However, Nara Luling didn't think much of it. With agile movements, she leaped down from the towering tree and landed steadily, then raised a hand and gently knocked on the courtyard gate.
Inside, Shi Xiu had been fast asleep until the sudden knocking jolted him awake.
Bleary-eyed and irritated, Shi Xiu grumbled under his breath as he got up and headed for the courtyard gate.
When Shi Xiu yanked the gate open, he immediately saw a figure in Anbu attire standing ramrod straight outside.
Shi Xiu frowned and snapped at her, "What's all the racket? What do you want? Did Monkey send you?" Clearly, he was furious that someone had interrupted his sleep.
Nara Luling heard Shi Xiu address the Lord Third so disrespectfully, but she didn't dare let any displeasure show on her face.
After all, given her status, she couldn't afford to offend this ill-tempered man. So she pretended she hadn't heard him and calmly said, "I just wanted to visit Naruto."
Only after Nara Luling finished speaking did Shi Xiu take a closer look at her. It didn't take long for him to recognize who she was.
Even so, Shi Xiu remained puzzled and surprised. Konoha was short-handed and needed help everywhere, yet Nara Luling had abandoned her post at such a critical moment to visit Naruto. It was hard to understand.
Shi Xiu raised an eyebrow and challenged her. "Konoha's swamped right now, and we're short-handed everywhere. Why aren't you at your post instead of coming here to see Naruto?"
Faced with Shi Xiu's barrage of questions, Nara Luling fell silent for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and replied gravely, "I reported this to Lord Hokage in advance, and he gave me permission."
Shi Xiu's gaze fell on Nara Luling, who stood gracefully before him, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Shi Xiu thought to himself that Nara Luling had no role whatsoever in the original story, so she had probably died for some reason. At that thought, Shi Xiu gave a faint shake of his head and sighed.
Naruto was with Minato right now, and Shi Xiu absolutely didn't want anyone else to find out that Minato had been brought back with Impure World Reincarnation.
So he rejected Nara Luling's request without a moment's hesitation. "You should go back. Now isn't a good time!" As he spoke, Shi Xiu reached out to shut the door.
Nara Luling reacted swiftly. She darted forward and wedged a hand against the door before it could close.
At the same time, she looked angry and demanded, "Why? Haven't you been taking good care of Naruto?"
Shi Xiu really didn't want to get tangled up in an argument with Nara Luling, but her words suddenly sparked an idea in his mind.
Kushina was a Reanimated Body now, so that meant she probably—more or less, perhaps—couldn't provide breast milk for little Naruto to drink... The thought made Shi Xiu feel terribly awkward, and he coughed twice.
He looked up at Nara Luling, who was staring at him suspiciously.
Shi Xiu felt his face burning. His eyes darted about, and he didn't know where to look.
After a long pause, Shi Xiu stammered, "You..." But the word had barely left his mouth when it felt as if something had lodged in his throat, and he couldn't continue.
Nara Luling eyed Shi Xiu with deep suspicion and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shi Xiu took a deep breath to steady himself, then looked at Nara Luling and said slowly, "Naruto's still very young and needs breast milk for nourishment. So..."
Before Shi Xiu could finish, Nara Luling recoiled as if startled and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Sir! Please behave yourself!"
Though her masked face hid her true expression, Shi Xiu could guess from her actions what Nara Luling was thinking and how she might look.
"Um... could you do me a favor and find a mother who's recently given birth and has extra breast milk, and ask her if we can have some?" Seeing Nara Luling's strong reaction, Shi Xiu hurriedly explained, trying to clear up her misunderstanding.
As soon as she heard Shi Xiu's explanation, the tension in Nara Luling's body eased, and she let out a long breath.
She turned her head slightly and replied in a quiet voice, "Yes, all right. I understand. I'll report the situation to Lord Hokage as soon as possible."
With that, Nara Luling turned to leave. Perhaps because she'd been so tense, her steps were flustered, and she even moved her arms and legs in a comically awkward, out-of-sync way.
Just like that, Nara Luling hurried out of Shi Xiu's sight.
Shi Xiu let out a long, relieved breath. He gently shut the courtyard gate and turned around, only to meet Minato and Kushina's curious, gossipy stares.
Minato's lips curled into an amused smile as he joked, "Lord Shi Xiu, you and that Anbu member just now..."
Shi Xiu's relaxed expression instantly darkened. He glared at Minato and snapped, "Minato, do you have too much free time? I'm here worrying about what Naruto should eat, while you, his father, aren't concerned about feeding your child at all. Instead, you're making fun of me!"
After Shi Xiu scolded them, Minato and Kushina exchanged glances, then both lowered their heads, their expressions gradually turning worried.
Minato awkwardly scratched the back of his head, trying to lighten the mood. "How about we buy some milk for Naruto?" But as soon as he said it, he saw the helpless, slightly scornful look in Shi Xiu's eyes and realized his suggestion clearly wouldn't work.
Just then, as if to confirm their unease, a loud baby's wail suddenly came from inside the house.
At the sound, Minato and Kushina immediately spun around and rushed inside like arrows loosed from a bow.
Once in the room, they saw Naruto crying on the bed, his tiny face flushed red, while Rin stood beside him, looking frantic and utterly helpless.
At that moment, Shi Xiu slowly strolled into the room. He looked at the wailing Naruto and couldn't help sighing softly.
"He's crying so hard, he must be hungry." Shi Xiu furrowed his brow and said helplessly, "Looks like I'll have to find Monkey. Maybe he can think of a solution." Before he'd finished speaking, Shi Xiu's figure flickered, and he vanished from the room in the blink of an eye.
Kushina and Rin were frantically trying to soothe Naruto.
They patted his back and softly hummed lullabies, but Naruto kept crying. The two were beside themselves with worry and could do nothing to help.
Just as everyone was at their wits' end, a rapid knocking suddenly came from outside.
Minato and Kushina tensed, instantly on alert. Minato activated his sensory ability and, after checking, confirmed that the person outside was the same Anbu member who had come earlier.
Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance, uncertainty in their eyes. They didn't know whether to open the door. The situation was far too complicated, and any decision could lead to unforeseen consequences.
Meanwhile, Nara Luling, waiting outside, could faintly hear the baby crying inside.
Startled, she didn't stop to think. She immediately flashed into motion, nimbly vaulting over the wall and racing toward the sound.
A moment later, Nara Luling finally found the room the cries were coming from. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door and hurried inside. As soon as she entered, her gaze met Minato and the others.
"Lord Fourth!"