Patience

Professor Kuri cleared his throat, drawing the class's attention. "Alright, now that we have our new classmates, I think it's a great time for us all to get to know each other a bit better. We'll start with introductions."

His eyes landed on Tomo. With a sympathetic smile, he addressed Kushina. "Kushina, why don't you go first?"

Kushina jumped up energetically. "My name is Uzumaki Kushina!" she exclaimed.

"I love ramen—I'd eat it all day if I could! And I hate tomatoes and effeminate people." Her violet eyes locked onto Chen, surprising him. "And I especially hate that guy over there, dattebane!"

A murmur of surprise spread through the classroom. Chen blinked, confused. Why did she hate him? They barely knew each other. Yet, he couldn't help but notice the slight blush on Kushina's cheeks as she pointed at him.

"My dream," Kushina continued, raising her fist with determination, "is to become the first female Hokage of Konoha!"

More murmurs and some laughter erupted in the classroom. Without thinking, Chen muttered, "Though she seems strong on the outside, she's fragile on the inside."

Kushina heard him and turned to face him, her eyes blazing with anger. "What did you say?"

Realizing his mistake, Chen tried to explain. "I didn't mean it badly. It's just that I can see you've been through a lot. The destruction of your country must have been tough..."

Nawaki sprang to his feet. "Ha! You, Hokage? That's my dream! I'll be the next Hokage!"

"In your dreams, shorty!" Kushina shot back, momentarily forgetting her anger towards Chen.

Minato, with a calm smile, raised his hand. "I also want to be Hokage," he said softly.

Kushina looked at him with disdain. "You're too effeminate to be Hokage!"

Laughter erupted in the classroom, but Minato kept his smile intact.

Jian, with a serious face, joined in. "Nonsense. I'll be the next Hokage and the head of the Uchiha clan."

As they spoke, Chen watched Kushina. Despite her challenging attitude, he noticed moments when her gaze softened when she looked at him. It was as if she was struggling with herself, wanting to get closer but fearing it.

"She's like Mikoto," Chen thought. "But the opposite. Mikoto is soft on the outside and strong on the inside. Kushina is the reverse."

Kushina seemed to feel his gaze and turned toward him, their eyes meeting. For a moment, Chen saw a mix of emotions in her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kushina asked, her voice softer than before.

Chen smiled. "I was just thinking you're interesting, Kushina."

Kushina's face flushed. "D-don't say things like that, dattebane!" she exclaimed, giving Chen a light shove.

Seeing the situation getting out of hand, Kuri intervened. "Alright, alright, that's enough for now. We all have important dreams, and I'm sure each of you will work hard to achieve them."

As the class settled down, Chen couldn't help but think about how Kushina's arrival had transformed the classroom in just minutes. And even though she claimed to hate him, he knew the truth.

Kushina, meanwhile, sank into her seat, her heart pounding. Why did she feel so affected by Chen? Why did his words impact her so much? She decided she'd definitely give him a lesson after class, though a small part of her was looking forward to that moment alone with him.

---

Kuri, with a kind smile, turned to the shy Tomo. "Come on, Tomo-chan, it's your turn to introduce yourself. Don't be nervous, we're all friends here... right, class?" His tone changed dramatically at the end, shooting a piercing look at the students that made everyone straighten up in their seats.

Tomo stood up, her voice barely audible. "I... my name is Tomo Uzumaki. I like doing household chores and... my dream is to live a peaceful, uncomplicated life."

Before anyone could react, Kushina leapt up, her hair practically floating. "Listen up! If any of you dares to bother Tomo, I'll kick your butt so hard your grandchildren will feel it!"

The threat might have been more effective if Kushina's round cheeks didn't make her look more like an angry tomato than a force to be reckoned with.

Kuromaru barked skeptically. "Woof, woof!" Which, in dog language, probably meant: "Yeah, right, and I'm a cat."

Tsume, embarrassed, pressed Kuromaru's head down. "Shh, Kuromaru, don't be rude."

Kuri felt a vein start to throb on his forehead. "First grade, Class A," he muttered to himself. "Why do I always get the most chaotic class? First the fights, then the incident with Fugaku... Who was the genius that decided to put all these troublemakers together?"

Raising his voice, Kuri addressed the class: "Attention, everyone! I'm about to give an important lesson, and I especially want Chen and Shikaku to pay attention. If I see either of you sleeping again, I'll make you clean the bathrooms for a month."

Chen looked up with an expression of boredom. Thanks to his Otsutsuki lineage, his mind retained everything; he never forgot anything. Lessons were just a formality for him.

Kushina, noticing Chen's attitude, couldn't hold back. "Hey, you, pale guy! If you're so lazy, why don't you go home and practice your sleeping jutsu?"

Chen, with a mischievous smile, gave Kushina a light tap on the forehead. "Oh, Kushina, why so aggressive? Do I interest you?"

Kushina felt her cheeks burning but refused to show weakness. "Y-you... idiot!" she stammered, turning to Kuri. "Teacher! This fool is bothering me!"

Kuri, in the middle of his explanation, broke the chalk he was holding with a loud "CRACK!"

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Chen. "Chen, since you seem to have so much energy for annoying your classmates, why don't you step outside for a moment to reflect on your behavior?"

Then, noticing Chōza trying to hide a bag of chips, he added, "And you, Chōza, take your snacks with you. This isn't a restaurant."

Chen, far from looking remorseful, winked at Kushina, making her blush, before turning to Nawaki. "Hey, lend me your console. If I'm going to be punished, I might as well entertain myself."

"But it's new!" Nawaki protested, though Chen had already snatched it away.

"Come on, Chōza," Chen said with a grin. "Bring your snacks. We're having a party outside."

As the two left with a carefree attitude, Nawaki shouted, "Chen, be careful with my console! It took me three months of allowance to get it!"

Kuri, feeling his patience wearing thin, pointed at Nawaki. "You too, out. Since you're so worried about your toy, you can supervise to make sure it doesn't get broken."

As the three left, Kushina couldn't help but feel a mix of irritation and... admiration? for Chen's audacity.

"That idiot," she murmured, though a small smile formed on her lips.

Kuri, staring at the ceiling as if seeking divine patience, wondered yet again why he had chosen to be a teacher.

________

Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!

👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]

(There are +15 new chapters on my Patreon.)

Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖