One Month Later — Team Kushina
It had been exactly a month since Team Kushina was formed. In that time, the team—composed of Natsu Hyuga, Izumo Kamizuki, and Kotetsu Hagane—had already become a minor legend among the rookie genin.
Not because of their overwhelming strength.
But because of one thing...
They had almost wiped out all the D-rank missions in the village.
Yes, all of them.
From sweeping village streets to helping a paranoid gardener, they completed each task relentlessly. All because of the blazing, near-incomprehensible enthusiasm of their sensei—Uzumaki Kushina.
"I even dreamed about washing that old cow last night…" Kotetsu muttered one day, his eyes hollow.
"You're lucky. I woke up yelling, 'Sorry! The cat ran to the rooftop!'" replied Izumo, his eye bags as dark as black coffee.
Natsu, as usual, just stared at the sky in silence. But even her normally calm eyes now shimmered with mild trauma.
That Morning — Training Field
"ALRIGHT!!"
Kushina's voice echoed from atop a large boulder, where she stood like a war general.
"Today is your LAST day doing D-rank missions!"
Three pairs of genin eyes sparkled like chicks seeing an open coop door.
Kushina raised a clenched fist, her face alight with passion. "After this, you'll get a full week off, and then… we move up! C-rank missions!!"
As if that statement had broken the spiritual chains holding them down, the trio burst into cheers—each in their own way.
Izumo collapsed dramatically. "I-I can finally rest! I can be alive again!"
Kotetsu grabbed his friend's hands. "We did it, man! We survived vegetable hell and demon cats!"
Meanwhile, Natsu looked at the sky and closed her eyes. "Finally... no more Byakugan just to find furry creatures..."
Kushina chuckled. "Alright, since this is your last one, go to the mission office without me. Consider it a trust exercise."
Before they could respond, Kushina's body flickered and vanished—leaving three students waving at empty air.
A Few Minutes Later — Mission Location
They stood in front of a very familiar house.
"…Isn't this Kushina-sensei's place?" Kotetsu squinted suspiciously.
"Yeah," Natsu replied, unrolling a small scroll. "But this is the address listed here."
Izumo glanced around. "Maybe she wants us to clean her house? Or… what if this is another secret test?!"
Before they spiraled further, the front door swung open.
Kushina beamed at them from the doorway, a bright smile on her face. Behind her stood a small, confused-looking blond toddler with chubby cheeks—little Naruto, about three years old.
"Welcome~!" she greeted cheerfully. "Your mission today is... babysitting Naruto for the whole day!"
They froze.
"Isn't it wonderful to look after my adorable baby?" Kushina cooed, pinching Naruto's cheek. He didn't react.
The three genin stared at Naruto.
Naruto stared back... blankly.
A gentle breeze passed. A leaf fell. The atmosphere shifted into a somber, still painting.
Kushina quickly cleared her throat.
"Anyway, I have an important errand to run. Take care of Naruto, okay? Don't let anything happen to him. Bye bye~!"
With a wave and a poof—she was gone.
The three genin stood speechless before her house... now joined by a toddler with limitless chaotic potential.
Natsu, as usual, was the first to speak.
"Alright. Naruto-kun... today you'll play with big sis."
She knelt down, offering her hand with a slightly strained smile.
Naruto looked at her and grinned brightly. "Okay, Natsu-nee!"
Kotetsu and Izumo turned to Natsu, horror-struck.
Natsu responded with a calm but emotionally restrained smile. "I'm ignoring that."
Izumo cautiously opened the door. "Well... let's go in. Let's pray we don't blow up her kitchen."
Naruto charged inside, yelling, "LET'S PLAY~!!!"
Kotetsu stared at his teammates with dread. "You guys do realize... we just got a hardcore version of a D-rank mission."
And so the day began—with three genin, one little child, and a house that might become a battlefield at any moment.
Kushina's Home, Morning
Three-year-old Naruto Uzumaki sat cheerfully on a tatami mat, hugging a worn green frog plushie named "Gama-chan."
Natsu, Izumo, and Kotetsu stood around him in a triangle formation—like ANBU guarding the Hokage. Yet somehow, they were the ones who looked terrified.
Izumo whispered, "Alright... strategy. Natsu, you're on interaction. You're the calmest."
Natsu nodded. "Understood. I will build diplomatic relations."
Kotetsu chimed in, "I've got the kitchen. We can't lose her kitchen like we nearly did at Teuchi's."
"…You were the one who tried to cook ramen while sleep-standing," Izumo muttered.
Izumo patted his chest. "I'll guard the doors and windows. No toddler escapes on my watch."
They all nodded in unison.
Then turned to look at Naruto.
Naruto... was gone.
"…Huh?"
"Where is he?!"
"Oh no, he escaped?! It's been one minute!!"
A voice rang out—
"I'M A NINJAAA~!!"
They looked up.
Naruto dangled from the ceiling beam using a random piece of string, then leapt toward the sofa.
BOOM.
The couch collapsed. Cushions exploded everywhere. Natsu rushed to lift Naruto from beneath the pile.
"N-Naruto-kun! Don't jump from the ceiling!"
Naruto giggled. "But I'm training to be a ninja! Super jump jutsu!"
Kotetsu clutched his head. "We need a special task force to babysit this kid..."
10 A.M.
Izumo opened the fridge. "Okay, we've got milk, baby porridge, and... chili peppers?"
Kotetsu eyed Naruto trying to open the spice rack. "Feed him porridge, not chemical experiments!"
Natsu calmly started feeding Naruto a spoonful of porridge.
But then...
Naruto glanced sideways. His smile slowly widened like a tiny villain.
"I don't want porridge!" he said—and blew it into Natsu's face.
PLOP!
"....."
Natsu's face was now decorated with warm gray mush and carrot bits.
Kotetsu burst out laughing. "Wahaha! Natsu—you look like a topographic map!"
Natsu slowly wiped her face, expression calm.
But her eyes blinked twice as fast.
"…Okay. You'll eat now... the Hyuga way."
She activated her Byakugan.
Naruto screamed, "NATSU-NEE TURNED INTO A MONSTER!!"
Operation "Naptime"
Izumo brought a blanket, Kotetsu had a plushie, and Natsu was ready with a fairy tale book.
Naruto refused.
"I'm not sleepy! I wanna run on the roof!"
"No, you cannot run on the roof, Naruto-kun!" Natsu panicked.
Kotetsu tried reasoning. "If you sleep now, you might dream about being Hokage!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Really? I become Hokage in my dream?"
Izumo added, "Not just Hokage. We'll make you the flying Hokage."
Naruto paused.
"…I'll sleep now."
Natsu eyed them. "You two… are either geniuses or professional liars."
Kotetsu smirked. "Both."
Afternoon —
When Naruto finally fell asleep on Kotetsu's belly and Izumo was about to snore, the front door opened.
Kushina returned with a small basket of groceries.
Her eyes scanned the room.
Tatami a mess. Kitchen semi-destroyed. Sofa beyond saving. Her three genin... collapsed in formation.
Naruto sleeping soundly, a satisfied smile on his face.
Kushina sighed softly... then smiled.
'Three chaotic genin… but they really gave it their all.'
She placed the basket on the table, walked over to Naruto, and gently covered him with a blanket. She looked at her students one by one.
"Good job, you guys…" she whispered.
Sitting on the floor, letting out a long breath, she murmured to herself:
"Maybe... this kind of D-rank mission is the toughest of them all."
And for the first time... she napped with her students.