He could also smell the alcohol in Kushina's breath.
"Have you been drinking?"
Araki frowned deeply. Only now did he truly understand why these two had been so secretive—they were secretly doing illegal things.
The ninja world has very strict laws and regulations. People under the age of twenty are not allowed to drink alcohol; this is an extremely strict rule.
Furthermore, no business is permitted to sell alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of twenty.
This is a strict rule!
Araki stared intently at Kushina, who immediately lowered her head. Then she looked at Mikoto, Mikoto also avoided his gaze.
"Do you know that what you're doing is illegal?!"
Araki suddenly understood why the two men had become so arrogant after they learned of his return—they had been secretly drinking.
Both of them had a flushed face from drinking.
Now I understand everything.
He just thought...
Forget it, I can't think about it anymore!
" Araki, I... we just tried it, we didn't drink much." Kushina took a slightly unsteady step forward, stood in front of Araki, grabbed Araki left hand with both hands, and shook it back and forth, saying, "Please don't tell anyone, okay?"
"Yeah! Yeah! We only drank a little bit!" Mikoto quickly caught up with Kushina and went straight to Araki's other side. She grabbed Araki's right hand with both hands in the same way and shook it back and forth.
"..."
Araki's left and right hands were being shaken by two different people, and the movements were rhythmic, keeping his body in balance.
"Who bought the wine?"
When Araki spoke, he looked directly at Uchiha Mikoto. In fact, he already had the answer before he even asked the question. After Kushina, Kushina wouldn't be drinking if she had nothing better to do, and as an outsider, she wouldn't have any way to buy alcohol.
"I brought it with me," Mikoto said, her head bowed.
"You brought it with you?" Araki asked, puzzled.
"I've had it with me since the first day I arrived here, but I just haven't had a chance to drink it. I'm going home tomorrow night, so I was thinking of drinking it with Kushina. We thought you went to train..." Mikoto explained.
"No chance to drink?" Araki narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew exactly what Uchiha Mikoto meant. In the first few nights after she arrived, she was busy monitoring him, so of course she couldn't let drinking interfere with her work.
"We know we were wrong." Kushina obediently lowered her head.
" Araki, why don't you come with us?" Mikoto's dark eyes darted around, and she immediately extended an invitation to Araki.
" Mikoto..." Kushina's eyes widened, realizing this was inappropriate.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you!" Mikoto said, swaying Araki's body as she faintly heard his stomach rumbling. "I prepared lots of rice balls, let's eat together. That bottle of wine is already opened, it would be a waste not to drink it. If you don't want us to drink too much, you can drink more!"
"I don't drink it." Araki shook his head, immediately refusing. However, he did want to try the rice ball. "Eating a little would be fine."
"Let's eat first, I'll go get the food."
Uchiha Mikoto winked at Kushina, then quickly slipped into Kushina's room, took out the food, and spread it on the more spacious living room floor.
I made three or four trips back and forth.
There were quite a few things at the time.
There were bento boxes, rice balls, and some sushi rolls. There was a lot of food prepared, which was obviously planned in advance. It was definitely not enough for two girls to eat by themselves.
besides...
There are also two bottles of sake.
They're all open.
It was placed on the carpet on the floor.
"Is this what you two are drinking?"
When Araki saw the sake bottle with its unique curved shape, he smelled a strong aroma of sake—intense, pungent, and intoxicating.
No wonder these two looked unsteady on their feet.
This sake isn't as strong as baijiu, but it's far stronger than the beer we drank at parties in the city back in my life. Girls this age can get really drunk if they drink too much.
"You two drink, I'm going to eat something."
Araki waved his hand casually. He didn't want to drink; he was just a little hungry. He hadn't eaten anything at Tsunade's house. Although the green Chakra would replenish the energy of his cells, he had spent the entire afternoon lecturing Nawaki. Not only had he not been replenished, but he had also consumed more brain cells. He hadn't had time to exercise since returning, and was currently in a state of hunger. Faced with such food, he had no ability to resist.
"Alright! Araki, since you've given us permission to drink, then I won't be polite!"
Mikoto immediately grasped the key point in Araki's words, poured out a small cup of sake—a very small cup, about the size of a small sake cup, but more like a teacup—and then raised her hand and drank the sake in one gulp.
"I did it!"
Mikoto said heartily that she was never like this before, but under the influence of alcohol and after seeing Araki's appearance, the atmosphere was right, and she drank it all in one gulp.
After taking a sip of sake, Mikoto felt a burning sensation in her chest.
However, this also gave her even greater courage.
"I did not mean that..."
Araki's face immediately darkened. He was just using his usual way of speaking, which meant he didn't want to drink, not that he was allowing the two of them to drink.
"Then I'll..."
Kushina imitated Mikoto, pouring sake into a small cup and striking a pose as if she would down it in one gulp, but hesitated when it came to her lips.
She took a small sip.
It's sweet.
It's spicy.
However, I still took a small sip.
While Kushina was drinking, Mikoto filled her glass again, seemingly ready to drink freely.
Araki shook his head helplessly.
I knew that at this point, there was no point in trying to dissuade them.
Saying anything is useless.
On the contrary, you'll be accused of being a spoilsport.
Rather than that.
Let those two drink their fill!
Fortunately, the two were drinking at home, and he was keeping an eye on them, so they wouldn't encounter any danger.
In an instant.
Mikoto and Kushina clinked glasses and drank continuously, getting more and more excited and tipsy with each drink.
In just five short minutes.
The two of them drank two or three cups in a row.
Mikoto drank more of it.
The blush on their faces intensified.
" Kushina, tell me, tell the truth, do you like Araki?"
Uchiha Mikoto stared at Kushina and asked, even she herself didn't know why she could say such bold words at this time. As the double image of Kushina in her eyes continued to increase, she spoke without any scruples.
Chapter 34 Truth or Dare (10,000 words, please subscribe and vote)
After drinking, Uchiha Mikoto quickly became dizzy. Under the influence of alcohol, Kushina's figure became double in front of her, and she spoke without restraint, completely lacking her usual taboos.
What are you saying!
Kushina's face flushed even redder, a shy blush appearing on her already rosy cheeks, instantly adding a unique charm.
She didn't drink that much.
She was rather reserved about drinking, as she didn't really like it and was also worried about being discovered by Araki, which made her feel guilty. She only drank in moderation and hadn't completely lost her temper.
When asked so bluntly by Uchiha Mikoto, he immediately wished he could dig a hole in the ground and hide.
This was all in front of Araki!
"..."
Araki was speechless after hearing Mikoto's words. In the past, people in the real world would play this kind of game called Truth or Dare, but now they were asking this question so directly.
"Just say 'yes' or 'no'!"
Uchiha Mikoto stared intently at Kushina. In fact, she had guessed it a long time ago. At the time, she didn't quite understand why Kushina would be interested in someone like Araki. But after spending time with him, even she discovered that Araki was different from others.
In her eyes...
Araki is like a thick book.
Each page presented a completely new view, bringing her different surprises and making her constantly look forward to the story to come.
but...
Every time I turned to the next page...
She discovered that this entirely new story held entirely new secrets, drawing her to turn the page to the next chapter.
As I flipped through the pages...
It can't be flipped anymore.
It's not that there are no more pages, but rather that Araki has only shown her this much; much more has begun to disappear.
She needs to explore this herself.
She was as if she were under a spell, spending every night thinking about Araki, an impression that none of her peers had ever given her before.
Even Uchiha Fugaku wouldn't do!
Mikoto and Fugaku grew up together and could be considered childhood sweethearts. She knew Fugaku too well, understood him too well, and was extremely familiar with him.
Such familiarity could be a natural catalyst for her relationship with Fugaku, making it seem natural for them to be together. However, it could also become an insurmountable barrier, separating the two of them, since too much familiarity can lead to a lack of novelty.
Childhood sweethearts don't always end up together.