In an instant, Uchiha Yin felt his strength, chakra reserves, speed, perception, and reflexes all improve significantly.
What shocked Uchiha Yin even more was that he suddenly gained a basic understanding of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques!
Although it was just a superficial comprehension—enough to perform only a few minor sealing methods—it was still the fabled sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan!
This felt like a pie falling from the sky.
"System, what's going on? Why did I suddenly gain +1 to all attributes and learn the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques?" Uchiha Yin asked suspiciously in his mind.
But after giving him the notifications, the system went silent again.
Could it be... just from coming into contact with Uzumaki Kushina? Did the system reward me because of that?
It would explain the sealing technique.
A ridiculous thought crossed Uchiha Yin's mind.
In fact, the truth was that Uchiha Yin's "Strongest Protagonist System" allowed him to benefit from any reward granted to the hosts of other "strongest" systems. As long as other hosts received a reward, Uchiha Yin would gain the same. The only difference was that he wouldn't suffer their penalties for failure.
(Well… unless being pushed down or kissed counted as punishment, in which case that was another matter.)
Of course, Uchiha Yin didn't know that Uzumaki Kushina had also gained a system and had just received the same reward as him. That was why his theory seemed so strange.
No, that doesn't make sense. If that's how it worked, why didn't I get the Rasengan when I first met Minato? Naruto had far more plot importance than Kushina ever did.
Does it only apply to girls? No, that can't be right either. I've been around my cousin, Uchiha Mikoto, plenty of times, and nothing like this ever happened.
After thinking it over, Uchiha Yin dismissed his wild theories. There was no use puzzling over it. It wasn't harming him, so for now, he'd just accept the good fortune.
---
After class ended and the teacher left, the other students began to chatter and tease.
Some of the kids gathered near Kushina and started jeering.
"Look at her hair color!"
"She's so weird. Not like us at all."
"No way she'll ever be popular looking like that."
"What's with that hair? So freaky!"
"If I had hair like hers, I'd never leave the house."
From the middle of the group, one kid smirked. "From now on, you're 'Tomato'!"
"Big round face, red hair… just like a tomato!"
"Ugh, I hate tomatoes."
"Same! I always leave them in my salad."
"No one in the village likes tomatoes—just like no one'll like her!"
"Hahahaha!"
The group of brats burst into laughter. Uchiha Yin quietly mourned for them.
They had no idea who they were provoking. Uchiha Yin knew full well—this was the same fiery-tempered girl known in the future as the Red-Hot Habanero! How could she take this lying down?
Sure enough, as the teasing continued and Kushina's face flushed red—not with embarrassment but with rising fury—one of the kids crossed the line. He grabbed a strand of her hair and chewed on it mockingly.
"See? Even tastes like a tomato!" the kid snickered.
That was it.
"Who are you calling a tomato?!" Kushina roared. She grabbed the kid's hand in an iron grip.
There was no reason for her to hold back anymore. Even if she was new to the village, Uzumaki Kushina wasn't the type to swallow her anger.
"I already said—I hate tomatoes!"
With a wild yell, she swung the kid around like a ragdoll, knocking over the entire group of troublemakers in one go. Then, she grabbed the boy who had chewed her hair and gave him a good thump on the head for good measure.
"Think you can take a bite out of me? I'll show you what happens when you mess with an Uzumaki!"
Then, catching Uchiha Yin smiling at the scene, she turned to him, fists clenched.
"What are you laughing at?" she demanded, momentarily forgetting all about her system's tasks.
---
Uchiha Yin found himself grinning wider.
"She's so cute," he said softly.
To Uchiha Yin, the sight of Kushina trying to look fierce was anything but intimidating. If anything, it only made her seem more genuine, more real. This was the true Kushina—not afraid to be herself, not hiding behind a mask.
Hearing his quiet praise, Kushina froze. Her face, which had just returned to its normal color, flushed bright red again—whether from embarrassment or something else, even she wasn't sure.
Her heart felt warm.
Here she was, in a strange new place, with no friends yet. Even in the manga's original timeline, people hadn't been quick to accept her. But now, hearing Uchiha Yin's words of support—it meant more than she expected.
Maybe… this wasn't so bad after all.