As the timelines merged, Hashirama Senju, who was inside Kushina Uzumaki playing cards with Kurama, immediately noticed the change in the timelines, as well as the alteration of fate.
That was what had led to the current scene.
Without waiting for Kushina Uzumaki to recover, Hashirama Senju forcibly took control of her body.
In an instant.
The heat and tenderness in Kushina Uzumaki's eyes faded little by little, and her tense expression slowly relaxed.
Her gaze grew vast and distant, as though she had witnessed a thousand years of landscapes rising and falling, a mountain-heavy pressure hidden within its gentleness.
Her earlier panic vanished as well, replaced by an all-embracing composure, steadiness, compassion, and the calm of one looking down upon all living beings. Her shoulders relaxed, and even the rhythm of her breathing changed.
Naturally, this change caught Minato Namikaze's attention.
Watching Kushina Uzumaki suddenly seem like a different person, Minato Namikaze sighed softly, then bowed slightly under Hashirama Senju's bewildered gaze.
"Greetings, sir. Thank you for looking after Kushina."
"?????"
Watching Minato Namikaze bow in greeting without warning, Hashirama Senju nearly failed to process what was happening.
His first thought was to wonder when he had been exposed.
Could it be... Kushina had given me away?!
"You misunderstand, sir. I discovered it myself. After all... as a husband, wouldn't I be terribly remiss if I couldn't even notice these changes in my wife?
"Besides, Kushina isn't really the sort who can keep secrets well, so I started suspecting it a long time ago. Your sudden appearance just now merely confirmed my suspicions."
Minato Namikaze spoke softly, a smile spreading across his face.
He had guessed that the Shinigami and the Nine-Tails might not be the only beings inside Kushina Uzumaki shortly after Mito Uzumaki passed away.
After all,