Her long eyelashes cast small, fan-shaped shadows under her eyes, trembling slightly with her rhythmic, deep breaths.
Her cheeks still carried a lingering rosy flush—perhaps a remnant of her earlier anger, or perhaps she was having a pleasant dream.
Her lips were unconsciously pouted in a slight pout, revealing a defenseless, childish side rarely seen during her waking hours.
The hem of her slightly oversized house dress had ridden up due to her side-sleeping position, exposing a section of her smooth, pale calves and the soft curve of her ankles.
The sleeping Kushina lacked the explosive irritability that defined her; she was just a portrait of unguarded softness.
Saiki's gaze lingered on her for a moment. Once he confirmed she was in a deep sleep, he slowly withdrew his eyes.
He found a cushion and sat cross-legged on the floor, entering a meditative posture.
The Nine-Tails had nearly shattered the seal. Kushina, who had borne the brunt of the trauma, was indeed exhausted, but Saiki was even more drained.
The expenditure... had been far too great.
From the series of bloody battles at the front, to the life-and-death struggle with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and the other powerhouses, and finally to today's terrifying drain while suppressing the Nine-Tails... it was as if a bottomless pit was devouring his foundation.
Dual cultivation with Nono'u had replenished some of his reserves, but that drop of recovery was a drop in the ocean compared to the massive, non-stop expenditures. It had merely delayed the speed of total depletion.
Operating in a state of continuous deficit, he could clearly feel the waves of weakness radiating from deep within his body.
Because he hadn't had a chance to fully recover, Saiki's condition was steadily worsening. He needed to seize this time to regain his strength.
Saiki dived into the lake of his mind. As the Pre-natal Qi began to circulate within him, a small white cloud drifted out of his body, hovering over his head to assist in absorbing natural energy and restoring his Sage Chakra.
His consciousness sank deep into his core. The "Sea of Qi" in his Dantian, which was usually brimming with a hazy white, vibrant Sage Chakra, now looked thin and shallow. It had transformed from a sizeable lake into a pond on the verge of drying up.
If anyone nearby could sense natural energy, they would see Kushina's small house acting like a vacuum. The natural energy around the Hidden Leaf was pouring toward this location in a massive, invisible vortex—a truly shocking spectacle.
Few people could observe the shifts in natural energy, but the disturbance began to affect the local weather. Konoha's bright, sunny sky turned overcast and gloomy. As the natural energy converged, moisture and mist gathered as well.
Inside the house, as the energy converged, the Auspicious Cloud above Saiki's head began to produce a "blood-like" crimson-tinted energy rain.
The rain didn't dampen Saiki or the floor. Upon landing on the location of his Sea of Qi, the droplets were absorbed by Saiki, vaporizing and vanishing into his meridians.
Despite the massive commotion in the natural world, the accumulation of Sage Chakra inside Saiki remained agonizingly slow. It was like collecting water from a dying spring in the middle of a desert; the natural energy condensed into drops of Sage Chakra that fell drip... drip... drip... into his shallow pond.
Outside the window, the sky grew even darker. Heavy leaden clouds pressed low over the village, devouring the last of the afternoon light.
Inside, the miniature Auspicious Cloud continued to rain its energy threads, silently nourishing Saiki's depleted Sea of Qi.
Every drop of Sage Chakra that merged brought a tiny current of warmth, slowly filling the parched lake. However, reaching his original peak would still take a significant amount of time.
Saiki knew that using Sage Chakra to fight was incredibly inefficient—it was essentially burning his accumulated life-capital. But reality was cruel; sometimes, you have to kill the goose to get the golden eggs.
Time flowed in silence.
Kushina, seemingly affected by the fading light outside, unconsciously rolled over in her sleep.
The collar of her loose house dress slipped slightly, revealing an elegant section of her fragile collarbones. Her side-sleeping posture allowed the curves of her slender, soft waist to peek through the thin fabric.
She let out a blurred mumble as if dreaming. The slight furrow in her brow smoothed out, and she nuzzled her cheek against the soft cushion, sinking back into an even deeper, more stable slumber.
It was a scene of pure laziness and charm, but Saiki temporarily had no time to appreciate it.
Of course, even with his eyes closed, his spirit clearly reflected everything around him.
He felt Kushina's minute movements, the rustle of wind-swept leaves outside, the distant, muffled noise of the streets, and... the leaden clouds over Konoha, growing heavier by the second due to his abnormal energy accumulation.
He precisely controlled the rhythm of the absorption, ensuring the massive energy vortex didn't cause unnecessary alarms in the village's sensing barrier, and taking care not to wake the woman sleeping beside him.
When the last sliver of daylight was replaced by twilight and the windows of Kushina's house were dyed a deep indigo, the Auspicious Cloud finally stopped its rain and slowly merged back into Saiki's body.
He opened his eyes. A flash of silver light passed through his deep pupils before being replaced by his usual cold, detached look.
After an entire afternoon of cultivation, the Sage Chakra in his body had only recovered a fraction—like adding a few buckets of water to a pond. It was impossible to tell how long a full recovery would take.
他 let out a long, stale breath, feeling the lingering weakness in his muscles. It was still there, but compared to noon, he felt significantly better.
As the light in the room shifted, Kushina, having slept the entire day, seemed to sense it. She let out a blurred, soft whimper. Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times before she slowly blinked her eyes open.
Her emerald pupils were initially clouded with the misty confusion of someone just waking up, looking like a lake covered in fog.
She blinked slowly, seemingly unable to fully break free from the fragments of her dreams. Her gaze rested aimlessly on the ceiling.
Seconds later, her soul returned to her body. Her eyes focused, landing on Saiki sitting on the floor.
"Nngh..." she hummed vaguely. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sat up, bracing herself against the sofa. The oversized house dress slid up another inch or two as she moved.
She seemed completely oblivious to it. She stared blankly at the darkening sky outside the window, then turned to Saiki. Her voice was still thick with sleep. "...Is it dark already?"
"Mm," Saiki grunted. He stood up and stretched his stiff limbs.
"Did you make dinner?" The sudden pang of hunger made Kushina ask the question while rubbing her stomach.
The moment the words left her mouth, Kushina snapped fully awake.
She realized she was in her own home—why was she asking an outsider if they'd made dinner? She also remembered everything that had happened that morning.
She subconsciously looked down at her rumpled house dress. A flash of discomfort crossed her face, and she hurriedly yanked the hem down to cover her knees.
She stood up, her bare feet stepping onto the cool floor, as she shook out the pins and needles in her arms and legs.
"Ah... that... aren't you going home yet?" she asked, attempting to change the subject. She bent over to reach for the slippers she'd kicked into the corner of the sofa. During the movement, her red hair fell forward, hiding her slightly flushed cheeks.
Saiki nodded. "I am. But Sister Tsunade said you're moving in with us for a while."
"What? I have to go too? Why?" she asked. But as she thought about it, her movements froze.
"...Is it because of the Uchiha?" Her voice dropped, turning somber.
"Mm." Saiki's reply was characteristically short. He looked at Kushina's face. The fact that she understood the gravity of the situation was good.
"Pack your things. Let's go."
Kushina didn't ask further. She bit her lip and walked quickly toward her bedroom.
A moment later, the sound of rustling fabric and sliding drawers drifted out.
Saiki waited quietly in the living room. Outside, the sky was a deep, inky blue. The leaden clouds pressed low, making the scattered lights of the village look weak and sickly—giving the entire world the feeling of a calm before a massive storm.
In the distance, the raspy caw of a crow drifted through the air, merging into the unnatural silence.
Not long after, Kushina emerged, having changed into her standard gear. Her long red hair was tied back in a simple ponytail. The last traces of sleep were gone, replaced by an expression of grim seriousness.
She was carrying a small bundle, likely containing just a few changes of clothes.
"Let's go," she said as she reached his side. Her voice carried a trace of impatience.
"Give it to me," Saiki said, reaching out.
Kushina looked at his outstretched hand. She hesitated for a second, her emerald eyes scrutinizing his face in the dim light. Once she was sure he wasn't trying to tease her again, she pouted.
She seemed dissatisfied with Saiki's brief, evasive answers, but she ultimately shoved the small bundle into his hands.
"Hmph. I guess you have a shred of manners after all. Hold it tight!"
Her tone was still sharp, but it was a blatant facade of bravado.
She walked to the door first and bent over to put on her boots.
Saiki gripped the lightweight bundle, feeling a bit bewildered by her sudden mood shift, but he didn't say anything. He just followed her out into the night.