Uzumaki Kushina looked at Sora seriously and declared that she was willing to become the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki.
Sora's expression turned solemn as he said firmly, "Kushina, absolutely not. If you want to repay Uzumaki Mito, there are other ways—you don't have to hurt yourself like this. I will never agree to let you become a Jinchūriki. Never!"
Uzumaki Kushina gently hugged Sora and spoke softly, "I'm not doing this for Grandma Mito, nor for Konoha. I'm doing it for you. You've already done so much for me, and I don't want to be a burden to you anymore."
Sora's eyes softened, but his expression remained serious.
With a tone that left no room for argument, he said, "I will never agree to this. Kushina, I've told you before—you are not, and never will be, a burden to me. Not before, not now, and not in the future.
Fighting for you doesn't exhaust me; on the contrary, it gives me strength and purpose.
But if you become a Jinchūriki, it would be as if you're rejecting my feelings for you and disregarding all the efforts I've made up until now.
Kushina, I just need you to trust me. That's all. Everything else—I will take care of it. I believe in myself, so I hope you can always believe in me, too!"
Uzumaki Kushina buried her head in Sora's chest and murmured, "I believe in you, Sora. I won't bring this up again. I'm sorry."
Sora let out a small sigh of relief and gently rubbed Kushina's head, murmuring, "Kushina, one day, I will leave Konoha. This village holds no good memories for me. The only good thing here… is meeting you. That's why I will take you with me.
This place isn't our home—it's just a temporary shelter. Let's wait. When the time comes, we'll leave this place and find somewhere we truly belong."
Uzumaki Kushina lifted her head and looked at Sora with unwavering determination. "I will always follow you. No matter where you go, I won't leave your side!"
A small smile appeared on Sora's lips, and for the first time in a long while, his heart felt at peace.
Sora and Uzumaki Kushina spent the next two days together.
During that time, Kushina took charge of preparing all of Sora's meals.
Needless to say, Kushina's cooking skills were excellent, and Sora always ate to his heart's content.
After lunch, Kushina would leave for her missions with her team, while Sora would head to the Ninja Academy.
On this particular day, after saying goodbye to Kushina, Sora made his way to the academy.
Today was the graduation day for the academy students.
Sora had been assigned to visit the school and select a student to take on as his disciple.
He knew that Orochimaru had suggested this with the intent of having Sora mould the student into one of his own, just as Orochimaru had done with him.
With that in mind, Sora knew his chosen disciple couldn't come from a major ninja clan.
However, since he wasn't particularly familiar with the talented civilian ninjas who had the potential to grow into powerful shinobi, he found himself at a loss.
Might Guy came to mind—he was undoubtedly talented—but his eccentric personality made him an unsuitable choice as Sora's disciple.
After much thought, Sora still couldn't decide on a candidate. In the end, he resolved to observe the students first.
And if none of them seemed suitable, he would pick someone at random to appease Orochimaru.
As he arrived at the entrance of the Ninja Academy, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for what lay ahead.
Sora spotted a familiar figure—Namikaze Minato, looking slightly troubled.
However, Sora had expected to see Minato today.
After all, Minato had previously mentioned that he would be assigned to lead a three-man team.
That meant he would undoubtedly be present for the Ninja Academy's graduation examination.
Unlike Sora, who had the freedom to select his own disciple, Minato had no say in choosing his team.
Jōnin were not allowed to handpick their preferred Genin; all team assignments were made at random.
As soon as Minato noticed Sora, he walked over with his usual friendly demeanour and greeted him casually, "Sora, what brings you here? Have you changed your mind about leading a team?"
Sora smirked slightly. "I have no interest in leading a team. I'm just here to select a disciple. So go do your job and stop bothering me."
Without waiting for a response, Sora stepped past Minato and headed straight into the academy.
Minato, already used to Sora's blunt attitude, smiled before following him inside.
The graduation exam had already concluded.
On the training ground, the newly promoted Genin who had passed their assessments stood in neat rows, each now wearing a forehead protector.
The Jōnin instructors assigned to lead the new teams were gathered among the academy teachers, waiting for the official team announcements.
Sora scanned the area and estimated that there were about a dozen Jōnin present.
However, with the ongoing war, the difficulty of the graduation exam had been relaxed, leading to a larger-than-usual number of graduates.
With only a handful of Jōnin available, they wouldn't be able to take on all the new Genin.
Only the most outstanding graduates would be assigned to Jōnin-led teams, while the rest would be placed under Chūnin instructors.
As Sora observed the scene, his gaze fell upon a familiar face—his former teacher, Masada Hayabusa.
The moment Masada Hayame noticed Sora, his expression stiffened.
The student he had once dismissed as the least promising had not only been chosen by one of the Sannin, Orochimaru but had also risen to the rank of Jōnin—surpassing him in status.
Most academy instructors were Chūnin, and seeing Sora as a superior now unsettled him.
Sora, however, barely spared him a glance, treating him as nothing more than a stranger before shifting his gaze elsewhere.
A wave of unease crept up Masada Hayame's spine.
'That little brat...'
Despite having taught him for years, Sora showed him no acknowledgement whatsoever.
Was that really necessary?
"Masada-sensei!"
Namikaze Minato approached Masada Hayame with a warm smile. "It's been a long time. How have you been?"
At the sight of Minato, Masada Hayame's face lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum.
"Ah, Minato! I'm doing well, very well! You've always been my best student—so talented! In just a few short years, you've already become a Jōnin. I'm truly proud of you."
Minato scratched his head sheepishly. "That's all thanks to your teachings, Masada-sensei."
"You're as humble as ever." Masada Hayame chuckled, then shot a glance in Sora's direction, his tone turning sour. "Unlike some people, who don't seem to show any gratitude at all."
As Minato and Masada Hayame reminisced, Sora's attention drifted elsewhere.
Among the fresh Genin, a small boy with striking white hair caught his eye.
Hatake Kakashi.
Sora frowned slightly. Wasn't Kakashi already a Chūnin?
Why was he standing among the Genin, waiting to be assigned to a Jōnin instructor?
Then, after thinking it over, it made sense.
Originally, Kakashi had been teamed up with Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin under Minato's leadership.
Since Obito and Rin had only just graduated, Kakashi had to be present for the team assignment as well.
Otherwise, how else would they officially be placed under Minato's command?
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