Uzumaki Kushina was genuinely delighted to see Aomizu.
The moment he stepped inside the house, her eyes lit up. Without waiting for him to say anything, she hurried over, slipped her arm through his, and pulled him toward the living room sofa as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Sit, sit! I'll be right back—I'll bring the food!" she said brightly.
Before Aomizu could even respond, Kushina had already darted off toward the kitchen, her long red hair swaying behind her like a banner of flame.
Watching her energetic retreat, Aomizu shook his head helplessly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"She's grown a lot over the years," he murmured to himself. "But that impulsive personality of hers… not a bit has changed."
Soon enough, Kushina returned with snacks and drinks, carefully arranging everything before dimming the lights. The room fell into darkness as the projector flickered to life, and the movie began.
Almost instinctively, Kushina leaned against Aomizu's shoulder.
She didn't say a word—just rested there comfortably, as though she had done so countless times before. Every now and then, she would reach for some snacks and hold them up to his lips, feeding him without even looking.
Aomizu accepted every bite without protest.
The quiet warmth of the moment lingered, the soft glow of the screen painting shifting shadows across their faces. Kushina laughed at the funny parts, frowned at the sad scenes, and whispered occasional commentary directly into his ear.
Eventually, the movie came to an end.
The screen went dark.
Yet Kushina made no move to get up.
She stayed curled against him, continuing to talk animatedly about the plot, the characters, and how she would have changed the ending. Aomizu listened patiently, occasionally offering a comment of his own.
Then—
The door creaked open.
Both of them looked up in surprise.
Standing at the entrance was Yumiko.
She had just returned from Minato's house. Seeing that the lights were still on, she had assumed someone was awake and stepped in to check. The moment her eyes landed on the scene before her, her face instantly flushed red.
"O-Oh! I'm sorry," Yumiko said hastily, bowing her head. "Did I… interrupt something?"
With that, she quickly turned around and retreated, practically fleeing the room.
The door closed behind her.
A brief silence followed.
Then Kushina and Aomizu looked at each other—and burst into soft laughter.
"That girl's really changed," Kushina said with a grin. "She used to be so shy she wouldn't even dare talk loudly."
Aomizu nodded in agreement.
"Two years in Konoha will do that to anyone."
They chatted casually about Yumiko and Minato. Over the past fortnight alone, Yumiko had been cooking at Minato's house every single day. Anyone with eyes could see how far their relationship had progressed.
Kushina, for her part, was genuinely happy for her friend.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
"It's pretty late now," Kushina said at last, glancing at the clock. Her lips curved into a playful smile as she leaned closer. "So, Aomizu… are you planning to stay the night?"
Before he could answer—
A teasing voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
"Oh? Staying the night, are we?"
Aomizu stiffened slightly.
That voice could belong to only one person.
Turning his head, he saw Tsunade standing at the doorway.
She had just returned from the research facility, still wearing her coat. Her honey-colored eyes swept over the scene—Aomizu seated on the sofa, Kushina leaning against him far too comfortably.
For just a brief moment, something unreadable flashed across Tsunade's gaze.
Then, before she could stop herself, the words slipped out.
"Well?" she continued lightly. "It's getting late. Should I prepare another room?"
The air instantly grew awkward.
Aomizu reacted immediately.
"It is late," he said smoothly as he stood up. "I should head back."
He offered Kushina a gentle smile.
"Good night, Kushina. Good night, Lady Tsunade."
With that, he left without hesitation.
A true gentleman never lingers beneath a wall that's about to collapse.
And on a battlefield, the fastest way to avoid disaster is to retreat before the storm breaks.
Tsunade clicked her tongue, annoyance clear on her face. She watched Kushina quietly tidy up the room, then turned away without another word and headed for the bath.
That night passed in silence.
The next morning, Aomizu woke early.
It was his scheduled day off from Konoha Hospital.
After washing up, he made a brief stop at the Yamanaka flower shop, carefully selecting a fresh bouquet before heading straight for Tsunade's research base.
The moment Tsunade saw him, she crossed her arms and gave him a smile that very clearly did not reach her eyes.
"Oh?" she said. "Not staying with Kushina today? Finally remembered that I exist?"
Aomizu knew immediately—she was still upset about last night.
After all, for the past two years, he had been visiting her research base almost daily to study White Zetsu cells. Most of the time, he did so through shadow clones, but that hardly changed the fact.
Fortunately, he had come prepared.
Without a word, he stepped closer, wrapped an arm around her waist, and handed her the bouquet.
"I'm yours for the entire day," he said calmly.
For a moment, Tsunade froze.
Then her body softened.
She accepted the flowers with a huff, trying—and failing—to look annoyed.
"So what is it today?" she said. "Yesterday Kushina, today me. Tomorrow Uchiha Mikoto? And the day after… Nono?"
Aomizu laughed awkwardly.
There was no correct answer to that question.
"Fine," Tsunade sighed, leaning into him. "Who told me to fall for someone as greedy and fickle as you? Looks like I'm stuck for life."
Despite her words, there was no regret in her eyes.
Aomizu had filled a void in her heart she hadn't even realized existed. More than that—his presence had gradually cured her long-standing hemophobia, a fear she had carried since childhood.
Before she could say anything else, Aomizu silenced her with a kiss.
Tsunade stiffened for half a second before responding fully, sinking into it without hesitation. They had long since crossed every boundary—save the final one.
When they finally separated for air, Tsunade placed a hand against his chest and stopped him gently.
"That's enough," she said, breath slightly unsteady. "There'll be plenty of time later. We still have work to finish."
Aomizu calmed immediately.
"If nothing unexpected happens," he replied, "we should complete the final step today."
Since shifting their focus toward medical applications two years ago, progress on White Zetsu cells had accelerated dramatically. However, because the research involved potential human use, safety and universality were absolute priorities.
They refused to rush the process.
Moreover, only a single White Zetsu corpse had ever been recovered, and most of it had already been consumed by experiments over the years.
Unlike Hashirama's cells, White Zetsu tissue lacked extreme vitality and aggressiveness. Its greatest strength lay in adaptability.
That was why Aomizu envisioned White Zetsu cells as customizable organ-transplant material.
To achieve that, mastering directed cultivation was essential.
Only then could patient-specific organs be grown and transplanted as needed—far superior to the crude grafting methods once used by Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito, who had turned themselves into grotesque hybrids.
That evening, their work concluded.
Together, Aomizu and Tsunade completed the White Zetsu Directed Cultivation Protocol and the White Zetsu Organ Transplant Technique.
The very next day, they reported their results to the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi read the report slowly, his eyes growing brighter with every page.
When he finally finished, he laughed heartily.
"Excellent!" he said. "Truly excellent!"
Without hesitation, he awarded both of them a Great Service Citation.
With these techniques, the number of shinobi forced into retirement due to crippling injuries would drop drastically.
For Konoha, it was nothing short of sensational news.
"Name your reward," the Hokage said warmly.
Tsunade waved it off. She lacked for nothing.
Aomizu thought carefully before answering.
"I'd like access to the Flying Thunder God Technique."
The room fell silent.
The S-rank space–time ninjutsu created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
To this day, only Tobirama himself had ever fully mastered it—a testament to its terrifying difficulty.
Even Minato had yet to truly begin studying it.
"Aomizu," Hiruzen said seriously, "are you certain?"
Given its steep learning curve, the Hokage felt compelled to ask again.
Aomizu nodded without hesitation.
Space–time ninjutsu were rare in the ninja world—but their power and versatility were unmatched.
He would not miss this opportunity.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)