Chapter 26

The Cloud Ninja Chunin laughed maniacally and reached behind him to drag Kushina in front of him.

His expression suddenly changed the moment he raised his arm.

There was nothing behind him. The little girl was nowhere to be seen.

A pitch-black, fathomless hole appeared before him.

Not only did it exert a ferocious pull, but he could also sense an immensely powerful aura of destruction within it.

If he was sucked inside, there was only one fate awaiting him!

"Is this a spatial ability? Or some other bloodline power? How could you have an ability like this?!"

The Cloud Ninja clung to a tree and roared in frantic defiance.

(Those who send flowers get looked after by Airi tonight. Those who send rating votes get looked after by Tsunade! Send both, and both women will look after you tonight!)

An embrace and a kiss beneath the moon, Minato falls apart! (Fifth update!)

The Black Hole spun, its savage suction surging outward like raging waves.

It swallowed the Cloud Ninja before him in a single gulp.

Liuyun's leisurely voice rang out again.

"A black hole represents death and rebirth. It can nurture life, but it can also destroy it!" (Did you know that philosophical principle?)

He waved his little hand, and the surroundings shifted. The tree was still the same tree, and the man was still the same man.

Kushina was still on his back, too. The only difference was that the Cloud Ninja before him had rolled-back eyes and foam at his mouth, reduced to a drooling fool.

That was the consequence of a mental collapse.

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

Blood spurted, and a red line appeared across his neck. The Cloud Ninja followed the other three into death.

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

"You jerk! You finally remembered to come! I was scared to death!"

As soon as he untied the sack, Kushina threw herself into Liuyun's arms and pounded his chest with her little fists.

Liuyun was just about to speak when three choices immediately appeared.

1. Say gently to Kushina, "Sorry, Kushina. I came too late. It was my fault." Reward: chakra increased by 10%.

2. Hold Kushina affectionately and say, "Kushina, my heart aches for you. Do you know? When I learned you'd been kidnapped, my whole world turned gray." Reward: constitution increased by 50%!

3. Hold Kushina tightly around your waist like an octopus, then give her a three-minute potassium diiodide kiss.

Say in a player's tone, "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!

Do I even need to choose???

Liuyun immediately pushed Kushina out of his embrace, leaving her puzzled.

He lifted her onto his waist so she clung to him like an octopus, then lowered his head and kissed her still-bewildered little mouth fiercely.

Seeing that familiar face magnified before her, Kushina's face quickly turned as red as an apple.

Her lips could form no clear words, and her breaths grew hot. She even forgot to struggle—or perhaps she simply didn't want to.

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

In the distance, five figures darted forward, the scenery rapidly receding around them.

Jiraiya led the group, with Minato Namikaze beside him and three Anbu out in front.

"Relax, Minato! Kushina will be fine! That kid Liuyun has already gone after her!"

Jiraiya moved beside Minato Namikaze and patted his beloved pupil's shoulder reassuringly.

"I know, Teacher Jiraiya. I'm fine!"

Minato Namikaze forced a smile, his right fist clenched tightly as a few strands of red hair fluttered around him in the wind.

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

On their way here, they had listened to Jiraiya and his pupil's conversation.

They had more or less guessed that Lord Jiraiya's pupil, Minato Namikaze, liked the abducted Kushina.

But what was going on in front of them? Those two kids...

Holy shit, was this the legendary love triangle??? The three Anbu instantly perked up.

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

The three Anbu said nothing and silently made room. One of them pointed.

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

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

They kissed passionately, utterly forgetting where they were.

What the fuck! I've been single for over twenty years, and you make me watch this?? Do you think rubbing your romance in my face costs nothing?!

Jiraiya seethed.

Wait!

After that inward shout, Jiraiya took a closer look, and his mood grew even worse.

Isn't that the little bastard from the Uchiha Clan?

That girl... Red hair. Could she be???

Jiraiya began to feel painfully sorry for his beloved pupil.

In strength, the boy had crushed his pupil instantly. In romance, while his pupil was still wondering how to get closer to her, that little bastard had already put his lips to work.

What good deeds did that damn Tsunade do in her past life to get such an outstanding kid as her pupil?

Honestly, at that moment, Jiraiya felt a little envious.

But envy aside, his immediate priority was comforting his beloved pupil.

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

Jiraiya placed his large hand on Minato Namikaze's shoulder and chided him softly.

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

"Teacher Jiraiya, I'm fine!" Minato Namikaze shook his head and gave a pallid smile.

"Now that I know Kushina's safe, I can relax! I'll head back first!"

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

The others silently shook their heads. Well, there went another person hurt by love.

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

"Wait!"

Jiraiya deliberately shouted, "Let's see if those two have the nerve to flaunt their affection in front of us!"

The Anbu froze mid-sentence. Fine, he was the boss. They would listen!

In the distance, the two who had lost themselves in their kiss heard Jiraiya's shout.

Kushina immediately snapped back to her senses and bashfully pounded Liuyun's chest, trying to push him away.

Liuyun had known all along that Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze had arrived.

But so what? The system's timer showed that only one minute had passed. There were still two minutes left.

If you don't say anything, I'll pretend I don't know. Just keep waiting.

Then he tightened his arms around Kushina, refusing to let go.

Kushina had never been as strong as Liuyun, and now he was holding her even more tightly.

They've already seen us, so a little longer won't make any difference. Might as well go all the way!

And so, to Jiraiya's astonishment and the three Anbu's twitching mouths, the pair simply acted as though none of them existed.

(Those who send flowers get looked after by Airi tonight. Those who send rating votes get looked after by Tsunade! Send both, and both women will look after you tonight!)

Mikoto's black journey! (First update!)

Two minutes later, Liuyun released the slightly breathless Kushina and spoke with deep affection.

"Baby! 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 already dazed by then. Whatever Liuyun said, she simply nodded in agreement.

Blushing, she buried her head against Liuyun's chest, unable to face anyone.

Not far away, Jiraiya stood wide-eyed and slack-jawed at what Liuyun had just said.

If Liuyun hadn't been a child, he would have eagerly asked him for advice.

Just look at him. Dating two girls at once was one thing, but the important part was that the two girls actually got along.

He was a role model for men like me—the embodiment of my lifelong dream!

With skills like that, calling him a little master of romance wouldn't be an exaggeration!

While Jiraiya's expression kept changing, Liuyun held Kushina in his arms.

He turned around, putting on a look of surprise.

He greeted them with a smile. "Oh! Lord Jiraiya, what brings you here? Since you're here, I'll leave this place to you. Kushina and I will head back first."

With that, he vanished in an instant, leaving them all bewildered.

"He! He! He just left! What an infuriating brat!"

Jiraiya snapped out of his daze, fuming. He couldn't believe Konoha had someone even more shameless and brazen than him—no, a kid!

He had completely forgotten that he had just been thinking about asking Liuyun for advice on picking up girls.

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

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

As the scenery rapidly receded behind them, Liuyun's gentle voice sounded beside Kushina's ear.

"Kushina! We're here! You need to let go now!"

"Huh! We're here already? That was so fast!"

With her happy reverie interrupted, Kushina pouted unhappily.

"Mm! We have plenty of time. You should go inside. Grandma Mito must be getting worried!"

Liuyun smoothed Kushina's disheveled hair.

"And don't scatter your red hair around again! It hurts my heart!"

"Mm! Mm! Bye!"

Watching Kushina look back every few steps, Liuyun shook his head slightly.

It wasn't as though they were parting forever. They would see each other tomorrow. Did she really need to act like this?

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

He trusted Hiruzen Sarutobi to handle what came next properly.

When he returned home, Mikoto was fast asleep, slumped over the table.

Clearly, she had been waiting for him to come back, but the little girl had fallen asleep before he arrived.

Tenderness filled Liuyun's eyes. This silly girl.

He picked Mikoto up and carried her into her room.