"You bad guy, what did you just say about me? Nothing to cover? Do you not want to live anymore?"
Kushina had changed into a new dress and was pulling on Ryun's cheeks with both hands, stretching them left and right.
"Whether you have it or not, you should know yourself, right?" Ryun remained stubborn, even letting his gaze drift downward.
"Stinky pervert!!!"
Kushina pinched his cheeks hard, making Ryun yelp in pain.
"Calling yourself Uchiha Ryun? You should be called Uchiha Pervert instead..."
Kushina scolded him with a laugh but soon released his cheeks.
"Why are you so dirty all over? And you smell like sweat. Did you just finish body training?" Kushina sniffed at him.
"No, I just beat up a little bastard and worked up a sweat."
As he spoke, Ryun suddenly grabbed Kushina's head and pulled it close. If she wanted to smell him so badly, he'd let her get a full whiff.
"Ugh... so gross!"
Blushing and annoyed, Kushina pushed him away and called him a stinky man.
"Was the little bastard you mentioned that guy named Fugaku?"
Kushina had heard him call Uchiha Fugaku that before.
"Yeah..." Ryun nodded with a smile.
"Is he strong? Strong enough to make you sweat?" Kushina had a rough idea of Ryun's strength.
An ordinary genin was no longer a match for him.
"Not bad... he's a chunin, but I can still handle him."
Ryun flicked his bangs with a hand, putting on a showy display.
But girls Kushina's age loved this kind of act...
"So strong! Even a chunin can't beat you now!!!" Kushina's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Her Ryun was reaching unbelievable heights... With this strength, he could easily graduate early and become a ninja.
Thinking of this, Kushina suddenly felt a pang of worry.
"You... you can't graduate early. You have to stay with me until we finish the sixth grade, or at least until I have the strength to graduate early too..."
Kushina clung to his arm and spoke seriously.
Ryun was clearly taken aback, but then he pinched her nose and laughed.
"Afraid I'll leave you behind, huh?"
"Yeah..." Kushina lowered her head and murmured softly.
"Don't worry... I'll stay with you until we finish sixth grade. Even if I have the strength, I won't apply for early graduation lightly." Ryun made his promise.
A few months of body training couldn't completely fix his stamina issues. This weakness needed time to improve, and rushing wouldn't help.
Besides, becoming a ninja meant taking on missions, some of which could be time-consuming and pointless. It was better to spend that time on training.
As a student, he could train whenever he wanted. As a ninja, that might not be possible, and he'd be bound by the Konoha higher-ups.
"Mm..."
Hearing Ryun's promise, Kushina immediately brightened up. She clung to his arm, no longer minding how dirty he was, as if she couldn't get enough of him.
The two walked hand in hand toward Yunkā Flower Shop, with Kushina asking Mito Uzumaki for permission to skip dinner at home that night.
"Sure, go ahead..."
Mito Uzumaki smiled and nodded.
Kushina was about to drag Ryun along when he suddenly stopped, hesitation flashing across his face.
"Kushina, wait for me at the entrance. There's something I need to talk to Grandma Mito about alone..." Ryun gritted his teeth, deciding to reveal a little about Nawaki's fate.
The situation on the Rain Country battlefield was worsening, and the Sannin could depart at any moment. The very first day they arrived in Rain Country would mark Nawaki's death.
Ryun had some camaraderie with him and couldn't bear to see him die young. He also wanted Mito Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, to live a little longer. He wondered if Mito's intervention could help Nawaki avoid his fate.
"Oh? What does little Ryun want to talk to Grandma about alone?" Mito Uzumaki asked curiously.
"Yeah, what is it? Why do you need to send me away?" Kushina was also curious.
"Listen to me, just go wait outside." Ryun was uncharacteristically serious.
"So secretive..."
Kushina pouted unhappily but ultimately obeyed.
"Little Ryun, what did you want to tell Grandma?" Mito Uzumaki smiled warmly.
"Grandma Mito, do you trust me?"
Ryun didn't joke around, speaking with complete seriousness. Mito Uzumaki's smile froze.
After a long silence, Mito Uzumaki nodded lightly.
"Though I don't know what you want to say, Kushina has always trusted you, and Grandma trusts Kushina, so naturally, I trust you too..."
Mito Uzumaki spoke honestly.
"Since you trust me, I'll be blunt..."
"The situation in Rain Country is escalating toward a full-scale war. You must have heard about this, right?"
Mito Uzumaki paused, then nodded. "I've heard a little from Tsunade and Nawaki."
"What I want to say concerns Nawaki's safety. If possible, please restrain him and make sure he doesn't go to the Rain Country battlefield..."
Ryun spoke plainly, his next words making Mito Uzumaki's expression change drastically.
"Otherwise, he might be in mortal danger."
Mito Uzumaki shot up from her chair.
"What... what do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said... If you believe me, use your influence and authority to keep Nawaki in Konoha..."
Ryun remained deadly serious.
"I need to know why. How do you know Nawaki is in danger? Did you learn something?"
Mito Uzumaki now understood the gravity of the situation, her tone growing firm.
"I can't tell you the exact reason because it's just speculation... Nawaki is the direct descendant of the First Hokage. Many people don't want him alive, and some might covet his Senju bloodline..."
"In short, until he can protect himself, he shouldn't leave the village..."
Ryun did his best to persuade Mito Uzumaki.
In the anime, Nawaki died in an explosive tag trap, right in front of Orochimaru.
But the official report stated he was first killed by explosive tags, and when his body was found, his organs had been removed, his appearance barely recognizable.
His death was gruesome, so much so that Orochimaru advised Tsunade not to view the body.
Whether it was an accident or murder, Ryun couldn't say for sure, nor did he have the ability or energy to investigate.
Right now, he was just a student. Saying all this was already a huge risk...