In Konoha: Three Choices at the Start

The Cloud Ninja Chunin gave a crazed laugh and pulled Kushina from behind him.

But the moment he raised his arm, his expression changed.

There was no one behind him. The little girl had vanished.

A pitch-black, bottomless hole appeared before him.

It exerted a ferocious pull, and he could sense an overwhelming aura of destruction within it.

If it sucked him in, there would be only one outcome!

"Is this a space-time ability? Some other bloodline power? How can you do this?"

The Cloud Ninja clung to a tree and roared in furious disbelief.

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A Kiss Beneath the Moonlight, and Minato Falls Apart! (Fifth Update!)

The black hole spun, its savage pull surging outward like a tidal wave.

It swallowed the Cloud Ninja whole.

Liuyun's leisurely voice rang out again.

"A black hole represents death and new life. It can nurture life, and it can destroy it!" (Did you know that?)

He waved a hand, and the scene around them shifted. The tree was still the same tree, and the man was still the same man.

Kushina was still on his back, too. But the Cloud Ninja before him had rolled his eyes and begun foaming at the mouth. His mind was gone.

That was what happened when someone's mind broke.

Liuyun felt no pity for him. He drew the Kunai at his waist and slashed across the man's throat.

Blood sprayed, leaving a red line across his neck. The Cloud Ninja followed his three companions into death.

With that, the Cloud Ninja's plan to abduct Kushina came to an end.

"You jerk! You finally showed up! I was scared to death!"

Liuyun untied the sack, and Kushina threw herself into his arms, pounding his chest with her small fists.

Just as Liuyun was about to speak, three choices appeared.

1. Gently tell Kushina, "I'm sorry, Kushina. I came too late. It's my fault." Reward: a ten percent increase in Chakra.

2. Hold Kushina tenderly and say, "Kushina, it hurts me to see you like this. When I heard you'd been kidnapped, my whole world turned gray." Reward: a fifty percent increase in physical constitution!

3. Wrap Kushina around your waist like an octopus, then kiss her for a full three minutes.

Say in your best two-timing scoundrel voice, "You and Mikoto are my whole world. If I lost either of you, I'd lose my reason to live."

Reward: the first Five Gates of the Eight Gates Released Formation, with no side effects!

Was that even a choice?

Liuyun immediately pushed Kushina away from his chest. While she stared at him in confusion,

he pulled her up and wrapped her around his waist like an octopus. Then he lowered his head and kissed her bewildered little mouth hard.

With his familiar face suddenly filling her vision, Kushina turned as red as an apple.

She mumbled against his lips, her breath coming hot and fast. She even forgot to struggle—or perhaps she didn't want to.

Under the moonlight, their figures seemed frozen in that moment!

In the distance, five figures darted through the trees, the scenery flashing past them.

Jiraiya led the way, with Minato Namikaze beside him and three Anbu ahead of them.

"Relax, Minato! That girl Kushina will be fine. Liuyun's already gone after her!"

Jiraiya moved alongside his beloved student and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"I know, Jiraiya-sensei. I'm fine!"

Minato Namikaze managed a strained smile and clenched his right fist. A few red strands of hair fluttered around him in the wind.

Suddenly, the three Anbu stopped. They exchanged odd looks and landed on the surrounding treetops.

On the way here, they had overheard Jiraiya and his student talking.

They had gathered that Lord Jiraiya's student, Minato Namikaze, liked the kidnapped Kushina.

But what were they supposed to make of the scene before them? Those two kids...

Was this the legendary love triangle? The three Anbu were instantly intrigued.

"What's going on? Why did you stop?" Jiraiya demanded.

The three Anbu said nothing and silently stepped aside. One of them pointed.

Jiraiya looked in that direction. His eyes widened, his mouth twitched, and bewilderment spread across his face.

Under the moonlight, a boy and girl held each other close.

They were kissing with abandon, utterly oblivious to where they were.

What the hell! I've been single for over twenty years, and you make me watch this? You think rubbing it in costs nothing?

Jiraiya seethed.

Wait!

After that inward roar, Jiraiya looked more closely, and his mood worsened.

Isn't that the little Uchiha Clan brat?

And that girl... red hair. Could it be?

Jiraiya almost felt sorry for his beloved student.

When it came to strength, Liuyun had crushed him. And when it came to romance, his student was still wondering how to get closer to Kushina while that brat was already kissing her.

What kind of good karma did that bastard Tsunade build up in her past life to get such a talented brat for a student?

Truthfully, Jiraiya was a little jealous.

But jealousy aside, his first priority was comforting his beloved student.

He stole a glance at Minato. His face was deathly pale, his eyes were dull, and his body was trembling. This wouldn't do!

Jiraiya laid a large hand on Minato Namikaze's shoulder and scolded him.

"Minato! Pull yourself together. Don't lose your fighting spirit over a girl!"

"I'm fine, Jiraiya-sensei." Minato Namikaze shook his head and gave a pale smile.

"I'm just glad Kushina's safe. I'll go on ahead!"

With that, he turned and vanished from sight in a few swift leaps.

The others silently shook their heads. There went another victim of love.

"Lord Jiraiya, should we..." one of the Anbu began.

"Wait!"

Jiraiya raised his voice deliberately. "Let's see if those two have the nerve to flaunt their affection right in front of us!"

The Anbu fell silent. Well, you're the boss.

In the distance, Jiraiya's shout reached the couple lost in their kiss.

Kushina immediately came to her senses and shyly pounded Liuyun's chest, trying to push him away.

Liuyun had known for a while that Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze were there.

So what? The system's timer showed only one minute had passed. He still had two minutes to go.

If you don't say anything, I'll pretend I haven't noticed. You can keep waiting.

He tightened his hold on Kushina and refused to let go.

She wasn't as strong as Liuyun to begin with, and now he was holding her even tighter.

They've already seen us. Another couple of minutes won't make a difference. Kushina gave up trying to break free.

To Jiraiya's shock and the three Anbu's twitching expressions, the two went right on kissing as if nobody else existed.

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Mikoto's Black-Silk Journey! (First Update)

Two minutes later, Liuyun released a slightly breathless Kushina and gazed at her tenderly.

"Sweetheart, you and Mikoto are my whole world. If I lost either of you, I'd lose my reason to live."

"Promise me you'll tell me whenever you go somewhere from now on, okay?"

"Mm!"

Kushina was still dazed. She simply nodded along to whatever Liuyun said.

Blushing, she buried her face in his chest, too shy to look at anyone.

Not far away, Jiraiya stared at Liuyun, dumbstruck by what he had just heard.

If Liuyun hadn't been a child, Jiraiya would have gone straight over to ask him how he did it.

Just look at him. Having two girlfriends is one thing, but the two girls even get along.

He's a role model for men everywhere. He's living my lifelong dream!

Calling him a young master of romance would hardly be an exaggeration!

While Jiraiya's expression shifted, Liuyun held Kushina in his arms

and turned around, feigning surprise.

"Oh! Lord Jiraiya, what brings you here? Since you've arrived, I'll leave this to you. Kushina and I will head back first."

With that, he vanished in an instant, leaving them stunned.

"He... he... he just left? What an infuriating brat!"

Jiraiya snapped out of it, fuming. He couldn't believe anyone in Konoha could be more shameless than him—especially a brat.

He had completely forgotten that, moments earlier, he'd wanted to ask Liuyun for advice on courting women.

By the time they returned to Konoha, it was nearly midnight!

Kushina lay in Liuyun's arms, her face full of happiness.

As the scenery rushed past behind them, Liuyun spoke softly beside her ear.

"Kushina, we're here. You have to let go."

"Ah! Already? That was so fast!"

Pulled from her happy thoughts, Kushina pouted.

"Mm. We'll have plenty of time together. You should go inside. Grandma Mito's probably worried."

Liuyun smoothed Kushina's tousled hair.

"And stop throwing away your red hair. It hurts me to see it."

"Mm! Okay! See you!"

Liuyun watched Kushina walk away, looking back every few steps, and shook his head slightly.

It's not like we're saying goodbye forever. We'll see each other tomorrow. Is all that really necessary?

Only after Kushina had gone inside did Liuyun disappear into the night.

He trusted Hiruzen Sarutobi to handle everything from here.

When he got home, Mikoto was asleep at the table.

She had clearly been waiting for him, but the little girl hadn't managed to stay awake.

Tenderness filled Liuyun's eyes. Silly girl.

He picked Mikoto up and carried her to her room.