The atmosphere was nothing like the sparring session he had expected. Something felt off. Minato and Kushina were not sparring; they stood face-to-face, rather close together. In a rare display, Kushina had her head lowered, her hands held nervously behind her back. The tip of her shoe kept grinding a small pebble against the ground without her realizing it, and she looked as though she wanted to say something but could not get it out.
"...So, I just wanted to give you a proper apology." Kushina's voice was much softer and lower than usual, stripped of its usual boldness and carrying a rare note of hesitation and sincerity. "Those pranks before... I was wrong. I went too far."
Minato seemed a little surprised by her direct apology. His ice-blue eyes widened slightly before his gentle, accepting smile returned. "It's all right, Kushina. I was never really angry. I know you didn't mean any harm."
"Actually..." As though she had summoned every ounce of courage she possessed, Kushina suddenly lifted her head. Her green eyes, like the finest emeralds, stared straight at Minato with a resolve that left no room for retreat. "At first... I just wanted you to notice me. You were always so amazing, so... dazzling. Everyone was looking at you, and I... I didn't know how to talk to you naturally..."
Behind the tree, Shinji silently applauded that straight shot. Having the courage to lay her feelings bare so directly at such a young, innocent age-even if she was expressing them indirectly-was unmistakably Kushina Uzumaki's style: clear in her loves and hates, and fearless about moving forward.
Minato was clearly caught off guard by her sudden frankness. A blush spread visibly across his fair cheeks, reaching all the way to his ears. He blinked helplessly, his normally quick