When Chinya said that everything he had said in the Hokage's office was completely false, Kushina Uzumaki froze for a moment.
Confused, Kushina asked, "Chinya, what exactly do you mean when you say everything you said was fake?"
Chinya leaned close and whispered into Kushina's ear, "I never wanted to protect Konoha at all. For me, Konoha is like a prison. You should probably know a little about my past by now, right?"
Still slightly dazed, Kushina nodded.
During those days when Chinya was hospitalized, people who caused trouble for Kushina also took the opportunity to mock Chinya.
They said his parents were rogue ninjas of Konoha, and as the child of traitors, Chinya was bound to become a turncoat someday.
His mother belonged to the Uchiha Clan—the largest and most respected clan in Konoha—but Chinya himself was not accepted by the Uchiha Clan. He was like a homeless cur with no place to belong.
Such remarks were what Kushina heard every day during that time.
That's when she finally understood why Chinya had been isolated by everyone.
Chinya continued whispering in Kushina's ear, "My life in Konoha used to be very difficult. The main reason I was able to move into a new home and avoid punishment from Hiruzen Sarutobi today is because I gave him a set of Nin-Taijutsu. It was just a deal—I gave, they took, and everyone pretended to smile.
I don't have any feelings for Konoha, but I still needed to pretend I loved Konoha in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, or else my situation would become even worse.
Also, Kushina, your own position isn't easy either—you must be careful."
Kushina responded seriously, "I know!"
Chinya smiled wryly, "No, you don't really know. What I meant by saying your position is dangerous isn't just about those annoying brats who pick on you. Konoha had its own reasons for bringing you here in the first place. No matter what anyone tells you, always think carefully first, doubt it a little before believing it—don't just trust people immediately."
Chinya feared she might one day be swallowed by the Will of Fire.
To him, this so-called Will of Fire was like a wild beast waiting to swallow her whole.
Kushina replied solemnly, "I understand!"
Chinya exhaled deeply and smiled, "Don't be too nervous though. For now, just keep doing what you've always done. Focus mainly on improving your strength. And whatever I told you just now—don't tell anyone, not even your grandma Mito."
Kushina nodded firmly, replying confidently, "I definitely won't tell anyone!"
Then Chinya sat beside Kushina and ruffled her hair affectionately.
She'd long gotten used to Chinya's random head-pats—every time he did it, she just let him run his hand through her hair without a word.
But this time, she puffed out her cheeks in a huff.
"Ugh, we were supposed to go see the cherry blossoms in the forest together, but now thanks to those idiots, everything's ruined.
Now you have to stay at home for three whole days. Cherry blossoms don't last long—they'll already be gone by the time you're allowed outside again."
Chinya comforted her gently, "It's okay. These blossoms aren't only blooming this year. Next year, the year after that—I'll accompany you to see them bloom every single time."
Kushina Uzumaki stuck out her pinky toward Chinya. "Then promise me."
Chinya extended his pinky to hook with Kushina's. "Promise."
...
Chinya stayed at home for three days. Each day, Kushina Uzumaki brought him food before heading off to the Ninja Academy.
During these three days at home, Chinya had been studying his Sharingan.
The Dual Single-Tomoe Sharingan didn't have any particularly unique abilities. Its main function was observational—enhancing dynamic vision so he could see movements and hand seals more clearly.
The chakra consumption wasn't too heavy, staying within an acceptable range.
As for Thunder Breathing's Full Sword Forms—from First Form to Fourth Form—the chakra usage also fell within manageable limits.
Based on Chinya's current chakra reserves, he could probably execute three full rounds of Thunder Breathing's First through Fourth Forms.
But starting from Fifth Form, the chakra consumed increased dramatically.
Chinya estimated that attempting Thunder Breathing's Sixth Form – Electric Roar – might completely drain his chakra, let alone the Seventh Form.
What bugged Chinya was that the katana he bought with 10 Witness Points was already wrecked.
Chinya couldn't afford a new weapon right now.
To be honest, he barely had enough money just to eat.
Suddenly, Chinya felt that using a sword against those two brats had been kind of wasteful.
At this rate, he might not be able to save up enough to buy a new weapon until after graduating from the ninja school.
Three days later.
Chinya stepped out of his house and headed toward Mito Uzumaki's residence to pick up Kushina Uzumaki and walk to the Ninja Academy together.
When Chinya and Kushina Uzumaki entered the classroom, all the students turned their heads to look at Chinya.
The news about Chinya injuring a Genin badly enough to land them in the Ninja Hospital had already spread.
And it wasn't Minato Namikaze who told everyone—it was the injured Genin's younger brother.
Ever since that incident, whenever this little kid thought about Chinya, he shivered involuntarily. Out of fear of retaliation, he immediately requested to switch classes upon arriving at the Ninja Academy.
His classmates kept asking why he wanted to transfer, so the boy spilled everything about what happened that day.
Everyone found it hard to believe that Chinya had actually wounded a Genin so severely as to require hospitalization.
Plus, they learned that Minato Namikaze had witnessed the event. When they asked Minato himself whether it was true,
and Minato confirmed it, everyone was shocked—and uneasy.
This guy they'd always mocked had actually become this strong.
What if *they* were the next ones hospitalized?
And on top of that, Kushina Uzumaki was now under Chinya's protection, meaning they couldn't mess with her anymore either.
Minato Namikaze also looked at Chinya.
Their eyes met.
Chinya used to think Minato was decent, but after what happened, clearly he wasn't all that great.
A total hypocrite.
Of course, Chinya was also guilty of double standards, but at least he was open about it. Minato, however, used double standards too yet refused to admit it.
Kushina Uzumaki saw Chinya and Minato glaring at each other, and she joined in by glaring at Minato angrily.
Right now, Minato had absolutely no appeal in Kushina's eyes—only disgust.
When Minato noticed Kushina staring daggers at him, he immediately looked away.
Originally, Minato was scheduled to graduate ahead of schedule next year and then become Jiraiya's apprentice.
But after fighting against Chinya, Minato became deeply aware of his own inadequacies and weaknesses, so he requested to begin training with Jiraiya earlier than planned.
Jiraiya naturally understood that Minato wanted to start early because of Chinya. With such a strong rival pushing him, Minato could progress much faster. So after a test, Jiraiya officially accepted Minato as his disciple.
Nowadays, Minato attended the ninja academy during the day and trained with Jiraiya at night.
Minato's training focus had already been decided—it was speed.
Minato wanted to be faster than Chinya—no matter what it took!
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