Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 37: Uzumaki Maruku
Before her clan came to Konoha, Kushina had always been an easy target for bullies. Her fiery red hair, her brash personality, and her status as an outsider from Uzushiogakure made her stand out among her peers as an easy target. Alone, she had no shield, no one to back her up.
She had Mito and Tsunade as her backup but because she didn't want the adult to involve in a fight between children, she is alone in her class.
Interestingly, the ones who targeted her were not the clan children but the civilian students. The Uchiha, Hyūga, and even the Aburame never bothered her because they knew she is under protection of senju and also the one who they shouldn't disturb.
So all of them from the clan, in fact, kept their distance and treated her neutrally. They didn't bully her or try to befriend with her. That was why it had been easy for her to befriend some of the Uchiha. They had never bullied her, never sneered at her, and never treated her as less than a shinobi in class.
But the civilians, those were different. Many of them carried a sense of entitlement, proud to be children of merchants or bureaucrats or peasant who thought they were above an orphan girl from a ruined land. They were the ones who shoved her, the ones who laughed when she ate alone. But now she is no longer alone, her friends had come from Uzushiogakure.
During recess, the Academy students poured out into the wide playground. The sun shone brightly and laughter echoed as groups of friends gathered to eat their lunches. For most, recess was a time for play with their friends
While for Kushina, She would find her food, sit in a quiet corner, and keep to herself. If anyone dared provoke her, she would not hesitate to fight back. More than one bully had limped home after underestimating the fiery-tempered redhead.
But today was different. Today, she had Maruku and several other Uzumaki friends.
Uzumaki Maruku was one of her closest friends from Uzushiogakure, someone who had grown up alongside her before they were separated by the orders of the former Uzukage, they had been sent on different paths, only to reunite now in Konoha. Her presence brought a smile to Kushina who had been lonely since she is 9 years old.
"Kushina," Maruku whispered as they walked toward a shaded bench near the edge of the field. His voice was mischievous, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "I saw a handsome man here."
Kushina stopped mid-step, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Who?"
"That blond guy over there," Maruku said, pointing toward a group of boys on the far side of the playground. "The one wearing the white outerwear. He's been staring at us nonstop during a class."
Kushina followed her finger, and sure enough, Namikaze Minato was glancing in their direction. His expression was soft, almost shy, but Kushina reacted instantly with a scowl.
"Erghhh. That guy?" she muttered, her tone dripping with disgust.
Maruku blinked in confusion. "Yeah… what's wrong with him? He looks harmless enough. Is there something I don't know?"
"You really want to know?" Kushina asked, folding her arms. Her expression darkened, her eyes narrowing as memories she would rather forget resurfaced. "If I tell you, you might end up hating him too."
Maruku leaned in closer, lowering his voice as though they were exchanging secrets. "Tell me. What did he do?"
Kushina sighed and leaned back against the bench. For a moment, her gaze grew distant, lost in recollection. "Do you remember when I was first brought here from Uzushiogakure?"
"Of course," Maruku said firmly. "How could I forget?"
"Well…" Kushina began, her voice quieting, "the moment I arrived, the civilians started mocking me. They are mocking me, laughed at me, tugged at my hair because it was red. Day after day, they pushed me around, sneered at me, and treated me like trash." She clenched her fists on her knees, her knuckles whitening. "And you know what that blond boy did?"
Maruku frowned, already sensing where this was going.
"He just stood there," Kushina said bitterly. "He didn't join in, but he didn't stop them either. He watched me being bullied, watched me fight back alone, and did nothing. He just sat there like a bystander."
Maruku jaw tightened. He looked at Minato again, his playful grin replaced by a scowl. "You mean everyone in school bullied you?"
"Yes." Kushina's voice was sharp, but beneath it was the hurt she tried to hide. "All the civilians joined in. The only ones who didn't were the clan kids, they didn't want to get involved in that nonsense. But none of them helped me either."
For a moment, silence hung between them. The noise of children playing in the background felt distant.
Then Maruku slammed her fist into his palm with anger. "Owh, Kushina… I should have been here sooner. If I'd been with you, I'd have beaten them alongside you."
Kushina blinked, then burst into laughter, the tension breaking like glass shattering. "Hahahaha! You really would've caused a mess but don't worry every person who had mocked me had been beaten by me, they are very weak."
"Hahaha this is my friend!" Maruku declared proudly, puffing out her chest. "We're best friends, aren't we? Back in Uzushiogakure, nobody dared mess with you when I was around. That won't change here, either. From now on, if those civilian brats try anything, they'll deal with both of us."
Her laughter softened into a genuine smile. "I'm glad you're here now, Maruku. Really… I am."
Maruku smirked, her eyes flashing with loyalty. "Don't worry. I'll remind every Uzumaki in this Academy exactly how the civilian shinobi treated you. None of us will forget. None of us will forgive."
Kushina's heart swelled with gratitude. "Thanks, Maruku," she said softly, her smile bright despite the bitterness of the past.
"But I don't think you should tell everyone, just tell those who are in the same batch with us," said Kushina.
"Why?" asked Maruku.
"Because of my brother, I don't want her to know about this and also this incident might make us being hated by civillian too," replied Kushina.
Maruku looked at her bestfriend the she nodded.
A/N: I know maruku is a name of food, but when I picked up the name it sound japanese to me until I googled it. I hope it didn't sound weird like Uchiha Bob or Uzumaki Feng Zhao
Author Notes - To read advanced chapter you can go to my patreon.
Chapter 61: Graduation
Chapter 62: Rasengan
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