When Uzumaki Raiden completed the two assessments at the ninja school and walked out of its gates, Kushina and Minato, who were sitting and chatting nearby, didn't notice him at first.
On the other hand, Nara Shikaku, who had been chatting with Sarutobi Shinnosuke, spotted his younger brother and followed Raiden as he exited the school.
"Shikadai~~here!"
Parents of children under the age of eight often pick them up from the school gate, while slightly older children participating in the assessments generally head home on their own. Consequently, the number of parents waiting at the gate was limited.
Nara Shikaku's call caught the attention of all the waiting parents. Many stood up, scanning the crowd for their children. His shout also alerted Kushina and Minato, who realized school was over.
"Has Raiden come out? I wonder how he did on the exam. There shouldn't be any issues, right?"
Kushina leapt to her feet, her eyes searching the crowd. Raiden's bright red hair was unmistakable, and she quickly spotted him.
"Raiden~ over here!" Kushina's voice, though young, carried over the chatter, silencing many parents as they turned toward her.
"Oh, Nee-chan~"
Raiden trotted over, his face lighting up at the sight of his sister.
"How was the exam?" Kushina asked immediately, sounding like any concerned parent.
"Easy~" Raiden replied with a grin. "Exams like these are nothing to me!"
As Raiden bragged to his sister, other children were also reporting their exam experiences to their parents. Soon, many eyes shifted toward Raiden, now chatting animatedly with Kushina. Among the parents, many were ninjas who had heard about Raiden's performance in the school and were naturally curious about him.
"As expected of someone trained by Lady Mito herself. He even took Kudai down!" one murmured.
"To have strength rivaling an adult at that age... must be Super Strength," said another.
"Amazing that such a young child has already mastered advanced chakra control techniques."
"What a terrifying little kid!"
Meanwhile, Nara Shikadai, having reunited with his brother Shikaku, recounted Raiden's exploits with an air of admiration. Many children feared Raiden's strength, but there were also those who admired him, a natural tendency to respect strength across all age groups.
From Shikadai's detailed description, Nara Shikaku pieced together Raiden's abilities and surmised that his physical prowess stemmed from the legendary Super Strength technique. In Konoha, this technique was famously associated with the First Hokage's wife and their granddaughter, Tsunade, who was widely known for her exceptional Super Strength and unparalleled medical ninjutsu. Even among Jonin, Tsunade was a force to be reckoned with.
Shikaku, already a teenager, knew about Tsunade's capabilities and recognized how rare and difficult it was to master her techniques. While Konoha housed an abundance of ninjutsu, the ability to learn and master even a fraction of them depended heavily on one's talent. Few could dream of wielding even a B-rank technique effectively, let alone anything higher.
Shikaku thought of Shizune, Tsunade's loyal apprentice. Despite years under Tsunade's tutelage, Shizune had yet to master either the Super Strength or the Yin Seal. Talent, as much as training, determined one's potential.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the eldest son of the Third Hokage, overheard Shikadai's conversation with his brother. Already familiar with the difficulty of mastering Super Strength, Shinnosuke had been paying close attention to Raiden. He knew his father had assigned him to a team with Minato and Kushina for more than just training—it was part of a larger plan.
"Let's go home," Kushina said, finally pulling Raiden away. She had been asking him about the exam, but now seemed ready to head home. As Kushina and Minato walked with Raiden, Shinnosuke watched them thoughtfully.
Sunset
As the sun set, Kushina and Raiden stood at the entrance to the Uzumaki residence. Kushina, holding Raiden's hand, hesitated to say goodbye to Minato. Ever since that incident, Kushina had begun to see Minato differently, and now, being grouped with him as part of the ninja team only seemed to deepen their connection.
"Minato, see you tomorrow~" Kushina said, blushing as she waved goodbye.
"See you tomorrow, Kushina," Minato replied warmly, his gaze lingering on her.
Raiden, standing by, rolled his eyes. "I can't take this anymore..." Breaking free from Kushina's grip, he marched into the house. "I haven't even eaten, but I feel full just watching this."
Night
In the study of the Uzumaki household, Raiden sat at a low desk, surrounded by three specially made blank scrolls, several bamboo tubes filled with fresh water, and a pile of military rations. He carefully prepared for the final assessment: a week-long survival test in the wild.
"This isn't just an entrance exam—it's a survival challenge! A whole week in the wild? No way all those kids will pass."
Grumbling, Raiden picked up a brush and began inscribing storage seals onto the scrolls. He had initially assumed the survival test would last only a day or two, but learning it would stretch to a week had forced him to prepare thoroughly. With no prior experience in survival, he couldn't afford to take any chances.
Most of Raiden's current ninjutsu stemmed from the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan. He was adept at crafting basic storage scrolls and explosive tags. Beyond that, he had only mastered the three basic techniques and the Shadow Clone Jutsu, the latter learned to expedite his study of sealing techniques. His physical skills and chakra control techniques, including Super Strength and the incomplete Yin Seal, were the result of years of dedicated practice.
Soon, Raiden had completed the three storage scrolls, evenly distributing water and military rations among them. With a quick sealing gesture, the supplies disappeared into the scrolls.
"This should be enough," he muttered, tucking the scrolls into his ninja pouch.
The night passed quietly.
(End of this chapter)
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