The atmosphere caused by the war seemed to have never affected the children at the ninja academy. For them, who were oblivious to the world's turmoil, playful antics and laughter were constant. Being born in Konoha was, in itself, a stroke of luck.
Since the day Ye Zi ignored Minato, he seemed to have been isolated by all his classmates, but this was precisely what he wanted. He still sat in the same corner, alone, enjoying the peace and quiet.
During this period, Zekanaki had not mentioned chakra again and had focused on the theoretical use of ninja tools. This had gone on for weeks, which made him quite frustrated. Since awakening in this world, his memory and comprehension abilities had become exceptional. He understood Zekanaki's explanations instantly, but not everyone was like him. While he could grasp the function and use of a ninja tool in a single day, others required several days of Zekanaki's repeated explanations for each tool. Unfortunately, as ninja tools were indispensable for ninjas, there were many types.
Zekanaki's approach reflected his seriousness. Such a dedicated person was indeed suited to be a teacher, and it was this trait that Sarutobi had considered when appointing Zekanaki. The only concern was Zekanaki's strictness towards people and matters.
Looking out at the empty playground, he sighed softly, doubting he might go insane if he spent three years this way.
Clang.
The sound of the door being pulled open drew his attention. Zekanaki, with his stern expression, walked in, followed by a girl with striking red hair.
The moment the door opened, everyone instantly stopped their actions and sat quietly. However, many could not help but whisper about the girl with red hair.
Ninjas have keen senses. Even though the voices were hushed, Zekanaki heard them. His brow furrowed as he said in a deep voice, "Quiet."
Zekanaki's words had more impact than anything else, and even more than the students' parents could have. Instantly, the whispering students fell silent.
He observed the girl with her head slightly lowered and momentarily lost his focus. However, he quickly regained his composure. Despite the difference in eye and hair color, and some similarity in features, this girl was not Ye Rui.
The girl with the striking red hair was Kushina Uzumaki. She looked up briefly at the seated students, feeling the weight of their gazes, which made her nervous and prompted her to look away.
Seeing that the classroom had finally quieted down, Zekanaki glanced at the girl with her head down and said casually: "Introduce yourself briefly…"
Before he could finish, Kushina looked up and loudly interrupted, "I'm Kushina Uzumaki!"
Zekanaki was taken aback, looking at the girl who was looking up with her eyes tightly shut. He shook his head slightly, showing no particular concern.
After her introduction, Kushina realized she had blurted out her catchphrase and quickly covered her mouth, her cheeks flushing a faint red.
After a brief silence in the classroom… the noise that had been subdued by Zekanaki's presence rebounded.
"Look at her hair color!" one person whispered to a nearby friend with a laugh.
"No one else has hair like that."
"How can anyone have hair that red?"
"So strange."
Ye Zi turned his head to look at these immature kids and then at Zekanaki. He expected Zekanaki to quickly reassert his authority to silence them. However, surprisingly, Zekanaki did not speak, allowing the students to continue their comments about Kushina's hair.
Ye Zi furrowed his brow, feeling puzzled.
Listening to their careless remarks, Kushina silently touched her own hair. She couldn't refute them because she also disliked her bright red hair. However, even if she hated it, she didn't want others to belittle and discuss it in such a manner.
"I… I want to become the first female Hokage of this village!"
Her startling declaration made all the voices in the room fall silent instantly.
Those who had been whispering widened their eyes in surprise, momentarily speechless.
"Hokage?"
Ye Zi turned his gaze toward the window, a cold smile on his face.
Zekanaki remained silent, his expression unchanged as he stood next to Kushina.
At this moment, when everyone was silent, Minato stood up, clenched his right fist against his chest, and with a squint and a smile, said, "I also want to become a Hokage who is recognized by everyone."
Kushina looked at the gentle-smiling Minato and thought he seemed unreliable, like a girl. How could someone like him become Hokage?
Minato was unaware of Kushina's true thoughts. He maintained his warm smile, and his words came from the heart.
While most people present might not see how seriously Minato took his statement, Ye Zi and Zekanaki could…
Compared to Kushina's reflexive shout under pressure, Minato's words carried more conviction.
"Find a seat and sit down." Zekanaki, who had remained silent until now, glanced at Minato and spoke.
"Okay."
Kushina responded and, like Ye Zi, chose an empty seat.
After Kushina sat down, Zekanaki said in a deep voice, "Let's start the lesson."
Another session of intricate teaching began. Zekanaki continued to explain a single ninja tool in detail, which made Ye Zi admire him even more.
Although he thought Zekanaki's approach might seem pointless, it was precisely such a responsible teacher who could lay a solid foundation for these young students.
After an hour of instruction, Zekanaki finished the lesson and left the classroom, giving the students a brief ten-minute break.
Once Zekanaki had left, the previously somber atmosphere quickly became lively, as if a withered flower had suddenly bloomed with fragrance.
Several lively and mischievous boys immediately approached Kushina, surrounding her at the back of the classroom. One boy pointed at Kushina with a smirk and said, "Tomato! Red hair, round face, just like a tomato."
"Ha-ha, I hate tomatoes." another boy with a crew cut chimed in.
"So do I, I always leave tomatoes behind."
"A despised tomato can never be recognized by the village." A boy who had his hands behind his head said, laughing loudly. As his words fell, everyone surrounding Kushina burst into laughter.
Surrounded by so many people and hearing their mockery, Kushina's cheeks reddened again. Shy and embarrassed, she couldn't help but lower her head, her flushed face resembling a real tomato.
Sitting in the front row, Minato turned his head to look at the surrounded Kushina with mild surprise but said nothing.
Ye Zi, sitting in the last row, was directly affected by the noise. Watching the bullies, he stood up quietly.
He didn't want to stand out, but the scene reminded him of his childhood—though different from the current noisy scene, it was about competition for food.
"Wow, she's getting riper." one boy said with a grin as he reached out to grab Kushina's hair.
He quickly grabbed the boy's hand.
Kushina, who was caught off guard by the commotion, looked sideways to see a slightly delicate-looking black-haired boy holding the hand that was reaching for her hair.
In the classroom, everyone watching this scene was stunned, and the atmosphere grew silent.