[Ding! New mission activated: The Arrival of the Red-Hot Habanero.]
[Mission Choices:]
Respond to Kushina, and declare your ambition to become Hokage before Minato does.
Reward: Cut (a powerful slashing technique)
Bully Kushina by mocking her hair alongside the other students.
Reward: 5 Draw Tokens
Ignore Kushina, and observe the original storyline unfold.
Reward: Exp. Candy XS ×3
Take other actions to earn varied rewards.
This was Kushina Uzumaki's first introduction in the original timeline! Uchiha Hayato sat up, patting the restless Monferno beside him as it fidgeted playfully.
He analyzed the system tasks and rewards carefully. The Cut technique was a neutral ninjutsu, especially powerful if combined with a blade. The draw tokens were tempting but came with no guarantees of a good outcome.
However, the Exp. Candy would be the most useful at this stage. Hayato was still in his growth phase, and increasing his chakra reserves would allow him to enter the rapid growth phase sooner.
But he refused to take the passive route. He had a system designed to change the ninja world. Sitting on the sidelines was not an option.
"Look at that hair color! I can't believe it!"
"How does it even get that red? It's so weird!"
"Alright, settle down! Quiet down, all of you!" Their teacher, Yamashita Youhei, pressed his hands downward, trying to calm the class.
Standing nervously at the front of the room was Kushina Uzumaki. Her fiery red hair framed her pale face like flames, a striking but beautiful image. Despite her bold appearance, she looked hesitant, biting her lip before loudly declaring a lie:
"I… I'm going to be this village's first female Hokage!"
She didn't really want to be Hokage. Kushina only said it to avoid being treated like an outsider. She wasn't sure if Konoha could ever feel like her home, but she desperately wanted to fit in.
"What? That's hilarious. A female Hokage?"
Namikaze Minato frowned, disliking the way his classmates spoke about Kushina. Anyone brave enough to declare their ambition to become Hokage was someone he could respect. He was about to stand up and defend her when Uchiha Hayato beat him to it.
"Shut up! Quiet down—you're interrupting her introduction!"
The teacher gave an awkward wave of his hand, trying to diffuse the situation. But some students were unwilling to let it go.
"What's your problem, Uchiha Hayato? Don't get so full of yourself!"
A tall, white-haired boy stood up, his expression irritated. The other students began whispering among themselves, the tension rising.
"Full of myself? I'm just being honest. At least Kushina isn't insulting strangers," Hayato replied with a cold smile.
He had no patience for bullies. Both Naruto and Kushina had suffered mistreatment as children, and he himself had been shunned because of his Uchiha heritage. Apart from Minato, very few boys wanted to befriend him. Now that he had a chance to change things, he wouldn't let it pass.
"You want to fight, huh? What's so great about the Uchiha Clan?" the tall boy sneered, cracking his knuckles. His irritation grew when he noticed the Monferno perched beside Hayato.
The boy decided to take out his frustration on Hayato's companion.
"Go, Shōen!" Hayato commanded.
"Chii! (｡◣∀◢｡)" Monferno leapt into action, its flame-tipped tail flaring brightly. As the tall boy lunged forward with a punch, Monferno dodged gracefully, pivoted to the side, and retaliated with a swift Fire Punch.
Flames scorched the boy's robe, forcing him to tear it off and retreat in pain. Monferno pressed the attack, hopping agilely and using its flames to keep him off balance.
"Too slow!" Hayato smirked, leaping into action. He intercepted another boy who tried to sneak up on him, grabbing his leg mid-kick and tossing him aside effortlessly.
The other students, emboldened by numbers, began to swarm. A nimble boy attempted to grapple Hayato from behind, hoping to neutralize his speed.
Minato, watching in surprise, quickly joined the fight. He couldn't just stand by while his friend was outnumbered.
Yamashita-sensei froze at the front of the classroom, unsure how things had escalated so quickly. As a Chūnin, he could easily separate the students, but this had already turned into an all-out brawl.
"Kushina, come with me to see the Third Hokage. Since this started because of you, it's better if you explain," he said, creating a shadow clone to monitor the fight.
Yamashita sighed. "When the sky falls, let the tall ones hold it up." He decided to leave this to Sarutobi Hiruzen to handle.
In the Hokage's office, the young Third Hokage stroked his beard thoughtfully. Today was Kushina's first day in Konoha, and he had intended to quietly observe her integration. Instead, he found himself watching a chaotic scene.
A smile played on his lips as he focused on Uchiha Hayato. It was rare for someone from the Uchiha Clan to stand up for others, setting aside clan pride for the village's sake. It reminded him of his late friend, Uchiha Kagami.
Still, Hayato's impulsive nature stood in stark contrast to Kagami's level-headedness.
His gaze shifted to the agile Monferno darting between students. Hiruzen furrowed his brows. "Enma never mentioned having offspring…"
"Lord Third, Yamashita Youhei requests an audience!"
Hiruzen sighed, putting down his pipe. This was going to be an interesting day.