In both his previous life and his current one, he had always favored his right hand, leaving his left hand's strength and dexterity far behind. For a ninja, this was a significant flaw. Since he recognized it, he had to overcome it. Kyuushin planned to use his left hand as much as possible for the foreseeable future.
Kushina found it amusing and tried to eat with her left hand as well, but she couldn't even hold her chopsticks steady, sending rice scattering everywhere. She shot Kyuushin an annoyed look.
Mito, sitting at the head of the table, smiled as she watched them, neither encouraging nor stopping their efforts. She was growing increasingly fond of Kyuushin; he was not only intelligent but also proactive and diligent. Kushina, on the other hand, was more like her younger self—just as mischievous. Watching her reminded Mito of her own childhood.
The next day was a rare school holiday. After finishing their morning exercises, Kyuushin and Kushina were about to head for breakfast when a voice suddenly called out.
"You two are quite diligent for so early in the morning."
Kyuushin looked in the direction of the voice and saw a boy, not much older than them, observing them. He had dark blond hair and wore a green shirt with a white collar. Given the time and place, Kyuushin knew exactly who it was: Nawaki, the grandson of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Nawaki's potential was never fully realized; he died early in the Second Great Ninja War before he had the chance to make his mark. At his current age, he was likely around eight or nine, a few grades ahead of them.[5][9]
"Good morning! You must be Uzumaki Kyuushin and Uzumaki Kushina, the ones Grandma mentioned," Nawaki said with a smile, scratching the back of his head.
"Hey! Who are you, running up and scaring people so early in the morning?!" Kushina demanded, hands on her hips. Startled, she had nearly fallen, and her mood soured.
Nawaki's smile froze as he began to explain.
Kyuushin interjected, "This is Grandma Mito's grandson, Nawaki."
Kushina looked him up and down in surprise. "You mean he's the First Hokage's..." She leaned closer to Kyuushin's ear. "But why do I feel like he's a bit silly?"
Kyuushin was speechless. Although he felt the same way, it wasn't polite to say it out loud.
While Kyuushin was pondering, Nawaki was also observing them. He had been visiting relatives and had only returned to Konoha the previous day. After Mito had checked his training progress and given him a fierce lecture—even comparing him unfavorably to the two newcomers—he had snuck out while she was scolding his older sister. He had run into Kyuushin and Kushina in the backyard. As the two "geniuses" his grandmother had spoken of, Nawaki was naturally curious and a little unconvinced.
His eyes darted around, and he said, "That's right, but I'm older than you two, so you should call me 'big brother' from now on."
Kushina was not pleased. She glared at him. "Hmph! To be my big brother, you have to be stronger than me."
This was exactly what Nawaki wanted. "Alright, how about we spar?" he retorted, moving into a fighting stance.
Kyuushin was speechless, watching as the two hotheads quickly agreed to a fight. Seeing them about to start, he had to intervene. "We just finished our morning exercises; we haven't even had breakfast yet."
Kushina came to her senses, her hand on her rumbling stomach. "Oh, right. You wait. I'll fight you after I've eaten."
Nawaki had no choice but to agree, and the three of them headed to the front hall. As they reached the doorway, they heard Mito's roaring voice. Nawaki immediately shrank back, awkwardly gesturing for the other two to go ahead.
When Kyuushin and Kushina entered, Mito's stern face immediately softened. The young woman sitting below her, who had been enduring the scolding with her head lowered, curiously raised her head.
"This is my good-for-nothing granddaughter, Tsunade. You can just call her 'big sister'," Mito told them. "And I have a grandson named Nawaki, but I don't know where he's run off to."
"Grandma, I'm right here!" Nawaki called out, quickly walking in. "I went to call Kyuushin and Kushina for breakfast." Fearing his grandmother would discover he had snuck out, he quickly made an excuse.
"Alright, since you're all here, it's a good chance for you to get to know each other," Mito said, not exposing his lie.
"Hello, Sister Tsunade," the two said. It was clear Tsunade was not in high spirits. She merely nodded in response, managing a faint smile. She had likely received a severe lecture from Mito.
After a proper breakfast, Kushina gestured to Nawaki with her eyes, but he, who had so eagerly initiated the spar, remained motionless.
"What are you two doing, exchanging glances?" Mito asked with a hint of amusement.
"Grandma Mito, Nawaki just invited me to spar."
"Oh?" Mito looked at Nawaki. Seeing his shifty-eyed expression, she guessed his intentions. Her mind worked quickly. "You've just met; it's not appropriate to fight. However, a small game is fine. You can simply compare who has more strength." She then looked at Kyuushin. "You go."
Nawaki, who had expected another scolding, was surprised by the turn of events. While he might not stand out in other areas, his physique was a direct inheritance of the Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines. He could easily rank first in strength among his classmates. A contest of strength was his forte. Still, he had some reservations. They were his grandmother's juniors, and his earlier challenge had been a childish impulse.[1]
"Grandma, this..."
"No excuses, it's settled," Mito stated firmly. "However, if you lose, you'll have to add an hour to your daily sealing jutsu practice." Hearing this, Nawaki's reservations vanished, and he looked at Kyuushin with eyes full of fighting spirit.
Kyuushin, on the other hand, looked helpless, not expecting the challenge to be directed at him.
"Didn't you say you wanted to learn other ninjutsu? If you win, I'll teach you one," Mito said to Kyuushin, adding fuel to the fire to ensure he would give it his all.
At this, Kushina also got excited. "Go, Kyuushin, take him down!"
The simplest way to compare strength was arm wrestling. Nawaki had already taken a seat at the table, ready. Kyuushin sat opposite him, and they clasped right hands. Since Mito was so invested, he couldn't possibly give up.