The rooftop of the teaching building was very large, a prime bento spot for many students.
To provide students with a good dining environment, the rooftop not only had plenty of benches but also rows of small trees planted.
"What's wrong? Is someone bullying you?"
Leading Uzumaki Kushina to sit on a bench, Gojo Yoru continued treating the bags under her eyes while asking softly.
"No."
Uzumaki Kushina shook her head, staring at her legs, afraid to meet Gojo Yoru's gaze.
Gojo Yoru raised his other hand to smooth Uzumaki Kushina's messy hair and smiled, "You have your worries written all over your forehead. Do you think I'll believe that?"
Hearing this, Uzumaki Kushina's nose tingled, and her tears flowed even harder.
This time, she looked straight at Gojo Yoru, her voice choked: "Yoru, if... if one day I become a monster, will you hate me?"
"Is this the question that troubled you all night?"
Gojo Yoru finally couldn't help but cup Uzumaki Kushina's small face. He wiped her tears with his thumbs, stared into her eyes, and smiled, "You're afraid I'll hate you and stay away from you, so you couldn't sleep all night and let your imagination run wild, right?"
"...Mhm!"
Seeing Gojo Yoru make such an intimate gesture for the first time, with eyes full of tenderness, Uzumaki Kushina's mind went blank, and she suddenly forgot to cry.
But she still subconsciously hummed in agreement.
"Although I don't know what you mean by becoming a monster, but..."
The corners of Gojo Yoru's mouth curled up into a disdainful smile as he slowly said, "You're not even afraid of becoming a monster, but you're afraid I'll hate you and stay away from you. Why should I be afraid of you becoming a monster? Tomato-na, aren't you underestimating me, Gojo Yoru, a bit too much?"
Pinching Uzumaki Kushina's cute round face with one hand, Gojo Yoru leaned close to her eyes and said fiercely, "To prevent you from overthinking in the future, I can answer you right now! Unless after you become a monster, your memory, personality, and soul all die forever, and you are no longer the Uzumaki Kushina I know, otherwise I will never hate you."
Gojo Yoru raised his fist and shook it in front of Uzumaki Kushina's eyes, continuing, "If you just turn into a monster that temporarily loses its reason, then I'll beat you back to your senses just like usual, and then heal you."
At this point, Gojo Yoru couldn't help but grin, revealing a smile identical to Gojo Satoru's, and said that classic line: "Because I'm the strongest!"
Uzumaki Kushina stared blankly at Gojo Yoru. The sunlight past eight o'clock shone through the leaves onto the back of his head, so in her eyes, Gojo Yoru at this moment seemed to be radiating dazzling light, dispelling the haze and fear in her heart.
"Yoru, waaah..."
Uzumaki Kushina, who hadn't slept all night, could no longer control herself. She threw herself into Gojo Yoru's arms and began to cry loudly.
"That's more like it. Even if you cry, you should wail like this." Gojo Yoru held Uzumaki Kushina, smiling and gently stroking the girl's back.
"Hate you! Are you saying I'm not ladylike enough?"
"Pfft... gently, you monstrous strength woman. Don't you know your own strength?"
Uzumaki Kushina punched Gojo Yoru in the chest, making him grimace in pain.
"Didn't you say you'd beat me back to my original form? How can you do that if you can't take a hit?"
"Then can I take back what I said earlier?"
"Too late. I've already remembered it. Even if I become a monster, I'll instinctively seek you out."
"Then I'm doomed. That feels scarier than having a nightmare."
"Hehe... scared now?"
After some playful banter, the naturally cheerful and optimistic Uzumaki Kushina instantly returned to her usual self.
Just as Gojo Yoru said, what troubled the girl all night wasn't actually becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but worrying that after she became a monster, Gojo Yoru would be afraid of her and stay away from her.
Besides Uzumaki Mito, Tsunade, and Nawaki, Uzumaki Kushina only knew Gojo Yoru in Konoha.
And compared to Uzumaki Mito's family, she had greater affection for Gojo Yoru and felt more open at his house.
Since Gojo Yoru wasn't afraid, she wasn't afraid either.
Gojo Yoru put his arm around Uzumaki Kushina's shoulder and asked, "Now can you tell me about the monster?"
"Mito-sama told me that there are nine powerful demonic beasts in the Ninja World, like natural disasters..."
Leaning in Gojo Yoru's arms, Uzumaki Kushina repeated all the knowledge about Tailed Beasts that Uzumaki Mito had taught her.
This scene made the Anbu hiding in the dark feel extremely conflicted.
If this Anbu member took off his mask, Uzumaki Kushina would discover that this person was actually the ninja who escorted her from Uzushiogakure to Konoha.
Jinchuriki were Konoha's top secret.
Besides Uzumaki Mito and Konoha's higher-ups, only this Anbu knew that the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was Uzumaki Kushina.
Even the future Sannin, who were currently only Elite Jonin, didn't know that Uzumaki Kushina was the next Jinchuriki.
And now, Uzumaki Kushina had told this top secret to Gojo Yoru.
If it were anyone else, this Anbu would have already intervened and taken Gojo Yoru away.
Now he could only watch helplessly, not daring to act without authorization.
"So that's how it is."
After listening to Uzumaki Kushina's explanation, Gojo Yoru pretended to be enlightened and sighed, "The world outside the village is truly incredible. To think that things like Tailed Beasts actually exist."
"Yeah." Uzumaki Kushina nodded, then looked up at Gojo Yoru, asking somewhat apprehensively, "Yoru, are you really not afraid?"
"Daijoubu (It's okay), I'm the strongest!"
Gojo Yoru couldn't help but say this line again, smiling arrogantly, "You can't beat me now. Even if you become a monster, you definitely won't be my match."
"Hehe... you really dare to say that. Who was the one almost knocked breathless by my punch just now?"
"Tch... you can't catch me even with a brain now. It'll be even more impossible when you become a mindless monster. I'll walk you like a dog!"
"Who are you calling a dog?"
"Whoever bears their teeth all day is one."
"Foul-mouthed Yoru, eat my punch!"
"You can't hit me, Tomato-na."
"Ahhh... don't dodge if you have the guts. One punch and I'll send you to the infirmary!"
A boy and a girl chased each other on the rooftop, forming a sharp contrast with the serious exam scene in the classrooms below.
Watching the two who were unforgiving with their words but had smiles all over their faces, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was observing them using the Telescope Technique, also revealed a gratified smile. He was filled with admiration for Uzumaki Mito's methods and murmured, "Filling and binding the vessel with love? As expected of Mito-sama, her judgment of people is truly accurate!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen had never dared to interfere in the relationship between Gojo Yoru and Uzumaki Kushina because above him was the great Buddha, Uzumaki Mito.
Konoha had already failed this elder by not reacting in time to the Land of Whirlpools incident.
Now, if the village dared to lay a hand on her last clansman while Uzumaki Mito was still alive, it would likely trigger a chain reaction, leading to the failure of the Nine-Tails transfer or even the loss of the Nine-Tails.
Moreover, Sarutobi Hiruzen trusted the judgment of the First Hokage's wife very much.
Because Tobirama-sensei had said that his sister-in-law's sensing ability was no less than his, and she possessed the ability to sense good and evil, able to see through the darkness in one's heart at a glance.
If there was a problem with Gojo Yoru, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't need to send anyone to test him; Uzumaki Mito could see through it at a glance from home.
In these years, Uzumaki Mito hadn't stopped Uzumaki Kushina from contacting Gojo Yoru and allowed her to tell him about the Jinchuriki matter. Clearly, she had affirmed Gojo Yoru's character and knew this boy wouldn't leave Uzumaki Kushina.
Or perhaps, Uzumaki Mito letting Uzumaki Kushina tell Gojo Yoru about the Jinchuriki matter was the final test.
Now, Gojo Yoru had undoubtedly passed the test.
Determining this, Sarutobi Hiruzen also made a decision in his heart.
He wanted to nurture this civilian genius!
If nothing else, even just to stabilize the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he had to raise Gojo Yoru's strength to a level where he could deal with, or at least escape and survive when facing a Tailed Beast transformation.
He would be the chain binding the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Konoha's "Adamantine Sealing Chains"!
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