Chapter 8: A Study of the Blood Type of the Crimson Pepper (Part 1)
The classroom was empty now—only Hagoromo remained.
Up to this point, he still hadn't figured out who had been playing Dongfeng Po on a pipa… Ahem, no, that's not it. What he really hadn't figured out was—whose subordinate he'd become. (T/N: A sad song played on an instrument called pipa.)
If there was any difference between his appearance today and yesterday, it was that he now had a dog tag hanging from his forehead—wait, wrong again. The professional term was "forehead protector." As for its function in combat? Unclear. Its only real use seemed to be distinguishing which village a ninja belonged to.
By typical protagonist standards, Hagoromo at this point should be decked out in some flashy white ceremonial robe—something so dramatic it might as well be a wedding gown. But no. He had no intention of playing into any transmigrator clichés. To put it plainly, if you stripped a regular Chūnin of all their gear, that's exactly what Hagoromo looked like: plain black from head to toe, completely forgettable. Black shinobi boots, white leg wraps, loose black pants, and a slightly oversized long-sleeved top. The sleeves were so long he had to roll them up past his elbows. In short—he dressed as blandly as humanly possible.
Just as Hagoromo was getting impatient from waiting, the person he'd been waiting for finally arrived.
"Ninja registration number 009887—who is Kamishiraishi Hagoromo?"
The newcomer was dressed in standard shinobi attire, with striking features and a commanding voice. But what truly caught the eye was her vibrant, crimson hair.
That hair said it all—she was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, a Konoha Jōnin, and the Jinchūriki of the Nine Tails: Uzumaki Kushina.
What did Hagoromo see?
He saw a walking treasure vault of sealing techniques stroll into the room.
"I am the only one left in the classroom, you know," he muttered as he stood up, resigned. Of course he knew who Kushina was. Even without memories from a previous life, her name was hard to miss. Though the fact that she was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki was top-secret to most villagers, her explosive temperament—so reminiscent of Naruto's—was legendary in Konoha.
And now, Hagoromo realized, she was going to be his instructor.
Truth be told, he didn't know much about Kushina beyond the basics: Uzumaki bloodline, wife of the Fourth Hokage, mother of Naruto, Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, sealing arts prodigy. But if you asked whether he was happy with her as his teacher? Overjoyed. He wouldn't trade her for Obito as a teammate even if you paid him. After all, sealing jutsu was something he had a deep, almost obsessive, interest in.
Kushina completely ignored his sarcasm. "Yeah, I know you're the only one left. Just needed to confirm. Come with me."
As Hagoromo walked up to her, she gave him two hearty pats on the back—too hearty, in fact, sending him stumbling forward.
This woman is reckless. Behavioral patterns potentially hazardous, Hagoromo immediately concluded.
Kushina took the lead, and Hagoromo followed close behind. At that moment, the Third Hokage had no idea just how much he'd come to regret pairing these two together—second only to the regret he'd feel after letting Orochimaru go free in the future.
...
"Let me introduce myself," Kushina said. "I'm Uzumaki Kushina, Jōnin. From now on, I'll be your instructor."
They were now standing in a small training ground. For context, there had originally been another ninja practicing here, but once Kushina showed up, he very wisely and very quickly gave up the space.
Meanwhile, our scheming little protagonist was already pondering how to coax all sorts of sealing techniques out of her.
"Kushina-sensei, I believe you already know my name—Kamishiraishi Hagoromo, eleven years old, Genin."
Kushina gave a small nod. Of course she already knew who Hagoromo was. In fact, she knew more about him than he realized. Without his knowledge, she had already conducted numerous assessments on him—written ones, discreetly embedded in various exams at the Ninja Academy. And not just your everyday quizzes—these were seriously difficult. Yet Hagoromo had never once been stumped.
That, more than anything, was why she had chosen him.
Compared to raw combat ability, Kushina valued intelligence far more—at least at this stage. Intelligence determined a ninja's long-term potential. Besides, her teaching methods required a student who could keep up mentally.
That said, Hagoromo's practical skills weren't lacking either. Kushina had already reviewed the footage of his graduation exam from the day before, where he'd demonstrated a solid command of Lightning Release techniques.
"So, Hagoromo," she began, "we should get to know each other. Do you have any goals in life? A vision for the future?"
Hagoromo felt a metaphorical sweat drop run down his temple. Big sis, if you're not good at small talk, you really don't have to force it…
"Goals, huh… Well, I just want to be an average ninja, make a little money here and there… Around age twenty, I'll marry someone who's not too pretty but not too ugly either. We'll have two kids—the first a girl, the second a boy. When the girl's married off and the boy's old enough to stand on his own, I'll retire from ninja life… After that, I'll spend my days playing shogi or go in peaceful seclusion… then die of old age before my wife does."
Before he could finish reciting that "borrowed" life plan, he felt a light thwack on his forehead.
"Try something else," Kushina said flatly. "What are you, a middle-aged man in a kid's body? Give me something with a little optimism."
That's when Hagoromo realized—Kushina might not sound too serious, but she wasn't easily fooled either. This conversation was probably a low-key psychological test, meant to gauge whether this new Genin had any signs of mental instability, anti-ninja sentiment, or anti-village tendencies.
"…A life goal, huh?" Hagoromo muttered. "Actually, there's something I've always wanted… But it's not the kind of thing you can get just by wanting it. It's the kind of thing that can't be forced. If fate's kind, maybe I'll come across it someday."
Oddly enough, his tone grew quiet and a little melancholic—a tone far too heavy for someone his age.
Fortunately, Kushina didn't press him further. She probably figured it was personal and knew when to back off.
Hagoromo's background was clean, after all. Both his parents had been shinobi, killed early in the ongoing war. He'd been born and raised in Konoha, never once left the village, and had no contact with outsiders. This kind of questioning was more of a formality than anything else.
"Well, that's enough talking. Let's see what you're really capable of," Kushina said as she reached into her gear pouch and pulled out a small bell.
It was probably a good thing Hagoromo didn't know the Naruto story too well—otherwise he definitely would've cracked a joke about it. After all, this bell had more screentime than 70% of the cast.
"Huh?"
"Simple test," Kushina said with a grin. "Try and take this bell from me."