"That bastard..."
Bracing herself against the cold wall, she slowly shuffled toward the small bed in the corner and lay straight down. Every muscle and bone felt as though it had been taken apart and reassembled, leaving her utterly sore and weak.
Images of what had just happened kept flashing through her mind. Burning heat climbed into her cheeks again, throwing her thoughts into disarray.
Exhaustion swept through her body. Tsunade murmured something under her breath, and before long, she fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Whoosh!
Uchiha Lei flickered into view, landing steadily in the living room of his mansion.
He raised a hand to carefully straighten his collar and erase every lingering trace of scent from his body. Only after confirming that nothing gave him away did he reach out and push open the door.
Inside, the lights shone brightly, and warmth filled the room.
Kushina Uzumaki sat upright on the sofa, her hands resting neatly on her knees. The instant she heard the door open, she jerked her head up, her eyes lighting up.
The next instant.
Whoosh!
Kushina used the Body Flicker Technique and launched herself into his arms like a nimble koala. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and she buried her face deep in his chest, nuzzling him hard.
"Lei! What took you so long? I've been waiting forever!"
Uchiha Lei supported her waist firmly with one hand, gently steadying her as a tender smile unconsciously curved his lips.
"Something came up and held me up."
Kushina took a deep breath. His familiar scent filled her nose, instantly easing much of the churning nausea in her stomach.
Just then, Uchiha Lei caught sight of several dishes on the dining table out of the corner of his eye, and his gaze paused.
Everything