Chapter 1
(Main female leads: Uzumaki Kushina, Tsunade, Mikoto, Konan, Terumi Mei, Yagura, and more)
"If Kushina hadn't married Minato and hadn't died, would she have become Hokage?"
Uchiha He Yu wanted to become the man of the Five Kage, so this question was extremely important to him.
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He stood handsomely on a tree branch, looking down at the red-haired girl surrounded by three kids below, lost in thought.
This was the 40th year of Konoha, the final year of the Second Great Ninja War.
Uzumaki Kushina was a 10-year-old little girl, not yet the fiery little pepper she would become—just a shy little tomato.
She wore a yellow ancient-style sleeveless one-piece dress, with a black fishnet liner underneath. Her ultra-short skirt hem revealed black tight shorts.
Her two snow-white, slender little legs sparkled under the sunlight.
She was clearly a cute and beautiful little girl—why was she being bullied by the kids from Konoha?
Was it because Konoha's male ninjas only had bromance, no romance?
Uchiha He Yu glanced at the three scrappy classmates surrounding Uzumaki Kushina, utterly baffled.
"Red-haired freak! You look just like a tomato, and tomatoes are so gross—I hate tomatoes the most!"
"Who would like an outsider like you? Dreaming of becoming Hokage? Shameless!"
"No one here accepts you—get out of Konoha, hahaha!"
The three delinquent kids with their non-mainstream fruit-like hairstyles spewed vicious words, mocking Uzumaki Kushina without restraint.
Uzumaki Kushina was backed up against a tree, her little face tense. She looked both angry and aggrieved, with a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
Her hometown, Uzushiogakure, had just been destroyed by the war. Her parents, relatives, and friends—all killed.
She had wanted to forget the past, to make Konoha her new home.
To make new friends and start life over.
But after arriving in Konoha, all she felt was malice.
Kushina didn't understand— wasn't Konoha an ally of Uzushiogakure?
Why did everyone treat her with hostility when she hadn't done anything wrong?
She had tried so hard to fit in.
Why didn't anyone here understand her?
Why did everyone have to hate her?
Having red hair and looking like a tomato wasn't her fault.
She didn't want to leave her homeland or come to Konoha, but just like her appearance, she had no choice in the matter.
The pineapple-head kid saw Kushina pursing her lips without responding and assumed she was scared. He grew even more smug.
He stepped forward, roughly yanking Uzumaki Kushina's red hair, smirking crookedly.
"Your hair's so red it's about to ripen! Is it tomato harvest season? Don't come to school anymore—go pick fruit instead."
Faced with the bullying, Uzumaki Kushina was heartbroken to the extreme, feeling utter despair about her future life in Konoha.
But she didn't back down—she was a brave girl.
Against those who bullied her, she would fight back!
She would beat every one of her mockers into a rotten tomato!
Just as Kushina clenched her fists, ready to strike—
A handsome voice came from above her head.
"Three guys ganging up on one little girl—don't you feel ashamed?"
"You're all trash!"
Someone's here to help me?
Uzumaki Kushina realized someone in Konoha was willing to stand up for her. A strange emotion welled up in her heart—her despair-riddled soul felt redeemed.
Who is it?
With anticipation, she looked up toward the source of the voice.
She saw a handsome boy standing on the branch with one hand on his hip.
He wore a black high-collared ninja outfit and white shorts, looking down at the three delinquents with contemptuous eyes.
He's so handsome!
Seeing Uchiha He Yu's dashing figure, Uzumaki Kushina's heart skipped a beat, a blush spreading across her little face.
He seems like a classmate...
Uzumaki Kushina had just arrived at the Ninja Academy today and didn't know Uchiha He Yu.
But she had noticed him staring at her in class.
At the time, she felt curious, wondering what he was looking at, thinking he was a bit weird.
Now, Uzumaki Kushina understood why he had been watching her.
He was concerned about me all along!
A sweet warmth surged in her heart.
So there are good people in Konoha after all!
"Who's the busybody?"
The three delinquents shouted and turned to look.
"Black Feather? It's you? What are you pretending to be, you dead-last?"
"Are you in love with this tomato and trying to play hero?"
"Look at your own strength—you're no match for us! Hahaha~"
The three delinquents shifted targets, hurling mockery at Uchiha He Yu.
He likes me?
Uzumaki Kushina's heart raced faster, her little face turning even redder. Her watery eyes filled with confusion.
With my weird red hair, that's impossible, right?
Though Kushina didn't dare believe it, ripples stirred in her heart anyway.
He was the only one who stood up for her. Even if it wasn't love, she was still thrilled.
But he's a dead-last—probably weak. If he forces himself to help, he'll get hurt.
I can't let him get dragged into this.
Uzumaki Kushina parted her cherry lips, speaking in a soft, adorable voice.
"Thanks for your kindness, but I don't need your help—I can handle them myself—"
"Shut up first. I'm talking to those three pieces of trash!"
Uchiha He Yu domineeringly cut off Uzumaki Kushina's words.
"Eh... eh, I have to shut up...?"
Uzumaki Kushina was startled by his commanding tone, a bit dazed.
Isn't he here to help me? Why tell me to shut up?
Ninjas in Konoha are so weird!
Though a flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Uzumaki Kushina's mind, she obediently covered her mouth with her little hand and really stopped talking.
The three delinquents seemed to have hit a sore spot and jumped up in rage.
"You, the worst student in class, dare call us trash? Have some shame!"
"You're the trash—your whole family is trash!"
Uchiha He Yu snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain.
"Taking school grades seriously? That's the stupid idea only trash would have."
"Let me tell you—dead-lasts are often the strongest."
The pineapple-head's face flushed red with anger. He pointed at Uchiha He Yu and cursed.
"Don't talk big—come down here! Let's duel one-on-one!"
After saying that, he exchanged glances with the onion-head and radish-head beside him. The three shared an evil grin.
They said it was a one-on-one duel, but they planned to gang up.
They intended to three-against-one and beat Uchiha He Yu senseless.
They thought this plan made them clever—big brains!
Smug in secret.
"You want a one-on-one?"
"Fine. Let's have a fair duel of justice!"
Uchiha He Yu sneered, waving his hand. Suddenly, a flock of crows burst from the leaves behind him.
Flap! Flap!
The crows beat their wings, swarming over the three kids' heads and pecking at them viciously.
These weren't ordinary crows—they were Uchiha He Yu's specially trained ninja crows.
Their wings were strong and powerful, their beaks sharp as daggers, capable of tearing off a chunk of flesh with one bite.
"Ow ow ow, that hurts! Don't hit the face—don't peck my face!"
"...Holy crap, not there! Don't peck that off!"
The three delinquents were just Ninja Academy students—total noobs through and through.
It was their first time ambushed by summons; they panicked, clueless on how to respond, and fled with their heads covered as the crows bit them.
The pineapple-head knelt with his legs pressed together like a sissy, clutching his privates and shrieking.
"We agreed to a duel—how can you use summons?!"
"And a whole flock? Is this a duel?"
"This is so unfair! If you're man enough, jump down and fight me fair and square!"
Uchiha He Yu curled his lips into a pleased smile.
"Unfair? Exactly. Justice is justice—no need for fairness in the face of justice!"
Uchiha He Yu leaped forcefully from the 3-meter-high branch, his shoe sole slamming precisely onto the pineapple-head's skull, flattening him to the ground.
Boom!
Stomping with full body weight wasn't a joke.
The pineapple-head's head cratered the ground, and he went out like a light without a sound.
Onion-head and radish-head saw the brutal attack and froze in terror.
They stared at each other, completely baffled.
How does this dead-last not play by the rules?
Dead-lasts are supposed to be the weakest in class— they should be pinning him down.
How did he one-shot a guy instead?
Is this how you dead-last?!