After a moment of silence filled only by the sound of heartbeats and the whisper of the morning wind, Aoki slowly released his embrace. Aoki's movements were unhurried, as if every passing second held significance.
Aoki's arms then descended gently, like leaves falling in the midst of autumn.
Aoki's breath sounded calm, but there was something unspoken in Aoki's gaze—a mix of regret, understanding, and reluctance to let that moment of togetherness slip away.
Where Aoki sat cross-legged, his body still radiated warmth from the embrace moments before.
Aoki looked ahead, towards Tetsu, who stood with his back to them, his hands awkwardly covering Ajisai's eyes.
Tetsu's small back appeared tense, as if he were trying to bear a weight far heavier than his own body.
Tetsu's head was slightly bowed, as if holding back the embarrassment that swelled in his chest, and his shoulders trembled slightly from unsteady breaths.
"Tetsu... it's okay, just let go," Aoki finally said. His voice was gentle but carried a tone of firmness.
Aoki offered a faint smile, not a happy one, but rather a smile of understanding, like someone who knows how heavy it is to grow up too soon.
Tetsu bit his lower lip. His hands slowly lowered, like a window being gently opened, revealing Ajisai's view of the world once more.
Tetsu took a deep breath—a breath of a child trying to hide their embarrassment, but which only made it more apparent.
Ajisai blinked several times, her round eyes staring blankly at Aoki and Mei. She scratched her small head, her slightly messy hair swaying lightly.
"Actually... what's going on? Isn't Boss just sleeping while hugging Sister Mei?" Ajisai asked innocently, her head tilting slightly to the right.
Ajisai's face was filled with a sincere expression of confusion, with no hint of sarcasm.
As a little girl, Ajisai did not yet have the framework to understand adult interactions.
The world for Ajisai was still black and white, not yet mixed with the complicated gray that often arises as feelings grow.
But Tetsu was different. While Tetsu did not fully understand, he knew enough to feel nervous.
Though Tetsu had not yet reached the last two digits of his age, his life journey had shaped a side of premature maturity that he had not asked for.
Since childhood, Tetsu had lived a transient life, fleeing from the shadows of the Third Ninja World War.
He had heard whispers of adult conversations at night, seen meaningful glances that went unexplained.
From there, Tetsu had learned—sometimes love does not need to be explained, but can simply be felt. And because of that, seeing Aoki and Mei sleeping in such a tight embrace made Tetsu's heart race, and his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
In reflex, Tetsu covered Ajisai's eyes, not only to protect her but also to calm his own feelings.
"Come on, let's have breakfast first. But before that, rinse your mouths out," Aoki said as he stood up, brushing off the dry leaves that clung to his pants.
From within Aoki's rumpled clothing from the previous night's sleep, he pulled out a small scroll. The scroll was worn but still kept clean. Aoki quickly opened it on the ground.
Ancient seal symbols glimmered for a moment, and thin white smoke emerged from certain points. From within the seal, a metal water bottle appeared, still retaining the chill of the night.
Aoki stepped towards the nearest large tree, bending slightly under the shade of its broad leaves. He opened the bottle, rinsed his mouth slowly, swished the water around, and then spat it out at the roots of the tree. Aoki's movements were slow, almost like a personal morning ritual.
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[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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