Konoha Year: 41
By the time Haruki entered his third year at the Academy, the halls felt less like a school and more like a second home.
He had grown taller, stronger, and more confident in both body and mind. His chakra control had improved steadily, and while he still struggled with certain jutsu, he made up for it with persistence and strategic thinking. Jun was still the unpredictable wildcard, more daring than disciplined, while Sachi had developed into a quiet powerhouse with sharp observation skills. The three remained close, a steady triangle of support in an ever-evolving class.
The Academy itself had changed too, students came and went, some dropped out, others transferred in, and rumors about missions, promotions, and clans ran as wild as ever. But nothing had prepared the class for what would happen on a warm morning in early spring.
Daichii-sensei stood at the front of the classroom with his usual neutral expression, arms crossed. The hum of chatter died down as he cleared his throat.
"We have a new student joining us today," he said. "Please give her your attention."
The door opened.
In walked a girl with vibrant, flame-red hair that practically glowed under the sunlight streaming through the windows. Her posture was bold, her expression fierce, and there was a confidence to her stride that immediately demanded attention. She wore the standard Academy uniform but somehow made it look… loud.
The class murmured among themselves. A few boys whispered to each other. A couple of girls eyed her suspiciously. One student let out a low whistle before getting smacked on the head by his seatmate.
The girl stopped at the front, her hands on her hips.
"I'm Kushina Uzumaki," she said in a strong, brash voice, her accent clearly not local. "And I'm gonna be Hokage one day so you better remember my name!"
Dead silence.
Minato Namikaze blinked once from his seat by the window. He hadn't expected that.
From the way she carried herself to the sheer fire in her voice, Kushina didn't seem like the kind of person who hesitated. That alone intrigued him. He'd heard murmurs that someone from the Uzumaki clan had arrived in the village but he hadn't imagined it would be her.
He couldn't help but smile a little.
She was bold, definitely. But beneath the bravado, he sensed something else, an urgency, a desire to be seen, acknowledged, accepted.
And her chakra… even from across the room, he could feel it. Wild. Unrefined. Powerful.
Daichi sighed. "Kushina, please take a seat."
"Fine," she muttered, eyes scanning the room like she was sizing everyone up.
She passed by Minato without glancing his way, but he watched her closely.
Uzumaki, he thought. This year just got interesting.
***
Jun snorted as Kushina passed their row, and Haruki raised an eyebrow. She took the empty seat behind him, arms crossed.
"What?" she snapped when Haruki looked back at her.
"Nothing."
"Hmph."
Jun leaned across the aisle toward Haruki, whispering, "Did you hear her? Hokage? She just got here!"
Haruki shrugged. "She's not exactly subtle."
"She's nuts," Jun whispered. "Totally bonkers. I like her already."
Sachi, seated nearby, gave a noncommittal hum. "She's loud. But… determined."
Kushina, apparently hearing all of this, leaned forward and smacked her desk once with her palm. "I can hear you, you know!"
"Ah- sorry," Haruki said quickly.
Jun grinned. "We were just admiring your ambition."
Kushina narrowed her eyes, then turned away with a "Tch."
Minato glanced over from his corner. She was already starting to shift the room's energy just by being there.
***
The next few weeks were filled with a new kind of energy in the classroom.
Kushina had thrown off the balance of the class in a way no one had expected. She was incredibly capable, her chakra reserves were massive, her taijutsu strong, and her enthusiasm unmatched, but she had a temper that flared quickly. And she didn't take teasing lightly.
Several boys tried to make fun of her accent or hair. The first time, she punched one of them in the gut so hard he missed class the next day. After that, most learned to keep their jokes to themselves.
Haruki, Sachi, and Jun observed her from a respectful distance at first, unsure of how to approach her. She didn't seem to want friends, at least not obviously, but sometimes she lingered near them during lunch breaks, just close enough to overhear their conversations but far enough to pretend she wasn't listening.
Minato kept his observations quiet. He wasn't the type to throw himself into others' business, but he did take note of how she trained longer than most, how she scowled when people whispered, and how she always looked over her shoulder, like she expected people to disappear.
One day, during free practice, Minato saw her alone, pounding her fists into a training dummy with relentless force.
He considered approaching. Just to say something. But instead, he remained where he was, thoughtful.
You're carrying something heavy, he thought. But you don't want anyone to see it.
***
Eventually, Haruki found himself paired with her during sparring.
"Try to keep up," Kushina said.
"You sure you can?" he replied.
They clashed. Hard. Fast. She came at him with the force of a whirlwind, and Haruki did his best to redirect her momentum without getting flattened.
Their spar drew attention. Even Minato looked up from his own practice, quietly observing the way Haruki chose to evade rather than overpower.
Then, Daichi called a stop.
Kushina smirked. "Not bad."
Haruki offered a hand. "You either."
She slapped his palm in a rough high-five instead.
"Nice work," Minato called out mildly from the edge of the field.
Kushina turned to him, eyes narrowing.
"Didn't know you could talk," she said.
Minato chuckled. "Only when it matters."
Kushina gave him a confused look and then turned away.
She's strong, Minato thought, watching her leave. And stubborn.
***
Later, as Haruki's trio discussed her over lunch, Kushina trained alone again. But this time, she looked over to them more than once.
Jun stretched his arms behind his head. "I say we bring her in."
"She could use a team," Haruki said.
Sachi nodded. "Yeah, better than alone."
They approached her the next day.
To everyone's surprise, she didn't resist too hard.
***
That evening, Minato sat beneath the same tree he usually did, notebook in hand, sketching out ideas for a sealing formula he'd been working on.
From a distance, he saw Haruki, Jun, Sachi, and Kushina together, practicing. Laughing.
It brought a small smile to his face.
He glanced back at his notes.
She's not alone anymore. That's good.
And then, almost as an afterthought, he wrote a single line in the margin of the page:
Kushina Uzumaki. Red hot. Unyielding. Possibly unstoppable.