"Why is it always you two?"
Three days later, at Training Ground 3—in the same secluded corner where Tatsuma and Minato usually practiced—Kushina spoke with a look of pure annoyance. She stared at the two boys, who had arrived early and were already halfway through their warm-ups.
Tatsuma didn't answer. He knew his role today was to play the villain, so there was no point in offering lengthy explanations. Minato, on the other hand, just scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Minato said. "Tatsuma and I happen to have applied for early graduation as well."
"Hmph. Just as long as you don't get in the way of me becoming a ninja."
Kushina huffed, and just as Minato was about to say something else, two figures flickered into existence before them. The three students straightened up immediately as they recognized their teacher, Goppu Sarutobi, and one of the Third Hokage's legendary students: Orochimaru.
"Sakamoto Tatsuma. Namikaze Minato. Uzumaki Kushina."
Orochimaru spoke their names in that distinctive, sibilant drawl of his. The three children stood at attention. "Lord Orochimaru!" they chimed in unison.
Orochimaru nodded, his golden, slitted eyes sweeping over the trio. "I will be the proctor for your graduation assessment. Chunin Goppu Sarutobi will serve as the witness."
Hearing this, Kushina gave a solemn nod. Her boisterous personality flared up as she shouted, "I'll definitely pass this exam! I'll become a ninja and avenge my clan!"
In a sudden burst of energy—perhaps having misinterpreted something in Orochimaru's silence—Kushina lunged forward, fist cocked back to strike the Sannin. Tatsuma and Minato exchanged a look of pure bewilderment, wondering if they had missed some sort of signal to start.
Goppu's expression was equally colorful. Even Orochimaru, usually the most composed member of his team, froze for a split second. As Kushina closed the distance, he let out a faint, weary sigh.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough."
With practiced ease, Orochimaru formed a single-handed seal and exhaled a focused blast of wind. The gale caught Kushina mid-air and sent her tumbling backward.
"Dammit! I'm not done yet!"
Kushina scrambled to her feet, her hands balled into fists as her chakra surged. She prepared to charge again, but Orochimaru's cold voice cut through the air.
"Assaulting the proctor is grounds for immediate failure. I can disqualify you whenever I wish."
"What?!"
Kushina froze, her momentum instantly killed. Seeing she had finally calmed down, Orochimaru continued. "I never said the assessment had begun, nor did I say the content involved fighting me."
"Then... then what is the test?" Kushina asked, regaining her composure.
Orochimaru glanced at Tatsuma and Minato. They hadn't moved a muscle, yet they were clearly coiled and ready for action. He allowed a thin smile to cross his lips before looking back at Kushina.
"Firstly, three graduates is simply too many..."
Orochimaru paused intentionally, giving Kushina's somewhat slow-to-react mind time to catch up. The moment the realization dawned on her, she shot a glare of pure hostility at Tatsuma and Minato.
In her mind, if these two hadn't suddenly applied for early graduation, there wouldn't be "too many" candidates.
Watching her reaction, Tatsuma felt a massive urge to roll his eyes. Orochimaru's excuse was incredibly flimsy. Everyone knew that Konoha utilized a three-man cell system. Three graduates would actually be the perfect number—they could be formed into a new squad without having to break up existing teams or find a squad with a missing member. Yet, somehow, Kushina had swallowed the lie hook, line, and sinker.
"It seems you understand," Orochimaru said, his voice dropping into a menacing, villainous register. "The first round of the assessment requires the elimination of at least one person."
While this "villainous" aura might have worked on Kushina, Tatsuma and Minato—who were already partially in on the plan—were entirely unfazed. They simply watched Orochimaru, waiting for the rest of the performance.
"You will fight one another in a round-robin format," Orochimaru explained. "Each person must secure at least one victory to move on to the next round. First up: Kushina versus Tatsuma."
Kushina turned to Tatsuma, her eyes blazing. "Bring it on! I'm not losing this time!"
Tatsuma didn't strike immediately. Instead, he looked at Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru, are there any other rules? Or can we begin now?"
Orochimaru appreciated Tatsuma's meticulous nature. He nodded. "Perform the Seal of Confrontation. Then, you may begin."
Tatsuma nodded and glanced at Minato. In an instant, Minato used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Goppu. The sheer fluidity of the move made Goppu's eyes widen in surprise.
Though it was only a basic D-rank Body Flicker, seeing it executed so flawlessly by an eight-year-old student was remarkable. Goppu felt a twinge of shame; as their teacher, he realized he still hadn't fully grasped the extent of his students' growth.
If Minato can use the Body Flicker, Goppu wondered, what about Tatsuma?
By now, Tatsuma was standing opposite Kushina. He raised his right hand, forming the Seal of Confrontation. "I can see your speed and power have increased again," he said calmly. "As expected of a genius with such incredible talent."
"Hmph! Save your fake compliments," Kushina snapped. "I'm not going easy on you!"
She always felt that Tatsuma's praise was dripping with sarcasm, despite Mito Uzumaki telling her that the boy was genuinely sincere. She simply didn't believe it.
Both of them held the seal, their chakra beginning to churn in sync. Orochimaru gave a sharp nod. "Begin!"
Boom!
The moment the word left Orochimaru's lips, Kushina lunged forward and threw a heavy punch. But as her fist connected with Tatsuma's chest, his body dissolved into a cloud of white smoke. In his place, a wooden log shattered under the force of her strike.
Kushina felt a surge of genuine rage. It wasn't because Tatsuma had used ninjutsu—she had mastered a few herself—but it was the specific jutsu he chose.
The Substitution Jutsu.
To Kushina, the Substitution Jutsu was the ultimate "taunt." It was a technique used by a superior to toy with an inferior opponent.
The principle of the Substitution Jutsu wasn't a spatial displacement—that would be high-level Space-Time Ninjutsu. It was much simpler: at the moment of impact, the user replaces themselves with an object and slips away. This meant the user had to be significantly faster than the attacker to make the trick work. It was, quite literally, a way of showing off a speed advantage.
"Get out here!" Kushina yelled, her face turning red. "Don't you dare hide behind little tricks!"
From behind a large tree, Tatsuma stepped out, still holding the Seal of Confrontation. He gave a calm, measured reply. "Fine. I'd like to see exactly how much of my strength I can bring to bear in a real fight."