No one knew that Uchiha Hayato and Chimchar were secretly practicing dangerous techniques.
Hayato was like a catfish among sardines, instantly stirring up the calm waters of Konoha.
The Pokémon Trading Company was established here, and Minato's mission was to promote Pokémon among the Ninja Academy's children as much as possible.
These young people, whose minds were not yet fully formed, were Hayato's crucial support for becoming Hokage in the future.
At school, besides the mischievous and unruly children who loved to fight, there were also excellent Ninja seeds who were dedicated to their studies and full of potential.
During this time, Uchiha Hayato also met the future leaders of the Ino–Shika–Chō Family, and time flew by unnoticed.
---
Unconsciously, two years had passed since Kushina came to Konoha.
Two years ago, she had thought she would be lonely her whole life, spending her days in Konoha alone. But now, she not only had someone she liked but also a few friends.
The only problem was: these friends had better not compete with her for Hayato.
Hyuga Ruri's figure had become more voluptuous, making her feel a twinge of jealousy at her indecent figure. She became good friends with Uchiha Mikoto; although she was somewhat concerned about Mikoto's relationship with Hayato, the gentle Mikoto complemented her own fiery temper perfectly.
As for Yakushi Nonou, she seemed harmless, but Kushina always felt she was subtly approaching Hayato under the guise of friendship.
Although she secretly longed to have Hayato all to herself, seeing everyone get along harmoniously, she also felt that perhaps such a life wasn't so bad after all.
Kushina's smile carried a hint of worry; she was troubled about her own situation, having learned her purpose in coming to Konoha: to become Konoha's next Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki.
She didn't know whether she should confess to Hayato. If she truly became a Jinchuriki, it meant she might never be able to return to Whirlpool Village.
And would the hatred and violence carried by the Nine-Tailed alienate those around her, perhaps even make them see her as a monster? Whenever she thought of these things, a wave of fear would wash over her, especially when she considered how Hayato might view her, and the fear in her heart grew even stronger.
"The power of science is truly great!"
A middle-aged man on the street exclaimed.
Kushina leaned on the balcony, gazing at the street outside. At this moment, Konoha's streets were filled with the sight of Pokémon—Poochyena, Meowth, and other Pokémon walked around, and there were even some special Pokémon, such as Conkeldurr, which joined Konoha's expansion projects.
Her gaze swept casually, and suddenly she saw a familiar figure—that person was hurrying towards the Third Hokage's administrative office.
Kushina felt an uneasy premonition, and she immediately ran out of her house and rushed after them.
What on earth happened?
"Lord Third, please send reinforcements to rescue Whirlpool Village!"
The girl looked up, pleading urgently with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"What! Whirlpool Village is under attack?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in shock. Whirlpool Village was very close to the Land of Fire; if enemies could approach the Village unnoticed, bypassing the Uzumaki Family's sensory abilities, then Konoha could also be attacked at any time.
"Their team has sensory Ninja, wearing Hidden Rain Village headbands, but it can't be Hidden Rain Ninja; the Land of Rain is too far from us." Hatred flickered in the girl's eyes.
"They were discovered by our Family's Miracle Eye sixty kilometers away, but we are no match for them. Now we can only activate the barrier and wait for reinforcements."
The girl's words weighed heavily on Hiruzen Sarutobi. The girl before him was only a few years older than Kushina, yet she carried such a difficult mission.
"Should we send reinforcements to rescue them?" Whirlpool Village was an ally of Konoha and should be helped, but would sending troops provoke a larger conflict, or even trigger a war?
Especially since Konoha was currently at a critical stage of development, with the power of Pokémon brought by Hayato constantly expanding, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had even requested Konoha to provide two Eevee as pets.
"I will discuss this with the Advisors as soon as possible and arrange for reinforcements." Hiruzen Sarutobi made his decision; although his mind was already made up, he still needed to consult others, as this matter concerned the future of all Konoha.
The girl's eyes dimmed. She understood that the Third Hokage's approach was rational, but she couldn't accept the fact. She lowered her head and quickly left.
"Asako, is that you? What happened to Whirlpool Village?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed inwardly when he saw Kushina rushing over.
Konoha had become more prosperous in the past two years. The Village was constantly expanding, and many civilians had moved into the new urban areas. In terms of communication, in addition to the instant communicators used by Ninja, civilians also widely used pager phones.
Miltank and Tauros ranches thrived in Konoha, and Moomoo Milk entered every household. Although Uchiha Hayato's cooking methods were different from Konoha's, they were well-received by many.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi always felt mentally and physically exhausted. Recently, Konoha had also experienced a Pokémon theft incident. The police department went all out but failed to find the stolen Pokémon.
"Teacher, if it were you, what would you do?"
Looking at the young portrait of Senju Tobirama on the wall, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.
"Kushina?"
The girl named Uzumaki Asako showed a surprised expression, which quickly changed to a cold one. "You are a Konoha person now, why would you care about Family matters?"
Kushina's face was full of anger: "What do you mean by that? I am from the Uzumaki Family, and Whirlpool Village will always be my home! Asako, tell me, what on earth happened?"
"Even if you know, what can you change?" Asako's eyes dimmed. She was already certain that Konoha would not send aid to Whirlpool Village, which meant she would be a person without a home from now on.
"Whirlpool Village was attacked by a group of powerful, unknown Ninja and may cease to exist."
Kushina's heart sank. She had been restless lately; could her unease be coming true here?
She remembered her initial promise with Hayato, that they would visit Whirlpool Village together if they had the chance. Now, however, that promise might never be fulfilled.
Her identity did not allow her to leave the Village easily, and even if everyone graduated, they would only be Genin. What could she do?
That's it! If it was Hayato, he would definitely find a way.
Kushina's eyes lit up, and she dialed Hayato's number: "Hayato, where are you now? I have something important to tell you."
A slightly lazy voice came from the communicator.
"Kushina? I'm at home now. Come over if you have something."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank.
"Keep an eye on Uchiha Hayato. Don't let him do anything impulsive."