"Yue, why are you fighting Kakashi?"
Yue had originally waited for Kushina to fall asleep before seeking out Kakashi to test his skills. He wasn't sure whether she had woken up naturally or sensed the commotion.
Though Yue and Kakashi's exchange had been relatively quiet, Kushina possessed the Kagura Mind's Eye and, combined with her own immense strength, could naturally perceive the battle.
"I noticed Kakashi while I was training and just wanted to see how I measured up against him."
"I see. Well, Kakashi is one of Konoha's most famous geniuses! If you want to beat him, you'll have to wait a few more years."
Kushina was actually quite shocked. She had witnessed everything just now. She knew Yue was a prodigy, but his performance had still surprised her.
"He's probably here specifically to protect you."
"That's right. Little Sunshine already told me—Kakashi will be nearby for the next few months.
I think it'd be great if you sparred with Kakashi often! That kid has shut himself off from the world, but if you two become friends, maybe you can help him open up again!"
"Alright."
Yue figured that at least things wouldn't be so boring for a while. He could practice with Kakashi whenever he had nothing else to do.
As for becoming friends and helping Kakashi out of his darkness, Yue wasn't particularly interested. He felt like Kakashi's fate just wasn't suited for friendship.
Still, he would let things unfold naturally.
"Yue, I need to go buy groceries. Want to come?"
"Sure."
Mother and son walked hand in hand through the streets, shopping for household necessities, while Kakashi followed them from a distance. The entire time, Yue was secretly making small moves.
He subtly kicked abandoned banana peels, rotten vegetables, and even a few spoiled eggs onto what he predicted would be Kakashi's path. His placements were precise and concealed.
This wasn't just some newfound mischief—trap-setting was an essential skill for a ninja.
With his Kagura Mind's Eye activated, Yue observed Kakashi closely. While he didn't cause Kakashi any major mishaps, he did force him to expend extra effort dodging the obstacles.
Kakashi, meanwhile, was growing increasingly frustrated. Just moments ago, as he leaped from the street to a rooftop, he had spotted a pile of banana peels mid-air and had to execute an emergency 720-degree spin to avoid them—nearly throwing out his back in the process…
"Lady Kushina, long time no see!"
"Good afternoon, Lady Hokage!"
As they walked, villagers greeted Kushina warmly, and she returned each greeting with a smile. It was moments like these that made Yue think Konoha's people seemed rather kind and friendly.
They say a land shapes its people. The five great nations, due to their geographical environments, have distinct national temperaments.
The Land of Earth fosters unity.
The Land of Lightning breeds boldness.
The Land of Wind teaches cunning.
The Land of Water cultivates ruthlessness.
And the Land of Fire, occupying the most fertile land of the continent, located at a central crossroads, was rich in both talent and resources. It had become the most powerful of the five great nations, with Konoha as its strongest military force.
The villagers of Konoha, nurtured by this environment, were like a rare oasis in the ninja world. The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had established the philosophy of the "Will of Fire," creating a culture that valued unity, friendship, kindness, and resilience.
But none of this had anything to do with Yue. He felt no attachment to Konoha and had no interest in inheriting the so-called Will of Fire.
In his eyes, Konoha's people were narrow-minded.
A while ago, he had grown tired of the villagers whispering and pointing at him whenever he walked by. So, he had released a small burst of killing intent at them. Now, the entire street ignored him, treating him like the plague.
And it was only getting worse. Even today, the villagers greeted Kushina while deliberately ignoring him.
It wasn't that Yue was overly sensitive, nor did he expect them to return kindness with kindness. But from this, he saw that these people were cowardly and foolish.
Take, for example, the stories he read about Maruboshi Kosuke, Might Duy, and even Kakashi's father, Sakumo Hatake.
Of the three, Yue had only seen Kosuke in person. He had read about the other two in the documents Minato had given him.
Kosuke's treatment by the village particularly disgusted him. The man had chosen to remain a genin all his life, yet his actual strength was among the top ten in Konoha. Despite this, the village had constantly mocked him.
Yue had even overheard parents using Kosuke as a negative example when teaching their children.
So much for equality. So much for unity and friendship.
Violence existed everywhere, but when it became blatant and systematic, it was worth pondering.
And then there was the thing Yue hated most—the village's obsession with gossip. Every single person in Konoha seemed to be infected by it. He had no fondness for these villagers at all.
"Yue, why do I feel like… people are acting strangely toward you?"
Kushina's keen senses had picked up on the change. It seemed as if the villagers were… afraid of Yue?
"It's nothing. I think it's fine."
Yue actually preferred it this way. He hated gossip, especially when it was about him.
"But still, Yue, I think you should be a little more open. If the villagers don't like you, it'll be hard for you to become Hokage."
She still hadn't given up on the idea of Yue becoming Hokage.
"Then I won't. I'll just be Father's chief strategist."
He pulled at the corners of his mouth to form a smile, hoping to reassure Kushina, though the expression didn't look very natural.
"That's fine too. We'll tell Little Sunshine tonight—he'll be thrilled!"
Kushina seemed satisfied with Yue's answer. Even if he wouldn't succeed Minato as Hokage, helping him govern the village was just as good.
"But Yue, I still want to ask… What do you think the Will of Fire is?"
Kushina finally asked the question that had been on her mind all day. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
This time, Yue didn't want to brush her off. Her tone was serious and sincere.
"Hokage… Do you think Father is fire or shadow? Or both?"
Instead of answering directly, Yue threw the question back at her.
Kushina didn't respond immediately. She fell into deep thought. Though she had a straightforward personality, she wasn't stupid. She quickly understood what Yue was implying.
"Your father is different. Don't you see it? He shines like the sun every moment of the day. Under his leadership, the village will only continue to flourish!"
Yue didn't have a good answer to that. For one, this was his own father. For another, he believed that in at most ten years, he himself would become the shadow—while Minato remained the fire.
"I believe in my father.
As for the Will of Fire, what I understand of it right now is…
Konoha above all."
Kushina fell silent, staring into Yue's clear blue eyes.
"Forget it. Let's go home. I believe you'll help Little Sunshine in the future."
Hand in hand, mother and son walked toward home under the setting sun. Their hair, bathed in golden-red light, looked almost like blood.
"Konoha above all, huh…"
In the shadows not far away, Kakashi murmured those words to himself…
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