The Next Morning – Training Ground No. 7, 6:00 AM
The morning air was still cold, and the dew had yet to fully evaporate from the grass as Kushina Uzumaki stepped onto the hardened soil of Training Ground No. 7. The sun had just begun to peek over the trees, tinting the sky with a pale orange glow.
"Wow," she murmured softly, surprised but pleased. "They got here before me?"
Standing before her were three young genin, posture straight and eyes full of spirit. Izumo—with his brown hair and a serious, if slightly nervous, look. Kotetsu—his soul-twin, full of energy but a bit reckless. And the calmest of the three: Hyuga Natsu, a girl with short dark green hair and the trademark white eyes of her clan.
Kushina placed her hands on her hips and grinned wide. "You're here this early? Good! Discipline is the foundation of a true ninja."
Izumo smiled awkwardly, Kotetsu grinned with pride, while Natsu simply dipped her head slightly, her expression calm.
"Since you're already fired up," Kushina continued as she reached into a small pouch on her kunai belt, "let's jump right into your first mission as genin!"
She held up two small, glimmering bells.
"These bells," she said as she shook them, producing a sharp jingle, "are your objective for today. Take them from me before lunch. Whoever succeeds, passes. Whoever doesn't… well…"
"Eh?" Kotetsu raised his hand. "Only two bells, sensei?"
Natsu furrowed her brow slightly. "That means… only two of us will pass?"
Kushina turned to Natsu and nodded with satisfaction. "Good question, Hyuga-chan."
She crossed her arms, her voice suddenly colder.
"Only two will pass. The other… will be sent back to the Academy."
Izumo tensed. Kotetsu's jaw dropped.
"Wait—"
"Begin!" Kushina cut them off before they could protest. She leapt backward and landed gracefully on a tree stump. "Hide fast before I start attacking first!"
The three, still stunned, immediately scattered into the nearby trees. Silence fell.
Kushina sat cross-legged on the stump, the bells now hanging from her belt, a small smile on her face. She waited patiently.
'Let's see who makes the first move.'
Sure enough—minutes later, rustling came from the left. Kotetsu emerged confidently, followed by two Bunshin.
"Bunshin no Jutsu, huh?" Kushina squinted. 'An illusion. Still doesn't have that legendary giant hammer yet, huh? Well, he's still a genin.'
Kotetsu charged in with two kunai, leaping toward Kushina with a loud yell.
"Hyaaaah!!"
Kushina raised an eyebrow, then simply lifted her right hand. Her kunai clinked lightly, deflecting Kotetsu's attacks as if brushing aside falling leaves.
Clang! Clang!
"Ugh!" Kotetsu stepped back. "She didn't even move…"
Suddenly, Izumo appeared behind him.
Syrup Capture Field!
Sticky fluid rushed toward Kushina's feet.
"Hmm… not bad," Kushina murmured as she lightly jumped into the air, avoiding the trap. "But you're still too exposed."
As she landed, soft footsteps approached from behind.
She glanced back and saw Hyuga Natsu's glowing white eyes. The girl struck at her chakra points with precision.
'Oh? She's targeting my tenketsu?'
Kushina darted back swiftly, but one of Natsu's palms nearly touched her shoulder.
"You're fast, Natsu-chan," Kushina praised as she kicked a too-close Kotetsu away.
"Uwaaah!"
One by one, she deflected and evaded their attacks with ease. Occasionally, she'd sweep a leg or tap one of her students on the head.
Though it was clear their strength didn't match hers, their effort and teamwork brought a smile to her face.
'They're like newly hatched chicks. But their spirit… it's honestly adorable.'
Finally, when lunchtime arrived, Kushina called a stop.
"Alright, that's enough. You've sweated enough for today," she said casually.
The three genin collapsed, panting heavily.
"And as for the result of this test…" Kushina pulled out a rope and dragged Kotetsu to a wooden post.
"W-Wait! Why me?!"
"Because you're the loudest," Kushina replied flatly, tying him up.
She then turned to Natsu and Izumo, expression serious.
"Do not feed him during lunch. That's his punishment."
Kotetsu whined. "So cruel… Sensei is mean…"
Kushina chuckled softly, then walked into the forest.
"Alright, I'll be watching you from afar now. Do as you like."
But just before vanishing completely, she paused and made a hand sign.
'Anti-tracking fuinjutsu. Just for Natsu and those all-seeing eyes.'
With that, her body faded into the woods, leaving only the faint jingle of bells…
The sun had risen higher. Warm beams filtered through the leaves, casting patterns of light and shadow on the grass. The midday breeze swayed the trees and carried the scent of earth and sweat from the morning's training.
Izumo sat cross-legged and opened his bento box. Inside: rice balls, slices of tamagoyaki, and a bit of pickled vegetables. His stomach had been growling for five minutes.
Beside him, Natsu opened her lunch with calm precision. No smile, but no tension either—cold, measured, and focused as always. Her green hair was a little messy, but her white eyes stayed sharp.
Kotetsu? Still tied to the post, his face wrinkled like a sad towel. He craned his neck toward the aroma wafting from the food. His stomach growled loudly.
"Guuuurrkkk…"
Izumo glanced at his bound friend.
"I... kinda feel bad," he murmured, scooping rice.
Without a word, Natsu suddenly closed her lunch box and looked straight ahead. Her Byakugan activated, veins forming faintly around her eyes.
Byakugan!
She scanned the area carefully. Her eyes moved left... right... then stopped.
"…She's not around."
Izumo turned. "Huh?"
"Sensei. She's out of my visual range."
"Eh? You mean… she left us?"
Natsu gave a small nod. Then, without a word, she stood, walked to Kotetsu, knelt, opened her lunch box, and began feeding him silently with chopsticks.
Kotetsu stared. "E-Eh?! Natsu?! You're... feeding me?"
Natsu remained silent. A faint pink dusted her cheeks as she offered him a slice of tamagoyaki.
"Don't talk. Just eat," she said flatly, but her voice was gentler than usual.
Kotetsu gulped. His eyes began to glisten.
"G-Guys... you're truly the best friends ever…"
Izumo sighed from a distance.
"Man, why were we even banned from sharing food? This is just cruel." He walked over, sat next to Natsu, and offered a rice ball to Kotetsu's mouth.
Kotetsu was speechless. He opened his mouth wide and devoured each bite eagerly, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
"Aaahhh! This is the best rice I've ever tasted! You guys are like angels!!"
Izumo chuckled. "Don't exaggerate, bro. That's just two bites."
Natsu offered a slice of pickled radish. "Chew slowly."
Kotetsu nodded quickly like a hungry kitten.
Behind the bushes, far off in the trees, Kushina stood on a branch, arms crossed. Her eyes watched them closely, a small smile forming.
'So you chose to share anyway… even after I told you not to feed him…'
Her eyes softened. A sense of pride crept into her chest.
'They're not selfish. They didn't want to pass alone. They chose to be punished together rather than leave one behind.'
Kushina exhaled lightly, then whispered to herself:
"…They pass."