Ever since the "Challenge Incident," Kushina's treatment within the class had improved significantly—just as Mito Uzumaki had anticipated. It turned out that "being defeated by Minato Namikaze and Tatsuma Sakamoto" was a powerful social equalizer. Since everyone had been outperformed by those two overachieving "neighbor's children," they suddenly found common ground with the new girl.
Now that she had a clear goal, Kushina stopped causing trouble at school. She spent her days absorbing Academy knowledge and her nights immersed in the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts. By keeping a low profile, she quickly faded from the center of unwanted attention.
Tatsuma and Minato didn't even realize they had been used as the "stone" in Mito Uzumaki's plan to hit three birds at once. With a single orchestrated challenge, she had resolved three major issues regarding Kushina's future.
The first was the test Mito had mentioned to Hiruzen: evaluating the companions he had selected for the future Jinchuriki. Both boys had proven their talent and character, though they offered different kinds of support.
Minato was gentle and gentlemanly. For a girl destined to carry the burden of a Tailed Beast, his warmth was a perfect "softener"—the kind of presence that would help Kushina lower her guard and dissolve her sense of isolation.
Tatsuma, on the other hand, offered recognition and equality. Mito possessed the ability to sense emotions, and while her Malice Sensing was her most famous tool, she could feel the genuine sincerity behind Tatsuma's praise. Having been a Jinchuriki for decades, Mito knew the pain of being treated as a "vessel" rather than a human being. Tatsuma's habit of viewing everyone through the same lens of merit meant he would never treat a Jinchuriki as an "other."
Both were excellent choices; now, it was simply a matter of seeing which one Kushina would gravitate toward.
The second objective was to help Kushina integrate into the village—starting with her immediate peers. In that regard, the result was a resounding success.
As for the third thing, Mito wanted Kushina to recognize her own shortcomings. She needed the girl to have the internal drive to master the Uzumaki sealing arts. Passive learning can never match the efficiency of active pursuit. Mito could have simply ordered her to study as an elder, but she knew it would never have produced the focus Kushina was showing now.
Mito Uzumaki had never been just a "vessel" or a sacrificial pawn. In her youth, she had been the bridge that bound the Uzumaki and Senju clans together in alliance. Throughout the transitions of power from the Second Hokage to the Third, she had been a vital, stabilizing anchor in the background. She chose not to stand in the spotlight, but that didn't mean she lacked the power to move the world.
Dealing with a group of children didn't even require her to show her face. A few subtle nudges from the shadows were enough to achieve her ends perfectly.
"Tsume, do you know what's up with those two guys' hair? How is it long one minute and short the next?"
After class, Kushina huddled with her new friend, Tsume Inuzuka, to gossip. Sitting near the boys, Kushina had been dying to know the answer for weeks, but she was too proud to ask them directly.
In a way, she and Tatsuma were quite similar: they both hated their hair. Tatsuma found his perm a logistical nightmare, while Kushina's red hair had been a magnet for discrimination her whole life. Seeing them seemingly "control" their hair growth had piqued her interest.
Tsume glanced at the two boys and whispered, "I heard from Shikaku and the others that they're learning a specialized ninjutsu from Lord Jiraiya that uses hair for combat. When their hair is long, it means they're actively focusing on the jutsu. Sometimes, if the lesson is too busy or really important, they stop focusing and it just snaps back to short so they can pay attention."
"Jiraiya? I think he's Lady Tsunade's teammate," Kushina mused, tugging at a lock of her own hair. "I wonder if he has a jutsu to change hair color? I'm so over this red."
Tsume touched her own hair. Compared to Kushina's thick, silky strands, hers was coarse, stiff, and prone to frizz. A full man doesn't know the hunger of the starving, she thought bitterly.
"If you ever learn a trick like that, you better teach me," Tsume said. "But... they've been practicing for ages and they still haven't mastered it. It must be really hard, right? Shikaku says those two have already mastered the Transformation Jutsu we're supposed to learn this term, and they've even finished the other two Basic Jutsu. Apparently, they're already moving on to D-rank stuff."
"Hmph! D-rank is nothing," Kushina huffed, though a surge of urgency flared in her chest. "I'm already starting on C-rank Sealing Arts. Once I master them, I'll blow those two away!"
Hearing that Minato and Tatsuma were already moving beyond the standard curriculum made Kushina feel the clock ticking. In her mind—influenced by her upbringing in the Hidden Eddy Village—mastering ninjutsu was the equivalent of becoming a true shinobi.
Of course, this perspective was skewed by the Uzumaki constitution. A member of the Uzumaki clan never had to worry about their physique, strength, or speed keeping up; even without specialized training, they became incredibly powerful simply by reaching maturity.
Because of this, their education focused almost entirely on controlling their massive, turbulent chakra. As long as they mastered a few technical jutsu or sealing formulas to prove they had sufficient control, they were considered ready for the field.
But for a "normal" ninja, it was never that simple. They had to learn the techniques, then find ways to expand their chakra reserves, then undergo grueling physical and taijutsu conditioning.
The only advantage a non-Uzumaki had in the early stages was that their smaller chakra pools were easier to manage. But that advantage evaporated as they grew. Once they reached a certain level, most ninja found that their bodies simply couldn't support the refinement of the chakra volumes required for high-level Jonin techniques. Without that raw power, they could never be truly "strong."
That single hurdle acted as a wall, ending the advancement of countless shinobi.
The crude education model of the Hidden Eddy had failed to fully develop the Uzumaki potential because they had grown complacent. When natural physique and sealing arts are enough to live a comfortable life, there is little motivation to struggle for more.
Throughout the school year, Tatsuma and Minato maintained their relentless rhythm. Life in the village seemed stable and unchanging—aside from the fact that the price of groceries was creeping steadily upward.
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