By the time the sun dipped behind Konoha's rooftops, Hanyū Yuuma had already returned to his home in the main district.
The moment he stepped inside, he waved Minato and Kushina in with the casual familiarity of people who'd eaten together many times.
"Hanyu, what are you cooking today?" Kushina leaned over curiously, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Mushroom soup. Stir-fried mushrooms. Plenty of them."Yuuma pointed to a plastic bag stuffed with wild mushrooms of every shape and color.
Earlier that afternoon, Shisui's group had overprepared—fish, wild greens, even a whole boar. Yuuma brought the leftovers home.
"These are wild mushrooms, aren't they?" Kushina frowned. They didn't look store-bought.For a moment, she remembered teasing Yuuma before… asking whether he'd slipped 'strange mushrooms' into her food and put her under an illusion.
If Yuuma did cook illusion mushrooms, with skills like his, it might actually work.
Yuuma nodded lightly. "We picnicked in the forest. Students gathered too much food."
"You take students on picnics?" Kushina pouted with borderline betrayal."I was in the Academy six years and no one did something like that."
"Those kids trust me. That's all." Yuuma replied simply.
Minato stepped in immediately. "Let me help you wash the vegetables, Hanyu. It feels wrong to freeload."
"Good. Wash the mushrooms. I'll prep the boar meat."Yuuma assigned tasks without hesitation.
Friendship grows from shared labor—not excessive courtesy.
Kushina blinked as the two men moved in sync, chopping, rinsing, heating.She suddenly felt… unnecessary.
"What about me?" she asked.
"There's no room. Sit and relax."Yuuma said it kindly—two people in this small kitchen were already pushing it.
So Kushina flopped onto a chair and picked up a book on the coffee table.
She froze.
"…A sealing technique manual?"
She flipped it open.
"The title looks painful already. Why are you reading thi—"
Her voice stopped dead when she saw the author's name:
"Uzumaki Ashina — Foundational Work of the Sealing Arts."
Kushina coughed violently. "Ahem. Actually this book is… good. Very good. Study it carefully."
"I have. Several times. Uzumaki Ashina-sama founded Konoha's sealing arts. Even someone like me learns a lot."
"Of course! That's the strength of my clan."Kushina puffed out her chest with pride.
"But are you… interested in sealing techniques too?" she asked.
"Very. They're profound and incredibly powerful." Yuuma said with genuine longing in his voice.
"If you want to improve in Konoha, sealing is a strong path," Minato added.
The three of them talked about sealing arts while Yuuma cooked—Yuuma listening more often, offering occasional insights that made Minato and Kushina feel strangely accomplished.
Soon dinner filled the room with warmth.
Kushina tried the braised pork first.
Her eyes widened. "This—this is incredible!"
Soft, melt-in-your-mouth, rich without being greasy.
"If you want, I can teach you." Yuuma said lightly.
"Deal. Minato and I will bring groceries tomorrow!" She nodded fiercely.
She turned to the stir-fried mushrooms… only to realize Minato had devoured half while they were talking.
"Minato! Leave some for me!"She dove in and instantly froze.
"…This is amazing too?!"
After dinner, the three took a slow walk through the quiet streets, talking about Yuuma's teaching mishaps and the strange things Minato and Kushina had encountered on missions.
For a moment, life felt easy.
But training never waited.
Two Days Before the Competition
Yuuma stood before Obito at the training grounds.
"If you want your jutsu to look more powerful, you don't only increase chakra and nature transformation. Changing the form also alters visual impact."
Obito scratched his head. "But there's only two days left… can I really learn that?"
"Of course not."Yuuma shut down the idea instantly.
Obito slumped—then Yuuma tapped him lightly on the forehead.
"But you don't need form control. You only need to master my modified version of Fireball."
Obito blinked. "Modified?"
Yuuma smiled faintly.
He had specifically redesigned Fireball: much larger visually, same actual output.A purely aesthetic buff.
Perfect for a score-based competition.
No combat. No damage check. Only visual intimidation.
Obito's eyes lit up like someone had turned on a stage spotlight.
"Teacher Mu Yue—you're basically my Sage of Six Paths!"
Kakashi wouldn't stand a chance against something this cool.
Yuuma patted his shoulder."You did say 'lifelong request,' didn't you? A teacher should answer when needed."
Obito rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, then clenched his fists.
"I'll train hard!"
Yuuma nodded.
Obito's goal was simple and burning:Defeat Kakashi. Take first place. Do it in front of Rin.
And Yuuma would ensure the outcome.