8

However, Uzumaki Kushina wasn't planning on giving up just like that; she still really wanted to be friends with the young man who had offered her a Helping Hand.

She secretly observed him and then noticed the little girl in his arms.

Uzumaki Kushina's eyes lit up, and she praised him from the bottom of her heart.

"What a cute little girl! Is she your younger sister?"

She had originally expected him to be as cold as before, but the result greatly exceeded her expectations.

Uchiha Tendō's face broke into a warm smile, his gaze gentle.

"That's right, she's my adorable younger sister, Uchiha Akiho—"

Uzumaki Kushina was stunned speechless, her jaw almost dropping to the floor.

In that instant, she felt like she had found a way to build a good relationship with him, and so, the subsequent conversation began to constantly revolve around little Akari.

"Her name is Uchiha Akiho? That's a beautiful name!"

"Is that so? Thank you for the compliment. The reason she's called that is—"

"Wow! Her nose twitches when she sleeps, she's so cute!"

"Indeed, I think so too. Let me tell you—"

For a while after that, the two chatted very harmoniously. Uchiha Tendō seemed like a different person, his face beaming with a heartfelt smile, and he spoke voluminously.

However, in Uzumaki Kushina's opinion, all of this was because he was an out-and-out sis-con; otherwise, his interaction with her would never have been this enthusiastic.

But what she didn't know was that he was doing all of this on purpose.

Uchiha Tendō was indeed a sis-con and loved it when people praised little Akari, especially since Uzumaki Kushina's praise came from the heart, but these weren't the real reasons he was acting this way.

As soon as Uzumaki Kushina entered the classroom, Uchiha Tendō keenly sensed the negative emotions deep within her heart, such as sadness, fear, and confusion.

After a brief thought, he quickly understood the reason: this year was Konoha Year 32, the very day the Whirlpool Country was destroyed!

Uzumaki Kushina had witnessed the death of her Family with her own eyes and came to a foreign land alone.

After becoming the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, she was killed by her most beloved Disciple, sacrificing her life to ensure the Village's safety, while her own son suffered inhumane treatment. Her life could be described as ill-fated.

A flicker of pity passed through Uchiha Tendō's eyes. In his opinion, Uzumaki Kushina's kidnapping by the Cloud Ninja was entirely condoned by Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose goal was to establish a bond between her and Minato Namikaze, thereby completely tying her to Konoha.

Honda Take and Minato Namikaze hadn't returned all morning.

Four months ago, Princess Tsunade of Konoha personally declared that no one was allowed to cut in line at the Konoha Hospital unless their condition was extremely critical.

This approach quickly gained high recognition from the vast majority of common Ninja, who had long suffered under the privileges of Family Ninja!

This meant that the two of them could only bitterly wait in line at the Konoha Hospital now.

Time quickly reached noon, and the Ninja Academy students all took out their bento boxes, ready to eat.

"Grumble~~ Grumble~~"

Uzumaki Kushina's stomach suddenly let out a Growl, and her face instantly turned red.

"Kushina, oh Kushina, why are you so uncooperative? Why are you hungry precisely at this moment!"

"How will you ever face Heavenly Dao again!"

Just as Uzumaki Kushina was lost in thought, a lunchbox was handed to her.

"Here."

A cold voice, like a heavenly melody, entered her ears. Uzumaki Kushina stared blankly at the young man before her.

Uchiha Tendō frowned.

"What are you staring at?"

Uzumaki Kushina finally came back to her senses, her voice stammering.

"This—this isn't good. If I eat, what will you do?"

"I'm not hungry."

"No! If we eat, we eat together!"

Looking at the determined girl before him, Uchiha Tendō sighed helplessly and took a few quick bites from his bento.

Uzumaki Kushina ate her bento in small bites, her gaze never leaving Uchiha Tendō.

He was currently focused on feeding little Akari.

Although Heavenly Dao seemed cold, he was an extremely gentle person.

Uzumaki Kushina thought to herself, ever since the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan, no one had cared for her like this except Tsunade and Uzumaki Mito.

"Why are you so good to me?"

Uchiha Tendō looked at Uzumaki Kushina in surprise.

"Shouldn't friends help each other?"

Although she didn't know why the bento tasted saltier the more she ate, Kushina felt it was the best food she had ever tasted.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this kid has half my charm from back in the day!"

Jiraiya looked at the crystal ball, stroking his chin, and said smugly.

"Jiraiya, if I'm not mistaken, you weren't exactly popular at the Ninja Academy, were you?"

Orochimaru's voice was faint, making Jiraiya jump up and down in frustration.

Tsunade crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Old Man, what do you mean?"

"Tsunade, it's exactly what you're thinking. The two little ones are getting along quite well, aren't they?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff from his cigarette and replied calmly.

Tsunade was silent for a moment, but eventually nodded in agreement.