News of Dan Katō's Death

Suddenly, Kushina stopped in her tracks. The chakra surrounding her body vanished in an instant, and she slumped to the ground, pouting and tilting her head.

"I'm done, I'm done! You're a bully, old man Third! This was supposed to be a fight, but I couldn't even touch you, and you hit me so many times!"

"All right, all right, it's all my fault. How about I apologize to Konoha's future strongest kunoichi?"

Despite her complaints, the Third Hokage showed no sign of anger and cheerfully comforted Kushina.

"Hmph, even if you flatter me like that, I won't forgive you." Kushina blushed a little at his praise. "Little Brother Nobuhiko, where did you go? Your big sister's out of strength. Hurry up and help me!"

"Coming, coming, Sister Kushina!"

Hearing Kushina call him, Nobuhiko used the Body Flicker Technique to reach her side. As he helped her up, he praised her. "Sister Kushina, you were amazing just now! I couldn't even see your movements!"

"Really? I thought I was pretty amazing just now too!"

Kushina chuckled and stood with Nobuhiko's support, turning her head toward him and leaving the Third Hokage facing the back of her head.

The Third Hokage smiled helplessly at the sight.

"Nobuhiko, help Kushina get home first. Next time she feels she can take another step forward, don't forget to come find me!"

"Yes, Lord Hokage. Sister Kushina and I will head back, then."

Kushina still said nothing as she left with Nobuhiko supporting her.

The Third Hokage stood there watching them. Only after their figures disappeared from view did he withdraw his gaze.

He called the Anbu and Sealing Squad members over and had them form a circle around him.

Then the Third Hokage crouched down and formed hand seals. Gripping his right wrist with his left hand, he pressed his right hand to the ground. "Erase!"

The Third Hokage erased everyone's memories of this incident except his own.

Seeing the confusion in their eyes, he ordered, "The mission is complete. Go back."

The ninja, who had experienced this many times before, froze for only an instant. Once they recovered, they immediately dropped to one knee. "Yes, Lord Hokage!"

"Sister Kushina, how are you feeling now?"

Nobuhiko brought a cup of hot water to Kushina, who was sprawled on the couch, then sat beside her.

Kushina drained the cup in one go and wiped the corner of her mouth with her hand.

"A little better than before. I just asked Kurama, and he said my body was overloaded throughout that fight. That's why I'm so weak now."

"Then did Senior Kurama say when you'd recover, Sister Kushina?"

Nobuhiko could no longer be bothered to worry about Kushina's relationship with the Nine-Tails. If she wanted to call the Nine-Tails directly by name, she could. From the looks of it, the Nine-Tails didn't care about seniority anyway.

"Kurama said I'll recover quickly. I'll have my strength back this afternoon, but I can't do anything strenuous for the next few days."

"That's good. The side effects aren't too serious!"

Nobuhiko "let out a long sigh of relief."

"You don't need to worry about that anymore, Little Brother Nobuhiko."

In a very good mood, Kushina patted Nobuhiko's head.

"Kurama said the reason I'm so weak after borrowing his chakra now is that my body's too weak. In a few more years, once I've grown up, even if I borrow all his chakra, what happened today won't happen again!"

"Wow, Sister Kushina, you're already this strong now. If you can borrow all of Senior Kurama's chakra in the future, won't you be invincible in the Shinobi World?"

Nobuhiko looked at Kushina with "admiration" all over his face.

"It's not that exaggerated, Little Brother Nobuhiko. I might only be a tiny bit stronger than old man Third."

Kushina scratched her head, then held her thumb and index finger nearly a centimeter apart. Deciding that wasn't enough, she spread them as far apart as she could.

"I really wish you could grow up faster, Sister Kushina!"

Nobuhiko sighed, his words carrying a double meaning.

"I really wish I could grow up faster too!"

Kushina, who hadn't caught his deeper meaning, agreed.

"When I go out on missions, if I run into ninja from an enemy nation, I'll announce your name first, Sister Kushina, and scare them to death!"

Nobuhiko continued flattering Kushina.

"Yes, yes, Little Brother Nobuhiko! How are you going to announce my name?"

Nobuhiko's flattery had successfully piqued Kushina's interest.

Watching the show from within the sealing space, the Nine-Tails scoffed, once again feeling some regret over choosing Kushina.

Nobuhiko thought for a moment.

"If I run into ninja from an enemy nation, I'll tell them, 'My second big sister Kushina is invincible in the Shinobi World. One stomp of her foot will make the whole Shinobi World tremble three times!' There's no way that won't scare them to death."

"That's not very appropriate, Little Brother Nobuhiko. It's a little too exaggerated!"

Somewhat embarrassed, Kushina rejected this bit of flattery.

"Huh? What's inappropriate about it, Sister Kushina?"

Nobuhiko was a little dumbfounded that his flattery had backfired for the first time.

Kushina's pretty face flushed with frustration. For the first time, he realized how dense her Little Brother Nobuhiko was.

After hesitating for a while, Kushina felt she would definitely regret it if she didn't speak up.

"Little Brother Nobuhiko, you don't need to say the part about me stomping my foot. Just say the first part!"

After saying that, Kushina felt a little ashamed and turned her head away, no longer daring to look at Nobuhiko's face.

Nobuhiko was utterly dumbstruck.

He had only meant to flatter her, but Kushina had taken him seriously and even pointed out what needed revising.

What the fuck!

Was he, Kihara Nobuhiko, really going to have to say that when he encountered ninja from an enemy nation on missions in the future?

That was so fucking embarrassing!

For the first time, Nobuhiko experienced what it meant to shoot himself in the foot.

Should he lie to Kushina?

Nobuhiko glanced at Kushina, who had turned her head away.

Damn, such an innocent girl had finally asked something of him, and it was even because of his own flattery. If he refused, would he still be human?

Screw it!

"Sister Kushina, don't worry. I'll definitely do as you asked!"

Kushina didn't respond.

*???*

All right, then. It took Nobuhiko another little while to realize that Kushina had been so exhausted she had fallen asleep.

Nobuhiko picked up the blanket beside her and covered her with it, then went out to find food.

When Nobuhiko returned, he found that Kushina was already awake.

"Sister Kushina, how come you woke up so soon?"

"Grr~ grr~."

Kushina's face instantly turned red, and she turned her head away again.

Right. Nobuhiko understood.

"Sister Kushina, I just remembered I have something to take care of at home. Here's the Ichiraku Ramen I brought back for you. I'll leave it on the table. Don't forget to eat."

He put the takeout from Ichiraku Ramen on the table, then turned and left.

Sensing that Nobuhiko had left, Kushina got off the couch and stamped her feet hard several times, then began eating the Ichiraku Ramen he had brought back!

One night three months later, Nobuhiko was getting ready to rest at home when an Anbu ninja suddenly summoned him to the Hokage's office, where he found the Third Hokage looking deeply troubled.

"Lord Hokage, did you want to see me?"

Upon seeing the Third Hokage, Nobuhiko put all other thoughts aside and greeted him obediently.

"Nobuhiko, do you know that Tsunade has a lover?"

"I've heard Sister Tsunade mention him. Did something happen, Lord Hokage?"

The Third Hokage remained silent for a long time before finally deciding to tell him.

"He was killed in action!"

"What?"