Since the arrival of Kushina Uzumaki at the Academy, the classroom atmosphere had drastically changed.
What used to be relatively peaceful and structured days now felt like a noisy little battlefield full of surprises.
Every morning, Mizuki would witness the same ritual: Kushina charging at any kid brave enough to mock her fiery red hair.
"Hey, walking tomato!" shouted a boy from the corner of the room.
Kushina glared, her eyes blazing. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
Seconds later, a loud thud echoed. The boy now lay on the floor with a lump on his head, while Kushina stood with her hands on her hips, her face flushed with anger—or perhaps it was just the reflection of her bright red hair under the morning light.
Mizuki simply sighed from her seat near the window, eyes fixed on Kushina, who now sat proudly, though her clothes were slightly disheveled from the scuffle.
'At least she's consistent...' Mizuki thought, a faint smirk on her lips. 'A day without her causing trouble would feel weird.'
What puzzled Mizuki even more—and honestly, annoyed her a bit—was Kushina's habit of challenging her in every combat class. As if Mizuki were some mountain that had to be conquered.
"Oi, Mizuki! Today I'm going to beat you! Get ready!" Kushina shouted, pointing directly at her, a spirited grin on her face.
Mizuki tilted her head, her gaze flat. "You said that yesterday. And last week. And the week before."
"I'm not giving up! One day, I will defeat you!"
"And I'll believe that… when the sun rises from the west," Mizuki replied coldly, prompting a few quiet chuckles from the other students.
Still, Kushina never backed down. She attacked with burning passion—though the outcome was always the same: her body flung or stopped with a single soft motion from Mizuki, who had mastered the Gentle Fist technique perfectly.
What really made Mizuki raise an eyebrow was Kushina's comment about Minato.
"Eh, Minato's kind of weird, huh? His face is too pretty for a guy... almost like a girl!" Kushina blurted out one afternoon during a break in the Academy garden.
Minato, mid-bite into his onigiri, choked. "Eh?! I'm... I'm not pretty... I'm a guy!"
Mizuki stifled a laugh behind her hand, trying to maintain her composure. "Maybe she just means you're handsome, Minato."
"Then she should've said handsome, not pretty!" Minato protested, his cheeks flushed.
Kushina shrugged. "Same difference, right?"
Mizuki realized something—somewhere along the way, she had grown used to Kushina's presence.
The girl was like a tireless flame, bringing a new kind of life to the classroom. Now, their class had two primary sources of noise: Kushina and Tsume Inuzuka, the wild girl who was constantly followed by the scent of dogs.
"Twice as noisy now," Mizuki muttered one afternoon to Yoshino Nara, who sat beside her in their quiet classroom corner.
Yoshino gave a small nod, her face as lazy as ever. "If I could, I'd put up a sound barrier around us."
"Maybe your clan could develop a jutsu just for that," Mizuki said casually, her eyes narrowing as she watched Kushina and Tsume tossing origami back and forth across desks.
Yoshino chuckled. "I'll bring it up with my dad."
Oddly, since Kushina's arrival, Mizuki and Yoshino had grown closer.
Maybe because they were two of the few who still sought peace amid the chaos.
They often sat together, reading, discussing ninja theory, or just silently observing their more expressive classmates.
On one side of the class, the cheerful Minato still often smiled and tried to mediate between Kushina and the others.
On the other, Mizuki simply watched it all unfold from behind her calm, sharp Byakugan.
She was like a shadow—never quite part of the chaos, but always in the middle of it.
In her mind, Mizuki often wondered
'Is life as a girl in this world always this noisy?'
But she didn't regret it. Slowly, her life at the Academy had begun to gain color—though not the one she had expected upon reincarnating.
There was Danzo with his rigid logic.
There was Minato with his warm light.
And now, Kushina—the red flame that refused to be extinguished.
---
Days at the Academy passed quickly until Mizuki realized she had already entered her third year as a ninja student.
Time flowed like an unstoppable stream—silent, ever-moving, carrying inevitable change.
That morning, the Konoha sky was veiled in thin clouds.
The sun had not yet blazed, and dew still clung to the leaves when Danzo arrived to personally fetch Mizuki.
The man looked as usual—cold, upright, and full of mystery.
"We're going," Danzo said without preamble, glancing briefly at Mizuki, who rose immediately to follow.
"To where?" Mizuki asked flatly, her steps steady beside her teacher.
Danzo didn't answer. As always.
But Mizuki knew: if Danzo didn't answer, it meant she would understand soon enough.
They walked through the still-quiet streets of Konoha, slipped through several secret alleys, and finally stopped before a heavily guarded old building: the residence of Mito Uzumaki, the First Hokage's wife.
The aura here felt different. Old, heavy, and thick with chakra that pressed against the chest.
Activating her Byakugan, Mizuki immediately saw them—dozens of ANBU, several sealing specialists, and even… the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing in the courtyard, speaking with several senior shinobi.
Mizuki's face didn't change, but inwardly she grimaced. 'So, today's the day…'
The day Kushina Uzumaki would face her destiny—to become the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, replacing Mito Uzumaki, whose body had grown too old to contain the tailed beast's power.
"Keep your eyes sharp today, Mizuki," Danzo said softly as they walked toward Hiruzen. "From now on, you will be my primary observer for Kushina."
Mizuki nodded. No surprise. No hesitation.
"Yes, Danzo-sensei."
To her, it was only natural. In her understanding, a Jinchūriki was not an ordinary person.
They were living nuclear weapons—destructive potential that must always be monitored.
In this case, Danzo's approach was actually… gentle.
'If it weren't for me, he might've already assigned ROOT to shadow Kushina from the shadows,' Mizuki thought, sweeping her gaze across the area. 'But now… he's entrusting it to me.'
A rare show of trust—in Danzo's world, almost unheard of.
As they approached Hiruzen, Danzo dipped his head briefly, his demeanor cold yet formally respectful.
"Hokage-sama," he said flatly.
Hiruzen returned the gaze with a warm smile. "Danzo. I'm glad you came."
His gaze then shifted to Mizuki, eyes narrowing slightly as if assessing her from head to toe.
"And this is the student you've been bragging about in our meetings?" Hiruzen asked kindly, his voice lightening the atmosphere.
Mizuki bowed politely. "Mizuki Hyuga. It's an honor to meet you, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen chuckled lightly. "Polite and calm, just as I thought. But I hope you don't become too much like your teacher here."
Danzo remained expressionless.
But Mizuki caught a faint smirk at the edge of his lips—an unspoken sign he wasn't offended, just uninterested in responding.
On the other side of the room, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya had already arrived.
Mizuki saw them standing slightly apart, each emanating a distinct aura.
Jiraiya waved slightly at Mizuki with a smile. "Yo, kid. Don't be too tense. We're here to make sure everything goes smoothly."
Mizuki nodded politely, though she couldn't hide the wary look in her eyes.
This man was reckless, but not stupid… He understood how serious this moment was.
Tsunade was busy speaking with the sealing class and the medical team.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru stood in silence, eyes sharp like knives, observing everything in a way that made Mizuki shiver slightly.
'Hiruzen's students,' Mizuki mused. 'They're like three separate poles… but their power is real.'
Preparations began.
Sealing teams gathered, drawing intricate circles in the inner room.
Chakra filled the air—thick and sharp—making Mizuki's hairs stand slightly on end.
ANBU appeared and vanished within the shadows, ready to strike if things went south.
Kushina had not yet arrived.
Mizuki knew, in a few short minutes, the red-haired girl's world would change completely.
She would lose most of her freedom.
Live under constant surveillance.
Bear a burden even most adults would struggle with.
But… Kushina didn't know any of this. Not yet.
"Don't look too sympathetic, Mizuki," Danzo muttered as he stood beside her. "Your task is to observe, not to feel."
Mizuki didn't reply. But her eyes stared straight ahead.
'I know. I won't pity her. I just… want to know… how much of the Kushina we know will remain intact after today ends.'
Footsteps echoed.
Kushina was about to enter the room, and the transfer of the Kyubi would begin.
And from the corner of the room, her Byakugan wide open, Mizuki braced herself to witness the birth of a Jinchūriki.