Uchiha Lei heard Tsunade muttering beside Kushina Uzumaki and could not help feeling a little reflective!
Just as I thought...
Tsunade was affected by the discord between the Senju and Uchiha clans too!
I'll leave after plundering the Sage Body for two hours...
Getting on good terms with Tsunade will have to happen gradually!
Time flew by...
Darkness had swallowed the setting sun, and a half-moon rose into the sky, casting a pale glow over all of Konoha!
The system notification sounded...
[Special plundering of Kushina Uzumaki's Uzumaki Sage Body: 2 hours, progress 2%, total progress 13%. Reward obtained: 1 ka of chakra]
Feeling that his body had mostly recovered, Uchiha Lei opened his eyes, released Kushina Uzumaki's waist with his fair little hands, and sat upright!
As the warmth at Kushina Uzumaki's waist disappeared, her bright eyes dimmed slightly. She turned around with a sweet smile, her fair, tender little hands naturally wrapping around Chiya Rai's arm!
Kushina Uzumaki asked sweetly:
"Lei, why did you wake up all of a sudden? Why not sleep a little longer?"
"Kushina, my body has mostly recovered!"
Uchiha Lei glanced at Kushina Uzumaki with a beaming smile, then turned to look out the window. It was already dark. Turning back toward Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki, he gently said goodbye:
"Grandma Mito, Kushina, I should take Mikoto home!"
"Huh? You're leaving so soon, Lei?"
Kushina Uzumaki's upturned lashes drooped slightly, and a trace of disappointment appeared in her eyes!
The corners of her mouth slowly turned down, replacing her radiant smile. Her fair little hands tightened around Uchiha Lei's arm, afraid that he would leave her!
She was now like a wife who had just married her husband, only for him to leave after the sweetness of their wedding night-and because of another wife, at that!
Seeing Kushina Uzumaki's sorrowful expression, Mito Uzumaki could not bear it either. Her brows furrowed slightly, and for a moment, she did not dare agree!
The servants happened to be preparing dinner, and although the clatter of spatulas against pans in the kitchen was not loud, she heard it very clearly!
A smile appeared on Mito Uzumaki's wrinkled face as she gently declined:
"Lei, why not have dinner before you leave?"
Hearing Grandma Mito ask Uchiha Lei to stay, Kushina Uzumaki beamed happily again and chimed in cheerfully:
"That's right, Lei! Have dinner here before you go! You can..."
Before Kushina Uzumaki could finish-
Uchiha Mikoto could not stand watching any longer. Her brows knitted slightly, and she loudly interrupted Kushina Uzumaki!
"Kushina, Grandma Mito, another time!
We didn't tell my family we were coming here. They're probably worrying at home!"
Feeling the powerful grip on his left arm, Uchiha Lei knew Uchiha Mikoto was a little angry and wanted him to speak up for her, so he immediately smoothed things over with a cheerful smile!
"That's right, Kushina, Grandma Mito. Next time, definitely!"
"When is next time?"
Kushina Uzumaki's expression grew serious. Her beautiful eyes stared fixedly into Uchiha Lei's, and her fair hands tightened their hold on his arm!
She looked as though she would never let go unless he gave her an exact time!
Uchiha Lei felt as if his right arm were caught in an iron clamp, with a faint ache running through it. His brows knitted slightly, and pain showed on his face, but he forced a smile and explained gently:
"Tomorrow...
I'll come for dinner tomorrow afternoon!"
"Good! Tomorrow it is!"
Kushina Uzumaki immediately confirmed the arrangement. Her face lit up, and her fair, tender hands swiftly released Uchiha Lei's arm!
As though she had not been that unreasonable little wife just now, she instantly became as lively as the young girl she had originally been!
Mito Uzumaki also nodded with a smile and agreed:
"All right, then Grandma Mito will cook personally tomorrow! I'll wait for you to come taste my cooking, Lei!"
"Definitely! Definitely..."
The intense pain in his left arm made Uchiha Lei's previously happy smile look rather stiff!
Noticing that Mito Uzumaki had not invited her to come every day, Uchiha Mikoto instantly knitted her brows tightly. Forcing a smile, she waved goodbye to Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki:
"Grandma Mito, Kushina, we'll be going now!"
"Goodbye, Mikoto!"
Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki smiled and waved goodbye to Uchiha Mikoto, then continued looking at Uchiha Lei!
"Grandma Mito, Kushina, goodbye..."
Just as Uchiha Lei finished saying goodbye and started to raise his fair little hand, his body abruptly tilted toward Uchiha Mikoto as she forcibly dragged him swiftly toward the door!
"Goodbye, Lei..."
Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki beamed, raising their arms high and loudly bidding Uchiha Lei farewell!
Click...
Uchiha Mikoto opened the door, and Uchiha Lei kept his head turned, smiling and waving goodbye until he finally closed it gently!
Only then did Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki sit back down on the sofa!
The smile disappeared from Mito Uzumaki's face!
Mito Uzumaki had deliberately left out Uchiha Mikoto's name earlier to see how she would react. She had discovered that the little girl actually forced a smile and said goodbye to her pleasantly!
Thinking of Uchiha Lei's smile as he left, Kushina Uzumaki was still secretly smiling foolishly to herself as she recalled it!
Watching all this, Mito Uzumaki could not help worrying for her granddaughter, Kushina Uzumaki!
With a smile on her face, Mito Uzumaki called to Kushina Uzumaki:
"Kushina! Kushina..."
Only after the second call did Kushina Uzumaki come back to her senses from her happy recollections. Smiling, she asked Mito Uzumaki:
"Grandma Mito, did you need something?"
Looking at the innocent Kushina Uzumaki, Mito Uzumaki felt anxious for her too. Her expression turned serious as she warned aloud:
"Kushina, that little girl Mikoto is no simple girl!
You need to be more careful around her in the future. Don't end up getting bullied by her."
Thinking she had misheard, Kushina Uzumaki's smile gradually disappeared. She deliberately lowered her voice to ask:
"Grandma Mito, are you sure you mean Mikoto? Mikoto is very nice. We even became sworn sisters before!"
Mito Uzumaki fell silent, looking at Kushina Uzumaki with a strange expression!
Tsunade's loud laughter came from beside the stairs...
"Kushina, you're still so innocent and adorable! Even I could tell that girl Mikoto is no simple girl!
Once you marry into Uchiha Lei's household, you'll have plenty to suffer."
Kushina Uzumaki certainly held grudges. Earlier, Tsunade had thought poorly of Uchiha Lei, and now she was speaking ill of her dear sister Uchiha Mikoto!
Kushina turned around with her brows tightly knitted and eyes practically spitting fire. She immediately stood up, planted her fair little hands on her hips, and loudly retorted at Tsunade:
"Tsunade, you're slandering good people! You badmouthed Lei earlier, and now you're badmouthing Mikoto!
I think you're just jealous that Mikoto and I have a boyfriend like Lei! Hmph, I'm not talking to you anymore!"
"Oh, really? You've gotten bold, haven't you, Kushina!"
Tsunade's eyes filled with fury, her brows tightly knitted. Gritting her teeth, she rolled up her sleeves with her fair hands and stormed toward Kushina Uzumaki!
Did Kushina Uzumaki have any respect left for me as her older sister?
She actually criticized me over an outsider like Uchiha Mikoto! I have to teach her a lesson...
Seeing that Tsunade was truly angry, Kushina Uzumaki's eyes filled with fear. She immediately threw herself into Mito Uzumaki's arms and appealed to Grandma Mito, her face full of grievance!
"Grandma Mito, do something about Tsunade! I clearly didn't say anything wrong, but she wants to hit me."
Mito Uzumaki wrapped both arms around Kushina Uzumaki, raised a wrinkled hand to stroke her head, and spoke softly:
"It's all right, Kushina! With you here beside me... little Tsunade won't dare do anything!
I thought about it just now, and you're right... we can't always think the worst of Mikoto!"
Seeing her grandmother protecting Kushina, Tsunade could only sit down helplessly on the sofa, cross her arms over her chest, and angrily voice her opinion:
"Granduncle said the Uchiha are all evil! Those two brats aren't..."
Before Tsunade could finish, Mito Uzumaki shot her a glare. She did not dare continue and could only mutter under her breath:
"But... I'm right! Glaring at me won't help, Grandma."
"Fine, fine, fine. Little Tsunade, you're itching for a beating, aren't you?"
Furious, Mito Uzumaki immediately stood up!
Seeing things going wrong, Tsunade immediately tried to get up and flee!
Before Tsunade could rise, a golden Adamantine Sealing Chain shot out of Mito Uzumaki's body, binding her tightly from her shoulders to her calves!
The chain immediately laid Tsunade flat on the sofa with her back toward Mito Uzumaki!
Another chain flew out of Mito Uzumaki's body, turning into a long whip that swung through the air!
Then came a smack...
"Ah!"
Tsunade let out a scream so shrill it could have shattered a teacup!
"Grandma, I was wrong! I won't dare talk nonsense again!"
Before you continue