After dinner, Hoshiyomi invited his three disciples over to his house for a visit. It was partly to help them get more familiar with each other—and also just to make the introductions official. Rie already knew Minato and Kushina quite well, and she welcomed them both warmly.
She didn't overlook Kuugetsu, either. With a bright smile, Rie pulled the shy girl closer and looked her over carefully. When she realized Kuugetsu was from the Uchiha Clan, her reaction didn't change in the slightest—her warmth remained undiminished.
"My, my… another beautiful young lady! When you grow up, I don't know how many boys are going to be chasing after you!"
Rie might have once been a bit intimidated by noble clans like the Uchiha, but she wasn't the same person she used to be. She was no longer just a regular nurse at Konoha Hospital.
Ever since Hoshiyomi brought Minato home, Rie had basically entered early retirement. She'd quit her job and had no more worries about money or status. At Hoshiyomi's suggestion, she and a few of her old friends opened a beauty salon in the village.
There, they mass-produced and sold affordable skincare products based on formulas Tsunade had shared.
Over the years, Rie's salon had become a sacred place for the women of Konoha. Being able to get skin treatments there was the ultimate trend.
Her son was successful. Her daughter-in-law situation was settled. Life was good.
Rie had grown into her new identity. She was still kind, but she no longer felt nervous around members of Konoha's elite. After all, aside from a lack of numbers, the Gekkō Clan was now quite a reputable name in the village.
In a way, Rie had already fulfilled her late husband's dream.
Kuugetsu flushed at the compliment, lowering her head shyly.
"You're too kind, Auntie," she mumbled.
There was something inherently warm about Rie—an easy gentleness that could melt even the most withdrawn hearts. Even Kuugetsu, who was used to isolation, found herself speaking up under her care. She warmed up to Rie faster than she had to Hoshiyomi himself.
After a short rest, Hoshiyomi proposed a sparring match with Kuugetsu's main personality. He wanted to see whether the main self had any combat capability. If she could fight adequately, great. If not, he'd need to address the split personality issue sooner rather than later.
Fortunately, the results were promising.
Kuugetsu might act timid and passive in daily life—never retaliating when bullied—but at her core, she was still a shinobi.
She was a long way from being emotionally ready to kill, but when a blade was pointed at her, she did fight back.
Her style lacked the decisiveness and edge of her inner personality, but combined with her two-tomoe Sharingan, she could still hold her own at roughly chūnin level.
Even without activating her dōjutsu, she would have no problem passing the graduation exam.
Hoshiyomi was satisfied. As for her reluctance to kill—he wasn't too concerned. War didn't offer alternatives. Once she stepped onto the battlefield, it would be life or death. As long as she didn't die in her first fight, she would adapt.
Now that all three of his students had the ability to pass the academy's exam, Hoshiyomi stopped hesitating and formally proposed the "Prodigy Team" plan that the Third Hokage had mentioned earlier.
Minato and Kushina didn't hesitate at all. They agreed immediately.
Kuugetsu looked at them, then at Rie—who stood by with an encouraging smile. After a moment, she turned to Hoshiyomi and gave a small but firm nod.
...
The next morning, chaos erupted in Kuugetsu's classroom.
The first shock was Kuugetsu's transformation.
Even Kushina, who had been her closest friend for years, had never realized Kuugetsu was so beautiful beneath those thick bangs—let alone the rest of the class.
The kids were stunned. The story of the "ugly duckling turning into a swan" had actually happened—right before their eyes.
The boys who used to bully Kuugetsu? They were speechless.
But the real shock came next.
Halfway through class, Hoshiyomi swaggered in through the front door—deliberately dramatic—and announced his true identity.
Then he presented the "prodigy team" proposal.
Part of his showmanship was to provoke the other students—to inspire them to train harder. But more than that, it was for Kuugetsu.
He wanted to build her confidence.
The children had heard of him, of course. The name "Gekkō Hoshiyomi," the most famous prodigy in the history of the Academy, wasn't unknown. When he declared that he was there to choose his disciples in advance, the class nearly exploded with excitement.
Some kids were practically ready to slap a "Pick Me!" sticker on their foreheads.
But Hoshiyomi didn't even hesitate. He called out three names—clearly and deliberately:
Namikaze Minato. Uzumaki Kushina. Uchiha Kuugetsu.
The classroom fell into stunned silence.
Everything that had happened today was already overwhelming. First came the revelation that the shy, often-bullied Kuugetsu was secretly a beauty. And now? She was also one of the three students chosen by Konoha's Silver Moon as a genius.
Who could process all that?
As the class stared in disbelief, the three students stood and slowly made their way toward Hoshiyomi. Kuugetsu became the center of attention, every eye in the room fixed on her.
She was trembling.
But inside… she felt something indescribable.
In her short life, Kuugetsu had never experienced a moment like this. Never once had the spotlight been on her.
It was exhilarating… and terrifying.
Even her usually cold, confident inner personality seemed moved. That voice echoed in Kuugetsu's mind:
"This is the respect we deserve, Kuugetsu. Let those who mocked us choke on their shame. From today forward, speak for yourself—and tell them: you earned this."
Kuugetsu drifted toward Hoshiyomi in a haze. The short walk felt endless.
But then—
A harsh voice rang out.
It came from a girl who had always looked down on Kuugetsu. Now, she stood up, her tone loud and brimming with disbelief:
"Hoshiyomi-sama, why her?"
Kuugetsu's face went pale.
In an instant, all those eyes changed.
The shock, the admiration—they twisted into judgment, suspicion, jealousy.
They cut like blades. And she had nowhere to hide.
She instinctively curled in on herself, shrinking back. She was just steps away from Hoshiyomi—but couldn't take another step.
"Please… please help me… I can't do this…"
Desperate, she pleaded inwardly for the inner personality to take over.
The inner Kuugetsu heard the trembling voice and hesitated—but in the end, she stayed silent.
Still frozen, Kuugetsu stood there, unsure what to do.
That was when another voice broke through the tension.
Mikoto stood up.
The sound of her chair scraping against the floor cut through the silence like a blade. Usually calm and gentle, she now raised her voice and shouted:
"Kuugetsu, you can do it!"
Kuugetsu jolted. She turned toward Mikoto—and saw her smiling brightly.
Then Kushina stepped forward and grabbed Kuugetsu's hand.
She looked back at the girl who'd questioned the decision and snapped:
"What, you think he should've picked you? Keep dreaming."
And when Kuugetsu finally looked up—she saw Hoshiyomi's gaze, warm and full of encouragement.
In that moment, something stirred in her again.
Hoshiyomi watched closely and noticed something important:
Kushina might have taken her hand, but Kuugetsu was walking forward on her own.
He couldn't help but smile and then said to the girl with the flushed face:
"Why her? You'll find out soon enough."
Author's Note:
This marks the end of Kuugetsu's mini-arc for now. Next up, we'll return to the battlefield.