Feeding Milk to Naruto

Nara Luling widened her eyes, staring at Minato and the others in utter astonishment as her body trembled involuntarily.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within her, and hurriedly bowed with great respect, her voice trembling slightly as she called out, "Lord Fourth!"

Minato wore a gentle smile on his lips and nodded lightly.

"Haha, don't be so nervous," Minato said slowly. "I am a person who has already passed on; there is no need for such formality."

However, Nara Luling shook her head firmly, her gaze unwavering as she replied with earnest sincerity, "No, Lord Fourth, you will always be the Hokage of our Konoha, and my savior! If not for your intervention back then, I would have surely perished. This debt of gratitude is something I will never forget."

Seeing Nara Luling's resolute attitude, Minato said nothing more.

At this moment, although Nara Luling still harbored many doubts, she could no longer hold back when she caught sight of little Naruto crying heart-wrenchingly nearby. She asked with concern, "Lord Minato, this... why is little Naruto crying?"

Standing to the side, Kushina heard this and couldn't help but sigh softly, her face filled with helplessness and heartache.

"Naruto is hungry," Kushina said softly, "but in this current state, I have no way to feed him."

Hearing this, Nara Luling's heart tightened, and she hurriedly reached into her robes to search.

A moment later, she pulled out several baby bottles, the glass still carrying a hint of warmth.

Nara Luling handed the bottles to Kushina and said, "Lady Fourth, I have some breast milk here that I just borrowed from some kind villagers in the village. Please, feed little Naruto."

Nara Luling's thoughts drifted back to that moment just a short while ago.

At that time, she had been walking alone through the bustling streets, seeking help from the villagers.

When she told the passing villagers that she was seeking help for the orphan of the Fourth Hokage, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

In a flash, the villagers, who had been busy with their own affairs, seemed to explode with activity. Countless people surged toward her like a tidal wave, instantly surrounding her.

Each of these villagers wore an expression of warmth and concern, scrambling to offer their assistance.

Some even ignored their own shop business, hurriedly taking various foods and drinks from their stores to hand to her.

For a time, the villagers before Nara Luling held all sorts of items—fragrant bread, sweet fruit juice...

Faced with such an overwhelming tide of enthusiasm, Nara Luling felt somewhat at a loss.

She tried hard to express her gratitude and explain the help she truly needed, but the noisy clamor made it impossible for her to speak.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Nara Luling had no choice but to take the bottles offered by a few villagers and, using every ounce of her strength, finally managed to squeeze through the gaps in the crowd and escape the scene in a disheveled state.

As she gasped for air, Nara Luling secretly rejoiced, That was close! If I had been a second later, I would have been drowned by that overly enthusiastic crowd.

Recalling the chaotic scene, Nara Luling couldn't help but shake her head, sighing inwardly.

If Shi Xiu were here to witness this, he would surely find it incredibly ironic.

Look at that—just by revealing an identity, the treatment received was worlds apart. If she hadn't transmigrated here, Naruto's true identity would have continued to be hidden by the Third Hokage.

On the other side, Minato and Kushina's faces lit up with joy upon seeing the bottles in Nara Luling's hands.

Kushina stepped forward impatiently, carefully taking the bottle from Nara Luling.

However, out of a mother's instinctual protectiveness and caution, Kushina did not immediately put the nipple into Naruto's tiny mouth.

She first sniffed the milk in the bottle gently to ensure there was no strange odor, then touched a drop to her tongue to taste it, carefully checking for anything amiss.

Only after confirming it was safe did Kushina feel relieved, gently bringing the nipple to Naruto's lips.

Watching the little one suckle contentedly, a happy smile bloomed on Kushina's face.

Naruto finally quieted down, his tiny mouth clamped tightly onto the nipple, suckling vigorously at the milk in the bottle.

Naruto's large eyes wandered curiously, his little hands waving about from time to time.

Kushina looked at Naruto's adorable appearance with a gratified smile, then turned to look at Nara Luling, her eyes filled with a hint of apology as she spoke softly.

"I'm truly sorry. For safety's sake, I had to test it just now; it wasn't that I didn't trust you. I hope you won't take it to heart."

With that, Kushina bowed slightly to show her sincerity.

Nara Luling nodded quickly and replied respectfully, "Lady Fourth, you are too kind. It is only natural for you to act this way; I completely understand. Please, set your mind at ease."

Hearing this, Kushina shook her head gently, a soft smile still lingering on her lips as she said, "Don't call me Lady Fourth anymore. You can just call me Kushina from now on."

Nara Luling hesitated upon hearing this. She paused for a moment before finally turning her gaze toward Minato, as if waiting for his instruction.

At this, Minato smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right. We are both people who have passed on; there is no need for such formality between us. Just call us by our names from now on. Oh, by the way, let me introduce you—this is my student, Rin Nohara." As he spoke, Minato gestured toward Rin, who was standing beside him.

Seeing this, Rin immediately gave Nara Luling a sweet, polite smile and greeted her enthusiastically, "Hello there."

Nara Luling hurriedly responded with a smile, "Hello, Rin Nohara. It's a pleasure to meet you!" For a moment, the atmosphere on the scene became exceptionally harmonious.

Just then, Kushina, who had been discussing other topics, suddenly shifted her tone of voice by one hundred and eighty degrees.

Kushina wore a smile as bright and warm as flowers blooming in spring, her gaze slowly turning to Nara Luling as she asked softly, "Could you tell me your name?"

Hearing this, Nara Luling subconsciously bowed to Kushina and replied respectfully, "In response to Lady Kushina, my name is Nara Luling."

Kushina nodded slightly to show she understood, and then her beautiful eyes fixed on Nara Luling again as she continued to probe, "Then, Nara Luling, how did you come to know Lord Shi Xiu?"

Upon hearing the name "Lord Shi Xiu," Nara Luling was stunned for a moment, a look of confusion appearing on her face as she hesitated, "Lord Shi Xiu? May I ask, Lady Kushina, who is this Lord Shi Xiu you speak of?"

Seeing Nara Luling's bewildered expression, Kushina couldn't help but chuckle, explaining patiently, "Oh, the Lord Shi Xiu I'm talking about is the owner of this courtyard!"

After hearing Kushina's explanation, Nara Luling suddenly realized, nodding repeatedly to show she understood.

"It is like this, Lady Kushina. That day, I was ordered to bring Naruto here, and it was at that time that I met Lord Shi Xiu."

After finishing this, Nara Luling seemed to recall something; her brows furrowed slightly, a look of confusion appearing on her face, and she continued to ask.

"However, Lady Kushina, I have always had a question in my heart. What exactly is Lord Shi Xiu's background? Why do you, Lord Minato, and the Third Hokage all hold him in such high regard? Furthermore, he actually dared to call the Third Hokage 'Monkey'..."

As she reached the end, Nara Luling lowered her voice instinctively, as if afraid of being overheard by others.

Faced with Nara Luling's deep confusion, Minato and Kushina exchanged a tacit glance, as if communicating something through their eyes.

Subsequently, the corners of Kushina's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile, and she said softly.

"Then let's wait until he returns. If he is willing to tell you about these matters himself when the time comes, that would naturally be for the best; but if he does not wish for you to know, then I am sorry, but given your status, you do not yet have the qualifications to pry into these secrets."

Although Kushina's words were blunt, they were already quite tactful.

Nara Luling was silent for a moment before nodding slowly, indicating that she accepted Kushina's explanation.

Then, she sighed helplessly and said, "If that is the case, then so be it. I have other important tasks on hand that need to be handled, so I will not continue to delay my time here."

Having said that, Nara Luling bowed respectfully to Minato and then turned to leave.

Minato and Kushina watched Nara Luling's retreating figure and smiled at each other.

"Kushina, you don't mean to..."

"What, do you think it won't work?"

Minato shook his head, then nodded again, saying, "I don't know, perhaps not!"

Meanwhile, Rin stood to the side with a bewildered expression, not understanding what Teacher Minato and Mistress Kushina were talking about at all.