"Naruto, Chiharu, it's time to eat!"
Kushina stood at the bottom of the stairs, cooking spoon in hand, her apron lightly speckled with evidence of her culinary efforts. Her voice carried through the house with the same strength that had once earned her the nickname "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero."
As her call faded, a door on the second floor opened, and Chiharu stepped out into the hallway. Now four years old, she had begun growing long golden hair that shimmered like her mother's vibrant red locks, though hers carried the Namikaze blonde hue. Her slanted bangs fell just above her eyebrows, framing eyes that sparkled with intelligence beyond her years.
Even in her simple home clothes, there was something undeniably graceful about her movements—a natural elegance that made her seem almost ethereal, like a woodland elf who had somehow found her way into the Namikaze household.
Kushina glanced up, noticing that while Chiharu had emerged, Naruto's door remained firmly shut.
"Hurry up and ask your brother to come out for dinner," she instructed, eyeing the still-closed door with mild exasperation.
"Mm," Chiharu nodded obediently. Satisfied, Kushina turned and headed back to the kitchen, the wooden spoon gesturing slightly as she muttered something about stubborn children and cooling food.
Chiharu approached her brother's door with purposeful steps. "Bang! Bang!" She knocked with surprising force for such small hands, then pressed her face close to the wooden surface.
"Brother," she called softly, her voice gentle but clear, "it's time for dinner."
No response came from the other side of the door.
Undeterred, Chiharu carefully turned the handle and peered inside. There sat Naruto, cross-legged on the floor, his hands forming complex seals as he concentrated on molding his chakra. His eyes were closed in meditation, completely absorbed in his training.
She padded quietly across the room and knelt beside him, leaning in close enough that her presence couldn't be ignored.
"Brother," she whispered, "it's time to eat."
Naruto's eyebrows twitched slightly at the interruption, and slowly, he opened his eyes. The deep blue irises that mirrored her own focused on his little sister's face.
"Knew that," he said with a slight chuckle, suddenly springing to his feet with the boundless energy that characterized him.
At the dinner table, Chiharu watched carefully as her brother settled into his seat. She immediately reached for a particularly delicate piece of fish and placed it in Naruto's bowl.
"Here, brother," she said, her eyes seeking his approval.
"Thank you," Naruto replied, the simple words carrying genuine appreciation.
Across from them, Minato raised his eyes from his meal and regarded his children thoughtfully. "How are you preparing for tomorrow's entrance exam for the Ninja Academy?" he asked, his gaze settling on Chiharu.
Typically, the Academy admitted new students around five or six years of age, but exceptions were made for exceptional children. Kakashi, for instance, had taken the entrance exam at four and achieved a perfect score, allowing him to skip an entire grade. Now, Chiharu had registered at the same age, and tomorrow would be her examination day.
"Well, Mom and Dad, don't worry," Chiharu replied with a confident smile that illuminated her entire face. The expression was so genuine that Minato couldn't help but feel a flutter of pride. He knew the entrance examination would pose little challenge to this remarkably gifted child.
"Once I pass the entrance exam, I will be able to attend classes with my brother every day," she added, casting a sidelong glance at Naruto. During the two years he had been studying at the Academy, she had felt his absence keenly, the days at home stretching endlessly without her favorite companion.
Kushina smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm. "Even if you pass the exam, you'll still be a freshman. Your brother is already a third-year student."
"Oh," Chiharu responded simply, but the brilliant sapphire eyes that mirrored her father's were already calculating, spinning with thoughts and plans that belied her young age.
"Naruto, you should accompany your sister to take the exam tomorrow," Kushina said, turning her attention to her son.
"Okay," Naruto agreed immediately, raising his eyes from his bowl.
To everyone's surprise, Chiharu waved her hand dismissively. "No need, brother. Just concentrate on your training. Mom and I will be fine on our own."
Naruto blinked, caught off guard by his sister's unexpected response.
Kushina was equally startled. She exchanged a meaningful glance with her daughter, hoping she would understand. Since the end of Naruto's second year and the beginning of the holiday break, the boy hadn't taken a single day off from training. Despite verbally agreeing to his parents' suggestions to rest occasionally, he continued to practice relentlessly. Kushina had seen this as the perfect opportunity to give Naruto a much-needed break.
Chiharu had always been remarkably perceptive and considerate for her age. Surely she understood what Kushina was thinking? But for some reason, she deliberately avoided her mother's gaze, pretending not to notice the silent communication.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if I don't go," Naruto chimed in, supporting his sister's suggestion. "If Chiharu says so, there will be no problem." In his mind, the entrance examination would be trivial for someone with his sister's talent.
Seeing that both children had made up their minds, Kushina looked to Minato for support, her expression pleading for intervention.
Minato studied Chiharu carefully, noting the slight determination in her posture, then smiled faintly. "Well, I respect your opinion," he said finally, yielding to his children's wishes.
"Hmph," Kushina snorted softly, feeling outnumbered by her husband and children, who seemed united in their decision. She shook her head in resignation, wondering when exactly she had lost control of family matters.
The next day at the Ninja Academy, more than a hundred children gathered in a classroom to take the entrance examination. At this moment, both the young examinees and the proctors seated at the examination table were staring in shock at the blonde girl standing before them, their mouths slightly agape.
"Namikaze Chiharu, perfect score. Passed," one of the examiners announced, finally recovering from his astonishment. In every single test, the four-year-old girl before them had achieved flawless results.
"Thank you, teachers," Chiharu said, bowing politely to the examiners, her golden hair falling forward with the motion.
"As expected of the Hokage's daughter," the examiners murmured to each other. "This achievement matches the highest record in the Academy's history."
Indeed, at Chiharu's age, only one person had ever achieved such a score on the entrance examination: Hatake Kakashi. With these results, Chiharu could easily skip the first grade and advance directly to the second.
"Is something wrong? Do you have anything else to discuss?" asked Shirota, who sat among the examiners, noticing that Chiharu remained standing before them rather than returning to her seat.
Chiharu nodded, her posture straight and confident despite her diminutive stature. "Teachers, actually, I have another request."
"Go ahead," Shirota encouraged.
"Can I go directly to the third grade?"
Her question, asked with cautious hope, immediately caused an uproar among the other students in the classroom. Even the teachers on the podium exchanged startled glances, taken aback by Chiharu's bold request.
It was evident that her request would not be easily granted. Although Chiharu's admission score was the second perfect score in Academy history, there was no precedent for skipping two years of coursework before even beginning school. While the first-year curriculum was heavily theoretical and could potentially be made up by skipping one grade, the second-year practical training presented a significant gap that would not be so easily bridged.
Nevertheless, Chiharu's talent was undeniably remarkable. After all, Kakashi, who had achieved similar results, had grown to become an elite among the village's jonin at a remarkably young age, his reputation extending beyond Konoha to other ninja nations.
"According to the regulations, I cannot agree to your request," Shirota said slowly, his expression thoughtful.
Chiharu's shoulders drooped slightly, but before disappointment could fully settle, Shirota smiled and continued, "However, if you are willing to take an additional test and pass it, I will agree that you can enter directly into the third grade when school begins."
A hush fell over the classroom, the silence heavy with surprise and anticipation.
Chiharu hesitated momentarily, then raised her bright, inquisitive eyes. "What is the content of the additional test?"
Many observers interpreted her question as a sign of wavering confidence, but Shirota saw it differently.
"Such a cautious little girl," he thought, his eyes reflecting approval. Chiharu wasn't lacking confidence; she was strategically assessing the challenge before committing herself. At such a young age, she displayed the same careful consideration that had characterized her father in his youth.
"Since you wish to be promoted directly to the third year," Shirota explained, "the content of the additional test will cover all material from the second-year final assessment."
As he finished speaking, Chiharu's slightly furrowed brow immediately relaxed. She nodded slightly, her decision made without hesitation.
"Okay, I understand. I agree to take the extra test."