"You seem... very tired?"
Minato sat down next to Qingyu, his cerulean eyes locked onto Qingyu's pale cheeks, his expression brimming with genuine concern. As Minato took his seat, Kushina followed suit, sitting on the other side.
"What a huge coincidence!" Kushina added with a bright smile. "We were just saying on the way here how nice it would be if we ran into you!"
"Is it really that much of a coincidence?"
Qingyu managed a weary grin. His entire demeanor radiated a sense of weathered exhaustion. Of course, this was the result of a masterclass in acting, refined by the thousands of memories he had analyzed. Art, as they say, imitates life. While veteran actors have to spend years "living" a role to find the truth in it, Qingyu simply had a massive database of human experience to draw from.
Perfect! Absolutely perfect!
If he hadn't managed to cross paths with Minato on this, the final day of his vacation... he would have been forced to initiate "Plan B."
"Did something happen?" Minato's brow furrowed. Just looking at Qingyu, he could tell something was off.
"It's nothing," Qingyu waved it off, squeezing out a forced smile. "I'm fine, really."
Cough, cough! Cough-cough!
Just as Qingyu finished his sentence, Teuchi—who had been listening in—accidentally choked on his own saliva. He quickly coughed twice to clear his throat and immediately focused on the noodles, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.
Minato and Kushina shared a look, both sensing the unspoken tension.
"Qingyu, are you hiding something from me?" Minato pressed.
"You can trust us, Qingyu. Minato's been worried about you this whole time. He even thought about visiting the Anbu a few times to check on you," Kushina added.
"I'm truly fine..." Qingyu waved his hand again, but this time his eyes were darting around, avoiding Minato's gaze. He looked exactly like someone trying—and failing—to hide a massive burden.
"Qingyu, do you not see me as a friend?" Minato's tone turned serious. He was naturally warm-hearted, and having been schoolmates with Qingyu, he took the well-being of his friends very seriously.
"Yeah! Are we not friends or something?" Kushina chimed in, putting her hands on her hips to help set the mood.
"This..."
Qingyu bit his lip, looking conflicted. He slowly looked up, meeting Minato's blue eyes for just a second before flinching away and looking down at the dark yellow wooden table.
"Phew..." He let out a long, heavy sigh, appearing to be in the middle of a deep internal struggle.
Seeing this, Minato and Kushina exchanged another look. Their thoughts were perfectly synced: He's definitely in trouble, but he's too proud or too scared to say it!
Minato didn't push further immediately. He decided to give his friend some space to breathe, but his resolve to help only grew stronger.
"Actually..."
Qingyu finally spoke, his eyes still fixed on the table.
"It's not some big incident. I'm just... not strong enough."
"Minato. You know... my health has always been poor."
"Lately... it's just been very tiring."
The fatigue in his voice was palpable. When he finished, he looked up at Minato with a gaze of relief, as if finally admitting the truth had lifted a weight off his soul.
"This won't do!" Minato said sternly. He knew about Qingyu's health issues—after all, it was the reason the boy had to drop out of the academy.
"It's fine. I just need to adjust a bit. Thanks for the concern," Qingyu said with another weak smile.
"No! Adjusting isn't a solution. Maybe I should find a way to get you transferred out of the Anbu!" Minato suggested, his voice low and worried. He sensed a dangerous aura of burnout; if this continued, his friend might literally drop dead from overwork.
"No, please, don't do that. I actually love my work in the Anbu. I've found a sense of purpose there. I don't want to leave," Qingyu shook his head repeatedly, his expression becoming dead serious to show Minato he wasn't joking. "I'm really okay. You don't need to worry so much, and you don't need to go to all that trouble. I'm... I'm doing alright!"
"But... then..." Minato trailed off, unsure how to proceed. The situation seemed to have hit a deadlock.
"The noodles are ready!"
Just as Minato was searching for the right words, Teuchi appeared with a tray containing three steaming bowls. He set them down in front of the trio.
"Minato," Teuchi said with a knowing smile. "Let me tell you... I've seen with my own eyes how exhausted this kid is."
"He literally has to sit here and 'catch his breath' for hours before he even has the strength to eat."
"You really ought to help your friend out!"
Teuchi finished his piece and gave Qingyu a subtle, almost imperceptible wink.
"I want to help, but I don't know how. You heard him, he doesn't want to leave the Anbu..." Minato said with a wry smile.
"That part's easy!" Teuchi laughed. "He's like me at the end of a long day of cooking. If you told me to close the shop forever, I'd be miserable. But if you offered to take over for a day so I could rest? I'd be back to normal in no time. He doesn't need to leave; he just needs more time to rest!"
"Of course!" Minato's eyes lit up. He smacked his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"
Qingyu's eyes widened in genuine surprise. Wait... seriously?
He had laid the groundwork and was waiting for the perfect moment to drop the hint himself. He never expected Teuchi to jump in with such a perfect, "divine" assist! It couldn't have gone better.
Qingyu quickly hid his surprise, replacing it with a look of deep thought, as if considering Teuchi's suggestion.
"Qingyu, I think Big Brother Teuchi is right. You're overworked and you need a real break. Why don't you take some leave?" Minato said earnestly. He truly cared for Qingyu and didn't want any accidents to happen.
"But... my vacation time is all used up," Qingyu said, looking troubled.
"Anbu leave is indeed strict..." Minato nodded, understanding the village's bureaucracy. He thought for a moment, then puffed out his chest with a look of determination.
"Leave this to me, Qingyu. I'll apply for your leave myself. But you have to promise me—you will actually rest. Work is important, but your health is everything!"