Kushina felt dejected as she laid her head on the desk, her carefully prepared bento untouched. She had only wanted to thank Shirai for standing up for her in the office, but he had refused her offer.
Minato, who was sitting next to Shirai, looked surprised. "Why didn't you join Kushina for lunch?"
Shirai opened his own bento box and shrugged. "You know I don't like rice balls and sashimi. That's why I turned her down."
He genuinely disliked those foods. More importantly, he didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention from the Anbu agents who seemed to be constantly watching him. He had too many secrets to keep hidden.
Minato laughed. "You're a true friend."
Shirai rolled his eyes. "Could you at least keep your chopsticks out of my bento while saying that?"
After a long day of classes, Shirai went home. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he noticed that his eyes had changed. His once blue eyes were now red, with two tomoe forming in each eye.
"The Sharingan has evolved to the double tomoe stage without any warning… Is it because of my game character?" he muttered to himself.
He closed his Sharingan, feeling exhausted, and lay on his bed. His full name was Iori Shirai, and he had inherited the Uchiha bloodline from his mother.
After his father died in battle, his mother tried to bring him back to the Uchiha clan. However, due to his silver hair and his mixed lineage, many in the clan opposed his return.
When he first arrived in this world, he discovered that he already had the One Tomoe Sharingan and a miniature Nine-Tails inside his body. This "exclusive" Nine-Tails was different from the one sealed inside Kushina; it was a much smaller version that had been growing steadily over the past year. Thankfully, unless he wanted to reveal it, no one could detect its presence.
Shirai realized that if all his game character's abilities were being transferred to him in this world, then perhaps he would one day attain the full power of a perfect Sage Mode, Rinnegan, and even control a complete Nine-Tails.
For now, though, he needed to keep a low profile. In this village, a genius was admired, but a prodigy could be targeted.
Meanwhile, back at the Senju ancestral home, Kushina returned feeling down. Due to an agreement between the Third Hokage and Uzumaki Mito, she lived at the Senju house until she graduated, allowing Tsunade to provide some support.
Nawaki came home, immediately spotting the untouched bento. "Who's bento is this?" he asked while helping himself.
"That's the lunch Kushina worked hard on last night," Tsunade said, taking a rice ball. "She wanted to thank a classmate for helping her, but he rejected her."
"Rejected?" Nawaki asked, surprised. "Who would reject Kushina's food?"
"Yes, rejected," Kushina muttered as she walked in, still frustrated. "Shirai said he doesn't like rice balls and sashimi. I spent so much time preparing it…"
Tsunade almost laughed but held it back. "Who would've thought you'd have a rough time with this?"
"Do you know who this Iori Shirai is?" she asked Nawaki.
He thought for a moment. "I think he's in a lower grade. A lot of girls in my class like him because he's handsome."
"That's tough," Tsunade teased. "Handsome boys are always popular, unlike some people."
"No way!" Kushina blushed deeply. "I just wanted to thank him, that's all!"
Nawaki, feeling a little annoyed, protested, "Sis, why are you always dragging me into things?"
Tsunade ignored Nawaki's complaints and gave Kushina an idea. "Why not invite him over for dinner sometime? Just to thank him. And maybe I'll help out, you know, check him out for you!"
Kushina turned even redder, covering her face in embarrassment. "It's not like that! You're too much, Tsunade-sister!" she yelled before running back to her room.
Tsunade chuckled. "Young girls are so easily embarrassed."
"Sure, and you were not like that at all," Nawaki muttered sarcastically.
Tsunade, unamused, asked, "Why not invite him here for a meal?"
"Because there's more to Iori Shirai than meets the eye," Nawaki replied.
"What do you mean?"
"He has another name: Uchiha Shirai," Nawaki explained. "His mother was from the Uchiha clan. Before she died, she hoped he'd return to the clan, but the clan didn't accept him."
"An Uchiha kid?" Tsunade's expression darkened. This could complicate things—especially since Kushina was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Even if he hadn't returned to Uchiha, his bloodline could pose a risk. The Third Hokage, Danzo, and the village elders wouldn't like this connection.
At school, the next day, Shirai was staring out the window during class. Kushina, unable to contain her curiosity, wrote him a note:
"Why aren't you paying attention in class?"
Shirai glanced at the note and replied verbally, "If you already understand everything, you can look out the window too."
Kushina blushed and was about to respond when their teacher, Kazuki Uemura, noticed. "Iori Shirai! Uzumaki Kushina!" he shouted. "Even if you know this already, don't disturb others. And if you want to pass notes, at least don't do it in front of me!"
Kushina quickly ducked her head, embarrassed, while Qian Yue remained unfazed.
Unbeknownst to them, Anbu agents hidden nearby were closely observing their interactions. The notes and conversations were all recorded and reported back to the Third Hokage.
"Are you saying Kushina has been writing notes to Iori Shirai?" The Third Hokage asked, reviewing Shirai's file. "I hadn't realized this child had Uchiha connections."
The Anbu agent nodded. "Yes, Lord Hokage. Since the death of his mother, he hasn't been back to the Uchiha clan, and they don't seem to welcome him."
The Third Hokage pondered this. A Jinchūriki having close relations with anyone from the Uchiha clan, even a half-blood, could be dangerous.
"Continue observing. If it looks like he's getting too close to the Jinchūriki, intervene. We can't allow them to get too close."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Back at school, Kushina's small interactions with Shirai continued to be monitored by the Anbu. Despite the friendly nature of their exchanges, there was a growing unease among the village leadership about this unlikely friendship.
Meanwhile, inside Shirai's mind, a small voice spoke to him softly. "Master, some people outside are watching you with bad intentions."
It was the voice of his white Nine-Tails, its feminine tone contrasting sharply with the ferocity of the creature's power. Though tailed beasts were often beyond human distinctions like gender, Shirai sensed a protective, almost caring presence from the tiny Nine-Tails within him.