Inside Tsunade's Mansion~
Uchiha Lei wrapped his right arm around Kushina Uzumaki's waist. Instead of going to the first floor first, he used the Body Flicker Technique to return straight to her room on the second floor!
Uchiha Lei released Kushina Uzumaki's waist and went straight into the bathroom, locking the door. With one hand, he filled his rinsing cup with water to rinse his mouth; with the other, he grabbed his toothbrush and brushed furiously!
Five minutes later~
Uchiha Lei raised both hands and gently breathed into them. Once the scent of strawberry toothpaste reached his nose, the weight on his heart finally lifted!
It wasn't that I couldn't handle it mentally. This was about being responsible toward Kushina!
Besides, there was more than one way. Eight years would pass easily!
Uchiha Lei opened the bathroom door to find Kushina Uzumaki narrowing her eyes and staring into his!
Lei swallowed despite himself, gave her a sunny smile, and asked softly:
"Kushina, is something wrong?"
"Lei, why did you brush your teeth as soon as you got back? Did Tsunade test medicine on you?"
After speaking, Kushina Uzumaki's face was filled with worry. A film of moisture rose in her eyes, and she tightly clasped Uchiha Lei's hands!
Seeing Kushina Uzumaki looking so adorable, he felt his own girlish heart melt!
Uchiha Lei continued to explain:
"Nothing like that. I just accidentally swallowed some rainwater during the mission. I'm a bit of a clean freak!"
"As long as you're okay, as long as you're okay!"
Kushina Uzumaki relaxed, but thinking about how she had gone to pick Uchiha Lei up left her feeling a little hurt!
Tsunade was so mean. We'd already agreed on it!
Yet I still had to bring Lei home. Our time alone together was cut short by another half hour!
Kushina felt terribly wronged. The moisture in her eyes turned into tears, and crystalline drops slipped from their corners as she began to cry silently!
Uchiha Lei cupped Kushina Uzumaki's face in both hands and asked quietly:
"Kushina, why are you suddenly crying?"
Kushina Uzumaki replied through her sobs:
"Waa... Lei, you didn't come home by yourself. Tsunade took another half hour of our time together!"
Uchiha secretly rejoiced:
Kushina liked me more and more. That was pretty good!
But her possessiveness really was strong!
Still, I liked it!
Uchiha Lei didn't want any rift between Kushina and Tsunade, so he explained:
"There... was a reason for that. I helped Tsunade study Amegakure's poison, so I was held up!"
"Really? She wasn't keeping you there on purpose?"
Kushina Uzumaki stared intently into Uchiha Lei's eyes, trying to find a flaw!
Uchiha Lei really was telling the truth. His expression betrayed nothing as he continued confidently:
"That's right. It's true!"
"All right, then. I was overthinking it!"
Kushina Uzumaki reluctantly gave in, and her little stomach began to growl~
"Growl, growl, growl~"
"You're hungry, aren't you, Kushina? I'll take you down for dinner!"
Seeing Kushina Uzumaki blush with embarrassment, Uchiha Lei wiped the tears off her face with both hands, then used the Body Flicker Technique to bring her to the first-floor living room!
In the living room~
Mito Uzumaki sat upright on the sofa by herself. A sumptuous spread had already been laid out on the table before her, and she quietly awaited Kushina Uzumaki and Uchiha Lei!
With a whoosh~
The two appeared beside the sofa, then greeted Grandma Mito:
"Good evening, Grandma Mito!"
"Good evening, Kushina, Lei!"
Grandma Mito warmly returned their greeting, then said with a smile:
"Lei, Kushina, come eat!"
Knock, knock, knock~
A knock sounded outside the door~
Then a voice rang out~
"Lady Mito, the situation at the border doesn't look good. Lady Tsunade is already waiting at the village entrance and wants Lei and Mikoto to go with her!"
Mito Uzumaki turned and looked at Uchiha Lei with a serious expression as she asked:
"Lei, are you going?"
Uchiha Lei looked at Grandma Mito, nodded, and explained:
"Grandma Mito, I really do need to go take a look. I'm worried about Mie and Nawaki's safety!"
"I want to go to the front lines too. Can you take me along?"
Kushina Uzumaki looked at Uchiha Lei and Mito Uzumaki with pleading eyes!
Mito Uzumaki flatly refused:
"No!"
Uchiha Lei raised his hand and patted Kushina Uzumaki's delicate hand, explaining softly:
"Kushina, your identity is special. You'll be a target for the enemy. Promise me you'll stay home!"
"All right, I won't get in the way!"
Kushina Uzumaki replied, but her unhappiness was written all over her face!
There was nothing money couldn't solve!
So Uchiha Lei took 300,000 in banknotes straight out of his clothes and stuffed them into Kushina Uzumaki's arms, leaving her with one sentence before he departed:
"Kushina, take this money and spend it however you like. Wait for me to come back!"
With a completely bewildered expression, Kushina Uzumaki watched Uchiha Lei leave the house using the Body Flicker Technique!
Seeing the stacks of banknotes in Kushina's arms, Mito Uzumaki said with a smile:
"Kushina, that's Lei's betrothal gift to you. Put it away!"
"Really?"
Kushina Uzumaki's earlier worries vanished, and her face filled with a happy smile. With her right hand, she took a space-time storage scroll out of her clothes, opened it, and stored the 300,000 ryo inside!
Elsewhere~
At Konoha's entrance~
In front of the little yellow guard booth~
Tsunade's blond hair was tied into a low ponytail with a hair tie. She wore gray armor on her upper body, black shinobi trousers below, and black shinobi sandals on her delicate feet. With both arms crossed over her chest and her chin raised, she looked ready to set out!
Beside her, Uchiha Mikoto's black hair was also tied into a low ponytail. She wore a dark blue Uchiha shinobi outfit, with an ornate black katana hanging at her right hip and dark blue shinobi sandals on her delicate feet. Her right hand rested on the black sword hilt, and she was ready as well!
Tsunade noticed the katana at Uchiha Mikoto's waist. Remembering the Kusanagi Sword Uchiha Lei wore, she couldn't help asking:
"Mikoto, is that sword a matching couples' set with Lei's?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"
Uchiha Mikoto answered directly without any reservations!
With a whoosh~
The late-arriving Uchiha Lei wore the outfit of the future Sasuke. Resting his right hand on his black sword hilt, he greeted them confidently:
"Tsunade, Mikoto, hello! Sorry for the wait!"
"We only just arrived too. Let's go!"
Without saying more, Tsunade raised her hand and instantly used the Body Flicker Technique, swiftly appearing on the trunk of a large tree ahead. She glanced back at them and said sternly:
"Keep up. Don't fall behind!"
"Yes, teacher!"
The two answered in unison, then used the Body Flicker Technique to follow behind Tsunade!
The three raced along the trunks of the lush trees. The surrounding trees flew backward like phantoms, showing just how quickly they were traveling!
The trees around Konoha really were enormous. No wonder shinobi could run along them as though on level ground!
These trees were probably all brought here by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. I really wanted to learn Wood Release!
After his surge of excitement, Uchiha Lei couldn't help quietly asking Tsunade beside him:
"Tsunade, do you have any Wood Release scrolls?"
"I do, but Lei, can you use Wood Release?"
Tsunade looked at Uchiha Lei with some skepticism, but when she saw his confident expression, her eyes filled with surprise!
Judging by Lei's expression, it didn't look as though he couldn't!
Nawaki and I had pure Senju blood, yet neither of us had Wood Release!
But Lei, who was of mixed Uchiha and Senju blood, did!
I was getting a little excited to see how strong our children would be!
Tsunade's heart filled with anticipation. She stopped on the trunk of a large tree ahead, took a scroll out of her clothes, and said quietly:
"This is the only scroll I brought with me. You should have told me earlier that you could use Wood Release!"
"Would telling you earlier have helped? We only got together the day before yesterday!"
Uchiha Lei stopped and stood beside her, took the ninjutsu scroll from her hand, and opened it to look:
Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs~
Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall~
Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique~
Uchiha Lei glanced over it, then summoned the system. Sure enough, three Wood Release ninjutsu appeared on the system's blue screen!
This top-tier learning talent really was freaking amazing.
I could learn it with one look and master it after practicing a few times. Wasn't that sneaky?
Uchiha Lei closed the scroll and handed it back to Tsunade, thanking her with a smile:
"Thanks, Tsunade. Now I'm even more confident!"
"Wait, you learned it just by looking?"
Tsunade replied with a look of surprise and tucked the scroll back into her clothes. She now had a new view of Uchiha Lei!
Uchiha Mikoto came to Uchiha Lei's side and chimed in with a smile:
"Lady Tsunade, Lei's learning talent is top-tier. He can learn practically any ninjutsu with a single glance!"
"Then you can try out your new ninjutsu and slaughter the little rats nearby!"
Tsunade noticed that someone nearby was watching them, so she gave the order directly!
Before you continue