Perhaps It Was Time to Find Someone

What kind of person is Kushina Uzumaki?

He entered Konoha in grief after his country was destroyed and his family perished in his childhood. As an outsider, he faced resistance and was out of place with his peers, earning him the nickname "Blood Red Pepper." He later became a candidate for Jinchuriki. Although he thought Konoha was safe, he was kidnapped by the Cloud Shinobi and struggled to survive.

His somewhat tragic life seemed to come alive only after he met Minato Namikaze.

So, it seems unsurprising that a woman adrift in a life of uncertainty would devote herself entirely to her lover, because Minato Namikaze seemed to become the meaning of her life; she thought what he thought and loved what he loved.

"Although I hate this..."

"But it's hard to deny that if someone has had such an experience, there's a high probability they'll tie their life to the life of someone else..."

Kato Osamu patted Mei Terumi's shoulder, slowly walked to the opposite side of her, and sat down opposite her.

The mountains and rivers of the Land of Rice Fields are beautiful. Although they lack grandeur, they are full of natural beauty. The small building is built against the mountain. The mountain breeze gently caresses the windowsill, and the wisps of fragrance from the teacups slowly rise in front of Kato Osamu and Mei Terumi.

Besides Ninjutsu, Mei Terumi's only hobby is the tea ceremony.

"You know, most of people's strange behaviors ultimately stem from a lack of love. People with a lot of bitterness in their hearts can be filled with just a little sweetness."

"And these are the people who are the hardest to change. They have that one ray of light in their lives, and even if they are surrounded by bright sunshine, it is difficult to cover up that one ray of light."

Upon Mei Terumi took a sip of tea, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes. Her gaze fell on Kato Osamu. Sometimes she didn't know why, but this man in front of her, who was about the same age as her, always seemed to be able to see things that she couldn't.

"So, I think I understand something now..."

"My intelligence, and perhaps more than just intelligence, including emotional intelligence—I think you've used that term before—is something I think is hard to compare with yours in terms of emotional intelligence..."

"I don't even know if I've already fallen into one of your schemes and am gradually succumbing to it..."

"Because without realizing it, I've even started to waver in my original beliefs. I should have hated you, but now I seem to be looking forward to it."

I hoped to hear some truths from you that I didn't understand before, and I hoped to see a true path emerge. In these exchanges, I seem to have begun to feel a bit of 'respect' and 'admiration' for you, something like that.

"I can even imagine that if time continues, perhaps this somewhat simple feeling will grow deeper and deeper, and eventually I will completely like you, and truly love you..."

"It will become as hopeless as you described..."

Mei Terumi took a deep breath, a serene and peaceful smile on her face, as if she weren't the one being discussed. She simply sipped her tea, her bright eyes meeting Kato Osamu's, as if trying to discern some other emotion in his gaze.

"No, Mei Terumi, I haven't done anything wrong to you. You can leave anytime..."

"But before that, I'd like to ask you one more time..."

So, do you want to get to know me?

Mei Terumi gently lifted the teacup with both hands, the warm sensation of the tea slowly spreading from her palms to her entire body. She quietly looked into Kato Osamu's eyes, and a special feeling suddenly welled up in her heart. Looking at the man's gentle smile, she nodded as if possessed, seemingly a little dazed.

"So, as I once said, sincerity is always the ultimate weapon."

"Now, close your eyes for now, Miss Mei Terumi."

In the darkness, even a single second seemed like an unbearable torment. She didn't know what he was going to do, and countless possibilities arose in her mind.

"Hmm? Is it my forehead...?" It was cold and a little rough. The moment she touched it, Mei Terumi understood what it was. The man opposite her had pressed his forehead against hers. But before she could even wonder or feel it, a light, a dark blue light, seemed to appear in her dark vision. Suddenly, her mind sank slightly, and her consciousness was drawn into a special environment.

"Xu, you must live well..."

"Those who belong to the Root have no past, no future, no name, no feelings..."

"All they do is talk about running away..."

"Xu-kun, you really are a genius..."

"Xu, this is probably the path you'll have to take..."

"Kid, withstand the power of Yin–Yang Release and show me your worth..."

"Xu-jun, sometimes we need to understand what we truly want... don't we?"

Scene after scene, a child's experiences from his early childhood are gradually being revealed to her. Her senses seem to be transferred into the boy's body. She feels the mournful wind at the Root Konoha at night, the only trace of warmth between master and disciple, and the pain of Yin -Yin–Yang Release invading her body under the Mist Shinobi Forest.

Until her senses were completely drained, she slowly opened her eyes, gently pursing her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words.

She was probably gradually coming to understand what kind of life the boy sitting opposite her had gone through, so that he could sit across from her with a smile on his face and chat peacefully and calmly.

"Phew..." Mei Terumi, and a different kind of color appeared in her eyes.

"Well, I should have known. I was bound to become hopeless sooner or later, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly..."

Mei Terumi Kato Osamu a slightly reproachful glare, leaning lightly on one hand and tilting her head slightly. The ends of her smooth hair reflected the colors of the sunlight, seemingly shimmering with a captivating charm. She chuckled softly, her eyes containing a hint of solemnity, but mostly serene.

"Then, please try to like me too..."

"Xu-jun..."

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the orange mountains and streamed through the window onto the teacups, exuding a touch of languor and playfulness. Kato Osamu looked at Mei Terumi, and for a moment, he seemed to feel a slight stirring in his heart. He simply smiled and nodded gently at Mei Terumi.

"Therefore, I hate inexplicable liking and long for love that is clear and explicit."

"I prefer equality to the roles of salvation and being saved, or anything like that..."

"Saving someone feels like incurring an emotional debt, a burden that's like a kidnapping—unbearable and incomprehensible..."

"If what I need is a plaything, then I can easily use this method to bestow favors upon someone suffering in misery, and thus obtain a 'tool' to take whatever I want—it's as simple as it gets..."

Upon hearing this, Mei Terumi seemed to realize something. She put down her teacup, tapped the table lightly with her knuckles, and the thumping sound seemed to reveal a hint of resentment.

"Plaything? And what about me? Some people still haven't explained why they would grope a strange woman under the guise of treatment, even going so far as to be naked in a hot spring and pretending nothing happened, and deliberately sleeping next to her during a mission?"

"If you're going to use some excuse that you don't understand anything, I won't believe you..."

It seemed like he really had done it. Meeting Terumi Mei Terumi's gaze Kato Osamu laughed twice.

"Calmness is a person's greatest advantage. Only a sufficiently calm person can think about more things and understand what I'm saying."

"For a woman, these things are probably the things she hates the most, enough to make her lose her rationality. For a beautiful undercover agent, they might just be a small punishment."

Only those who can remain calm in such an environment can truly think things through, and once they have found their own answers, remain steadfast and unmoved by external influences.

"Hmm... perhaps you can think I'm just making excuses or something, that's why I came up with this kind of explanation..."

Looking into Kato Osamu's eyes and at his Mei Terumi couldn't immediately tell whether what he said was true, or whether he had changed his mind at some point and become the way he was now.

"Never mind... what's done is done, there's no going back. I was ultimately deceived by you..."

"And you are just a little heart thief!" His expression softened a bit, perhaps it was just a change in attitude, but some things that were unbearable before now seemed to have been filtered through a beautiful lens and became wonderful.

'What cheesy pickup lines...' Kato Osamu chuckled softly, took a sip of tea, and leisurely reclined in his chair.

Hey, it's still tea from Kirigakure...