Hiroki completed the discharge paperwork and stepped out of Konoha Hospital.
The air outside was much fresher than in the ward—filled with the scent of earth and leaves.
The Third Hokage's words still echoed in his mind, but he knew sitting around wouldn't change anything. If he wanted answers, he had to take action.
Whether his self-developed technique, the Brain Overload Script, actually worked—and how well—needed to be tested.
Unfortunately, no one in the village could be used as a test subject. The risk was far too high.
After thinking it over, he realized there was only one person suitable for the job.
Wandering through the streets, Hiroki eventually found Kushina Uzumaki in a small dumpling shop. She was sitting alone, eating one skewer after another at impressive speed, but her face looked anything but happy—more like she was venting frustration through food.
"Ah! Hiroki!?"
Kushina's eyes lit up the moment she saw him. She quickly swallowed the dumpling she was chewing and grinned. "You're out already? Shouldn't you rest for a day first?"
"I'm fully recovered," Hiroki said, taking a seat across from her. "Mind if I join you?"
"Of course not! You're my savior, after all!" Kushina thumped her chest proudly and gave him a big thumbs-up.
"You've heard about the graduation exam, right?" Hiroki said, ordering a cup of tea. "The Third Hokage wants us to graduate early and prepare. I've been stuck in the hospital this whole time and haven't figured out how to stand out during the exam."
"Heh, I'm going to be Konoha's first female Hokage! Little things like that don't bother me!" she declared confidently—then immediately deflated, biting into another dumpling. "So… what's your plan?"
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Hiroki couldn't help but smile. That saved him the trouble of bringing it up himself.
"I've been working on a new technique," he explained. "Since I just awakened my bloodline, I based it on that. But I need someone I trust to help me test it."
The words new technique and trust were all Kushina needed to hear. She straightened up, finished her food, clapped her hands, and said with determination, "Leave it to me! What do you need me to do?"
Just as Hiroki expected—simple and direct. That's exactly why she was the perfect choice.
The two made their way to Training Ground Three.
"My technique is a little unusual," Hiroki began. "It requires physical contact with the target to activate. It might make your mind… a bit foggy. But don't worry—it's temporary and harmless."
"I got it, I got it! You talk too much!" Kushina waved him off impatiently and extended her wrist. "Come on, show me what you've got!"
Hiroki nodded and took hold of her warm wrist.
The instant he made contact, a strange notification appeared in his mind:
[Another system detected: "Uzumaki Kushina." Do you want to connect?]
He mentally selected Yes.
Connection established.
Taking a steady breath, Hiroki focused and mentally "double-clicked" on the Brain Overload Script.bat he had created.
Kushina's body went still.
The curious, eager look on her face froze mid-expression. The light in her eyes dulled, fading into emptiness. She looked like a puppet with its strings cut.
Inside her mind, things were even worse.
A moment ago, she'd been thinking, Hiroki's hands are kinda strong…
But that thought began repeating uncontrollably—Strong… hands strong… hands strong… strong…
Then more fragmented thoughts flooded in, random static filling her mind like white noise, until she couldn't think at all.
She tried to move—but her body wouldn't respond.Tried to think—but her thoughts slipped away like water through a sieve.
Her mind wasn't blank—it was boiling. Countless thoughts bubbled and popped chaotically, like a pot ready to overflow.
"Kushina?"
Hiroki's voice cut through the chaos like a thunderclap.
He stopped the technique manually—after only three seconds.
Kushina gasped sharply, her body collapsing forward before Hiroki caught her. She panted for breath, eyes wide and shaking, her face full of shock—and awe.
"W-wow! What was that?! My brain—it just stopped working! Did you see it?! Did you see what happened?!"
"I saw," Hiroki said, exhaling in relief. The effect was even stronger than he'd hoped. Any longer, and her brain might've completely crashed.
"What kind of jutsu is that?" Kushina circled him twice, eyeing him like some kind of alien. "You just touched me, and I couldn't think straight! What kind of bloodline ability does that? It's insane!"
She didn't understand the mechanics, but she didn't need to. Just one touch, and the enemy became a motionless target—it was practically cheating.
"Teach me! Please teach me!" she begged.
Hiroki hesitated. Technically, he could share it—but… how would she even run it? She didn't have a computer, let alone a system interface to execute a script.
Before he could explain, a voice shouted from across the field—
"Hiroki! Kushina! There you are!"
Both turned to see Minato Namikaze running toward them, looking unusually panicked and slightly out of breath.
"What's wrong, Minato?" Kushina asked.
"The Hokage just sent word!" Minato said between gasps. "Our graduation exam—it's the day after tomorrow! And our examiner is… Jiraiya-sensei himself!"