Kushina stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at Gu Lingxiao behind her with an incredibly complex gaze.
In that gaze, there was a mixture of deep wariness, suppressed anger, and a hint of a desire to probe—so intense that she herself hadn't even realized it.
She said nothing.
She opened the door and entered the house.
Then, with a "bang," she slammed her bedroom door shut, leaving Gu Lingxiao alone in the spacious living room.
The cold door panel separated the two worlds.
The night deepened, but the house was brightly lit.
On the living room dining table, the meticulously prepared meal had gradually lost its warmth. Kushina gazed toward the entrance, but the familiar figure she was waiting for did not appear.
The busyness of the new Hokage had now become a distance that made her anxious.
Outside, the night breeze was slightly cool.
On a treetop outside the living room, Gu Lingxiao shifted into a more comfortable sitting position. The dense branches and leaves perfectly concealed his figure. Through the window, he took in Kushina's lonely and desolate back.
The direction of the Hokage Building looked so eyesore to him.
[Tsk, to get such a lousy position, he even leaves such a beautiful wife at home to keep an empty room alone. This workaholic Minato Namikaze really has no skill in being a husband.]
[If I had such a wife, I wouldn't even want to step out the door.]
[As I said before, being the Hokage is not as good as being the man of the Hokage.]
The cold and somewhat matter-of-fact internal monologue rang clearly in Kushina's mind.
Inside the house, Kushina, who was worrying about Minato's situation and future, felt the pent-up frustration in her heart inexplicably dissipate a little upon hearing this inner voice.
She was stunned at first, then the corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably. A very light laugh echoed in the quiet room, but then she felt inexplicably angry.
This bastard is by the side of a great beauty like me, yet he thinks about that Fifth Hokage, Fifth Generation, all day long. She really wants to know what exactly makes the Fifth Hokage better than her.
While she complained in her heart that Minato was a blockhead who didn't know how to appreciate her, she also felt a strange sense of comfort because of the "appreciation" from another person, even if he was a bastard with a head full of dirty thoughts.
Her mood improved in such a subtle way.
Kushina stood up, strode to the window, and slammed it open.
She looked up at the leisurely figure in the tree, her tone carrying an unmistakable command: "Hey, come down and eat with me."
Gu Lingxiao in the tree clearly paused for a moment, looking surprised, but he still nimbly jumped down from the tree, crossed the courtyard, and entered the house through the front door.
Looking at the spread of sumptuous dishes that had already gone a bit cold on the table, he maintained his respectful posture as a guard, but muttered to himself.
[Employee meal benefits are this good? Four dishes and one soup, this standard is not bad.]
Kushina irritably handed him a pair of chopsticks and a bowl.
Gu Lingxiao picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of potato stewed meat, and put it into his mouth.
A trace of genuine surprise appeared in the expression under his mask.
Immediately, he said in that steady, waveless tone, a heartfelt compliment: "Very delicious, Lady Kushina, your cooking is amazing."
This compliment was completely synchronized with the voice in his heart.
Hearing this unadulterated praise, Kushina proudly puffed out her chest, the gloom of the past few days swept away, and a bright smile finally appeared on her face.
"Of course! You don't have to call me 'Lady' all day long. Just call me by my name!"
"Alright, Kushina," Gu Lingxiao took the opportunity without the slightest hesitation.
Kushina was stunned for a moment, then smiled and lowered her head to eat.
The atmosphere at the dining table was surprisingly harmonious.
Kushina discovered that with this man by her side, the faint life energy emanating from him greatly relaxed her tense nerves, and the anxiety of the past few days was significantly reduced.
After finishing the meal, Gu Lingxiao actually stood up on his own initiative and began to clear the dishes.
"Let me do it."
Kushina originally wanted to refuse, but seeing his incredibly natural movements, the words died on her lips. In the end, she just stood up silently and followed him into the kitchen.
The kitchen space was small, and the two stood side by side; the atmosphere was momentarily subtle.
While passing a washed plate, Gu Lingxiao's back of the hand inadvertently brushed against Kushina's fingers.
The warm touch felt like a weak electric current passing through, but what really made her stiffen all over was the surging life energy!
It was no longer the faint leakage from before, but instantly enveloped her like a warm tide.
It was an indescribable, extreme comfort, as if even the Nine-Tailed fox, which was always roaring in the depths of her soul, had fallen into an unprecedented silence under the soothing of this energy.
This absolute peace was a luxury she had never experienced since becoming a Jinchuriki.
Kushina's breathing suddenly hitched. Her heart didn't just skip a beat; it felt as if it had been gripped by an invisible hand, making her unable to think.
The original intention to subtly ask about Minato was instantly washed away by this sudden, indulgent comfort.
[Although it was accidental, the feeling brought by this direct contact... is not bad.]
Gu Lingxiao muttered in his heart, not thinking much of it, just feeling that this woman's skin was really good.
However, this inner voice falling into Kushina's ears was no less than a thunderclap.
The bit of romantic thoughts that had just arisen were instantly replaced by overwhelming shame and annoyance!
She jerked her hand back as if scalded, quickly finished the cleaning work in her hands, and fled the small space without looking back.
Late at night.
Kushina tossed and turned in the bedroom, unable to sleep at all.
And Gu Lingxiao was arranged to keep watch on the living room sofa.
Separated by a door, both of their thoughts were incredibly complex.
In the darkness, she covered her head with the quilt, trying to banish the warm touch from the kitchen and the inner voice of [feels good] from her mind.
The scorching heat on her cheeks refused to fade; she forced herself to think about other things... to think about Minato, to think about their future home, to think about... their child.
Child... Naruto!
In a flash, another inner voice that made her heart jump even more, like a poisoned thorn, pierced into her mind—
[Naruto, who is brainwashed by a bunch of people.]
The heartbeat that had just accelerated due to romantic thoughts instantly turned cold, and a suffocating, intense uneasiness suddenly gripped her heart!
She desperately wanted to know what her child would encounter in the future. In the face of maternal instinct, the previous shame and wariness of a young woman instantly became insignificant.
She turned and got out of bed, barefoot, walked silently to the door, and gently opened a crack.
Under the moonlight, Gu Lingxiao was leaning on the sofa with his eyes closed, his silver hair scattered, and his mask hiding his expression; he seemed to have merged into the night.
Kushina hesitated again and again, and finally spoke in a very light voice that carried a barely perceptible tremor, as if afraid to disturb the moonlight.
"Lingxiao..."
She paused for a moment, seeing that the figure on the sofa didn't seem to react, and then continued: "You... seem to know everything about many things."
In the darkness, Gu Lingxiao still had his eyes closed, only giving a faint "Mm."
Getting a response, Kushina seemed to muster huge courage and finally threw out the question that had been lingering in her heart and keeping her from sleeping: "Then... in your opinion, what exactly is the 'fate' of a Jinchuriki?"