Back in Konoha, sunlight dappled the ground as it filtered through the leaves.
While Shi Xiu and Kakashi were away on a mission at the border, Nara Luling sat quietly on Shi Xiu's neat bed, her thoughts churning like rough seas.
Nara Luling's brows furrowed, and her gaze wandered restlessly, as if countless tangled thoughts were weighing on her mind.
In her head, two little figures were constantly arguing with each other.
"Ugh, this is so annoying!" Nara Luling finally couldn't help muttering.
She shook her head in frustration, trying to drive away the noisy voices echoing in her mind, but to no avail.
Just as Nara Luling was fretting, Kushina's gentle voice suddenly brushed past her ear like a spring breeze. "What's bothering you?"
Startled by the unexpected voice, Nara Luling shuddered and snapped her eyes open.
Kushina stood before her with a smile, carrying several steaming buns and a bowl of fragrant rice porridge in both hands, like an angel come to visit.
Nara Luling sprang up from the bed in a panic. Her face flushed as she stammered, "K-Kushina-sama, w-what brings you here?" Her heart raced as if it were about to leap out of her throat.
Kushina smiled and gently set the breakfast on the table. Then she sat gracefully beside Nara Luling and said warmly,
"Don't be so nervous. Sit down. I noticed you hadn't come out of your room, and thought you might not have eaten breakfast yet, so I brought you some."
As she spoke, she patted Nara Luling's shoulder, encouraging her to relax.
Kushina's words helped Nara Luling calm down a little.
Nara Luling carefully sat back down at the edge of the bed. Still somewhat ill at ease, she said softly, "Thank you for looking out for me, Kushina-sama. I'm sorry for the trouble."
Kushina smiled and gazed gently at Nara Luling, who seemed distracted. "What's wrong? Is something bothering you? I could tell as soon as I came in that you seemed restless."
At that, Nara Luling's face turned red, like a little girl caught doing something she shouldn't.
She quickly lowered her head and clutched the hem of her clothes. Her lips trembled. Several times, she tried to say something, but the words died on her lips.
Kushina remained patient and gentle, sitting quietly like a still lake, accepting all of Nara Luling's shifting emotions.
She didn't urge Nara Luling to speak or show the slightest impatience. She only gazed at the flustered girl with warmth and affection.
Time passed second by second. The only sound in the room was their quiet breathing.
At last, Nara Luling could no longer hold back her confusion and inner turmoil. She raised her head and gathered the courage to meet Kushina's eyes, her voice trembling slightly. "I... It's just that, because of some things, I feel like my relationship with Shi Xiu-sama has become strained. But I really don't know why Shi Xiu-sama still asked for me to come here..."
By the end, Nara Luling's eyes had grown moist. Tears glimmered in them, making her look utterly pitiful.
Having weathered many storms and seen her share of the world, Kushina keenly noticed the confusion and unease in Nara Luling's eyes.
Kushina's lips curved into a warm, friendly smile. "If you don't mind, you can tell me what's troubling you."
Nara Luling hesitated, but when she saw the encouragement and concern in Kushina's eyes, she summoned her courage and recounted everything that had happened that day at the Hokage Building.
Kushina listened quietly, nodding from time to time to show she was paying attention. When Nara Luling finished, Kushina nodded thoughtfully.
Nara Luling looked nervous. She stared intently at Kushina and asked cautiously,
"Kushina-sama, could you tell me what kind of person Shi Xiu-sama really is?"
At Nara Luling's question, Kushina's gaze grew distant, as if she'd fallen into memories from long ago.
After a moment, Kushina sighed softly. "As for Shi Xiu-sama... To be honest, even though we've known each other for many years, I still can't say for certain what kind of person he is."
Kushina's answer made Nara Luling curious enough to forget her own troubles. She looked at Kushina and asked eagerly, "Kushina-sama, could you tell me how you and Minato-sama met?"
Sure enough, girls had a baffling enthusiasm for gossip.
(This was just Hongchen's musings. Don't take it as a personal attack!)
Kushina nodded slightly, the corners of her mouth lifting in a bright smile. "How did we meet...? Well, back then, Shi Xiu-sama actually pursued me!"
Her words were like a stone dropped into a still lake, sending a thousand ripples through Nara Luling's heart.
Nara Luling's eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth hanging open as if she could fit an egg inside.
She felt as if she'd accidentally uncovered a shocking secret, and for a moment, she was too stunned to react.
A little while later, Nara Luling came to her senses and instinctively lowered her voice, as if afraid someone might overhear. Nervous but curious, she asked, "Th-then, does Minato-sama know about this?"
Seeing Nara Luling act so cautiously amused Kushina, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Kushina laughed so hard she doubled over, nearly shedding tears. It took her a while to stop and catch her breath. "Oh, what are you thinking? Of course Minato knows!" Another burst of bell-like laughter followed.
Nara Luling was no less surprised. If anything, she was even more curious.
"Actually, back then, I was more in love with Minato than with Shi Xiu-sama. In the end, Shi Xiu-sama chose to let me go, and I married Minato."
Nara Luling looked confused and hurried to ask, "Why was that?"
Kushina smiled faintly and replied, "Because Minato saved my life when we were little! I admit, that was when I fell for him."
As Kushina recounted the story, she gazed tenderly into the distance, as if she'd returned to those innocent, beautiful days.
The intense love in her beautiful eyes shone like brilliant stars, seeming ready to spill over at any moment.
As Nara Luling listened to Kushina's story, she couldn't explain why, but after her initial curiosity, she began to feel a tightness in her chest.
Kushina realized she'd gotten off topic and gave an awkward smile. "You don't need to worry. Shi Xiu-sama is all bark and no bite. You can still become good friends."
For some reason, hearing the word "friends" only made Nara Luling's unease worse.
Kushina smiled at Nara Luling and stood up. "The breakfast will get cold if you don't eat it soon. Go ahead and eat. I'll be going." With that, Kushina left, leaving Nara Luling sitting alone, staring blankly at the breakfast on the table.