Alright.
Even though he had already guessed that the person arriving was probably Uzumaki Kushina, Mikami Yuu still hadn't expected her to be this friendly—or that she'd go around pinching people's cheeks like a mischievous kid. All he could do was look helpless.
At that moment,
Minato poked his head halfway out of the kitchen, wearing a helpless smile.
"Kushina, don't scare my students. These are the kids I told you about—Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Mikami Yuu, and Kakashi, who you've met once before."
"Kushina?"
Obito, who had retreated a safe distance away to avoid ending up like Yuu and Rin, froze for a second when he heard Minato speak.
"Huh? So you're Minato-sensei's girlfriend?"
"G-girlfriend?!"
Kushina's face turned bright red in an instant, even redder than her hair. She flailed her arms in a panic.
"I-idiot! What are you talking about?! Who said I'm his girlfriend?! Minato and I are just… just pretty close, that's all!"
As she said that, she snuck a glance toward the kitchen, her voice overflowing with barely concealed embarrassment.
The whole "there's no silver here" act was a little too obvious.
Rin covered her mouth and giggled, while also sneaking a glance at Mikami Yuu.
Kushina, desperate to hide her embarrassment, hurriedly cleared her throat and looked over the four of them before her gaze settled on Yuu.
"Ahem! You're Mikami Yuu, right? Minato's told me about you—the 'Fire Release genius,' right? Being able to train Great Fireball to that level is seriously impressive!"
"Huh?"
Obito blinked.
"Shouldn't I be the Fire Release genius? I'm from the Uchiha clan! What does Minato-sensei usually say about me?"
"You?"
Kushina turned and winked mischievously at him.
"Never heard of you."
"Huh?!"
"Hahaha, I'm kidding. Minato says you're 'Number One in Unpredictability.' You're always doing things no one sees coming. But… your personality's bright, and when it really matters, you're actually dependable."
Sure, "Number One in Unpredictability" didn't sound as cool as "Fire Release genius," but at least it was still praise.
Obito immediately put his hands on his hips and jabbed a thumb at himself.
"As expected of Minato-sensei! He really knows people! Just wait—once I awaken the Sharingan, I'll definitely be stronger than Kakashi and Yuu! And one day, I'm absolutely going to become Hokage!"
"Heh."
Kakashi let out a cold little laugh.
After that, while Obito and Kakashi got into another argument, Kushina sat down next to Mikami Yuu and Rin and asked a few questions about the team.
Until—
"Dinner's ready~"
Minato, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming soup pot.
"I need two people to help bring the dishes over."
"I'll do it, I'll do it!"
Obito rushed over first.
Yuu followed after him.
Soon, one home-cooked dish after another was set down on the low table: glossy teriyaki chicken, bright green stir-fried vegetables, soft rolled omelet, savory miso soup… and a big pot of steaming white rice. The already small table was packed full.
"Wow! It smells amazing!"
"It all looks so good!"
Yuu and the others had the sense to split up two on each side of the table, leaving the main seat in the middle for Minato and Kushina.
Kushina untied her apron and sat down, then said warmly,
"Don't be shy. Go ahead and eat."
With permission granted,
everyone picked up their chopsticks.
Yuu and Kakashi ate relatively neatly, while Obito wolfed everything down, praising the food through a full mouth. Kushina occasionally picked some food for Rin, or teased Obito until he started shouting. The meal was lively and warm, full of that cozy, lived-in feeling.
It wasn't until they were almost done eating that
Minato cleared his throat.
"Oh right, Kakashi, Yuu, and you two as well, Obito and Rin. There's something I need to tell you."
"The war between Konoha and Suna has become intense lately, and Kumo has also started making suspicious moves. I'll probably be receiving a lot more outside missions, so the special training, as well as some of your regular missions going forward, will be handled by Kakashi in my place.
"Of course, if I have time, I'll still do my best to stay involved."
"I see…"
Yuu and the others exchanged glances, but weren't surprised.
After that,
Minato stood up to clear the dishes.
Yuu and Rin were about to go help, but Kushina shoved both of them back down with one hand each, then clapped her hands together and stood up with a grin.
"You're guests. Since when do guests wash dishes?"
"Minato told me you've been wanting to learn a bit about sealing arts. Well, I just happen to be a sealing master, so while we digest, I'll give you a little special lesson!"
Kushina walked over to the side of the living room and gestured for the four of them to sit around her. Then she casually picked up a piece of chalk and tapped the little blackboard.
"Sealing arts might sound super mysterious, but at their core, there are really only two things: binding and control.
"The principle is using special formulas and chakra flow patterns to 'seal away' energy or matter according to fixed rules—or to give them specific functions. For example, the sealing scrolls you use all the time are the most basic application of that…"
As a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, Kushina's mastery of sealing arts was beyond question.
She started from the basics of formulas, then moved into chakra injection and control, different categories of seals, and more. Every now and then she sketched things out on the blackboard, making it far more vivid and intuitive than the dry descriptions in books. Even Obito, who usually struggled to focus, was actually listening this time, while Yuu and the others were completely absorbed.
Unfortunately, since Kushina was only covering fundamentals and not teaching any specific technique, this little lesson didn't trigger any new romance targets.
"…Anyway, sealing arts are an incredibly deep field, so your foundation has to be solid! Yuu, let me see your sword."
"Oh, sure."
Yuu unstrapped the sword from his back and handed it over.
Kushina ran her fingers along the blade, gauging the material and weight, then carefully checked the connection between the hilt and the blade.
"Mm. The material's pretty good. It has the basic qualities needed to carry a sealing formula. I'll take it back and study it a little. But you also need to hurry up and get your sealing fundamentals down."
"I will. Thank you, Kushina-senpai."
Yuu said.
Kakashi hesitated, then spoke up.
"I'll lend you another sword tomorrow. Once Kushina-senpai finishes with this one, remember to return it."
…
At the same time,
deep underground on the western side of Konoha, inside the Root base,
a ninja wearing an animal mask knelt on one knee before the old man wrapped in bandages.
"Danzo-sama, the 'Nine-Tails jinchuriki,' Uzumaki Kushina, entered Namikaze Minato's home this evening and stayed for over two hours. Also, all four members of Minato's genin squad, including Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Obito, were present for the meal."
"What?!"
~~~
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