The atmosphere of war never seemed to touch the children at the Ninja Academy. Oblivious to the world's chaos, they laughed, played, and filled the halls with joy. Being born in Konoha, after all, was a kind of fortune.
Since the day he ignored Minato, Amano Ren had been isolated by his classmates. But that was exactly what he wanted. The same corner seat, the same solitude—it suited him just fine.
In the weeks that followed, Instructor Zejianmu stopped lecturing about chakra and instead focused on the theory behind ninja tools. For Amano Ren, it was maddening. Ever since he had awakened in this world, his memory and comprehension had been abnormally sharp. Zejianmu's lessons were easy for him to grasp in a single day. But the same couldn't be said for the others. Each tool had to be explained repeatedly, taking several days before the class could move on. And unfortunately, ninja tools—an essential part of any shinobi's arsenal—were many and varied.
Zejianmu's methodical approach was proof of his seriousness. He was the kind of man perfectly suited to be a teacher, and the Third Hokage had appointed him precisely for this reason. Still, Zejianmu's rigidity and harshness toward both people and rules often stood out.
Staring out at the empty training ground beyond the window, Amano Ren let out a slow sigh. If this was how he had to spend the next three years, he might go insane.
Clack.
The door slid open, drawing Amano Ren's eyes. Zejianmu walked in with his usual stern expression, and behind him was a girl with striking red hair.
The moment the door opened, the classroom fell into an instinctive hush. Everyone sat up straight. But when they saw the red-haired girl, whispers immediately began to spread through the room.
Shinobi had sharp senses. Even though the whispers were hushed, Zejianmu heard them loud and clear. His brows furrowed as he spoke in a low, commanding voice:"Silence."
His word alone was more effective than any parent's scolding. Instantly, every student clamped their mouths shut.
Amano Ren looked at the girl, her head slightly lowered. For a brief moment, he lost himself in thought. But he quickly collected himself. Her eye and hair color were different—though her features were somewhat similar, this girl wasn't Ye Rui.
Her name was Kushina Uzumaki.
She timidly raised her head, scanning the seated students, their curious gazes making her nervous. She quickly looked away.
With the room finally quiet, Zejianmu gave her a glance and said dryly, "Introduce yourse—"
"I'm Kushina Uzumaki!" she shouted loudly, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Zejianmu blinked, surprised by the sudden outburst. Kushina stood there with her eyes tightly shut, head held high. He gave a slight shake of his head but didn't scold her.
Realizing she'd blurted out her signature catchphrase, Kushina quickly covered her mouth. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
After a moment of stunned silence… the classroom exploded again.
"Look at her hair!" someone whispered with a grin.
"No one else has that color!"
"How can it be that red?"
"Such weird hair…"
Amano Ren turned his head slightly, watching the childish idiots whispering. Then he looked at Zejianmu. He fully expected the strict teacher to immediately shut them down like before. But this time… Zejianmu said nothing. He just stood there, letting the class mock Kushina freely.
A slight frown crept onto Amano Ren's face. He didn't understand.
Kushina could hear it all. She quietly ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't argue—because, truthfully, she hated her bright red hair too. But no matter how much she despised it herself… she wouldn't allow others to insult it.
"I… I'm going to become the first female Hokage of this village!"
The room fell instantly silent.
The students who had been mocking her now stared with wide eyes, stunned speechless.
"Hokage…?" someone murmured.
Amano Ren looked back out the window and gave a cold, amused smile.
Still, Zejianmu said nothing. He stood expressionless beside Kushina.
Then, as silence held the room, Minato stood up. He pressed a fist to his chest and smiled with narrowed eyes."I also want to become a Hokage recognized by everyone."
Kushina looked at Minato's gentle smile and thought he looked more like a girl than a future Hokage. He didn't seem reliable at all. How could someone like that become Hokage?
Minato, of course, didn't know what Kushina was thinking. His smile was warm and sincere, and his words came from the heart.
Maybe most people in the room couldn't sense just how serious he was—but Amano Ren and Zejianmu could.
Compared to Kushina's bold words, shouted on impulse from emotional pressure, Minato's declaration held far more weight.
"Find a seat," Zejianmu finally said, glancing at Minato.
"Oh," Kushina replied and found an empty desk—one far from the others, much like the seat Amano Ren had chosen.
Once she was seated, Zejianmu resumed in his usual low voice, "Let's begin the lesson."
And so began another tedious round of instruction. Just one type of ninja tool could be dragged out by Zejianmu for an entire class period. For this, Amano Ren had to give the man credit.
To him, the lectures seemed pointless. But he had to admit—only a teacher this serious and dedicated could lay a solid foundation for young shinobi.
After a full hour, Zejianmu ended the lesson and walked out, leaving the students with a ten-minute break.
The moment he left, the classroom bloomed back to life like a withered flower regaining its color. Laughter, chatter, and energy burst forth all at once.
A group of rowdy boys immediately approached Kushina at the back of the class. One of them pointed at her and chuckled."Tomato! Red hair, round face—just like a tomato!"
"Eww, I hate tomatoes," said another boy with a buzz cut.
"Me too! I always leave them on my plate."
"No one likes tomatoes. How could the village ever accept one as Hokage?" laughed another boy, hands behind his head.
The group erupted in laughter.
Surrounded and mocked, Kushina's face turned red again. She bowed her head in shame. Her blushing cheeks really did resemble a tomato.
Minato, sitting near the front, turned his head when he heard the noise. He seemed a bit surprised, but said nothing.
Amano Ren, sitting in the very back, was the one most directly affected by the noise. Watching the boys gang up on Kushina, he slowly stood.
He hadn't wanted to get involved. But the scene stirred something in his memory—a time when he, too, had been mocked, though not for his hair. Back then, it had been a fight over food.
"Wow, she's getting redder and redder," one of the boys joked, reaching out to tug at Kushina's hair.
Before his fingers could touch her, Amano Ren grabbed his wrist.
Kushina, sensing movement, turned her head—only to see a quiet, dark-haired boy calmly holding the hand that had reached for her.
Everyone in the classroom who saw what happened froze.
Silence fell.