Loopholes
“KUSHINA!!!” a voice bellowed.
The red haired girl, about the age of 5, turned over her shoulder to cackle at the men she ran from. They bumbled through the streets and alleys, eventually making their way to the rooftops.
Bright colored paint splotched over her face, clothes, and hair. The just about empty buckets of paint she held, clunked together as the girl dashed. At one point, the perfect point, she discarded them. The male ninja were catching up to her, so very close to snatching her in their grasp. They ran into the buckets, point blank, successfully holding her pursuers back.
The girl– Kushina– climbed her way up one of the tall buildings, finding footholds wherever she could. The whole point was to gain a better view of her work.
Brushing a lock away from her face, Kushina let the snigger buble. The Uzukage’s building, the one in the center of the whole village that looked so very important, was reduced to a child’s art project.
It was quite the wondrous sight: the walls covered in blinding blue and pink with cute flowers scattered around. Her favorite part was the large sun that smiled at everyone.
Kushina jumped when she heard a sigh behind her. The back of her sleeveless top was snatched and she squawked as her feet left the ground.
“How is it that I’m one of the only ones who can catch you?” The boy raised her to his eye level. “Shouldn’t the almighty ninja be competent enough to do that, at the least.” He grumbled, but his eyes held no malice. His hair was tousled, messy, telling her what he was doing beforehand. The yawn only added to it.
Kushina giggled, tugging on the small braid that peaked out of the rest of his hair. “Don’t lie, Chi-chan~. You secretly like getting called out of your classes. How ungrateful you are!”
Keiichi only huffed defiantly, flicking her hand away. “Ren called for you. Apparently your lesson today would be something you’d like. Also said the geezer was ready to kill you.”
“When isn’t he,” she snorted.
‘The geezer’ was a name of spite. It was for the man named Zello: the dark haired ninja present for her Jinchūriki briefing. Zello became one of her teachers, along with the singular woman there that day: Dani.
Reiterating, Kushina didn’t particularly like them.
Kushina enjoyed ranting when she and Keiichi met up. In her very valid opinion, Kushina’s schedule was entirely overbooked. They taught her things they didn’t think she’d learn in Konoha. It was mostly history and customs, who was right and who was wrong. It didn’t sound like much, but seven years of topic coverage was a lot. It didn’t help that she skipped most of them.
Kushina had never liked learning about history.
“Oh,” she realized. “Ren-chan’s teaching me today?”
Ren was another one of her assigned teachers, teaching her the same thing he always did: Fuinjutsu.
“I guess. Now let’s go before I get accused of trying to help you.”
She laughed in his face at the mere thought of him covered in paint.
◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌
It wasn’t what she was expecting, to be seized just after she and Keiichi split up.
Kushina sat tied to a chair at the center of the Uzukage’s office (i.e. her least favorite place).
“Kushina,” the old man truly looked an old man, “What were your reasons this time?”
She was tricked.
Kushina pouted her lips, turning away. “I don’t wanna learn stupid things, dattebane.”
“The same one as ever I see.”
Her head was directed at Zello. She had a clear view of his jaw snapping. Maybe he wanted to be a piranha. “You vandalized the Kage Tower in retaliation of learning more about the Nine Tailed Fox? Do you understand how important that information is to you?!” he seethed.
Kushina would love to count the gray hairs she’d given him.
She hmphed again, turning her nose up and in the other direction.
“Kushina,” Gahn addressed her again. “You are dismissed.”
“What—?!” Zello blew. He was cut off by a sharp look that whipped to him from their wonderful leader. Kushina grinned, having been cut out of the rope. As she skipped happily to the door, Kushina made sure to give the audience a good view of her tongue.
“YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!”
◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌◌
Kushina loved the view from the cliff. It overlooked the whole of her village from the edge of the ravine it was hidden in. Though, it wasn’t too much of a ravine anymore: a side being entirely blown out.
Kushina didn’t like heights, not really, despised them sometimes. Yet, she always found herself up there, looking down on the world. Few knew about her hidden spot.
The Nine Tailed Fox
It was the main topic of most of her classes, meant to learn the creature’s quirks and history. After the first class, Kushina wondered if she was being pranked, or something. They only repeated the same things over and over and over again. Monster, demon, beast. Her almost least favorite words.
Kushina didn’t know if the thing really was a monster, demon, or beast. She really hoped not. They’d be spending the rest of her life together; the least they could do was get along. And, those words really didn’t help her form any kind of impression. After all, humans could be described with the same such.
Though, that line of thinking was only a distraction for another. A second reason for her great plan of action that day existed. It was the second day Shig and Chikako were late to their predicted homecoming. Border patrol, an extended mission.
It was a so-called attempt to test a theory: would they call the parents if the child was being bad?
Kushina declared it as a no based on her interaction in the Kage’s office.
She turned her head in response to intentional footfalls. Ren looked like he’d been assaulted by chickens.
“Brat,” he greeted when falling to the ground beside her.
It was a bit of a surprise to see him there. Kushina knew Ren disliked the outdoors. Then she remembered she was supposed to be mad at the trick he pulled, veering her head away in protest.
He sighed at the action, rustling a hand through his hair. “Like I had a choice. Contrary to what you may think, I have zero options when it comes to disobeying my superiors.”
He knew. He knew Kushina figured it out. She believed they all knew.
Kushina understood they needed her. As long as she didn’t go too far, she could get away with a lot. They could barely touch her.
Kushina puffed out her cheeks. “Doesn’t mean I have to forgive you.”
“I wasn’t lying,” he grumbled. “What I told the Cheapskate’s son was true. I’ll be teaching you about something you’d like.”
Her mood swung quick. “Really?!”
Kushina graduated from the basic seals, the mass produced ones. Ren was taking his time showing her what each stroke meant. If she mastered it, Kushina would be able to personalize seals.
When he said something she’d like, she was sure it’d be something she’d never dreamt of.
Ren faced outward, taking in the scenery instead of her. “It’s a bit different than usual, probably way too early to tell you about them, but I might as well. They’re called Adamantine Sealing Chains.”
Adamantine Sealing Chains: an Uzumaki technique. Chains made out of the user’s chakra. Able to be produced wherever that chakra locates itself.
Kushina was baffled, not knowing what to say of it. There were so many possibilities. It was interesting.
“And when are you teaching me, bane?”
“Still too young for that, brat.”
“Huh?!”