Chapter 2: The Newcomer and the Outcast
Kagenori made his way through Konoha's streets toward the ninja academy, his shoulders tense. His route took him directly through the village center—an unavoidable path given his home's remote location. He was no masochist; the hostile glances and whispered insults still stung, no matter how accustomed to them he'd become.
Upon reaching his classroom, he moved to his usual spot in the corner and sat down. The space around him remained conspicuously empty—no one sat in front of him or to his right. No one wanted to share a desk with the "traitor's son."
Three years had passed since Kagenori first entered the academy. During that time, he'd studied with relentless determination. Becoming stronger represented his only path to changing his circumstances.
He remembered his first attempt at chakra refinement clearly. While most students required one or two days to successfully refine chakra for the first time, Kagenori had managed it in just half a day—a testament to what he suspected was natural talent.
Yet one student had demonstrated even greater aptitude: Namikaze Minato, a fellow civilian-born ninja.
Over the past three years, Minato had consistently outperformed students from prestigious clans like the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Nara, establishing himself as the academy's top student. With his sunny disposition and handsome features, Minato had become widely popular—a stark contrast to Kagenori, who despite his own good looks, faced universal disdain.
Kagenori rested his head on the desk, waiting for classes to begin. For now, all he could do was attend school and wait for Uzumaki Kushina's arrival.
His mind drifted to thoughts about Konoha's darker undercurrents. Having witnessed the village's hypocrisy firsthand, he'd begun reexamining his memories of certain events. One incident involving Uzumaki Kushina struck him as particularly suspicious.
According to what he recalled, during their genin days, Kushina had been kidnapped by three Kumogakure shinobi—each reportedly at least tokubetsu jōnin level. As they neared the border, with Kushina beginning to despair, Minato had somehow discovered a marker and followed it. Then, as a mere chūnin, he'd single-handedly defeated three Cloud ninja and played the hero rescuing the damsel.
The story felt wrong.
Setting aside whether Minato could realistically defeat three experienced Cloud ninja alone, how had three foreign shinobi managed to infiltrate Konoha so deeply without detection? Were the village's sensory ninja simply incompetent?
Kagenori's mind began working through the worst-case scenarios when a sudden realization struck him. He lifted his head abruptly, his eyes finding Minato chatting amiably with other students.
The Nine-Tails container.
Uzumaki Kushina wasn't yet the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. But the first Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Mito, was approaching the end of her life. To maintain tailed beast balance and strategic needs, Konoha had selected Kushina as the next vessel, secretly bringing her to the village.
Uzumaki Kushina never had a choice in the matter.
From what Kagenori remembered, the loneliness and oppression Kushina experienced afterward had nearly crushed her spirit. Though unwilling, she'd ultimately accepted this cruel reality.
The first reason was obvious—she couldn't change the outcome. The second reason, Kagenori suspected, involved her bond with Namikaze Minato. Uzumaki Kushina loved Minato, and if she wanted to remain in Konoha with him, she had to accept her fate.
It seemed highly plausible that Konoha's higher-ups had been fostering this relationship since Minato's "rescue" of Kushina from the Cloud ninja. Perhaps they'd even engineered the entire incident.
Use the orphaned Uzumaki girl, develop her bond with the promising Minato, then use that bond as chains to bind her to Konoha, ensuring she'd willingly become the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
The results spoke for themselves—Konoha had succeeded.
If Kagenori's suspicions proved correct, then Uzumaki Kushina had been a tool from the very beginning.
Minato seemed to sense Kagenori's gaze and glanced in his direction. Kagenori immediately averted his eyes, looking elsewhere. Appearing to dismiss it as nothing, Minato turned back to his conversation.
Kagenori's heart pounded wildly. If his theories held any truth, then Konoha was far darker than he'd imagined. Even Namikaze Minato, the future Fourth Hokage, might be just another pawn.
He took a deep, steadying breath. Regardless of the truth, these matters didn't concern him directly. He planned to leave Konoha eventually anyway. For now, increasing his strength remained his top priority.
The approaching Third Great Ninja War would provide crucial opportunities to earn witness points. Without sufficient power, he wouldn't survive long enough to collect them, let alone use them.
The classroom door slid open abruptly, cutting through his thoughts.
Their instructor, Masada Hayabusa, entered the room. But it was the small figure trailing behind him that made Kagenori's eyes light up with anticipation.
After three years of waiting at the ninja academy, she had finally appeared.
Uzumaki Kushina.
She stood beside Masada Hayabusa, her posture slightly hesitant. Hayabusa addressed the class, "Everyone, this is the new student transferring to our academy starting today—"
Uzumaki Kushina took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly, then gathered her courage and announced loudly, "I'm Uzumaki Kushina, dattebane!"
Her hands flew to her mouth as she realized she'd used her distinctive verbal tic without thinking, her expression mixing embarrassment and anxiety.
Kagenori found her rather endearing.
Unfortunately, his classmates proved less charitable. Snickers and mocking whispers spread through the room.
"Look at that hair color—unbelievable."
"How could someone like that ever become popular?"
"She's so weird..."
Uzumaki Kushina nervously twisted a strand of her vibrant red hair, self-consciousness washing over her.
"Alright, alright! Settle down!" Hayabusa commanded.
Hearing the ridicule, Kushina's body trembled slightly, her small fists clenching at her sides. Then she declared with passionate determination, as if taking a sacred vow, "I... I'm going to become this village's first female Hokage!"
The classroom fell into stunned silence, all eyes fixed on the bold red-haired girl.
At that moment, Namikaze Minato stood up, offering his characteristic sunny smile. "I also want to become a Hokage who earns the villagers' recognition."
Uzumaki Kushina studied Minato with a skeptical pout. He seemed somewhat effeminate and unreliable to her—hardly Hokage material.
Hayabusa moved to arrange seating. "Now then, let's find you a spot..."
Most seats were occupied except for the conspicuously empty area surrounding Kagenori. Noticing this, Hayabusa's brow furrowed, clear distaste in his eyes.
"Well, there's nothing to be done. Just find a seat over there for now," he said dismissively, gesturing toward Kagenori's section.
Uzumaki Kushina followed his indication, immediately noting how no one sat near the boy—clear evidence of isolation. She also noticed many classmates watching her with mocking amusement, as if anticipating her discomfort.
Annoyance flared within her. With determined steps, she marched toward Kagenori and deliberately took the empty seat beside him, ignoring the surrounding whispers.