"All right, everything's been resolved perfectly. We should go find my sister and Minato."
After watching the Third's figure disappear, Hyuga Wuye stretched lazily.
Kushina tilted her head at him, her big eyes blinking rapidly.
"What is it?"
Wuye gave her a puzzled glance.
"Nothing. I'm just really, really happy!"
Kushina skipped toward the edge of the woods.
Hyuga Wuye quickly followed, walking beside her.
"Because you can leave the village?" he asked with a smile.
"No..."
Kushina gradually slowed, shaking her little head as she said softly, "It's because... I can leave the village with you..."
Wuye's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
A willow leaf spiraled down onto the girl's hair, then drifted away with her movements, floating lazily through the air.
Just like Hyuga Wuye's feelings at that moment—adrift, with nowhere to settle.
A flutter entirely different from ambiguous attraction suddenly struck him, catching him unprepared and piercing straight through his heart.
Watching Kushina's lovely figure, he felt somewhat lost.
Was the hazy ambiguity of an uncertain relationship more beautiful, or was the sincere affection one could truly hold onto more moving?
"Wuye."
Kushina suddenly stopped.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Hyuga Wuye stopped as well.
"Look, it's so beautiful!"
She pointed ahead with her little hand.
Following her finger, Wuye saw that they had somehow run to the side of a small stream.
Rows of willow trees lined both banks. Willow catkins danced everywhere in the breeze, spiraling down onto the water before happily drifting into the distance.
"Wuye..."
Kushina suddenly turned to look at Hyuga Wuye.
"Hmm?"
He tilted his head.
Kushina grinned and held out both hands. "Kiss me, hug me, lift me up high."
Wuye could not help laughing, then reached out and pulled her over.
In his previous life, lifting her up might have been