"Is that so... I suppose so. You are my students, and you are my family too. Family protects family—what is there to thank each other for?"
Hearing the unusual emotions hidden in her students' words, Kushina could not help but smile.
There was a little more ease in her voice.
I'm so lucky!
To have students like you! At last, the comfort and joy in her heart slowly overwhelmed her guilt and heartache, leaving behind a gentle warmth.
Hearing that much of the guilt in their teacher's words had faded, Hirohiko and Yukina exchanged a glance and smiled.
Their teacher had openly accepted their help.
Just like Chiba.
At last, she was no longer playing favorites.
"This time, we really have you to thank, Yukina."
After that smile, Hirohiko returned to his usual poker face. He glanced at Yukina and could not help but say, "If you hadn't persuaded Teacher Minato to change the location, moving the original evacuation point to this camp, then..."
"Really? That was Yukina's idea?"
Hearing that, Kushina could not help but speak again. Although she was still worried about her husband, this was, after all, the end of a perilous ordeal. They had survived a disaster, and she could not keep herself tense forever.
If anything happened next, remaining tense would only waste her energy. Overly strained nerves could even have the opposite effect.
Moreover, her two students had expended a great deal of Chakra in the battle just now. Staying constantly on edge would not help their Chakra recover.
Most importantly, as their teacher, how could she let students who had just gone through a life-and-death battle remain anxious and restless?
At a time like this, it was necessary to start a conversation.
"No, I only..."
In response to the words of her close