STIN: Chapter 8/9

Chapter 8: A Pork Hock That Broke the Ice

Kushina suddenly looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, streaks still wet on her small face, her expression completely dazed.

She stared blankly at Ryo's face, which carried an "impatient" look but was indeed handsome, then at the huge, glistening, sauce-colored pork hock practically shoved up to her nose, as if it was glowing.

This… this contrast was too much!

The boy who had coldly rejected her just moments ago was now offering her a piece of meat that seemed to radiate a sacred light?

Even though his attitude was fierce, the stiff way he handed it over… how could it be so clumsily funny?

"Pfft—"

A jumble of emotions surged in Kushina's heart. The grievance hadn't fully faded, her hunger was unbearable, she was tempted by the huge piece of meat, and Ryo's stiff, awkward appearance had touched her strange sense of humor.

She couldn't help but let out a laugh through her tears.

This was probably the first person who had ever given her something just because "she cried" since arriving in Konoha.

Even if his face was stern, even if his tone was poor, this "care" warmed the lonely heart of the red-haired girl.

"Thank you…" Her voice was nasal but much brighter.

All those accusations of Ryo being a blockhead, cold, and selfish vanished instantly.

At this moment, Kushina unilaterally stamped him with the "can be friends" seal.

He was a good person!

This simple, straightforward thought took root in her heart.

Her hunger surged back with a vengeance.

With food like this in front of her, who cared about image?

Kushina instantly turned into a little hungry wolf. Not caring if her hands got greasy, she grabbed the massive pork hock!

She impatiently opened her mouth and took a huge bite at the thickest, juiciest part!

Boom!

Her taste buds exploded!

This taste… this texture… was unlike anything she had ever eaten!

The sauce was rich and mellow, with a hint of sweetness, savoriness, and deep spice, perfectly seeping into every fiber of meat.

The lean meat wasn't dry at all. It had chew, yet was tender, tearing apart easily, becoming more fragrant with each bite.

The fatty part was translucent, melting in her mouth, rich but not greasy, leaving behind only a mouthful of delicious aroma. The charred pork skin was the soul of the dish, crispy and elastic, slightly sticky with gelatin, chewy and full of fatty fragrance.

The layers of spice didn't overwhelm the natural taste of the meat but instead enhanced it, bringing out a powerful flavor!

"Ooh! So… so delicious!!!" Kushina cried out muffled, her light blue eyes wide and shining with disbelief and joy.

In her entire life, whether in Uzushiogakure or at Grandma Mito's house, she had never tasted such an enchanting flavor!

Half-dead with hunger, eating this made her instantly feel like the happiest person alive.

Any image of being a lady, any elegance or grace, was gone.

Kushina transformed into a glutton, clutching the pork hock bigger than her fist with both hands, gnawing away fiercely.

Her small mouth was crammed full, her cheeks puffed out, sauce smeared across her nose and mouth, but she didn't care, dedicating herself completely to the battle against delicious food. Her face showed intoxicated bliss, almost fainting from happiness.

Ryo, who unknowingly received a "good person card": "…"

He sat beside her, rib still untouched in his hand, his expression indescribable.

Watching Kushina, who looked like a starving ghost reincarnated, happily gnawing away with an oily face, his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

A little… funny?

But seeing his meat mountain rapidly shrinking, he felt real heartache.

This was the energy he needed to recover his stamina!

"Hey! Eat slower! No one's snatching it from you!" Ryo finally couldn't help but remind her. His tone was stiff, but he genuinely worried she'd choke.

"Mmmph mmmph… So… so good… mmmph mmmph…" Kushina nodded furiously, showing she heard him, but her chewing never slowed, only accompanied by satisfied grunts as her eyes curved into crescents.

Ryo rolled his eyes helplessly, looked away from her horrifying eating habits, and lowered his head to his own plate.

No longer caring about the heartache, he grabbed his rib and bit into it fiercely, as if venting his frustration through appetite.

Thus, in the back row of Classroom 3A of the Ninja Academy, by the window, a bizarre yet strangely harmonious scene unfolded:

A red-haired boy in faded clothes, frowning with a helpless expression, gnawed at a roasted rib quickly and defensively, eyes locked on his food.

Beside him, a small, round-faced, red-haired girl with tear streaks still on her cheeks ungracefully clutched a giant braised pork hock, gnawing furiously. Her small face was shiny with oil, her eyes sparkling, her expression filled with joy.

When Ryo lowered his head, she even slyly stretched out her greasy hand and swiftly pinched a slice of smoked meat from the corner of his bento!

"Hey! That's mine!" Ryo would occasionally notice and protest, but his hands didn't stop moving.

"Hmph! Stingy! You said you'd give me food!" Kushina puffed her cheeks, retorting indistinctly, her eyes already on the roasted meat she had long coveted from his plate.

"I only gave you the pork hock! I never said you could steal the rest!" Ryo firmly guarded his roasted meat.

"Stinky Ryo! I'm your friend now! What's wrong with friends sharing?!" Kushina's hands moved even bolder, even trying to grab a rib he had just picked up.

She unilaterally decided they were friends, so she was emboldened.

That naturally familiar, bold personality of hers shone through at this moment.

"Who's friends with you! You're a bandit! Give it back!" Ryo was annoyed yet amused, blocking her quickly.

The two squabbled and wrestled. Ryo had the strength to suppress her instantly, but he couldn't be serious with a little girl, so he only protested and guarded his food.

For a moment, their two greasy faces were close, the small classroom table filled with the scent of oil and helpless bickering.

In the end, although Ryo protected the core supplies like large chunks of meat and the main leg portion, Kushina still managed to plunder about thirty percent of his slices and many smoked strips.

Satisfied, Kushina patted her round belly and let out a loud, happy burp.

Her small face shone with oil, her smile as bright as a blooming flower.

All her grievances from yesterday had vanished completely thanks to this greasy, delicious meal.

Her stomach was full, her mood ecstatic!

Ryo?

Hmm, definitely a good person, cold on the outside but warm inside! He could be a friend!

As for his "loss-making, sour face"?

Kushina ignored it.

Meanwhile, Ryo stared at his half-empty "energy replenishment box," his brows twisted into a knot.

Looking at the satisfied little redhead still licking sauce from the corners of her mouth, he once again realized what it meant to "ask for trouble" and that "women are trouble."

But strangely, he didn't feel that angry anymore?

Still, seeing her smug "I'll do it again next time" expression, his head started to throb again.

Their lively food-snatching scene had already drawn the whole class's attention.

Everyone's expressions were vivid—dumbfounded, disbelieving, their worldview shaken. Oh my god, the red-haired bully Ryo actually had this side to him? Eye-opening!

In the front row, Minato quietly watched Kushina and Ryo's playful scuffle.

He looked down at his carefully prepared bento, filled with neat rice balls and side dishes. His original plan to bravely offer it froze completely.

His warm, sunny smile stiffened on his face, and for the first time, a hint of sadness and loss appeared in his bright blue eyes.

He didn't step forward. He silently opened the lid, took a bite of his rice ball, but it was tasteless.

The classroom buzzed with voices and the aroma of food.

Sunlight, dust, grease, arguments, burps, bulging bellies, a helpless sour face, a satisfied smiling one… all mixed together, forming a chaotic but real picture of hunger, forced sharing, delicious food, misunderstandings, and the first recognition of "friendship."

For Ryo and Kushina, the invisible wall between them was unexpectedly shattered by a sauce-covered pork hock, leaving behind a crack.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 9: Danzo Having a Meltdown

In the Hokage's office, smoke billowed.

The Third Hokage,Sarutobi Hiruzen, held his pipe between his teeth, the tobacco in its bowl flickering on and off.

His fingertip lightly tapped the smooth surface of the crystal ball. The blurry light and shadow within instantly sharpened, focusing on the corner by the window in Class 3-A of the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Beside him, in a large armchair, Uzumaki Mito sat perfectly upright.

The traces of time on her face were cleverly locked away by the Yin Seal, leaving only a pair of eyes, deep with wisdom, now watching the scene in the crystal ball with great interest.

The ball showed Kushina snatching food and Ryo protecting his.

It was far from refined, even a bit wild, but to the two figures before the crystal ball it felt like the warm sun in winter, comforting their hearts.

"Hehe." The Third Hokage exhaled a long plume of smoke, the wrinkles on his old face relaxing somewhat. "Mito-sama, look, this child Kushina is starting to put down roots in Konoha. She is finding her own bonds." He glanced at Mito, his tone carrying the relief of a heavy burden lifting.

The Third Hokage might not fully understand jinchuriki, but he understood the power of bonds.

Ryo, this ruthless commoner he had secretly observed for a long time, forming a connection with the future jinchuriki was simply a stroke of luck.

Mito's gaze remained on the two small figures wrestling in the crystal ball, her eyes showing a gentle understanding of the world.

She saw deeper than Hiruzen.

The brat Ryo, with his scowling face as he protected his food, the helpless yet genuine offer of a pig's trotter, was proof that his heart had been touched.

"Saru, I am old," she nodded slightly, her voice soft but weighty. "The Konoha of the future will ultimately be supported by these youngsters, just as Hashirama and Tobirama entrusted the burden to you back then, trusting you all the same."

Hiruzen's expression grew more solemn, and he nodded gravely. "Yes, Mito-sama. Your teachings, I have never dared to forget."

"Do not interfere too much with Kushina," she instructed, her gaze lingering on the girl's satisfied smile in the crystal ball. "Let her enjoy this time in the academy like an ordinary child. A jinchuriki's heart naturally has a void that needs to be filled with happy memories. The strongest shackles are not imprisonment, but warm bonds." As the current vessel of the Nine-Tails, her words carried authority.

"I guarantee it, Mito-sama." Hiruzen's voice was heavy and resolute. He understood the immense weight of Mito's entrustment.

Mito said no more, simply nodded gently, and rose to leave.

The heavy office door closed silently behind her, leaving the Third alone in the smoke-filled room with the still-boisterous scene in the crystal ball.

The quiet lasted less than two minutes.

"Bang!"

The Hokage's office door was pushed open unceremoniously, so hard the doorframe shook. Shimura Danzo walked in without pleasantries or even a polite facade, going straight to the point.

"Hiruzen." Danzo's voice was low, laced with suppressed anger. "Uzumaki Kushina, as a crucial future jinchuriki, should be immediately placed under strict supervision. Train her into a precise, ruthless weapon that only obeys orders. That is the safest plan. Allowing her to fool around in school is like exposing a top-tier strategic weapon to uncontrolled variables. You are playing with fire."

He glanced at the crystal ball, just in time to see Kushina "steal" another piece of fragrant grilled meat from Ryo's lunchbox, their two red heads nearly touching. Disgust deepened in his eyes. "Especially that brat named Ryo. His very existence is a source of interference. All contact between him and the jinchuriki must be severed immediately."

Hiruzen's expression became calm. He gently tapped the edge of his desk with his pipe. "This is Mito-sama's choice, Danzo." His voice was not loud, but exceptionally firm, directly invoking Mito Uzumaki's will.

"Mito-sama's choice?!" Danzo's tone suddenly rose, dripping with sarcasm. "Hiruzen, your weakness is that you are too soft, too superstitious about these so-called bonds. It is womanly compassion."

He stepped forward, almost glaring down at Hiruzen. "Bonds? What are those intangible bonds? Can you guarantee that this little girl, with the seeds of hatred for the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools buried deep in her heart, and the stubborn blood of the Uzumaki clan in her veins, will fully identify with Konoha just because of a few so-called friends? She was not even born in Konoha."

He spread his hand, as if sketching a blueprint. "Give her to me. To Root. I guarantee you, within half a year, I will return to you a perfect weapon, absolutely obedient, with a heart of stone, burning only for Konoha. This is the most responsible approach for the village." Danzo's voice was full of persuasion, yet carried a mechanical coldness.

Hiruzen met Danzo's oppressive gaze, his eyes unwavering, like bedrock. "I said, this is Mito-sama's choice, Danzo."

'If I hand the jinchuriki over to you, I am afraid I will not sleep soundly again.'

"..."

You bastard.

Danzo almost suffocated himself.

This excuse again.

It is always Mito-sama's choice. Can't you come up with a different one?

Danzo was enraged by the unyielding refusal.

Control over the core asset, the jinchuriki, was right before his eyes, yet he could not touch it because of an old woman's will.

His thoughts raced, and he decisively took a step back, though his gaze stayed fixed on the other red-haired figure in the crystal ball, like a predator locking onto prey.

"Fine. If you insist on handling the jinchuriki according to Mito-sama's way, I will give up." Danzo's voice was cold and hard.

"But that boy, Ryo Kamiyama. His actions in the academy are no secret. A genius who, at such a young age, can subdue all the teachers and students in the entire academy, his potential needs guidance, and more importantly, control. Hand him over to Root. My newly established department needs precisely this kind of ruthless, strong seed that can take root in the shadows and draw nourishment for Konoha."

A person who could dominate the entire school in such impoverished circumstances, with such tenacity and immense potential, was tailor-made for Root.

All that was needed was to sever unnecessary emotions and refine him into absolute loyalty to the village, the essence of a ruthless blade.

In the future, he would be Root's deadly weapon, buried in Konoha or deep within enemy nations. The sharpest blade in Danzo Shimura's hand.

Hiruzen picked up his pipe, refilled it with tobacco, his movements slow and steady. He lit it with a match, took a deep puff, and let the pungent smoke swirl in his lungs. When he spoke again, through the billowing smoke, his gaze became extremely sharp, piercing Danzo.

"Ryo is not suited for Root," the Third said, clear as a steel nail driven into wood. "He has light within him. His path should be walked openly, under the sun. He is one of the inheritors of the Will of Fire, the future of Konoha I envision, not some root buried deep underground."

He did not mention Ryo's Senju lineage, nor the secrets of his early observations, but the protective intent in his words was beyond doubt.

"Inheritor of the Will of Fire?!" Danzo sounded like he had heard the most preposterous joke. He laughed in anger, his eyes bloodshot with agitation.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, are you blind? A commoner brat who only sleeps in class and dominates through fighting, and you dare call him an inheritor of the Will of Fire? His chakra reserves are so low that even graduation is in question. Putting him under your imagined sunlight will only raise an unruly brute. Root," he suddenly clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm, "Root is the true foundation of Konoha. Only there can he be molded into a true pillar. Hand him over to me and let him become the sharp sword that guards Konoha's roots. Isn't that maximizing his value? Your so-called sunny path is just letting him run wild."

"Hiruzen, you are too greedy." Danzo slammed his hand on the table.

You will not give me the jinchuriki.

Fine. That is the village's nuclear weapon, I will leave it.

Now, you want to monopolize an outstanding genius too.

You will not let go of either.

How can you hog all the benefits?

Hiruzen slowly stood up. His physique was not massive, but at this moment he exuded undeniable authority.

He no longer cited Mito's name, nor did he continue to argue about Ryo's value. He simply stared calmly at Danzo with eyes that seemed to see through people's hearts, and said, word by word:

"Danzo, remember."

He paused, then declared with absolute clarity:

"I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, am the Hokage."

The Third directly used his authority to suppress him.

Hiruzen's meaning was clear. I am the Hokage. I want it all. If you do not like it, tough luck.

The single phrase, "I am the Hokage," struck Danzo's soft spot.

A higher rank crushes people. Danzo truly dreamed of becoming Hokage.

He had long wanted to experience what it felt like to have Hiruzen beneath him.

"Good, good, good. Sarutobi Hiruzen, you will regret this."

Danzo took a deep breath, calming himself.

Ultimately, he was not the Hokage, only an assistant to Konoha's Hokage. Root was still in its infancy. In front of Hiruzen, all he could do was threaten, spit harsh words, and then leave.

With a bang, Danzo left the Hokage's office, a place that haunted his dreams.

…

The office immediately returned to silence, only the slightly trembling door proving the intense confrontation that had just occurred.

Hiruzen slowly sat back in his chair. He took a deep breath, picked up his pipe again, his gaze deep and distant.

(To be continued.)