Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Uzumaki Kushina
Chapter 2 Uzumaki Kushina
---
Natsuo walked through the streets of Konoha, heading toward the Ninja School. His residence was too remote, and to reach the school, he had to traverse the bustling streets of the village. He wasn't a masochist, and the hurtful comments directed at him made him feel uneasy.
Upon arriving at his classroom in the Ninja School, Natsuo took his usual seat in the corner. The seats in front of him and to his right remained empty, as no one wanted to sit beside him.
Natsuo had been attending the school for three years and diligently focused on his studies. After all, if he wanted to change his circumstances, becoming stronger was his only option.
When he first started learning to refine Chakra, Natsuo was eager to succeed. He realized he had a certain talent for it; while most people took one to two days to refine Chakra for the first time, he managed to do it in just half a day. However, someone had even better talent than Natsuo—Namikaze Minato, a civilian ninja.
Over these three years, Namikaze Minato had surpassed students from notable ninja clans like Uchiha, Hyuga, and Nara, becoming the top student in the school. With his sunny personality and handsome appearance, Minato was quite popular, unlike Natsuo, who, despite his good looks, was disliked by everyone.
Natsuo lay on his desk, waiting for the class to start. At this point, all he could do was attend school and wait for Uzumaki Kushina's arrival.
Natsuo's mind began to wander. Given what he had seen of Konoha's falsehoods, he started to question Uzumaki Kushina's circumstances.
When Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were still Genin, Kushina had been kidnapped by three powerful ninjas from Cloud Village, at least at the level of special Jōnin. It was puzzling that despite approaching the border and losing hope, Minato, still a Genin, managed to follow the trail and defeat the three Cloud ninjas to save her.
The whole situation seemed odd. Not only was it surprising that Minato could overcome such odds, but it was also strange that Konoha's many skilled ninjas failed to detect the intruders. Were the village's perception ninjas just there for show?
Natsuo's thoughts raced, considering the worst-case scenario. Suddenly, a realization struck him as he looked at Namikaze Minato, who was chatting nearby.
Nine Tails container!
Uzumaki Kushina wasn't the Nine Tails Jinchūriki yet. With the previous Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Mito, nearing the end of her life, Konoha had chosen Kushina to become the new Jinchūriki to maintain their strategic advantage and balance among the tailed beasts. They had secretly brought her to Konoha for this purpose.
Thus, Kushina had been brought to Konoha to become the second Nine Tails container, a role she hadn't chosen for herself. Based on Kushina's memories, the feeling of loneliness and despair was overwhelming. She had no choice but to accept this harsh reality.
Kushina's acceptance was likely influenced by her bond with Namikaze Minato. She loved him, and this bond probably kept her tied to Konoha, making her accept her fate as the Nine Tails Jinchūriki.
Natsuo suspected that the Konoha leadership had orchestrated the events since Minato saved Kushina from the Cloud ninjas. They might have planned everything to ensure Kushina, an Uzumaki clan orphan, formed a bond with Minato, using this connection as a chain to keep her in Konoha as the Jinchūriki.
The outcome was evident—Konoha succeeded in their plan.
If Natsuo's guess was right, Kushina had been used as a tool from the very beginning.
Namikaze Minato seemed to sense Natsuo's gaze and looked over at him. Natsuo quickly looked away, directing his attention elsewhere. Minato, seeing that Natsuo's eyes weren't on him anymore, assumed he had been mistaken and returned to his conversation.
Natsuo's heart raced. If his suspicions were correct, then Konoha was far darker than he had imagined. Perhaps even Namikaze Minato, the future Fourth Hokage, was merely a pawn.
Natsuo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Whether these theories were true or not, they didn't matter to him right now. He planned to leave Konoha eventually, so for now, focusing on improving his strength was his priority.
The upcoming Third Ninja World War would be a critical period for earning witness points. Without sufficient strength, not only would he fail to gather points, but he also wouldn't be able to protect his own life.
Suddenly, the classroom door opened.
Natsuo's teacher, Masada Hayabusa, entered the class. Natsuo's eyes lit up when he saw the small figure following Hayabusa. After three long years of waiting in the ninja school, she had finally arrived!
Uzumaki Kushina!
Kushina stood beside Masada Hayabusa, looking a bit shy.
Hayabusa introduced her to the class. "This is the new student transferring to our school today..."
Kushina took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and gathered her courage to introduce herself loudly. "I am Uzumaki Kushina, dattebane!"
She quickly covered her mouth, feeling embarrassed and shy because she had added her habitual "dattebane" at the end.
Natsuo thought she looked pretty cute. However, the other students started laughing at Kushina.
"Look at that hair color, it's unbelievable."
"How did it get so red?"
"It's really weird."
Kushina scratched her red hair, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Hayabusa sternly told the class, "Alright, that's enough! Quiet down, everyone!"
Kushina's body trembled slightly, and she clenched her small fists tightly in response to the ridicule.
Determinedly, she declared, "I... I want to become the first female Hokage in this village!"
The classroom fell silent as everyone stared at Kushina in disbelief.
At that moment, Namikaze Minato stood up and smiled brightly. "I also want to become an outstanding Hokage, recognized by everyone in the village."
Kushina pursed her lips and looked at Minato. She thought he seemed a bit effeminate and unreliable—how could he ever be Hokage?
Masada Hayabusa began to help Kushina find a seat. Most of the seats in the classroom were occupied, except for those around Natsuo, who sat alone, clearly isolated.
Seeing Natsuo, Hayabusa frowned with a look of disgust. "There's no other choice. Just find a spot over there and sit down for now."
Kushina looked toward where Hayabusa had pointed. Despite the classroom's size, no one sat near Natsuo, indicating his isolation. She also noticed the other students' expressions, as if they were enjoying her misfortune.
Feeling defiant, Kushina angrily walked over to Natsuo and took the empty seat next to him.
===
T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 15 chapters.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite
===
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone