The winter sun hung high in the sky, warm to the eye but doing little to fight off the growing chill in the air.
Shimizu sat inside Ichiraku Ramen, quietly watching the street outside.
The village was as lively as ever.
People came and went, the shopkeeper called out to customers, and business was booming. The same bustling energy, the same prosperity—nothing had changed since the last time he left.
Even with Sunagakure's army laying siege to Kikyo Castle, the shadow of war hadn't truly reached Konoha.
That, perhaps, was the confidence of the Land of Fire—the strongest of the Five Great Nations.
"Here you go, Shimizu—your ramen."
"Thanks, boss."
"Don't mention it."
Teuchi wiped his hands on his apron and sat down across from him, lowering his voice slightly.
"Say, Shimizu… is Iwagakure about to declare war on Konoha too?"
"…Huh?" Shimizu blinked. "I haven't received any confirmed information about that yet. How'd you hear about it?"
"Few days ago, an envoy from Iwa came to Konoha—acting all high and mighty," Teuchi said with a chuckle. "But in the end, they left with their tails between their legs."
"Since then, all trade routes between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth have been shut down."
"I heard they wanted to carve up the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfall. No way the Hokage would agree to something like that."
"Honestly, do they really think Konoha would be afraid of a place like Iwa?"
"Sand, Stone—it doesn't matter. However many they send, we'll take them all down. Because Konoha is the strongest."
He flexed his arm with a grin, then looked at Shimizu.
"Right?"
"Uh… yeah. Konoha's definitely the strongest." Shimizu gave a dry laugh. He hadn't expected Teuchi to be so invested in current affairs.
"But still," Teuchi continued thoughtfully, "Iwa and Konoha have been at peace for years. Why suddenly make such an unreasonable demand? Feels like there's something more going on behind the scenes…"
"—Cough, cough!"
"Hey, slow down! You're gonna choke at that rate."
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Shimizu waved him off. Only after swallowing the last slice of narutomaki did he continue, "I don't think it's that complicated. Same as Suna—they've always had their eyes on Konoha. Once they're ready, any excuse will do to start a war."
"…I see." Teuchi fell into thought.
"Thanks for the meal."
Shimizu quickly got up and left the shop.
Even someone like Teuchi—a civilian—showed no fear at the prospect of Konoha facing two major shinobi villages at once. If anything, he was full of confidence.
It spoke volumes about the trust the villagers had in their ninja.
But Shimizu couldn't share that ease.
On the battlefield, all he'd heard were bad reports—one after another.
Sunagakure. Iwagakure.
Both had clearly been preparing for this war for a long time. It wouldn't be easy to defeat either of them.
And then there were the shadows lurking behind it all—
Tobi. Madara.
"…This isn't going to be simple."
"Hey, isn't that Shimizu?"
A cheerful female voice called out from behind.
Shimizu turned—and immediately spotted Kushina Uzumaki.
She had one arm hooked around Minato Namikaze, while the other waved enthusiastically at him.
…They were definitely on a date.
"Yo, Minato. Kushina."
"When did you get back?" Minato asked.
"This morning." Shimizu shrugged. "Reported to the Hokage, checked in at ANBU, went home for a quick nap… and now I'm out grabbing something to eat."
"Perfect timing—we haven't eaten yet either!" Kushina beamed. "Want to join us?"
"How about barbecue? I know a place that's amazing."
As if worried that wasn't convincing enough, she jabbed a thumb at herself proudly.
"My treat."
Then she poked Minato's shoulder and added:
"Minato's paying."
"..."
"…I'll pass."
"Haha, what, you're getting shy now?" Kushina laughed and smacked him on the shoulder.
Smack.
"—Tch!" Shimizu winced.
That force… that violence…
Why did it feel suspiciously similar to Tsunade?
"No, it's not that—I already ate," he said quickly.
He absolutely could not survive a second hit.
"Aww~ what a shame."
"New sword?" Minato Namikaze had already noticed the blade strapped across Shimizu's back. Even the scabbard and hilt were an unusual deep indigo.
"Yeah. Had it custom-made by a master from the Land of Artisans. Just picked it up this morning."
"Must've cost a fortune," Kushina Uzumaki guessed.
She didn't know much about swords, but she had eyes. The weapon looked simple at first glance, but the craftsmanship was exquisite.
And something made by a master craftsman from the Land of Artisans?
That had to be worth millions.
"…It wasn't cheap. It's a chakra blade, after all."
"What?!" Kushina stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time. "Shimizu, you're secretly rich?!"
"Wind attribute?" Minato asked, recalling how Shimizu had once consulted him about developing Wind Release.
But Shimizu was thinking further ahead.
To truly master a chakra weapon, it wasn't enough to just develop Wind Release. Without extensive practice and experience, there was no way he could wield it freely.
And with the war ongoing, time for focused training was scarce.
For now, the sword probably wouldn't make a huge difference in battle.
"If you need help, just let me know," Minato said with a smile.
He remembered well—Shimizu's swordsmanship had always been exceptional. Now that he had a weapon like this… just how much stronger would he become?
"Oh, right—Shimizu, do you have a girlfriend?" Kushina suddenly asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
…Where did that come from?
"No."
"Then is there someone you like?"
"…No."
Kushina narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced. She thumped her chest confidently.
"Don't worry~ I won't tell a third person."
…Wait.
So Minato didn't count as a person?
Off to the side, Minato wore an innocent expression.
"Why are you so interested in this?" Shimizu asked, baffled by her persistence.
"If you had a girlfriend, we could go on double dates!" Kushina said matter-of-factly. "Or do you plan on being a third wheel forever?"
"…."
You make a compelling argument.
I have no rebuttal.
"Senior Minato. Senior Shimizu. The Hokage has an urgent matter." An ANBU operative appeared beside them without warning.
The two exchanged a glance.
"We'll be there right away," Minato replied.
"Understood." The ANBU vanished just as abruptly as he'd arrived.
"Ahhhh—my date day is ruined!" Kushina groaned, grabbing her long red hair in frustration.
"Sorry, Kushina," Minato said apologetically.
"No need to apologize! I'm a ninja too—I get it." She paused, then added in a much smaller, disappointed voice, "Missions are always like this…"
"I'll make it up to you next time," Minato promised.
"Deal! Then I want a huge feast!" Kushina instantly perked up, holding up her fingers as she started listing demands. "And I'm buying new clothes! And—"
"Alright, alright, whatever you want," Minato said, watching her with a soft, indulgent smile.
The two of them gradually leaned closer together…
Shimizu quietly turned his head away.
…Was this really appropriate?
Public displays of affection—in broad daylight?
Right in front of a lone wolf like him?
And also—
Didn't they just say they'd go immediately?
...
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