Leaving the Hokage's Office
Minato said his goodbyes, and the still-drenched Jiraiya led him off in another direction. Kushina watched them go, jealousy bubbling up inside her. Was Minato going to end up like that shameless, sloppy old man?
Before leaving, Minato turned and smiled warmly."From now on, we're rivals. Let's both work hard, okay?"
That gentle smile somehow made Kushina even more irritated.
What's that supposed to mean…?
Become the first female Hokage?
Kushina pouted, forcing herself to keep calm. She didn't want to look childish in front of Hiroki.
But still—
That guy was so annoying! Always acting calm and composed, like nothing could faze him. And in the test earlier, neither of them had even gone all out, yet he still said he wanted to be Hokage? Seriously?
Kushina sneaked a glance at the "bean sprout" walking beside her.
Soft black hair. Slender frame. A quiet, thoughtful face.
He wasn't the most eye-catching boy in class, but even the way he spoke had a different weight to it—especially when he used her nickname.
When others called her "Red Pepper," it was always teasing, mocking, sometimes even mean-spirited. But when Hiroki said it, his voice was calm and matter-of-fact—like it was just the truth, not a joke.
Of course her hair looked like red peppers. Even Kushina couldn't deny that. Otherwise, why would she get so mad whenever someone called her "Red Pepper" or "Tomato"?
They weren't wrong.
But Hiroki's way of saying it… felt different. It didn't make her feel teased. It made her feel seen.
Kushina glanced around. Minato's figure had already disappeared around the corner. Only she and Hiroki were left, walking down the sunlit street together. The chatter of the crowd seemed to fade into the background.
She looked at him from the corner of her eye.
He wasn't smiling. Even the excitement of becoming a genin hadn't stayed on his face for long. His gaze was distant, his brows drawn slightly together—lost in thought.
What's he thinking about?
Was he worried about that new teacher, Orochimaru? Minato had said he was incredibly powerful. Was Hiroki anxious about that?
No, that didn't seem right.
To Kushina, Hiroki was the strongest person she knew. He'd defeated three Cloud ninja on his own, used that strange, unexplainable jutsu that made even the instructors vanish in an instant. Someone like that wouldn't be scared of a teacher he hadn't even met.
She remembered how he always downplayed his strength, saying he preferred to "tactically avoid group activities." But she knew he was just hiding his true power.
Still… what was he thinking? Something about the test? Something the Hokage said?
She tried to recall, but all those complicated adult expressions and half-hidden meanings made her head spin.
A small ache bloomed in her chest — frustration mixed with a bit of shame.
It wasn't just that she couldn't understand what they were saying — it was that she felt… useless.
In the assessment, she hadn't really done anything.
Minato was lightning-fast and precise, always knowing the perfect moment to strike. Hiroki was the strategist — calm, observant, and clever beyond belief.
And her?
She'd just charged in recklessly, only to miss and make things harder for everyone else.
Hiroki was brilliant, so whatever he was thinking must be something deep and complicated. Meanwhile, she couldn't even guess why he looked upset. How could she possibly help?
And on top of that—
If she kept going like this, she'd never become the first female Hokage. She'd just be another average kunoichi.
The thought made her cheeks puff up again.
She glanced at Hiroki's profile — the sunlight outlining his lashes, his quiet expression unchanged. He looked as calm as ever, but somehow… lonely.
No! I can't just do nothing!
Kushina clenched her fists at her sides.
Even if she couldn't understand what he was thinking — even if she couldn't do much — she couldn't let him walk around looking like that.
She took a deep breath, as if preparing for battle, and suddenly stopped walking. Then she reached out and gently tugged at his sleeve.
"H-hey…"
Hiroki blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "What is it?"
"You've been quiet this whole time." Kushina puffed out her cheeks, trying to sound annoyed instead of worried. "We passed the test! We're genin now! Shouldn't you be at least a little happy?"
Hiroki looked at her for a moment, the distant look in his eyes slowly fading. He blinked, as if remembering where he was, and gave a faint smile."Nothing. I was just… thinking about the future."
"The future?" Kushina tilted her head, unsatisfied with that vague answer. But she quickly found her own solution.
"Thinking too much is bad! When your brain's tired, your stomach gets hungry!" she declared proudly, as if revealing a great truth of the world.
Before Hiroki could respond, Kushina grabbed his wrist, her smile bright and fierce like sunlight.
"I know a shop that has the best salt ramen in the whole village! Let's go! My treat! There's no problem that can't be solved with a bowl of ramen!"
Without giving him a chance to argue, she pulled him down the street, her red hair flashing in the sun.
Hiroki blinked, startled by the warmth of her hand around his wrist.
Then, just as they turned the corner, Kushina looked up at him, her voice soft and uncertain.
"Hey… Hiroki… after ramen, can you teach me how to get stronger?"