Konohagakure, Ninja Academy.
From early morning, Kushina had been constantly observed by two gazes: one venomous and hostile, the other timid and cautious.
This made her feel strange.
Even without using Kagura Shingan, she could determine the source of these two gazes.
Because one of them came from the back row of the classroom, Uchiha Inabi.
And the other gaze belonged to her deskmate, Namikaze Minato.
During lunchtime, Kushina, holding her lunchbox, suddenly turned her head. Minato seemed startled, quickly turning away, his shifty eyes resembling an otter.
"Minato-kun, is there something you need?" Kushina couldn't help but ask.
Minato offered an apologetic smile. "You found out, huh, Kushina-san. You truly are a powerful person."
"If you're referring to me noticing you staring at me," Kushina rolled her eyes slightly, "I'm not blind."
"No, of course not that," Minato pointed behind him.
In the back row by the window sat several boys with bruised faces and timid eyes. In the very middle of them, Uchiha Inabi's face was completely swollen like a pig's head, and he was also sporting a bald spot.
"What's so strange about that?" Kushina slowly leaned in, smiling as she whispered, "Weren't you there too?"
Minato's expression was startled, then he quickly understood, scratching his head. "Ah, yes, I did witness the entire… process."
"So, stop looking at me like that," Kushina squeezed her small fists. "The best way to resist bullying is to bully the bully. An elder in my family told me that."
Minato cleared his throat. "You might be misunderstanding. I'm just worried that he'll bring clan members to deal with you."
He lowered his voice. "While I certainly believe in Kushina-san's strength, the Uchiha are responsible for the Konoha Military Police Force. If you seriously injured him, he has every reason to take advantage of the situation and target you, retaliating in a legitimate and lawful manner."
"Konoha Military Police Force?" Kushina tilted her head.
"That's right. They're specifically responsible for maintaining peace within the village, quelling conflicts, and can use force when necessary."
Kushina snorted softly. "I'm not scared."
"The Uchiha's power is still worth taking seriously," Minato said.
"They're just a bunch of fake Uchiha," Kushina said casually.
"Huh?"
"Never mind, Minato-kun, it's time for class." Kushina smiled with narrowed eyes. "Thank you for the information and your concern, but you don't need to worry about my affairs."
The whole day was boring because there were no outdoor classes; it was all about sitting in the classroom learning "moral education." Konoha really put a lot of effort into brainwashing, and Kushina had to zone out for the entire day.
Just when she was about to get moldy, dismissal finally came.
This time, she walked out of the school gate as usual, subtly activating her sensory abilities, a slight smile playing on her lips.
…
In a corner of the forest, a small figure was sprinting forward.
Kushina weaved through the bushes, leaping through the air. Her red hair seemed like a burning flame. She occasionally looked back, a light chuckle flashing in her eyes.
Just then, a faint whooshing sound came from behind her. She immediately leaped, and three shuriken grazed past her side, then, arriving first, impaled themselves on a tree trunk in front.
"Are they serious?" she exclaimed.
With her excellent sensory abilities, she quickly detected the figures catching up from behind. Her eyes darted, and she pushed off the tree trunk with her foot, charging back at an even faster speed!
A flash of red blurred past. The person couldn't dodge in time and was caught by Kushina in a chokehold, then slammed heavily onto the ground.
Kushina landed lightly, observing the person's height and attire, and recognized the emblem on their shoulder.
"Uchiha? Or rather… Konoha Military Police Force?"
With a "poof," white smoke billowed. Before she could make out their face, the person transformed into half a log.
"Kawarimi no Jutsu?"
The sudden change made Kushina pause slightly. Just then, a hand struck from behind, sharply chopping her on the back of the neck.
"Ugh!" Her vision went black, and her body instantly lost balance, falling limply forward.
A cold voice drifted from behind her: "Hmph, I thought they were supposed to be strong, but it's just a brat."
The wind howled, and more figures landed around her. Kushina opened her eyes and saw that the group was dressed uniformly, all members of the Military Police Force.
"Someone reported you for abusing a classmate and being cruelly habitual. Come with us!"
Kushina shook her head, trying to clear it. "Hmph, they were the ones bullying first!"
"Shut up!" The person roughly grabbed her hair and yanked her up.
"Ah…" Kushina cried out in pain, turning to see a sinister face.
"I'm not interested in your excuses right now. Are you coming with us willingly, or do I break your limbs and drag you there?"
"Uh…"
Just then, a timid voice came from behind the Military Police Force. A small bald boy with a bruised face walked out. "Wouldn't that be going too far?"
It was Uchiha Inabi. Kushina recognized his voice.
"Useless, no wonder you got bullied!" A Military Police Force member scolded. "We are Uchiha! How can we be bullied by this outsider who just joined Konoha?"
Inabi's gaze was timid. "Seniors, I just wanted to vent a little… We're classmates, there's no need to make such a big deal…"
"Get out of the way, this doesn't concern you."
The group swarmed forward, pushing Inabi to the side.
"As an outsider, you should know your place, understand? You, tomato, provoked the wrong people!"
The person, gripping Kushina's hair, pulled a kunai from their pouch.
"Uh, Eito-nii…" Inabi looked flustered, desperately trying to push through the crowd. "I think this is enough! I won't seek revenge anymore!"
"That won't do," Eito said with a smile. "Those who make mistakes must pay the price. I must let everyone know that the Uchiha Clan is not to be trifled with!"
He pulled back, and Kushina stumbled.
"Cousin, interested in some tomato juice?" Eito gestured with the kunai, seemingly looking for an angle, and a chilling glint repeatedly flashed across Kushina's face.
Inabi's legs trembled. "The clan head will be angry if he finds out about this…"
"You shut up! The Military Police Force is enforcing the law; we have the right to punish evildoers!" Uchiha Eito roared. "This is all legitimate and lawful. Even if the higher-ups know, they won't be able to say anything!"
"But…"
"Hmph, the Uchiha's dignity cannot be challenged!"
Uchiha Eito smiled sinisterly, and with a downward slash of his kunai in his left hand!
With a "shhh," a cut appeared on Kushina's face, but instead of blood, clear water splattered out.
Uchiha Eito was greatly startled. The girl in his hands quickly turned into a puddle of water on the ground, wetting his palm.
"Mizu Bunshin? Damn it! When did this happen??"
Just then, a familiar clear voice sounded from behind them:
"You all saw it. Luckily, that was just a Water Clone, otherwise…"
Eito snapped his head back. Kushina stood perfectly fine in the distance, followed by a squad of formidable-looking Chunin. Standing beside Kushina was a silent young boy.
He suddenly widened his eyes, unable to stop himself from taking a half-step back, not out of fear of Kushina, but of the young boy.
"Uchiha, huh? It seems… the authority allocated to the Military Police Force by the higher-ups is still too great…" Nawaki said with a grim expression, almost grinding his teeth.
"Uh, a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding…" Eito quickly explained. He knew that although the young boy in front of him was average in strength, his identity was terrifyingly significant. Even the current Hokage had to give him some face.
"No need to say more. Let your clan head explain it to the Hokage himself!" Nawaki took a deep breath. "Uzumaki clan blood also flows in my veins, so I can be considered Kushina's older brother. If anyone wants to target her in the future, they'll have to get past me first!"
Due to Nawaki's deterrence, the Military Police Force members scurried away.
"Thank you, Nawaki-niisan," Kushina smiled faintly.
"It's what I should do. I'm happy you came to me," Nawaki patted Kushina's shoulder. "Well done."
"How about we go eat ramen together later?" Kushina patted her small wallet. "My treat."
"No, I'm going on a mission with Jiraiya-sensei later," Nawaki gently declined with a smile.
"This late?" Kushina asked, puzzled.
Nawaki sighed softly. "Yes, the situation in Amegakure has been very tense recently. Our base is heavily damaged and desperately needs support…"
Mid-sentence, he shook his head. "Hmph, why am I telling a little girl like you all this… If Kushina runs into trouble when I'm not around, you can go directly to the Hokage's Office…"
"Okay…" Kushina nodded, half-understanding, and watching Nawaki speak with such a mature tone, she silently thought:
'He's not even that much older than me…'
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