Ding-a-ling-a-ling—!
Oh, thank heavens. The dismissal bell was practically the sound of angels.
Their teacher, Kimura Shū, almost instantly clapped his lesson plan shut. Before he could even finish his sentence, the small group of kids who had laughed the loudest and shouted the cruelest words earlier jumped up from their seats as if springs had gone off under them, shooting up with a "whoosh."
They moved so fast, it was like a pack of starving wild dogs was chasing them. Scrambling and stumbling, they didn't even have time to put their backpacks on properly, rushing out the classroom door with a clatter, stirring up a gust of wind that sent chalk dust flying from the podium.
Why were they running so fast?
Obviously!
They knew perfectly well that when they mocked the new red-haired student earlier, their voices were as loud as loudspeakers. The problem was—the words "red-haired"!
There were only two redheads in the room.
One was the new, tomato-headed girl, easy to bully. The other… was sleeping by the window, the one whose name alone was enough to make Ninja Academy students break into a cold sweat—Kamiyama Ryo.
They hadn't forgotten the look in Ryo's eyes when he woke up, saying, "You're too damn loud! Are you tired of living?!"
That gaze was as cold as a blade scraping bone. It had stunned them with fear at the time, and thinking about it now still made their hair stand on end.
Shouldn't they get out of here as fast as possible?
Were they supposed to stay and wait until the red-haired tyrant fully woke up, remembered everything, and then gave them a "loving greeting" on the way home?
Remembering the miserable state of those who had been "greeted" by Ryo's fists in the past…
Forget it! Running faster might just save their lives!
"Yawn—"
In the last row by the window, the red-haired boy who had been sleeping soundly finally stirred.
Ryo stretched and let out a long yawn, his bones popping.
That nap was truly comfortable.
All the irritation from earlier had completely vanished. After a full rest, he felt refreshed.
The fierce, menacing look on his face was gone, his brows relaxed. Coupled with his undeniably handsome features, he gave off a strangely gentle impression.
There was no helping it. Ryo was at his core a grinder, not some natural-born killer.
As a good young man who had grown up in a relatively peaceful environment in his previous life, he didn't have twisted thoughts. He just had a bad temper, extreme morning grumpiness, and slightly stronger-than-average fists.
After a good sleep, he was like a fully charged battery, calm and steady.
Ryo rubbed his eyes, ready to grab his bag and head home to feed his bottomless stomach and then plan his evening training regimen…
"You're awake!"
A clear voice suddenly came from beside him, carrying a trace of… resentment?
Ryo was startled. Only then did he realize that the desk next to him, which had always been empty, now had someone sitting there.
A little girl, with the same fiery red hair as his own. Her round, cute face was staring at him with light blue eyes, her small mouth slightly pouted.
"You are?" Ryo hadn't registered it yet.
He had just woken up, and his mind was still fuzzy.
All that filled his head were the words: "school's out," "hungry," "eat," "train."
Kushina looked at Ryo's confused expression, and the frustration in her heart surged again.
She remembered earlier, when she had bravely and nervously asked, "let's be friends," and his response had been nothing but steady snoring?
Even more frustrating!
She took a deep breath, swallowed her irritation, and almost exactly repeated her actions from earlier. She stiffly introduced herself again: "H-hello! My name is Uzumaki Kushina. Can… can we be friends?"
Though her tone carried some indignation, there was still hope in her eyes.
After all, this was the only one with the same red hair as her, who hadn't mocked her, and had even helped her.
Ryo blinked at the pouting red-haired girl, puzzled.
Oh… right. He remembered now!
It seemed that when he was half-asleep, the homeroom teacher, Kimura Shū, had brought in a new student.
Wait… Uzumaki Kushina?
Uzumaki… red hair… married a blond guy in the future… gave birth to the Child of Prophecy?!
Naruto's mom?!
Now Ryo was wide awake.
"Ah! Oh, oh!" He quickly snapped back. The girl was waiting for his answer. "My name is Kamiyama Ryo. Hello, nice to meet you!"
His tone was calm, not fierce at all.
Ryo wasn't actually hard to talk to, as long as you didn't insult his red hair, call him "tomato head," or make noise while he was sleeping. When he was in a normal state, he wasn't unreasonable.
It was just that his "persuasion" record with his fists over the past two years was too notorious, and since he only came to class to sleep, no one dared talk to him.
So his "keep away" aura had been maintained all this time.
Kushina, this fearless (or clueless) warrior, was the first to approach him.
Seeing Ryo respond so easily in a gentle tone, the brave Kushina's temper suddenly flared.
She had stared at him all afternoon just to make friends.
Ryo, meanwhile, had snored the whole time.
Even though his face was unfairly handsome, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
"Hmph!" Kushina wrinkled her little nose. "Ryo-kun has excellent sleep quality! Your eyelashes didn't even twitch all afternoon! I called you several times and you didn't wake up!" Her tone was part complaint, part grievance, and part "you owe me."
Ryo looked at her with a blank expression. "What…?"
Forgive his straight-laced mind, but he simply didn't understand why Kushina was so angry.
The only thought in his mind was: school's out, time to eat.
"Um? Kushina-chan, do you still need something? If not, school's out. I'm going home!" Ryo said directly.
To this grinder, chatting and making friends didn't compare to going home to eat and prepare for training. His evening plan of weighted running and ten thousand sword swings was waiting.
Socializing with an eight-year-old girl? Please. He had no interest, nor the time.
Besides, he had vaguely felt something watching him earlier, most likely related to this girl. Trouble magnets should be avoided.
He had no time for romance. At least not now. This wasn't the time to chase girls, even if she was the future Hokage's mother. His only goal was to grind for strength and avoid dying as a nameless casualty in the coming Second Great Ninja War.
Survive. Get stronger. That was it.
"Hmph! Nothing!" Kushina was nearly choked by his bluntness. Her big eyes rolled fiercely, and she shouted inwardly: "Stupid blockhead! I took the initiative! And his attitude is this bad? Am I, Uzumaki Kushina, not cute?!"
Ryo didn't notice her resentment. Once she said "nothing," he immediately relaxed. "Alright. I've got things to do, so I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Kushina-chan!"
Before he even finished, he grabbed his faded, tattered backpack. Moving quickly, he strode out the classroom door without looking back, his figure casual and carefree.
Kushina watched his red hair vanish through the door, her small chest heaving with anger.
She suddenly stood up, faced the door, and wrinkled her nose with all her might, letting out a loud, heartfelt protest:
"Hmph—!"
Kamiyama Ryo. She would remember him!
(To be continued.)
The sun slanted westward, casting a dazzling golden glow over Konoha.
Kushina kicked a small stone with her foot as she trudged toward the old house in the Senju clan compound.
Her vibrant red hair seemed to burn even brighter in the setting sun, but it only made the lingering traces of anger on her round, cute face more obvious. She was still sulking over Ryo.
"Hmph! Stupid jock! Blockhead!" She kicked another stone far away, muttering under her breath. "I… I was so proactive! Sleeping! All he does is sleep! His snores are louder than anything!"
The memory of her courage that afternoon made her cheeks burn again, her heart had pounded like a drum when she walked up to him, speaking in the softest voice she'd ever managed. And what did she get in return? A loud, drawn-out "Huuu… rrr… mmph…" from him in his sleep.
When she entered the familiar courtyard, the sight of the heavy wooden door lifted her mood. A brilliant smile stretched across her face as she pushed the door open and ran inside.
"Grandma Mito! I'm home!"
Her voice was like a stone dropped into calm water.
The light inside was much softer. Uzumaki Mito sat on the tatami near the courtyard with a steaming cup of tea in front of her.
Time seemed to have touched only her eyes; the Yin Seal kept her appearance like that of a gentle maiden.
Seeing Kushina rush in like a little flame, Mito's eyes curved into a smile.
"You're back? How was school today?" Mito's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. "Did you make any new friends?" She knew too well what this girl, whose clan had been destroyed and country lost, needed—acceptance, recognition, new bonds. Those were the remedies for her wounds.
"New friends?" A spirited female voice chimed in from the side.
Tsunade, with long golden hair and a tall figure, sat cross-legged, munching on senbei. Her eyes lit up at the question, and she didn't even bother brushing off the crumbs on her clothes.
Beside her sat Nawaki, a little older, flipping through a basic ninjutsu book. At Kushina's words, he also looked up curiously.
Tsunade put her senbei down on the low table, leaning forward like a big sister. "Quick, tell me! Did anyone bully you at school? Tell your big sister, and I'll have Nawaki teach them a lesson!" She jabbed her elbow into him, her eyes sharp with command. "Right, Nawaki?"
Nawaki almost dropped his book, rubbing his shoulder as he straightened. "Right, right, right! Sis is right! Kushina, don't worry! If anyone dares bully you, just tell me. I'll make sure they regret ever stepping into the academy!"
As the eldest grandson of the Senju in this generation, it was only natural for him to protect this adorable little sister. At school, except for a few geniuses (and a certain redhead), he truly feared no one.
Kushina felt warmth spread in her chest as she saw their concerned eyes.
Mito was her pillar, and Tsunade and Nawaki were like blazing flames that melted away the chill left by the fall of the Uzumaki.
She walked over to Mito's side, nestling close. The gloom on her face faded, replaced with a hint of childish charm.
"No, no one bullied me," she shook her head, then suddenly brightened. "I just met a… uh, a classmate. His hair is red, just like mine!"
"Oh? Red?" Tsunade's gossiping spark immediately caught fire.
She let out a meaningful "oh" and grinned mischievously, leaning forward even more. "A red-haired classmate that caught your attention? Tell me, is that kid especially handsome?" She deliberately emphasized "especially handsome," nudging Kushina lightly. "Do you like him?"
"Big Sister Tsunade!" Kushina's face flushed red like a ripe cherry tomato.
She shot up from Mito's side, flustered and shy. "You… what nonsense are you talking about! I don't like him at all!" She stomped her foot and then immediately turned, diving into Mito's embrace, burying her burning face as she wriggled and whined, "Grandma Mito! Look at Big Sister Tsunade! She's bullying me!"
Mito chuckled, swayed by Kushina's sudden dive, and gently patted her back as if she were soothing a ruffled kitten. "Alright, alright, Tsunade is just teasing you." She gave her mischievous granddaughter a warning look.
Tsunade only laughed, ignoring Kushina's complaint, her grin widening as if she'd just gotten more ammo. "Don't like him? Then you must hate him, right? Did that kid upset you?"
Her expression shifted in an instant, going from playful gossip to protective big sister. Her gaze snapped toward Nawaki, sharp as a blade. "Nawaki! Did you hear that? Tomorrow, find that red-haired brat named Ryo and give him a proper 'greeting' from me! Let him know what happens when someone upsets our Kushina!"
"Uh… Ryo?!" Nawaki, who a moment ago had been eager to play hero, froze. His smile vanished as if someone had grabbed his throat.
His eyes widened in horror. "Sis! You… you want me to die?!"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Tsunade blinked, completely caught off guard by his reaction.
What was so special about this kid named Ryo?
Nawaki swallowed, remembering the countless stories floating around, his palms sweating. "Sis, you've been away from the academy for years, so it's normal you don't know. But… but…"
He stammered, his eyes full of lingering fear. "That redhead, his name's Ryo! Kamiyama Ryo from Class 3-A! He's the academy's infamous little tyrant! He fights like a monster, he's ridiculously strong, and he's vicious! I heard some older students tried to teach him a lesson, but he knocked their front teeth out! Even the teachers back off when he gets mad! You want me to go 'greet' him? Forget it! I'll end up in the hospital first!"
The words poured out like a machine gun, and Nawaki still didn't think it was enough. He added, "That red hair of his is basically a danger signal in the academy! Nobody dares mess with him! Whoever does, ends up unlucky. Seriously!"
Nawaki desperately wanted his sister to understand the situation.
In short, Ryo was terrifying, and his record spoke for itself.
Kushina, listening nearby, was a little stunned.
Ryo? A tyrant? Even the teachers avoided him?
She unconsciously recalled the cold, bloodthirsty look in his eyes when he was woken up in class. The way the entire room had gone silent instantly… it didn't seem impossible.
But when school ended earlier, hadn't he seemed harmless?
He just spoke stiffly. A stupid jock! Hmph!
Tsunade finally dropped her playful act, her brows furrowing. "That strong…" She had no impression of this Ryo.
Mito, who had been gently patting Kushina's back, shifted her gaze, her eyes distant yet knowing. She spoke softly.
"Red hair… named Ryo…" Her hand stroked Kushina's soft red locks as her expression grew thoughtful. "Then Grandma knows who it is."
(To be continued.)