A few days before the graduation ceremony, Kenji and Nawaki were sparring together.
As for Tsunade, being an Elite Jonin of the Hidden Leaf, she couldn't stay with them all the time; she had missions to accept.
Bang!
In the courtyard, Nawaki was no match for a move and was sent flying by Kenji's punch.
After stumbling to the ground, Nawaki wasn't annoyed but instead showed even more surprise and admiration.
"Kenji-ge, you're so strong!"
Nawaki wasn't just flattering him. His grades were among the best in his class, and he would rank in the top five among all the graduates this time.
However, sparring with Kenji, even though they were both using techniques learned in the Academy, he found he couldn't keep up with Kenji's rhythm at all; he was always a beat too slow.
He never knew Kenji was actually this strong.
With this level of skill, how could he have possibly failed the assessment yesterday?
"Just so-so!"
Kenji smiled casually. Naturally, he was holding back while sparring with Nawaki.
For twelve years, his strength couldn't improve not because he didn't work hard, but because the world of Naruto rejected him.
After fusing with the Hōgyoku, that repulsive force vanished without a trace, and the results of his years of effort finally manifested.
The strength he possessed now wasn't directly bestowed by the Hōgyoku, but was what he should have possessed all along.
"Nawaki, following Orochimaru, didn't you learn some special ninjutsu?" Kenji knew that Nawaki was definitely holding back as well.
As the grandson of the First Hokage and a disciple of Orochimaru, what he had learned was definitely more than just this.
"Hehe, of course I did. But that's my secret weapon!" Nawaki looked very mysterious, wearing a mischievous grin.
Kenji could tell that the kid likely thought that once the "secret weapon" came out, Kenji wouldn't be his opponent.
"Alright, since it's a secret weapon, keep it for the enemies!" Kenji patted his head and laughed.
At that moment, heavy footsteps approached. They saw Tsunade return unexpectedly, her face showing unconcealable grief.
"Sis, what's wrong?" Nawaki asked. "Didn't you go out for a mission? Why are you back?"
Kenji also felt this was unusual. With Tsunade's personality, she rarely showed such a negative expression.
"Kenji, Nawaki, come with me to the hospital. Grandma... she's not going to make it!"
"Ah..."
Nawaki's face instantly turned pale, and he looked like he was about to burst into tears.
Kenji's brows knit together.
Tsunade's grandmother, Mito Uzumaki.
Although Kenji lived with Tsunade and Nawaki, he had only seen Mito Uzumaki a few times.
Ever since Hashirama Senju passed away, Mito Uzumaki had been bedridden with illness.
In recent years, due to old age and her time approaching, her health had deteriorated day by day.
Of course, it wasn't that Kenji was cold-hearted and didn't visit her at the hospital, but rather that the Third Hokage and the higher-ups of the Hidden Leaf prohibited outsiders from contacting her.
Even Tsunade and Nawaki could only visit once or twice occasionally.
Kenji naturally knew the reason.
Mito Uzumaki was the Hidden Leaf's first Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
With Mito Uzumaki's time approaching, the Nine-Tails had to be passed on. The Hidden Leaf must be looking for a new Jinchūriki to carry out the transfer of the Nine-Tails.
"Sister, even though Grandma has always been in poor health, wasn't she fine the last time we visited? Why suddenly..." Nawaki couldn't accept this reality.
"I don't know either. Let's go see Grandma one last time!" Tsunade lost her usual liveliness, her mood extremely low.
Nawaki didn't say another word. He rushed out the door and ran off.
When the three rushed to the hospital, they saw some familiar faces.
The Third Hokage, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado... almost all the high-ranking officials of the Hidden Leaf were there.
Given Mito Uzumaki's status and position, she certainly warranted such treatment.
"Grandma..."
Nawaki threw himself at the bedside, crying loudly.
He was young, and the life-and-death separation from a loved one was too much to bear.
Although Kenji didn't cry out like Nawaki, his heart was equally heavy.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death were natural laws, but they were so cruel.
A person's death wasn't just an individual matter; everyone who cared about them would be heartbroken and depressed because of it.
While sighing with emotion, Kenji scanned the room again. Suddenly, he paused slightly, his gaze fixing on a five or six-year-old girl standing beside Koharu Utatane.
The little girl was very beautiful, with skin as pink and white as snow, like a delicate porcelain doll.
What was even more striking was her long, bright red hair, which appeared very special.
"Kushina Uzumaki?"
Kenji immediately guessed the little girl's identity.
The Uzumaki Clan was born with a massive amount of chakra, giving them a natural advantage in suppressing Tailed Beasts.
Kushina Uzumaki was Mito Uzumaki's successor, the next Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
However, only the high-ranking officials of the Hidden Leaf probably knew about this matter; even Tsunade and Nawaki were unaware.
Kushina had been brought here from the war-torn Land of Whirlpools. Although she hadn't had much contact with her clansman Mito Uzumaki, her eyes were still red at this moment, unable to bear the parting.
When she turned her head away, she accidentally discovered a pair of eyes staring straight at her.
To be honest, Kenji was just lost in thought for a moment. Staring at Kushina Uzumaki like that was indeed impolite.
When Kushina noticed, her face flushed slightly with an unnatural redness, but she felt a bit annoyed in her heart.
This person looked handsome, but to be so rude and presumptuous in such a setting was too much.
Kenji snapped back to reality and found Kushina staring at him with wide, round eyes. He couldn't help but feel awkward.
not knowing what to say, he could only offer a smile to ease the atmosphere.
However, it would have been better if he hadn't smiled. That smile made Kushina think Kenji was deliberately teasing her, and her impression of him hit rock bottom.
Kushina turned her head away, and a faint snort could be heard.
Kenji shrugged helplessly. What a truly unpleasant first meeting.