The months slipped by quickly — the kind of slow, peaceful stretch that almost made you forget this was a ninja village.
Classes were mostly theory: history, geography, survival basics, and of course, the never-ending sermon about "The Will of Fire."
(At this point, I could probably recite that speech backward in my sleep.)
Still, life wasn't boring.
Every weekend, Minato and I trained together. He had great chakra control but zero idea where to begin. So one weekend, I decided to show him the ropes for the Three Body Techniques.
He picked it up frighteningly fast. Like, absurdly fast.
"Substitution's all about timing," I'd said, and before I could blink, he'd already swapped places with a log midair.
Yeah. Total prodigy.
Mikoto sometimes joined us. One of the few Uchiha without a the clan arrogance, she preferred training outside their compound — said it felt too suffocating in there.
And so, it became our thing.
The three of us — a "civilian trio," as Nawaki liked to call us — training at the edge of the forest every weekend.
I helped Minato polish his technique and he helped me with mine, then guided Mikoto through chakra refinement, using little tricks I remembered from anime. (Who said being a reincarnated Earthling didn't have perks?)
Bit by bit, we grew closer — Mikoto smiled more, Minato learned faster, and I… well, I finally stopped feeling like a background character.
Life was good.
Simple.
Until December began.
Konoha Ninja Academy
Morning
Snowflakes dusted the rooftops that morning, the air crisp and sharp.
Inside the classroom, chatter filled the room as usual — Nawaki boasting about how he'd "beat both Minato and me during the end-of-semester test this time," Mikoto ignoring him completely, and me trying not to fall asleep while Daiki-sensei did roll call.
Then Daiki-sensei cleared his throat. "Alright, class. Today we have a new student joining us. I want you all to treat her kindly."
He gestured toward the door. "Come in and introduce yourself."
The door slid open.
A girl with long, vivid crimson hair stepped inside, her violet eyes wide with curiosity. She fidgeted with her sleeves but still stood tall, confidence glinting beneath her nervousness.
Daiki nodded at her encouragingly. "Go ahead."
She took a breath and declared, "I'm Uzumaki Kushina. I recently moved to Konoha from Uzushiogakure! My dream is… to become the first female Hokage!"
A murmur rippled through the room. Some gasped at her boldness; others whispered about her hair.
Then came the teasing.
"Whoa, look at her red hair!"
"She looks like a tomato!"
Her brows twitched. Her jaw tightened.
Daiki, blissfully unaware, said, "You can take a seat."
Kushina stomped to the back row, muttering under her breath, "Stupid tomatoes… I'll show them red…"
The rest of the class wisely fell silent.
(A/N): She joined Konoha somewhere in the middle of next year, I just brought it up a bit forward.
After Class
The smart ones went left early.
The not-so-smart ones stayed behind to "apologize."
A few minutes later, the Academy yard echoed with the sounds of thuds, yelps, and pitiful cries for mercy.
That was the day Konoha learned a new phrase "The Blood-Red Habanero."
[Later – Inside the Classroom]
Kushina sat in her new seat beside me, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out.
Her hair was a wild red curtain, a few strands still sticking up like battle flags.
I glanced sideways. "…Rough first day?"
She huffed. "Tch. They deserved it. Calling me a tomato."
"I mean," I said casually, "even if others mock your hair color, I quite like it. Makes you look lively… and kinda cute."
Her face turned even redder. "Wha—!? Don't just say stuff like that!"
I chuckled, then without thinking, reached over and gently rubbed her head. "See? Soft too."
She froze. Completely still.
Then—
Pinch!
"Ow—!" I jerked, turning around.
Behind me, Mikoto gave me the coldest smile known to mankind. "Having fun?"
"Wha— I was just— friendly introduction!" I hissed.
Her smile didn't waver. "Uh-huh."
Minato beside her was trying hard not to laugh, shoulders shaking. Nawaki whispered dramatically, "Rest in peace, Ryo."
That was the straw that broke the camel's back — both of them burst out laughing, completely ignoring my suffering.
Meanwhile, Kushina was still overheating, staring at her desk like a kettle about to blow.
I sighed. "Well… that could've gone better."
---
[Evening – Konoha Streets]
Later that day, as our group walked home — now with one fiery redhead tagging along — the atmosphere felt… different.
Kushina was loud, stubborn, and talked with her hands. She argued with Nawaki within five minutes, teased Minato within ten, and somehow got Mikoto to laugh out loud by the end of the walk.
I smiled quietly to myself, hands in my pockets.
Looks like the squad just got a new spark.
As the winter wind swept through the streets, snow drifting down under the lamplight, I glanced at her red hair glowing softly in the night.
Welcome to the chaos, Kushina, I thought. You're gonna fit right in.
---
(A/N): December 1st — the day Konoha met its walking chili pepper, Ryo accidentally charmed her, and Mikoto unlocked a new level of silent judgment. 😂