Shirai had long been aware that members of Anbu were watching him. Their attention wasn't directly on him but rather on Kushina. As long as he didn't do anything suspicious, they would eventually lose interest.
"Nine Tails, when will you grow up to be as strong as the big fox inside Kushina?" Shirai asked.
The little Nine Tails within him replied in a childish voice, "Master, I'm still young, and my chakra refinement is too slow."
Shirai smiled. "Well, the big Nine Tails was split from the Ten Tails. You're starting from scratch, so take your time."
At school, during lunch, a female classmate approached Shirai with an invitation. Kushina, nearby, watched curiously.
"Shirai-kun, can I join you for lunch?" the girl asked, hoping for a positive response.
Shirai, without hesitation, answered, "Sorry, I don't like eating with ugly people."
The girl's face turned red, and she ran away, tears in her eyes. Kushina, witnessing the scene, felt a mix of surprise and relief. Unlike her, Shirai didn't say she was ugly when he refused her lunch invitation.
Kushina began to feel grateful. "At least he didn't call me ugly," she thought. But then she remembered she had been rejected too. The moment of joy faded as she realized she was no different from the others.
That evening, Kushina returned home and decided to ask for some advice. "Nawaki-san, how do you usually reject a girl's invitation?" she inquired innocently.
Nawaki looked at her, puzzled. "If it's someone you don't like, just politely decline. Why do you ask?"
"Did you get rejected again?" Nawaki teased, but he didn't expect the fierce response.
"Ow!" he yelled as Tsunade stomped on his foot.
"If you don't know how to speak properly, just shut up," Tsunade warned.
She then turned to Kushina and said, "Don't listen to him. He has never been invited by a girl in his life. Let your sister give you advice."
Nawaki frowned, feeling unfairly attacked.
'I can't be that bad,' he thought.
Tsunade continued, "So, did Shirai reject you again, Kushina? Should I go teach him a lesson for turning down our adorable Kushina?"
Kushina's cheeks turned red, and she shook her head. "No, no, it's not like that! Today, he rejected another girl. I was just curious about how he did it."
"Really?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "How did he turn her down?"
"He said, 'Sorry, I don't like eating with ugly people,'" Kushina mimicked Shirai's indifferent tone.
Tsunade's face turned stern. "What a bratty attitude!" she muttered. Nawaki, who was listening, couldn't help but be impressed.
"No wonder everyone says he's different," Nawaki said. "Even his way of rejecting girls is unique."
Tsunade shot Nawaki a glance, "You have no idea what you're talking about."
Nawaki quickly backpedalled, sensing his sister's rising annoyance. "Alright, alright, I get it."
Changing the topic, Tsunade turned back to Kushina. "Listen, I think it's best if you don't get too close to Shirai, for his sake and yours."
"Why not?" Kushina asked, confused. "We're just classmates."
Tsunade sighed. "Just trust me on this. There are things you don't understand yet."
Kushina nodded but remained unconvinced. It seemed like there was more to Shirai than she initially thought.
---
The days at the ninja academy followed the same routine — classes, training, and going home. Shirai found it all quite dull. If it were possible, he would have sent a Shadow Clone to attend school on his behalf. Unfortunately, he still didn't know the Shadow Clone Technique, which required a significant amount of chakra to master.
Minato, noticing his friend's boredom, asked, "Shirai, what's on your mind?"
Shirai smiled, "Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking about how bright and sunny your smile is. You should be called the Little Sun. It suits you."
Minato chuckled, "Stop joking around! If that's the case, I could call you the Silver-Haired Brat."
Shirai shrugged, "Call me whatever you like. But remember, it only works if the person calling me that isn't a kid themselves."
Minato rolled his eyes, unwilling to play along. "By the way, we have a day off tomorrow. How about a picnic? I'll take care of everything; you just handle the grilling."
Shirai's cooking skills were well-known among his friends, and Minato never missed an opportunity to enjoy his food.
"Sure," Shirai agreed, thinking a day outside would be refreshing.
Just then, a small white hand appeared between them. Kushina had overheard their conversation. "Can I join too?" she asked eagerly.
Shirai looked at her and decided it was best to leave the decision to Minato. "It's up to you, Minato."
---
Meanwhile, back at the village, Anbu continued to keep a close watch on Kushina. Reports had reached the Third Hokage about the growing closeness between Kushina and Shirai.
An Anbu member reported, "Hokage-sama, it seems Jinchūriki has formed a bond with the child of Iori, Shirai."
The Third Hokage sighed, "Monitor them closely. If Shirai tries to get too close to Jinchūriki, intervene. We cannot afford any risks."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," the Anbu member replied before leaving the office.
The Third Hokage knew all too well the risks of Kushina, the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki, forming relationships that could be deemed dangerous. Especially with someone of Uchiha descent, even if only partially.
He muttered to himself, "We must keep everything under control. For the safety of the village and its people."
Unbeknownst to him, the bonds between Kushina, Minato, and Shirai were growing stronger, paving the way for future events that would shape the fate of Konoha.