Uzumaki Kushina's eyes lit up when she heard Uzumaki Mito say she knew where Riku was.
"Grandma Mito, where is he?" she asked eagerly.
"In the Ninja Hospital," Mito replied gently. "It seems he was injured during training and has been unconscious for several days. You can—"
Before she could finish, Kushina had already bolted out the door.
"I'm going out for a bit, Grandma Mito! I'll be back soon!"
Uzumaki Mito smiled as she watched the girl dash off, a soft look of affection on her face.
Just yesterday, Sarutobi Hiruzen had come by to check on Kushina's progress. During the visit, Mito had specifically asked about Shiranui Riku. She was shocked to learn from the Third Hokage that Riku had been hospitalized after sustaining injuries from training and had remained in a coma for several days.
To end up in the hospital because of training? What kind of intensity must he have put himself through to end up like that?
What surprised Mito even more was the change in Hiruzen's attitude. In the past, when he spoke about Riku, he dismissed him with indifference. But yesterday… there was a shift. Hiruzen had begun to take Riku seriously. Mito didn't know exactly what had happened, but she took it as a good sign.
In her heart, Mito carried guilt—for both Kushina and Riku.
Kushina had come to Konoha to become the new Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. That alone made Mito feel indebted to her. And as for Riku… he carried Senju blood. As the former wife of the Senju clan leader, Mito had been unable to protect him. That knowledge weighed on her.
She also understood why Hiruzen had placed Kushina in the same class as Riku.
That class had Minato Namikaze—a civilian-born prodigy. Rumor had it that Jiraiya, Hiruzen's student, was considering taking Minato as his disciple after graduation.
Hiruzen once told Mito that he wanted Kushina to form bonds in Konoha—to feel accepted, to belong. And Minato had been chosen to serve as that link. Since he didn't belong to any noble clan, he was safe—loyal to the Hokage and politically neutral. That way, no clan could manipulate the power of the Nine-Tails.
Mito had no power to object. Hiruzen was the Hokage, after all. She was merely the widow of the First Hokage.
But even so, she was more optimistic about Shiranui Riku.
Why? Because he was family. A descendant of the Senju. And she was his elder.
If Hiruzen had taken an interest in Riku, then Kushina becoming friends—or more—with him might be welcomed rather than resisted.
Riku had been rejected by the Uchiha and didn't belong to any faction. He was a true outcast.
A look of resolve flickered in Mito's aging eyes. Her time in this world was nearing its end, but if she could watch Kushina grow and help guide her, she would be content.
And if she could help Riku and Kushina form a meaningful bond, she would do everything she could to support them.
Kushina ran excitedly all the way to the Ninja Hospital.
Since she didn't know which ward Riku was in, she asked one of the busy medical-nin.
Surprisingly, it was easy to get the information. But the way the nurse responded made Kushina uncomfortable.
"Oh, that little traitor? He's in the room at the end of the hallway," the nurse said with a curled lip, disgust in her voice.
Kushina clenched her fists at the tone but said nothing. She walked down to the last room of the corridor.
Riku was still unconscious, so she quietly opened the door and stepped inside.
She saw him lying flat on the bed, both arms and legs wrapped in bandages. The room was bare—no flowers, no fruit, not even a glass of water on the bedside table. Just the steady beep of the monitoring instruments.
Her heart sank at the sight.
Forcing a smile, she whispered, "Hey, Riku… I came to see you."
There was no reply, of course.
Kushina turned and ran back out the room. She was going to the flower shop.
Though his body remained unconscious, Riku's mind was aware—he just couldn't move.
The system had taken over his body to simulate lightning chakra manipulation and the full-form of Thunder Breathing. The burden had shattered his limits.
It was like being alive inside a body that refused to respond. A waking nightmare.
Every muscle, every joint, every organ screamed in pain. And yet…
The power he had felt from the full sword form of Thunder Breathing made it all worth it.
He was only nine years old, and yet he'd pulled off something like this. What would happen once he grew stronger?
Yesterday, he had regained full consciousness and had been replaying the sensation of wielding Thunder Breathing over and over in his mind. He couldn't wait to try again.
What he didn't expect… was that Uzumaki Kushina would come to visit him.
They had only shared a few words as classmates. He had even turned her away when she tried to befriend him.
Why would she come all the way to the hospital just for him?
It wasn't just curiosity. She brought flowers. She seemed genuinely concerned.
Riku couldn't understand it.
The door opened again.
Kushina returned, holding a bouquet of lilies. She found a vase, filled it with water, and arranged the flowers neatly.
Then she sat down, looked at his sleeping face, and began to speak.
"I didn't know what kind of flowers to get… I told the flower shop lady that my friend was in the hospital, and I wanted to get him something. She recommended lilies—she said they mean blessings, purity, and good luck. I think they're pretty, don't you?
"Grandma Mito told me that if I wanted to be friends with you, people might hate me for it. But I've already made up my mind.
"You were the only one who didn't laugh at me. You even helped me when that jerk pulled my hair.
"Grandma Mito said you were caught between two ninja clans, that you're a victim. I don't really get what that means, but I do know that real friends don't care about stuff like that.
"I don't care what anyone else says. I want to be your friend."
Then she stood, clenching her fists in determination.
"I'm going to try my hardest to make you my friend! Just wait!"
Inside his mind, Shiranui Riku felt his heart tremble.
In the five long years he had spent in Konoha… this was the first time he had felt this kind of warmth.