Just as Lock suspected, the red-haired girl was none other than Uzumaki Kushina—the future mother of Naruto Uzumaki and the current Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
"Fujiwara-kun," Minato introduced brightly, "this is our new teammate, Uzumaki Kushina. She was my classmate and is one of my closest friends from the Academy."
Lock's heart gave a thump. So it really is her…
Before he could speak, Kushina bounded forward and slapped him hard on the shoulder.
"Ha! So you're the prodigy who graduated early? Six years old, huh? That's amazing!"
Her palm smacked down again and again like a hammer. Lock's eye twitched. This woman's more reckless than Jiraiya… and we've only just met. Why does she act like we're childhood friends already?
Still, Minato and Jiraiya didn't even blink. Clearly, they were used to her ways.
Lock steadied himself and said politely, "Senior Kushina, my name is Fujiwara Lock. Please take care of me."
Kushina waved dismissively and reached to smack him again. This time, Lock sidestepped swiftly, letting her palm swish through the air. He thought she'd back off.
She didn't. She just grinned, lunged forward, and whack—her hand landed on his shoulder again.
"Don't call me 'senior,'" she declared proudly. "I'm only a few years older. Call me Big Sister Kushina! From now on, I'll protect you. Even Minato and Jiraiya won't dare bully you."
Lock froze. Big… sister? What is with this level of familiarity?
"Yes, exactly!" Kushina puffed her chest out. "Call me Big Sis, and I'll have your back!"
Lock glanced at Minato, who only sighed helplessly and gave him a subtle just roll with it look.
Lock exhaled. She was genuinely enthusiastic—no malice, no scheming, just blunt sincerity. Strange, but strangely reassuring.
"…Alright. Then I'll just call you Kushina-senpai."
"Boooring," she huffed. "Fine, whatever." She pouted dramatically before turning to Minato. "Minato, you said this kid was interesting! He's all stiff and serious."
Minato chuckled awkwardly. "Fujiwara-kun, don't worry. Kushina's like this with everyone. From now on, just call us by name—Minato and Kushina. We're teammates now. Only Jiraiya-sensei deserves the '-sensei.' We're equals."
That, Lock could agree with. He was older than all of them in his heart. Constantly calling them "senior" would've been exhausting.
"Good," Kushina said immediately, seizing the chance. "Then from now on, it's just 'Lock,' and I'll call you that too."
Lock couldn't help but smile wryly. She's impossible to keep at arm's length.
Before the banter could spiral, Jiraiya clapped his hands.
"Alright, that's enough. You all know each other well enough. Now, Lock, it's your turn. Tell us what you're good at, your goals, your ideals—whatever."
Lock raised a brow. Ah, so it's the classic Konoha squad introduction. Dreams, goals, the whole thing.
He spoke evenly: "My name is Fujiwara Lock. I just turned six. For short-term goals—I want to reach jōnin, start a family, and live comfortably. Long term… I want to become the strongest shinobi in the world."
The three older ones blinked in surprise. Kushina burst out laughing.
"Six years old and already dreaming about marriage? And the strongest ninja? Aren't you aiming a little too high, Lock?"
Lock shrugged. "Isn't that the point of ideals? If you don't even dare to dream, then what are you striving for? Dreams are necessary. What if they come true?"
Minato's eyes softened, clearly impressed. "He's right. Dreams fuel effort. Just like you, Kushina—you've always dreamed of becoming Konoha's first female Hokage. Isn't that why you push yourself so hard?"
Kushina lit up, laughing boldly. "Hahaha! Exactly! Minato, you really think I'll become Hokage one day?"
"Of course," Minato said warmly. "As long as you keep working, you'll have a real chance."
Watching the two, Lock resisted the urge to sigh. Too young, Minato. Too idealistic. Kushina can never be Hokage. She's the Nine-Tails' host, an outsider from Uzushiogakure, and as long as Danzo breathes, the village would never allow it. Heh… It's cruel, but that's the reality.
"Alright, alright, tone it down, lovebirds," Jiraiya cut in, waving a hand. "We've got kids present here."
Kushina's cheeks flared red. "S-Sensei! What are you even saying?!"
Even Minato turned pink, though he dared not argue with his teacher.
Jiraiya smirked and turned back to business. "Now then, Minato, Kushina—you've known each other a while, but this is our first day as a full squad. Introduce yourselves properly so Lock can get the full picture."
---
A/N: Sorry Guys, For not keeping up with regular updates the thing is my health is getting worse and worse day by day so I just properly focus on fanfic I'm reading all the comments and review I know the quality is degrading I promise to fix that asap so bare with me for few days and yah I'm not asking any sympathy I just wanted to give you guys update.