[The next day, you keep your promise with Kushina and arrive at the agreed-upon location for the duel.]
[You find Kushina already there, eagerly waiting. Around her are several other kids, their curiosity piqued by the challenge between the two of you.]
Upon seeing Rozen, Kushina's expression of impatience transformed into a smile. "Finally, you're here! I almost thought you wouldn't show up!"
Shrugging his shoulders, Rozen replied, "I promised you yesterday, so I had to keep my word."
"Hmph! Good, then hurry up over here! I can't wait to beat you!" Shaking his head, Rozen approached her.
"Hey, do you believe this? The new kid is bold enough to challenge Rozen. She must be blind and deaf not to know about Rozen being the strongest student."
"Yeah! I can't believe it either. It's a shame; she's pretty but foolish."
Whispers belittling Kushina echoed around, souring her face upon hearing them.
"Everyone stop! You can't talk badly about her! She's brave enough to challenge Rozen publicly, and you might not have her courage! So stop insulting her!" A male voice shouted angrily amid the whispers, silencing the other kids.
But when they saw it was Minato, known as Rozen's close friend and the second strongest and most genius student after Rozen, they fell silent.
Seeing Minato defend her, Kushina's face softened, and she smiled at him. "Thank you."
"I-It's okay," Minato blushed at her smile, confirming to Rozen that Minato had indeed fallen for Kushina by his reaction.
"So, when does this start? Do you need a warm-up before facing me?" Rozen asked indifferently, feeling the duel was pointless as he could easily defeat her.
"Hmph! I don't need that to fight you! Let's start now!" After selecting a referee, they both got ready.
"Begin!" At the signal, Kushina immediately rushed at Rozen with her kunai. Rozen, standing still, saw her attack in slow motion due to his superhuman reflexes.
"Slow, very slow," he remarked, casually dodging before stepping back. Kushina, surprised, launched another series of attacks.
Various attacks with kunai, kicks, and punches came at Rozen from all directions, but he effortlessly dodged them all, stunning Kushina.
Gritting her teeth, Kushina quickened her assault, but it was still futile, and she eventually stopped, exhausted.
"Is that it? I'd like to go back to class now," Rozen said, looking towards the exit. His attitude infuriated Kushina, as it was evident he was underestimating her.
"Damn it! Don't underestimate me!" Kushina stood up, forming hand seals, and suddenly two clones of her appeared, all rushing toward Rozen.
"Shadow clones? Interesting, but still not enough to defeat me." Again, Rozen evaded their attacks with ease.
Is he a ninja from an ordinary family, not the Hyuga clan? How can he predict and dodge attacks from such tricky angles?
Seeing Rozen always dodging her attacks, Kushina made a decision. She quickly formed hand seals, capturing Rozen's curiosity.
Suddenly, Rozen found himself immobilized, trapped by invisible chains, creating an opportunity for Kushina to strike.
"Got you!" Excited, Kushina and her clones quickly attacked, envisioning Rozen hurt by their assault, which would force him to surrender eventually.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as she planned. Rozen easily broke free from the seal and evaded her nearly successful attack with lightning speed.
"Good try, but playtime is over," Rozen said, ceasing his evasion to catch a clone's attack from behind and then delivering a powerful punch, causing it to vanish.
POOF!
"That's one." He smiled, and Kushina shuddered at the sight. Quickly, she summoned numerous clones and hid among them.
"Hoh? As expected of the Uzumaki clan! They have an amazing chakra reserve to be capable of doing this," he remarked in amazement before rushing into the group of clones. He dodged their barrage and knocked them out one by one.
As Rozen advanced, methodically dismantling her clones one by one, Kushina, in a state of panic, activated a seal she had prepared earlier, pouring all her chakra into it.
Rozen, momentarily paused in the heat of battle, quickly and with brute force, broke the seal, remarking disdainfully, "That seal is annoying, but it won't work on me next time."
Suffering from the backlash of her jutsu, Kushina fell to the ground, exhausted and despairing, and could only watch helplessly as Rozen continued his approach.
POOF!
With her last clone knocked down, Rozen slowly walked towards Kushina, his hands clenched tightly. He spoke with finality, "It's game over," and launched a powerful punch in her direction.
"Rozen! Stop!!!" Minato, witnessing the scene, rushed in panic to intervene.
Death! Death! I'm going to die!!!
Kushina could only watch in utter despair, expecting the next moment to be her last as Rozen's punch neared.
But, just inches from her head, Rozen abruptly stopped his punch. The intense pressure and power he had gathered created a strong gust of wind.
"You've lost. Now, I really must return to class," Rozen stated indifferently. Kushina was left frozen, her crimson hair billowing in the wind generated by his halted punch. The spectators shared her shock, having nearly believed Rozen would end Kushina's life in their duel.
Ignoring the stunned crowd, Rozen headed back to class. He had sensed a distant murderous intent during his attack on Kushina and was certain it came from an Anbu, hidden in the shadows, assigned to protect Kushina because of her status as the likely next Jinchuriki following Hashirama's wife's death.
"They would certainly have killed me if I had killed her," Rozen smirked, his gaze fixed in the direction where the Anbu were concealed. This revelation startled them, as they had not anticipated that their presence would be detected by a mere child.
"Did this kid notice us?" one of the Anbu members whispered in disbelief. They all harbored the same doubt, yet the idea that a child-like Rozen could have detected them seemed far-fetched.
Despite recognizing Rozen's genius and acknowledging him as the strongest child they had ever encountered, the thought of him being aware of their presence hadn't crossed their minds. After all, they reasoned, even a child prodigy has limits to their capabilities.
[You thought your battles would drive Kushina away, but surprisingly, it's quite the opposite. Kushina challenges you daily, even though she loses each time.]
[You don't understand her mindset but still fulfill her requests, and thus, your relationship with Kushina grows rapidly under Minato's jealous gaze.]
[Days at school pass, and some point, you realize Kushina is anxious. When
you ask, she, now close to you, reveals that she will be the next Jinchuriki after Uzumaki Mito, Hashirama's wife, passes away.]
[You can't do much but soothe her. Moreover, you don't see it as a bad thing, considering it removes the threat of her being kidnapped and targeted by others.]
[Subsequently, Kushina doesn't attend school, and you pray for her successful transition. The next day she returns, looking tired but smiling. You feel relieved and happy knowing she succeeded.]
[In the following days, you continue your routine, with Kushina challenging you to and from school. An idea strikes you – to make Kushina the strongest Jinchuriki in history, and you decide to train her with all your might.]
"What?! Do you want to train me? Are you serious?" Kushina exclaimed in disbelief.
Rozen nodded and replied, "Yes, as a Jinchuriki and Uzumaki clan member, you possess immense chakra. So, I thought, why not make you the strongest Jinchuriki in ninja history?"
Though initially speechless, Kushina found his reasoning quite sensible, but she feared the intensity of Rozen's training after hearing his training content.
"What's this? Are you scared of my training? Didn't you once say you wanted to be the first female Hokage, or was that just empty talk?" Rozen taunted, making her grit her teeth.
"Fine! I accept your training! Who says I'm backing out? My dream of becoming the first female Hokage is no bluff, got it?!" Kushina retorted. Rozen smirked at his successful plan, and from then on, they began a grueling training regimen that Kushina would soon regret agreeing to.
[You put Kushina through intense training – martial arts, chakra control, and serious sparring. She cries and begs to stop, but you refuse and persist.]
[Her exhaustion at school sparks scandalous rumors about you and Kushina, spreading throughout the school.]
[You ignore them, but Kushina, humiliated and unhappy, fights other students who gossip, earning a fearsome reputation as the 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero.']
[As time goes to your 12th year, your training has brought you to a strength rivaling the Kage. Kushina, too, reaches Jonin level thanks to your rigorous training.]
[Due to your consistent training efforts over the years, your physique attributes have significantly increased by 5+.]
[You think school would pass as usual, but unbeknownst to you, a shocking event occurs.]
Bored, Rozen lays his head on his desk, feeling a bit off. He looks towards Kushina's seat and notices her absence.
He suspects she's exhausted from their last night's training, but his concern grows when she doesn't show up at their usual training spot even after school.
Worried, Rozen heads to her house, using a spare key she gave him, signifying their close bond like family and friends.
"Kushina! Are you there? Let's train now! If not, I'll punish you with 100x releases of all element types of jutsu!" But no response unsettles him.
"Kushina! Kushina!!!" Rozen shouts, searching every room and activating his chakra radar, but finds no trace of her in the house or Konoha. His worst nightmare becomes a reality – Kushina's abduction.
He thought this wouldn't happen given Kushina's newfound strength, but the original plot seemed to persist despite his interventions.
"Damn useless Anbu!" Rozen clenches his teeth, his fists bleeding with anger. He wishes to confront the Anbu responsible for Kushina's safety but knows it's not the right time.
[Furious, you unleash your full power, setting out to find Kushina beyond Konoha's borders.]
[Your sudden chakra burst startles all the ninjas in Konoha. Unfortunately, they miss seeing you, remaining on high alert for a potential powerful assailant.]
Meanwhile, Kushina, who has been kidnapped by Kumogakure ninjas, is restrained by a seal jutsu that caught her off guard during her solitary training. This seal inhibits her chakra usage, as the enemy is apprehensive about her potentially unleashing the Nine-Tails' power.
"Help me… Rozen," she prays silently, hoping Rozen will realize her plight and rescue her. She knows his immense power could defeat her captors.
"We're close to the village. Once there, we'll hand the Jinchuriki over to the Raikage. He'll surely be pleased with our work," remarked one Kumogakure ninja, plunging Kushina into despair.
But suddenly, a commotion and explosions sound in the distance, followed by screams of pain and horror.
"What's happening back there?" The ninja carrying Kushina asks worriedly but only receives a panicked response.
"Geto, flee at once from here! And tell Raikage-sama that a powerful enemy is attacking us!" Geto and three other ninjas hurried away, but soon, Geto heard screams of horror from the ninja who had just spoken.
With all their might, they desperately tried to escape, filled with anxiety and fear of the unseen enemy behind them.
"Just a little further! Almost there!" Geto muttered hopefully to himself. But, fate wasn't on his side, as a figure suddenly appeared before him.
"Who are you?!" Geto asked nervously, kunai in hand, while supporting Kushina with his other arm. He stared at the young man before him, bloodied and holding a sword, an ominous presence.
The young man, Rozen, replied with a sinister grin, "Your reaper!" and charged towards Geto with blinding speed, seemingly teleporting before his eyes.
"Goodbye!" With his sword imbued with dark chakra, Rozen swung it at Geto, decapitating him before he could react.
Cradling the fallen Kushina, Rozen smiled with concern, "Are you okay? I'm sorry I was late in rescuing you."
Kushina didn't respond, stunned by witnessing her hero saving her from despair. There stood Rozen, terrifying with blood smeared across his face, yet somehow, Kushina found him incredibly handsome and charming at that moment, her heart racing uncontrollably.
"You're very late...idiot" Kushina blushed deeply, clinging to him and hiding her face from Rozen. Rozen smiled at her response but soon his expression turned stoic as he turned to face the remaining enemies.
The two ninjas, momentarily stunned, quickly snapped out of their daze and launched a lightning jutsu attack at Rozen. However, Rozen, with his superhuman reflexes, jumped and evaded the attack just in time.
But then, another lightning assault came his way, this time with numerous lightning birds flying towards him. Rozen, wielding his black chakra-infused sword, slashed through all the birds, causing them to vanish.
"What?!" The two ninjas exclaimed in shock, unable to believe their jutsu had been countered by a sword.
"Surprised, aren't you? But there'll be no more surprises, as you both die here!" Rozen grinned menacingly, hurling his sword at the enemies. They were baffled, wondering why he would suddenly throw his weapon.
But only then did they understand his purpose, as his sword neared both of them. With uncanny speed, Rozen materialized on the blade and slashed at their bodies, catching them off guard with his sudden teleportation. The sword cleaved their forms in two, bisecting their torsos before they could react.
With both ninjas now lying dead, Rozen turned back to Kushina, who had fallen asleep amidst the chaos. He sighed and decided to return to Konoha before the Kumogakure forces noticed the disturbance.
[After the incident, you returned to Konoha, and true enough, a few minutes after your departure, the Kumogakure forces arrived at the scene. Unfortunately for them, they found only their fallen ninjas, butchered without a trace of the Jinchuriki or the perpetrator.]
[Back in Konoha, you returned to Kushina's house and placed her gently on her bed, staying by her side. After a few moments, an Anbu appeared, informing you that the Hokage had summoned you.]
[You accepted the summons and went to see the Hokage. Upon arrival, you were greeted by the Third Hokage, still young in appearance. He questioned you about the massive chakra surge and Kushina's rescue.]
[Despite your dislike for the Third Hokage, you answered his questions truthfully. You revealed your true strength to him and explained how you rescued Kushina, leaving the Hokage in disbelief. He sighed after the conversation.]
[After the meeting, he allowed you to leave, and to your surprise, he didn't reprimand or comment on your actions from earlier.]
"I don't know if this is good or bad for Konoha," Hiruzen said, watching Rozen's retreating figure with a complex gaze.
I hoped he would become a formidable figure for Konoha.
Hiruzen thought so as he exhaled smoke from his cigarette, summoned the Anbu, and instructed them to more closely monitor both Kushina and Rozen.
[Returning to Kushina's house, you found her awake, her face stained with tears. Upon seeing you, she rushed over and embraced you tightly.]
"I thought you were gone! Why did you leave me alone here!" Kushina sobbed loudly, while Rozen comforted her, gently patting her back.
"I'm sorry, but I was summoned by Hokage-sama just now," Rozen explained. Hearing his reason, Kushina hummed in acceptance.
The two remained in an embrace, lovers holding each other until Kushina made a move that caught Rozen off guard.
She kissed him, hugging his neck. Rozen, initially stunned, soon responded eagerly, kissing her back. Their romantic kiss evolved into one of passion as it lingered.
Breaking away from the kiss, with clear strings of saliva connecting their lips, and with her face flushed red, Kushina said, "I love you, Rozen. Can we go out?"
Seeing the pleading look in her watery eyes, Rozen quickly replied, "Of course, why not?" He smirked before resuming their kiss. And from that moment, the destiny and future of their world diverged from its original path.
(A/N: Creation is hard, so please consider support me by giving me your power stone and your review. Thank you!)