Wait a second, Kurama thought, the chakra smells similar, but it's not mine!

After pondering for a bit, the Nine-Tails decided to test Kushina.

"Big Fox?" Kushina suddenly found herself pulled into her inner world, staring at the massive Nine-Tails, who was tightly bound by Adamantine Sealing Chains. She hadn't even realized how she got there.

"Kushina, I smelled the chakra of a kindred spirit on that Takuya Yagami kid," the Nine-Tails rumbled.

"You're trying to trick me again, aren't you?" Kushina snapped, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the giant fox. "Granny Mito told me that all tailed beasts are evil, so I shouldn't trust a word you say. You just want to trick me into loosening your seal."

Kurama: "..."

When the heck did I ever trick you? Kurama fumed. If anyone's evil, it's humans!

I was just minding my own business, sleeping at home. Suddenly, Madara Uchiha comes out of nowhere, hits me with the Mangekyō Sharingan, and turns me into his personal summon to attack the Leaf Village! Then Hashirama Senju beats me down and seals me inside Mito Uzumaki. Where was I evil in any of that?

"You little brat, it's you humans who are the real monsters!" Kurama roared, too furious to care about Takuya at the moment. Kushina's words had struck a nerve.

"Grrr... I'm going to eat you!" Enraged, the Nine-Tails began thrashing against its chains, straining to snap them as it lunged at Kushina, fangs bared.

Kushina, however, merely pouted. She wasn't scared of Kurama anymore. She'd grown used to the fox's bluster. He might look fierce, but sealed like this, he was powerless.

"See? You're trying to trick me again! There's no way Takuya could have a tailed beast's chakra. You're just making things up," she declared confidently. "You won't fool me, Nine-Tails."

Gah! Kurama almost choked in frustration, feeling like he might cough up blood. "You little brat! I'm going to eat you! You're the real monster here! You're going to be the death of me!" he bellowed.

And just like that, Kushina was booted from her inner world.

The little girl was convinced that the Nine-Tails was just trying to trick her into loosening the seal so it could escape. Does it really think I'm that gullible? she thought. No way.

Besides, I haven't even been close to Takuya lately. How could he possibly have tailed beast chakra? Kushina huffed to herself. The Nine-Tails is just a big liar. Granny Mito was right-tailed beasts are evil.

Takuya had no idea that just a faint trace of the scent on him hadn't escaped the Nine-Tails' keen sense of smell. Foxes were part of the canine family, after all, and their noses were practically superpowered.

"Alright, class, today we have four new transfer students joining us. I'm sure you've heard about it already," the fourth-grade teacher announced, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "Now, let's have them come up and introduce themselves. Let's give them a warm welcome."

The oldest, Mikoto Uchiha, stood up first. "Hello, everyone. I'm Mikoto Uchiha. I've transferred from the fifth grade. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you."

A round of applause followed.

The older students were familiar with Mikoto, and most of the class greeted her warmly. Only a few were indifferent, and some even shot her unfriendly looks.

"I'm Takuya Yagami, and I've skipped up from the second grade," Takuya said, keeping his introduction brief before sitting down. He wasn't interested in sharing hobbies or anything like that.

"I'm Minato Namikaze. I also skipped up from the second grade. I look forward to getting to know everyone," Minato said politely.

Unlike Takuya, Minato was courteous, but Takuya wasn't worried about any potential bullying. Anyone who tried had already learned the hard way. Besides, Takuya wasn't the type to be intimidated. If anyone wanted to cause trouble, they'd better be ready for a fight.

"Bring it on anytime," Takuya thought. "I'm always up for a challenge."

"I'm Kushina Uzumaki, just like Takuya and Minato, I've skipped up from the second grade. I'm looking forward to being in this class with all of you."

Four transfer students: one polite, one who seemed alright, and two who were either top performers or had the Hokage's personal recommendation. The teacher just hoped they wouldn't cause too much chaos in the class.

"Today's lesson is outdoor shuriken throwing. Please check your equipment pouches. If you don't have your tools, you can borrow some from me. We'll meet at the training field in ten minutes."

"Hmph!" After the teacher left, a group of students glared coldly at Takuya, who was sitting beside Mikoto Uchiha.

Minato tensed up immediately. Are they going to fight? he wondered. Should I jump in?

Takuya, noticing the tension, leaned back casually and addressed one of the boys, "Uchiha Kasai, don't give me that look. If you've got the guts, challenge me. I'm ready anytime. If not, get lost before I block the gate after school."

An old grudge, Minato realized, watching the exchange. This Kasai had clearly tried to mess with Takuya before and had paid the price for it.

"Don't get cocky! I'm not afraid of you!" Kasai snapped, his pride stung by Takuya's words.

Sensing a potential confrontation, the rest of the class paused, eager to see what would happen next.

"Enough." Mikoto Uchiha stood up, exuding an aura of authority. "Kasai, what's done is done. There's no need to bring it up again. If you lose, it'll only hurt your pride more."

"Fine, I'll let it slide for now because of Mikoto," Kasai grumbled, deciding to back down for the time being. He wasn't about to risk getting cornered by Takuya after school.

"Who was that guy?" Minato whispered, still tense.

Takuya, relaxing with his hands behind his head, explained, "Just a jerk from the Uchiha clan. He tried to bully me when we were kids, so I cracked his head open with a rock."

"What?" Minato was stunned, and Kushina looked equally shocked.

Mikoto, exasperated, poked Takuya head lightly. "You really shouldn't brag about that. You were only three years old! How could you have the guts to throw a rock at someone's head?"

"He was two years older than me and had a gang with him. Of course, I had to strike first, or else I'd be the one getting beaten up," Takuya shrugged. He wasn't one to sit back and take it—if someone messed with him, he'd hit back twice as hard.

After that incident, Takuya had cornered Kasai a few more times after school, and the boy had finally backed off. But it seemed like Kasai was itching for trouble again, forgetting the beatings he'd received.

Some people just never learn, Takuya thought. Looks like I'll have to remind him who's boss.

Decision made: after school, he'd block the gate.

If you've got the guts, don't run after school. We'll settle this at the gate.