Time slipped away unnoticed, just like money burning a hole in your pocket.
Musashi put a tremendous amount of effort into his training under Kushina Uzumaki.
Yin-Yang Release was indeed much harder than ordinary Ninjutsu. As he endured Kushina's "physical education," he was forced to accept once again that his ninja talent was painfully average.
Kushina Uzumaki was a very responsible teacher.
Although she hit hard and scolded loudly, she tried her best to answer every question Musashi had.
As an Uzumaki, Yin-Yang Release came naturally to her, so she couldn't understand why Musashi had to practice for ages just to master a simple chakra pathway.
Isn't that stuff just point-and-shoot? Can't you just clap your hands like with the Adamantine Sealing Chains?
It took nearly a month to successfully master the extraction of Yang Chakra.
This slow speed drove Kushina crazy multiple times, making her scream that Minato was a big fat liar for calling the kid a genius!
However, when it came to the subsequent Yin Chakra training, Musashi was surprisingly smooth, mastering it in less than a week.
Kushina was shocked to find herself thinking, Wow, that was actually pretty fast for him!
As the training progressed day by day, although Musashi still maintained his sunny, "Youthful" exterior, his heart was growing heavier.
He realized he was developing feelings for Kushina that he shouldn't have.
Feelings similar to what he felt for Daiki, Uncle Teuchi, and even Ayame.
Spending so much time together made them familiar, and their bond was deepening constantly.
Originally, his plan was just to take advantage of Minato's time in office to grab some Yin-Yang Release materials and train on his own. If anyone asked about his progress later, he'd just say he had no talent for it and failed.
He hadn't expected to end up under Kushina's direct tutelage by accident.
She wasn't an NPC in a game; she was a person.
A living, breathing person standing right in front of him. Someone who laughed when she was happy, swung her fists when she was mad, and offered words of comfort when he failed repeatedly.
In this cruel ninja world, pure and kind people were rare.
And Kushina and Minato were the most infectious of them all.
Thinking about the Nine-Tails Attack that would happen soon, thinking about how this woman—who bonked him on the head every day and yelled "Dummy Musashi"—would die...
He felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
Instinctively, he began to resist the deepening of their bond, which was why his mood had been so low.
"Hey! Dummy Musashi! Why do you seem so out of it these past two days?" In the room, Kushina frowned, her clenched fist itching to strike.
"I'm not!" Musashi denied instinctively.
Just when he thought the "Iron Fist of Love" was unavoidable, Kushina huffed and actually unclenched her fist.
"Musashi, I have something to tell you."
"What is it, Big Sister Kushina?"
"Let me be your teacher."
Musashi: "Huh?!"
Minato, who had just walked in the door: "Say WHAT?!"
"What's with the 'Huh'? And what's with the 'What'?" Kushina was immediately displeased.
"Is there something wrong with me being a teacher? For the Strongest Kunoichi of the Leaf, teaching a disciple is a piece of cake."
Minato hurriedly explained, "Kushina, that's not what I meant. Isn't it too early to take an official disciple? Musashi hasn't even graduated yet, and it's inconvenient for you to go out."
"It's because I can't go out freely that I need a disciple to relieve my boredom... I mean, to teach!"
"But..."
"No buts!" Kushina glared. After seeing Minato's helpless "I give up" expression, she turned to the dumbfounded Musashi.
"What? You don't want to? (╬￣皿￣)"
Musashi froze for a second. "Uh... Uh? I want to! I want to a hundred times over! I was just stunned by the immense happiness."
"Tch! ~ That's more like it." Kushina flipped her red hair with a proud, sassy flair.
Then, she placed a scroll in front of him, acting casual. "Here. Although I'm strong, I don't actually specialize in many different ninjutsu. This is a gift for the apprenticeship ceremony. Take it."
Minato, seeing the scroll, couldn't help himself. "Kushina, that's too..."
Kushina: "Hmm?"
Minato: "Uh... too wonderful!"
Musashi looked at the words "Sealing Jutsu" faintly visible on the scroll and momentarily forgot to reach out.
He felt like this gift weighed a thousand pounds.