Kushina

Kushina found herself cornered against the wall of a building. "I shouldn't have come here..."

The warnings of the elders of her clan echoed in her mind: "The children of Konoha can be cruel to outsiders."

Now, faced with the reality of those words, she couldn't help but compare this situation with the unexpected kindness of her classmate... what was his name?

Yuni moved closer, her eyes shining with envy and malice.

The scissors in her hand gleamed menacingly.

"Let's see how you look with a new haircut," she mocked with a cruel laugh.

But...

Just as the scissors were about to cut the first strand of red hair, a hand appeared out of nowhere, firmly grasping Yuni's arm.

"Kyaa..." The girl, surprised, let out a small scream.

All eyes turned to the newcomer.

Wyatt was there, his face a mask of calm, but his eyes shone with an intensity that made Yuni instinctively step back.

"W-who are you?" Yuni stammered, her earlier bravery quickly fading.

Wyatt, without releasing her arm, responded in a calm voice, "Someone who knows that what you're doing is wrong."

The two boys accompanying Yuni, until now mere spectators, stepped forward.

One of them, trying to appear brave, shouted at him, "Hey, you! Who do you think you are to interfere?"

The other, not wanting to be left behind, added: "Yeah, do you even know who you're messing with?"

Kushina, still pressed against the wall, watched the scene in amazement. Her eyes fixed on Wyatt, recognizing him from class. "It's him..." she murmured, unable to believe that the boy who seemed so cold and distant in class was now defending her.

After Yuni initially lost her head, shaking herself roughly. Freeing herself from Wyatt's grip, she shouted at him proudly.

"What's wrong with you, huh?" she spat, her voice trembling slightly. "Mind your own business!"

The two boys accompanying her exchanged glances, a mocking smile spreading across their faces.

"Looks like someone needs to be taught a lesson," one of them growled.

Wyatt simply shook his head, a barely audible sigh escaping his lips.

In the blink of an eye, his body moved.

Thwack! Thwack!

Two precise kicks, directly to their balls.

[Ding, EXP +10!]

[Ding, EXP +10!]

Why talk, if things can be solved with fighting?

"Aaaagh!" The boys fell to the ground like sacks of potatoes, their hands flying to protect their most sensitive parts. Their faces contorted in pain.

"Huh?" Wyatt had a strange look on his face as he saw the notifications ringing in his mind '...Experience for fighting?...'

A strange smile appeared on his face as he looked at the boys writhing on the ground. With almost scientific curiosity, he raised his foot.

Thump! Thump!

"Oof!" "Ouch!"

[Ding, EXP +5!]

[Ding, EXP +5!]

".....It's really real" Wyatt's eyes lit up.

[Ding, EXP +3!]

[Ding, EXP +2!]

...

"Stop! Ouch! Help!" The sounds of the blows mixed with the muffled groans of the boys and the system notifications in Wyatt's mind.

Fortunately, the street was deserted; otherwise, this scene would have been difficult to explain.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, the 'dings' ceased. Wyatt stopped, panting slightly, an expression of disappointment crossing his face.

After accumulating about 50 points in total, no matter how much more he hit them, the system remained silent.

"Seems like they don't give any more points," he muttered, ignoring the groans of pain at his feet.

Kushina, with eyes wide open, looked at Wyatt with amazement and something bordering on admiration.

"You're... you're amazing!" she exclaimed. Her eyes shone with an emotion difficult to decipher. "Those idiots deserved it, right?"

The two boys on the ground, bruised and sore, looked at Wyatt with fear and confusion.

Their swollen and bruised faces were testimony to the beating they had received.

"Why...?" one of them whimpered, barely able to form words. "We already gave up... why do you keep going?"

Yuni, who until now had observed the scene paralyzed by shock, seemed to regain her voice.

Slowly backing away, her tone tried to sound threatening, but the trembling in her words betrayed her fear.

"Listen well," she hissed, "My cousin is Yue Uchiha. If you think you can get away with this, you're very wrong. He... he will make you pay for this."

Wyatt turned to her with eyes cold as ice. "Leave," he said simply.

"You... this won't end here!" Yuni spat the words with rage.

With one last hateful look, she turned and ran away.

As soon as Yuni and the two boys disappeared from sight, the air seemed to vibrate.

With a soft 'pfff', a cloud of white smoke materialized in front of Wyatt, dissipating to reveal a bronze chest floating at chest height.

Kushina blinked, confused. "What was that sound?" she asked, looking around without seeing anything out of the ordinary.

Aware that only he could see the chest, Wyatt maintained a neutral expression.

In his mind, the system's voice resonated.

[Do you accept the treasure chest?]

"Yes," he responded mentally, watching as the chest vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Kushina looked at him curiously. "Did you say something?"

"It's nothing" Wyatt shook his head. His mind already anticipating what the chest might contain. However, he knew that this was not the time or place to investigate it.

With Kushina still present, he would have to wait to discover his new treasure.

Kushina, with her hands pressed against her chest, looked at Wyatt with bright eyes, "Thank you... really. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

Wyatt nodded slightly, his eyes briefly meeting Kushina's. "No problem" Without saying more, he turned around, ready to leave.

Kushina, surprised by the abruptness, felt a pang of disappointment. But the fear of facing the way back alone prompted her to speak again.

"Hey, wait... um... would you mind... I mean, could you...?" She took a deep breath, gathering courage. "Could you walk me home? Please."

Wyatt stopped in his tracks, slowly turning to look at Kushina.

His eyes, normally inscrutable, showed a flash of understanding.

"Are you afraid?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

Kushina nodded, her cheeks tinged with a slight blush. "Yes... a little"

Wyatt observed her for a moment before asking, "Where do you live?"

"In the compound to the east of the village," she responded with a touch of hope in her voice.

Wyatt considered the information for a second before nodding. "Alright, I'll accompany you."

Kushina's face lit up with a smile of relief and gratitude. "Thank you! Really, thank you so much."

"It's nothing," he replied and began to walk. "Let's go, it's getting late."

Kushina hurried to catch up with him, walking by his side. For a moment, only the soft sound of their steps on the cobblestone could be heard.

....

Wyatt and Kushina walked side by side through the increasingly dark streets of the village.

"Thanks again for accompanying me," said Kushina, breaking the silence. "I didn't know the way well and after what happened..."

Wyatt nodded slightly. "It's nothing," he replied, his voice calm but not cold. "It's late and the streets can be dangerous."

They continued walking, the silence between them comfortable but Kushina casting sidelong glances at Wyatt, curious about her mysterious classmate.

After half an hour of walking, they arrived at an older residential area of Konoha.

In front of them stood a traditional house with tiles on the attic, its structure emanating a sense of history and power.

Kushina stopped, her eyes opening in surprise as she recognized the Senju clan symbols adorning the facade.

"It's here," she murmured with anticipation.

Wyatt observed the house, understanding the meaning behind its location.

The Uzumaki clan and the Senju clan had deep ties, dating back to the First Hokage's wife, Mito Uzumaki. Although Hashirama had passed away long ago, Mito was still alive, due to the longevity of the Uzumaki clan.

"I see," said Wyatt, his voice low. "You'll be living with Mito Uzumaki."

Kushina nodded, still processing the situation. "Yes, I guess so. It's... it's an honor, but also a bit intimidating."

She turned to Wyatt, a shy smile on her face. "Thank you for bringing me. Really."

Nodding and turning to leave. "No problem. Take care, Kushina."

When he was about to walk away, Kushina's voice stopped him. "Wait! I just realized... I never asked your name."

Wyatt stopped, turning slightly. "Wyatt," he replied with a slight smile on his lips. "Wyatt, the warrior."

Kushina's eyes lit up. "Wyatt! I'll remember it," she exclaimed, a bright smile illuminating her face. With a small jump of joy, she headed towards her new home.

Wyatt watched her enter before resuming his path, losing himself in the shadows of Konoha's streets.

Shortly after both had disappeared from view, a figure silently emerged from the shadows. A ninja with a white animal mask and black clothes observed the scene before vanishing into the darkness, as silently as he had appeared.

______

Wyatt, instead of heading straight home, decided to take advantage of the last rays of light to continue his training. His steps resonated rhythmically as he ran through the increasingly empty streets of the village.

As he ran, his mind wandered, reflecting on the day's events.

The incident with Kushina, the chest, and now... a presence following him. Thanks to his newly acquired Observation Haki, although still at a basic level, he was aware that someone had been following him since he accompanied Kushina home.

'Haki really is incredible,' he thought, without slowing his pace. 'Even at this basic level, I can sense things that would have completely passed me by before.'

The presence didn't seem hostile, which led him to a conclusion.

"Anbu"

"It has to be an Anbu."

It made sense. They weren't following him, but protecting Kushina. As the future Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, Kushina was too valuable to the village to leave unprotected.

Suddenly he smiled with embarrassment, "Even if I hadn't intervened, that Anbu probably would have stopped those kids"

________

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