The m css had ended, and it was still recess time.
After css, Uzumaki Kushina found herself surrounded by several boys from the css.
"Tomato! From today on, you're called Tomato! With your fat, round fad red hair, you look just like one!"
"How could a tomato ever be Hokage?"
"I hate tomatoes the most!"
"Me too! If there's tomato in the sad, I leave it all behind!"
"How an unpopur tomato ever be reized by the vilgers?"
"Hahaha..."
Uzumaki Kushina pouted, anger bubbling inside her, but she couldn't refute their words.
Because, truthfully, with her round fad red hair, she did resemble a tomato.
"An unpopur tomato and an unpopur 10-year-old boy. No wonder you two ended up sitting together."
"Tomato 10! What a perfect match!"
...
Sora curled his lips in disgust. He had a niame in school, too—Mixed Breed.
The reason for his niame? That's what the parents of these little devils called him.
Seeing the brats mog Uzumaki Kushina and dragging him into it, Sora could no lourn a blind eye.
More importantly, S Namikaze Minato. Although Minato looked at Uzumaki Kushina, he didn't seem to have any iion of stepping in to help.
Just as Sora stood up and walked over, one of the kids grabbed Uzumaki Kushina's hair.
"It's almost ripe! Tomato Day is here—time to harvest the fruit!"
Uzumaki Kushina grabbed the kid's hand, about to go berserk, but Sora had already stepped behind the kid holding her hair.
"Hey, you make way?"
The group surrounding Uzumaki Kushina immediately turheir attention to Sora, pointing their fingers at him."What gives you the right to tell us to move? Get lost!"
Sora spoke calmly. "You'll embarrass yourselves if you start something here, won't you?"
Sora had been blocked by a group of students when he first started school. But as a half-Senju, his physical fitness was exceptional, and he'd mao handle multiple oppos at once.
Sihen, although Sora's strength wasn't on par with Namikaze Minato's, he was still among the stro in the school.
Gradually, none of the bullies dared to trouble Sain.
Hearing his words now, the kids froze.
Sora stepped forward, bumping the kid still holding Uzumaki Kushina's hair with his shoulder, f him to let go. Without another word, Sora walked out of the .
Oside, Sora suddenly stopped in his tracks, a thought dawning on him.
Uzumaki Kushina… probably didn't need him to intervene.
With her fiery personality and the Uzumaki 's unique resilience, she wasn't someoo be trifled with.
The sed, Sora heard voices erupt from the .
"Who are you calling Tomato?! For the record, I hate tomatoes, too!"
Uzumaki Kushina grabbed the arm of the kid who ulling her hair and swung it hard, sending the group of kids around her flying.
Then, Kushina climbed on top of one of them, her small fists raining down on his head. "If you uimate me again and call me a tomato, you won't be able to eat it!"
At that moment, Uzumaki Kushina notiamikaze Minato watg with a bright smile. She gred at him and snapped, "What's so funny?!"
Namikaze Minato quickly turned his head away, daring only to g her from the er of his eye.
The afternoon css was about to begin.
Sora returo the after buying a rice ball from the venieore. He sat in his seat, quietly eating.
Uzumaki Kushina sat nearby, pouting angrily.
S the kid who had harassed Uzumaki Kushina earlier. His head was covered in bruises.
Is she upset because she feels like she didn't hit them hard enough?
Without enting, Sora focused on Masada Hayame's lecture.
During css, Uzumaki Kushina began peeking at Sora even more frequently, making him increasingly unfortable.
By the time the afternoon css ended and school was over, Sora couldn't wait to leave the .
His mind was entirely preoccupied with the Breath of Thueiques.
He didn't notice that Uzumaki Kushina's hand was half-raised, and her expression was awkward.
Kushina had wao speak to him. She thought that sihey were both isoted, they might have something in on.
Despite her bold personality, Uzumaki Kushina still longed for friends, especially in a strange, unfamiliar pce like Konoha.
Sora's earlier as, standing up for her, had made her want to befriend him.
Watg Sora leave, Uzumaki Kushina ched her fists, determination fshing in her eyes, and she chased after him.
Sora hurried home, almost running in his eagero dive into his training.
Behind him, Uzumaki Kushina, her short legs pumping furiously, chased him relentlessly.
As they reached the outskirts of Konoha, Kushina shouted breathlessly, "Hey! Wait!"
Sora paused, surprised by the familiar voice. Wheurned and saw Kushina, he was taken aback.
Kushina staggered to a stop, hands on her knees, gasping for air.
Sora walked up to her and asked, "Do you need something?"
Kushina took a deep breath, stood up straight, and stretched her hand toward him. "My name is Uzumaki Kushina!"
Sora raised an eyebrow at her strahusiasm.
Kushi a bit uneasy under his gaze.
"My name is Sora," he replied, briefly shaking her small hand before letting go.
Kushina tilted her head. "Sora? Is that your first name or your st name?"
"First name. I don't have a st name."
"Huh? No surname?" Kushina frowned, her head tilting further. "Is that even possible?"
Sora shrugged and asked, "So, what do you need from me?"
Summoning her ce, Kushina decred, "I want to be friends with you!"
Sora had suspected as much.
"Kushina-kun, you saw how I'm treated in css."
Kushina nodded early. "Yeah, you're as isoted as I am."
Sora smiled faintly. "Our situations aren't the same. I'm isoted from the entire vilge. If you bee friends with me, you'll probably be isoted too.
It's only your first day at school, and you've already met some bad kids. But you'll make friends in time.
Ask the teacher to ge your seat because staying by my side will only make things harder for you. It's getting te—you should go home. Goodbye."
After politely deing, Sora waved at Kushina, turned, and walked away.
Kushina stood there, watg his retreating figure, her head l in despair.
She had finally worked up the ce to reach out and make a friend, only to be rejected. Her chest tightened with an unfamiliar disfort.
