On the way home, Kaede Hatake passes through a cherry blossom grove.
A gentle breeze blows, and petals fall silently.Cherry blossoms drift in the wind, dancing in the sky.Amidst the fluttering petals, Kaede Hatake walks slowly alone.
Just then, Kaede Hatake heard the noise of some children.
"Big brother, that red-haired girl from our class will definitely be passing by.You have to help me teach her a lesson later." "Yes, yes, big brother, you're a ninja, you have to help me!"
"Don't worry, I'll definitely teach your classmate a lesson as long as she passes by here.But are you sure she'll go this way?I've sacrificed my cultivation time to help you, so don't make me come all this way for nothing."
[Red hair, firecracker.Could it be Kushina Uzumaki?These brats, how dare they make a move on her.Let me see what's going on.]
Immediately, Kaede Hatake's figure flashed, and in the next instant, he hid in a nearby tree.
A short while later, Kaede Hatake saw four children, one older and three younger, arrive at the cherry blossom grove.The older child was wearing a Konoha headband, clearly a genin who had graduated and started taking on missions.
[Tsk tsk, how dare they provoke the violent, fiery red chili pepper.They're really asking for trouble!]
Kushina Uzumaki may appear delicate and frail, making one think she's an easy target.But she's a member of the Uzumaki clan, known for their fiery tempers.If you really piss her off, she'll show you what a real blood-red firecracker is.
Soon, Kaede Hatake saw a little girl with red hair walking towards him with her head down in the distance.
Kushina Uzumaki was feeling very down.She had arrived in Konoha as the princess of Uzushiogakure (Hidden Whirlpool Village) in the Land of Whirlpools.Being in a new place, unfamiliar with everyone and everything, she felt very insecure.She hadn't expected that entering the Ninja Academy would result in her classmates giving her all sorts of bizarre nicknames.
At first, Kushina didn't intend to argue with these brats and simply endured it.Unexpectedly, they became even more aggressive.Immediately, Kushina stopped tolerating it, her red hair moving without wind.The next moment, Kushina had knocked all the brats who had given her nicknames to the ground.
Every single one of those brats who mocked Kushina and gave her nicknames was beaten up.When the teacher arrived at the classroom, the brats who had mocked Kushina were all bruised and battered, howling in pain.
So, after the teacher punished both sides equally, he asked all the students' parents to come to him the next day.Kushina, having left her hometown, could only find Mito Uzumaki or Tsunade as parents.
"What a bunch of bastards, giving me a nickname!And that blond pretty boy, he's no better!If I ever see him smiling in front of me again, I'll beat him to a pulp!Humph~"
"But my parents need to come to school tomorrow.Who should I talk to?" Kushina muttered as she walked through the cherry blossom grove.
"Haha~ Red-haired witch, stop right there.This is my older brother, a very skilled genin.He'll teach you a lesson in a minute."
The child wearing a headband said, "You're the one who hit my brother?Redhead, you're asking for it!"
"Hmph, it was your brother who gave me that nickname and mocked me first.He deserved to get beaten up.A boy who can't even beat a girl like me, and has to come to you, a ninja, for help.What a sore loser!"
"Nonsense." Just as the three kids were about to retort, the boy with the headband said, "Alright, redhead, stop talking nonsense.You're going to get a beating now."
"You can talk after you can beat me!Just don't let me beat you up too."
"You bastard, red-haired brat, I'm a ninja.I'll show you what a ninja is all about."
Just as the child wearing the headband was about to make a move, Kaede Hatake started mocking him from the side.
"Tsk tsk, a genin who graduated years ago is actually bullying a ninja academy student, how shameless." "Who?" The child wearing a headband quickly turned around and saw Hatake Kaede standing in the tree.
"You brat, this is none of your business.If you meddle, I'll beat you up too."
"Hmph~" Hatake Kaede jumped down from the tree."You, a ninja, are bullying a ninja academy student.As a fellow ninja academy student, I can't stand it!I'll have to take care of this."
"Arrogant white-haired brat, you're just a student who hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet, how dare you spout nonsense in front of me!" With that, the boy wearing a headband charged towards Hatake Kaede.
The child rushed towards Hatake Kaede and launched a kick.However, Hatake Kaede took a step back, causing the child's kick to miss and land in empty air.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hatake Kaede kicked the child in the back of the knee, forcing the child to kneel on one knee.Immediately afterwards, Hatake Kaede followed up with a roundhouse kick, striking the ninja child squarely in the face.
The ninja child took the full force of the kick and immediately lost consciousness.
Seeing their unconscious ninja brother, the three kids beside him trembled with fear.Kushina, who was preparing for a full-scale counterattack, had her eyes shining, feeling as if she had opened the door to a new world.
Kaede Hatake grinned at the three brats and said, "Here's a question for you.Answer it correctly, and you can leave."
"Wha.what problem?"
What is one hundred minus one?
The three little devils said with teary eyes, "It equals.ninety-nine."
"Correct answer." After saying that, Hatake Kaede kicked each of the three kids in the butt.Then he said to them, "I am Hatake Kaede from Class 1, Grade 2.If you want revenge, just come at me.Now, take your big brother and leave."
"You.you're that 'violent Maple' from second grade?I.we'll never do it again.Waaah!"After saying that, the three little devils dragged the unconscious ninja child away quickly.
"Thank you, thank you for your help," Kushina said timidly from the side.
"It's alright, I'm also a student at the Ninja Academy, your senior.I know those brats too, they're a nuisance.But even without my help, you won't be in any danger!Right, you blond guy hiding over there." Hatake Kaede said to the cherry blossom tree not far away.
"Haha~ I didn't expect to be discovered by my senior." Minato chuckled, scratching the back of his head, and walked out from behind the cherry blossom tree.
"It's you, you sissy with blond hair!You've been hiding over there, waiting to see me make a fool of myself." Just moments ago, the obedient and adorable Kushina suddenly had her red hair flying wildly, and a violent aura rose up from her.
"No, no, I didn't mean to make fun of you.I just wanted to help you," Minato waved his hands repeatedly, quickly explaining.
"Helping me, does that mean just standing by and helping me?" "No, no, I just felt that someone as strong as Kushina would be alright.And Kushina, I really admire your dream of becoming 'Hokage'.Because my dream is also to become 'Hokage'.I want to work towards that goal together with Kushina."