Mikoto's heart stirred significantly because Minato naturally and familiarly addressed Takuno as 'Senpai'.
She certainly recognized the name Takuno. Whether it was the grand celebration after the Nine-Tails' attack or the recent triumphal ceremony following the war with Kumogakure, his figure speaking in public had left a deep impression.
In Konoha, those who didn't recognize that face or name were few and far between.
Her husband, Fugaku, had also mentioned this individual who was on very close terms with the Fourth Hokage, placing him on the list of key contacts.
However, the casual intimacy in the way Minato spoke just now made her instantly realize that their friendship was far deeper than the Uchiha Clan's intelligence had speculated.
Mikoto couldn't help but look at Takuno again. Intelligence stated he should be slightly younger than Fugaku, in his thirties, but his appearance was exceptionally youthful, looking almost no different from Minato—this contrast surprised her slightly.
But that wasn't important. Her mission for this visit was to use the opportunity of visiting her close friend Kushina to further bridge the gap between the Uchiha Clan and the Hokage couple.
She had taken this task upon herself. Even back when she was pregnant with Sasuke, she had admired Kushina's passionate and sincere personality. Even without a clan mission, they would have had the chance to become friends; it was just that Mikoto's past personality hadn't been as proactive as it was now.
Fugaku had also hinted that the Fourth Hokage seemed inclined to send signals of goodwill toward the Uchiha Clan.
If not for that, he wouldn't have tacitly allowed his wife to associate so frequently with Kushina, which carried its own risks.
Mikoto didn't have a thorough understanding of the village's political maneuvering, but her sharp political intuition told her that she must inform Fugaku of the extraordinary friendship between Takuno and the Hokage upon her return.
She understood clearly that regardless of whether the Uchiha Clan chose to align closer with Minato's camp in the future, they absolutely could not offend this key figure named Takuno.
"Sister Mikoto, since you're here, why not stay a while longer?" Kushina said, walking to the porch while holding the lively Little Naruto, warmly trying to get her to stay.
Mikoto wore a gentle smile and shook her head slightly. "No, you have an important guest. My staying here would feel a bit redundant."
She looked toward Takuno, who was being greeted by Minato, and politely declined.
"Hmm, I see." Kushina's mind turned, and she understood Mikoto's concerns.
Minato had indeed specifically invited Takuno. She had heard many things from her husband about Takuno's illustrious achievements in the frontline medical team, those feats of turning the tide. His arrival was a major contribution to the now-stable Konoha.
Tonight, they surely had many important topics to discuss. If she insisted on keeping Mikoto, it would indeed be inappropriate.
Kushina immediately broke into a smile and said in a bright voice, "Then Mikoto, you must bring Little Sasuke over to play next time! Naruto loves being with Sasuke!"
"It's a deal." Mikoto's smile deepened as she gently teased Sasuke in her arms.
She picked up the child and turned to leave. Behind her was Little Naruto, leaning against the doorframe with a pouting mouth and teary eyes as he watched his little companion depart.
"It seems I've come at a bad time?" Takuno, standing to the side, spoke with a hint of apology.
"Nonsense!" Kushina immediately waved her hand, her reddish-brown hair swaying with the movement, her face filled with a sincere smile. "I have to thank you properly! If you hadn't turned the tide in the frontline medical room, I'd probably still be looking at Minato frowning over piles of casualty reports right now."
"Alright, let's not stand around talking at the door. Come in." Minato smoothed things over gently and pushed open the door behind him.
Stepping into the clean and warm living room, Minato exchanged a few pleasantries and then swiftly tied on a kitchen apron. "Kushina, keep Senpai company for a bit. Dinner will be ready soon."
He then went straight to the kitchen, leaving his wife to entertain the guest.
"Little Naruto has really grown a lot," Takuno's gaze fell on the little toddler scurrying around his mother's legs, his tone carrying a hint of sentiment. "Before the war broke out, he was just a baby in swaddling clothes."
Perhaps because Takuno's gaze was scrutinizing, Little Naruto subconsciously shrank behind Kushina, his small hand tightly clutching his mother's pant leg. He only peeked out half a head from her side, using a pair of clear, azure, and curious big eyes to timidly yet inquisitively observe this strange uncle.
Looking at the little fellow's cute appearance of being both shy and wanting to see what was going on, both Takuno and Kushina couldn't help but chuckle.
"Don't be afraid," Kushina bent down and scooped up her chubby little son, rubbing her cheek against his small face. She pointed at Takuno, her tone gentle and full of pride.
"Be a good boy, Naruto. This is Uncle Takuno, a very, very important friend of Mommy and Daddy! When you were just born, he was the great hero who saved Mommy and Daddy's lives!"
Little Naruto was now over two years old. In the Shinobi world, children matured early.
He understood his mother's words, and his eyes instantly went wide and round, like two glass beads in early autumn.
He puffed out his little chest and said in that unique, milky, yet hard-to-be-clear child's voice: "Uncle Takuno! Thank you for saving Mommy and Daddy!"
He enunciated every word very seriously, showing a pure sense of solemnity.
The smile on Takuno's face deepened, and his eyes held a genuine softness. "You're welcome, Little Naruto. Your mommy, daddy, and I are good friends; helping each other is what we should do. Just like you and Little Sasuke are good friends, right?"
"Mm!" Little Naruto nodded vigorously, his gaze becoming exceptionally firm and bright, even showing a hint of stubbornness. "Little Sasuke and I are best friends!"
Watching this little boy growing up under the wings of Minato and his wife, confidently expressing his friendship, brought many thoughts to Takuno's mind.
This child's future life path would likely be completely different from the Naruto he had learned about in the 'stories', who had tasted the bitterness of cold shoulders and loneliness.
In the original manga, Little Naruto's situation as a Jinchuriki was relatively the best among Tailed Beast hosts. But if one added certain anime-original plots, his childhood really couldn't be called pleasant.
But even on the manga timeline, the 'normal' childhood life he could enjoy was ultimately limited, and the lack of paternal and maternal love was an irreparable trauma.
He looked at the healthy and lively Little Naruto held in Kushina's arms and couldn't help but wonder: with Minato and Kushina both alive and well, what kind of person would this child grow up to be?
That image of 'Uzumaki Menma' from the 'Limited Tsukuyomi' world, who had grown up crooked in a happy family, that shouldn't become this Little Naruto's future, right?
Takuno's eyes narrowed imperceptibly before he dismissed the thought. Such a possibility was extremely slim.
Besides, was that so-called 'Limited Tsukuyomi' really just an illusionary realm created by Obito? Was there a one-in-ten-thousand chance that it hinted at the actual existence of a parallel world line?
This notion wasn't groundless. Back then, not only did Naruto and Sakura Haruno enter that illusionary realm, but more shockingly, the 'Tsukuyomi Sakura Haruno' from the illusion actually crossed over into reality for real!
Relying solely on the power of 'Genjutsu', it would probably be difficult to achieve such a logic-defying 'physical cross-border' event.
Furthermore, Tenten's later experience in the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' had an internal logic and setting progression that were so similar to the 'Limited Tsukuyomi'.
All sorts of signs caused a suspicion to cross his mind. Perhaps, in the infinite folds of time and space, there really was a parallel world line belonging to 'Uzumaki Menma'.
But even so, what was the use of knowing? No one knew the path to reach the other side of that boundary.
Even Obito opening the 'Limited Tsukuyomi' back then was very likely just a stroke of luck or a coincidence. If he were asked to try again, he might not be able to replicate it.
"The child is raised so well, both sensible and polite," Takuno pulled back his wandering thoughts and sincerely praised Kushina.
Only a fleeting sense of strangeness passed through his heart. The blonde little fellow before him was indeed vastly different from the 'Naruto' in his memory, who was always reckless and lonely.
But what did that matter? That Naruto with a thorny fate would never appear again, which was not a regret but rather a blessing.
"This child—" Sure enough, the praise was like a precise key, instantly opening Kushina's chatterbox as a mother.
Her face lit up, and she began to incessantly 'promote' her precious son to Takuno, how smart Little Naruto was, how kind, how considerate, and what a budding talent he had for being a Shinobi—
That heartfelt pride and motherly love were so abundant they almost overflowed the room.
A drop of cold sweat quietly slid down Takuno's temple.
It was over, he seemed to have accidentally triggered a hidden mechanism called 'Bragging Mother Mode'.
Fortunately, Minato appeared punctually like a savior, and the aroma of food wafted through the air.
He walked to his wife's side with a smile, helplessly and dotingly pressing her shoulder gently. "Kushina, Senpai came as a guest, not to listen to you recount Naruto's glorious history."
He then cast an apologetic look at Takuno. "Sorry, this child is the most precious treasure in her heart. Once she starts talking about him, she can't stop."
"It's alright," Takuno smiled frankly, his gaze falling on Little Naruto, who was grinning at him. "I like Little Naruto very much too."
Hearing such a sincere affirmation, the smile on Minato's face deepened. It was the unfeigned happiness and satisfaction of a father hearing someone truly recognize his child.
Kushina also snapped out of her 'bragging mode', her cheeks slightly flushed as she tried to make amends somewhat sheepishly. "Actually, it's mostly because Minato teaches him well—"
"That's not accurate," Takuno shook his head, his gaze sweeping over Minato's slightly tired but gentle profile. "As the Hokage, you have many affairs to handle, so the time you can personally spend teaching the child is surely limited. I think the biggest credit for Little Naruto being so cheerful and sensible today goes to Kushina."
The couple was stunned simultaneously by his words of 'doing justice'.
Minato reacted first, a warm smile spreading in his bright blue eyes. Looking at his wife, he seriously agreed: "That's right, Takuno-kun is correct. Our Naruto is all thanks to Kushina's hard work in teaching him."
Kushina's cheeks flushed even deeper, but the corners of her mouth lifted high, her smile reaching her eyes like a blooming evening primrose.
Minato gazed at his wife's lovely and moving smile, filled with emotion.
The girl in his memory who was called the 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero' with a fiery temper had long since transformed into a gentle and virtuous mother.
Since Little Naruto's birth, her former sharpness had all been retracted, turning into water-like tenderness and capable homemaking skills.
The current Kushina was a capable hand inside and out, an impeccable wife and mother.
In contrast, he was firmly bound by the burden of being Hokage. Every time he returned home late at night, he could only see his son's sleeping face, unable to be by their side constantly. The guilt in his heart was beyond words.
Seemingly sensing her husband's sudden drop in mood, Kushina didn't need words. She just naturally reached out and firmly grasped Minato's hand on his knee under the dining table.
Feeling the warmth and strength in his palm, Minato was startled. He looked up and met his wife's playful yet gentle wink, and all the gloom instantly dissolved.
Minato smiled understandingly and squeezed his wife's slender hand back tightly.
The wordless gratitude contained in that smile was worth more than a thousand words. With such a companion, what more could a man ask for?
Sitting opposite them, Takuno silently took in this scene.
Well, he had unintentionally been forced to swallow another mouthful of sweet yet slightly stinging 'dog food'.
A faint, imperceptible sigh spread through his heart.
With his current identity and the secrets he carried, finding a partner he could fully trust and entrust his life to was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Even if he did find love, his very existence might plant hidden dangers for her—
In an instant, Takuno's expression froze slightly, and a hint of almost bitter self-mockery appeared on his lips.
With his hard-to-dissolve guardedness and suspicion, and his way of life accustomed to using power and interests as ties, how could he hope to meet a woman who could accept and believe in him without reservation?
If such a person truly fell in love with him, the ending would likely be a tragedy.
The laws he believed in were always to use thunderous means for punishment and sufficient interests to drive his subordinates.
Deep down, he was almost unable to truly and unreservedly trust anyone.
With such a temperament, if he were truly fortunate enough to receive a woman's pure, flawless, and wholehearted true feelings, that scenario itself would probably be the most bizarre paradox in the world.
Fortunately, he only lacked a partner he could completely trust; he didn't lack that aspect of life.
Putting away this untimely sentimentality, the atmosphere at the dining table quickly became lively again.
No village affairs, no war, only the warmth of a reunion with old friends and domestic talk.
Takuno's stories were naturally reserved, but with the experiences of his Shadow Clones, the topics remained rich and vivid.
Under the warm yellow light, the food was fragrant, and laughter rang out lightly, forming a harmonious picture isolated from the disturbances of the outside world.