Chapter 4: Tomato and Traitor
The morning classes ended, and students began gathering their belongings to head home for lunch. Just as Uzumaki Kushina stood to leave, several boys from their class surrounded her desk, forming a loose circle that blocked her path.
"Hey Tomato, from today on we're calling you Tomato!" one boy announced with a mocking laugh. "Round face and red hair—you're basically a walking tomato!"
Another joined in, "How's a tomato supposed to become Hokage?"
"I hate tomatoes!" a third declared, grinning at his friends.
"Me too! I always pick them out of my salad!"
"How can an unpopular tomato ever earn the villagers' recognition?"
Their laughter echoed through the partially emptied classroom.
Uzumaki Kushina's cheeks flushed nearly as red as her hair, her lips pressed into a tight, angry pout. She wanted to argue back, but their words stung with uncomfortable accuracy—she did somewhat resemble the vegetable they named her after.
The taunts quickly expanded to include her desk mate. "An unpopular tomato and an unpopular traitor—no wonder you two sit together."
"Tomato and Traitor, what a perfect match!"
Kagenori's lips curled in quiet disgust. He'd earned his own nickname at the academy—"Traitor"—passed down from the parents of these very children who whispered about his missing-nin parents.
As the taunting escalated, Kagenori noticed Namikaze Minato watching from across the room. Though the blond boy's eyes lingered on Kushina with apparent concern, he made no move to intervene.
That decided it for Kagenori. He stood and began making his way through the circle of boys.
Just as he approached, one particularly bold child reached out and grabbed a handful of Kushina's vibrant red hair. "Everything's ripe! It's tomato season—time to harvest the fruits!"
Uzumaki Kushina seized the boy's wrist, her expression darkening with building rage. But before she could act, Kagenori stepped behind the hair-puller.
"Excuse me," Kagenori said, his voice calm but firm. "Would you mind moving?"
The group immediately redirected their attention to him. "What gives you the right to tell us what to do, Traitor? Get lost!"
Kagenori's expression remained neutral. "Fighting here would look rather pathetic, don't you think?"
Early in his academy days, Kagenori had been cornered by several students. Thanks to his Senju heritage granting him above-average physical capabilities, he'd managed to hold his own against multiple opponents. While not quite at Minato's level, he'd established himself as someone not to be trifled with lightly. The bullies, who primarily targeted easier prey, had gradually learned to leave him alone.
The boys hesitated at his words, their confidence wavering.
Kagenori stepped forward, using his shoulder to gently but firmly push past the boy still holding Kushina's hair, creating an opening in their circle. He continued walking out of the classroom without looking back.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, realization dawned on him. Uzumaki Kushina—she didn't actually need his rescue.
The Uzumaki clan's legendary vitality and her own fierce spirit meant she was more than capable of handling some schoolyard bullies.
The sounds from the classroom confirmed his thoughts a second later.
"Who are you calling Tomato?" Kushina's voice rang out, sharp with fury. "I'll have you know I hate tomatoes too!"
There was a scuffle, followed by several thuds as bodies hit the floor. Through the doorway, Kagenori glimpsed Kushina pinning one boy down, punching him squarely on the head. "If you underestimate me again and call me Tomato," she declared, "I'll make you regret it!"
Her eyes then found Namikaze Minato, who was watching with an amused smile. "What's so funny?" she demanded.
Minato instantly turned away, only daring to watch her from his peripheral vision.
When afternoon classes resumed, Kagenori returned to his seat eating a rice ball he'd purchased from a convenience store. Uzumaki Kushina sat beside him, still fuming. He noted the fresh bumps covering the heads of the boys who'd teased her earlier.
Was she still angry because she felt she hadn't hit them hard enough?
Throughout Masada Hayabusa's lesson, Kagenori noticed Kushina glancing at him more frequently than usual. Her constant attention left him feeling unsettled through the entire afternoon session.
When classes finally ended, Kagenori wasted no time gathering his things, eager to leave the classroom and practice his Thunder Breathing forms.
He failed to notice the half-raised hand and awkward expression on Kushina's face as he departed. She'd been mustering the courage to speak with him—to suggest that since they were both outcasts, perhaps they could be friends. His earlier intervention, however small, had sparked this hope in her.
Watching his retreating back, Uzumaki Kushina clenched her small fists, determination flashing in her eyes. She hurried after him.
Kagenori moved with such purpose that he was nearly running. Kushina, with her shorter legs, had to push herself to keep pace as they moved from Konoha's bustling streets to its quieter outskirts.
"Hey! Wait!" she called out, breathing heavily.
Surprised by the familiar voice, Kagenori turned to find Uzumaki Kushina doubled over, hands on her thighs as she caught her breath.
He walked back to her. "Did you need something?"
After taking a deep breath, Kushina straightened and thrust her hand toward him. "My name is Uzumaki Kushina!" she announced loudly.
Kagenori looked at her with mild surprise, which made her shift uneasily under his gaze.
"My name is Kagenori," he replied, lightly shaking her offered hand before releasing it.
"Kagenori? Is that your family name or given name?"
"Given name. I don't have a family name."
"Huh? No family name?" Her head tilted in confusion—she'd never met someone without a surname.
"Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Kagenori prompted.
Kushina gathered her courage again. "I want to be friends with you!"
Just as I expected, Kagenori thought.
"Uzumaki Kushina," he said gently, "you've seen how things are for me in class."
She nodded earnestly. "I know—you're isolated, just like me."
Kagenori offered a small, sad smile. "Your situation is different from mine. I'm shunned by the entire village. If you become friends with me, you might be isolated too. Today was just your first day, and you encountered some unpleasant classmates, but you'll find other friends. You should ask the teacher to change seats—sitting next to me will only make it harder for you to connect with others. It's getting late, you should head back. Goodbye."
Having politely declined her offer of friendship, Kagenori waved and turned to continue his journey home.
Uzumaki Kushina watched his retreating figure, her head bowing in disappointment. The courage it had taken to approach him had been substantial, and his rejection stung more than she expected, leaving a hollow ache of loneliness in her chest.