Kyūsei carefully placed the cake batter mold into the oven.
Upper heat: 160°C.
Lower heat: 180°C.
Time: 50 minutes.
After setting everything, he leaned against the counter and stared blankly at the oven as it began its work.
He didn't know how to explain things to Kaoru .
After all, no one would accept the idea that they existed inside a fictional anime world.
That everything they fought for might just be something fictional to others—mere entertainment created to pass time.
Kyūsei himself didn't care much about that sort of thing.
But other people's thoughts?
He couldn't predict them.
"Hm?"
"Are you baking a cake, Kyūsei?"
Kushina wandered into the kitchen and noticed him.
"Huh?"
"You can bake too?"
Kyūsei looked surprised.
In his memory, Kushina had always been a loud and violent girl—though that was long ago.
"Don't make me sound like an idiot."
Kushina laughed helplessly.
"But it really is incredible."
She glanced at the oven and sighed.
"You're seriously maxed out in cooking skills."
"Meals, desserts, bread… and now cakes too."
"What can't you do?"
"I can cook a little, but nowhere near your level."
"Sometimes I wonder if you're really my counterpart."
Kyūsei froze slightly.
Strictly speaking…
He wasn't truly Kushina's counterpart.
He still carried memories from his previous life.
He was a fusion of two existences:
That former man, and Uzumaki Kyūsei.
"Oh right."
"Haruno Sakura should already be here."
Kyūsei said casually while watching the cake bake.
Kaoru had mentioned it before leaving.
"That so…"
Kushina's expression visibly dimmed at the mention of the pink-haired woman.
"If possible, you should stay here."
Kyūsei said quietly.
"Why would you say that?"
Kushina sighed.
She knew exactly what he meant.
"Kushina-nee, let me put it this way."
"As long as Menma doesn't return, Minato will never be released."
"You're pregnant."
"Karin can take care of you for a while."
"But…"
She's still an outsider.
Kyūsei didn't dare look at Kushina's face.
Even without seeing it, he knew she must be hurting.
"Instead of raising the child alone over there… you might as well stay here."
"And besides…"
He gathered his courage and looked into her eyes.
"With Minato's personality… he'd want you to stay here too."
Kushina looked at the boy before her.
She understood.
She understood everything.
As long as Menma remained here, Minato would remain imprisoned.
But Minato would never allow Menma to return.
Still—
"Kyūsei, thank you for your kindness."
Kushina gently stroked her belly.
Her expression was soft, yet stubborn.
"But how could I leave Minato alone over there?"
"However… you're right about one thing."
"I can't raise this child alone."
"That's why I originally thought about not having it."
She looked at Kyūsei apologetically.
"Could you take care of him for me?"
Kyūsei fell silent.
Even though he had expected this answer, disappointment still crept into his heart.
The original Minato and Kushina had already prepared to die together.
How could this pair—who valued family even more—abandon one another?
A soft hand gently stroked his hair.
Kushina smiled warmly.
"Kyūsei, I'm truly grateful that you thought about me."
"But I will never leave Minato alone."
After a long silence, Kyūsei finally replied:
"…Okay."
There was simply no convincing her.
Perhaps this stubbornness was exactly what made them Minato and Kushina.
Kyūsei suddenly thought about Kaoru .
If it were her…
What choice would she make?
He didn't know.
And he didn't want to know.
He never wanted such a day to come.
Soon the cake finished baking.
After letting the sponge cool, Kyūsei whipped cream and began decorating.
Kushina watched the entire process.
Seeing his practiced movements—spreading cream smoothly and decorating with sliced mangoes and strawberries—she asked casually:
"Is it someone's birthday?"
"Oh, it's Nao's birthday."
Kyūsei answered without thinking.
Then he froze.
Kushina didn't know about Nao yet.
Kushina stared at the heart shape made from strawberries on the cake.
Silence filled the kitchen.
Then her voice echoed slowly.
"…Explain."
"What exactly did you do?"
Kyūsei felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
He slowly turned around.
Kushina's red hair was floating wildly like octopus tentacles.
Her eyes were blazing.
"K-Kushina, calm down!"
"You're pregnant!"
Kyūsei said nervously.
"You bastard!"
"You shameless playboy!"
"You already have Kaoru , and now you're chasing other girls too?!"
"How could my counterpart be such a scumbag?!"
Kushina grabbed his ear and started yelling.
Kaoru was such a wonderful girl!
How could this idiot not cherish her?!
And he even went picking wild flowers?!
"Careful! Careful with your body!"
Kyūsei quickly supported her despite the pain in his ear.
"Careful my ass!"
Just then, Sasuke and Karin arrived at the Uzumaki house.
Hearing someone shout "scumbag," Sasuke instinctively looked around.
"Hm?"
"Who's calling me?"
Karin looked at him with disgust.
After entering the house, both of them were stunned.
They already knew this Konoha Nine-Tails jinchūriki cared deeply about Kushina.
But they didn't expect him to tolerate being scolded and having his ear twisted while still worrying about her health.
Compared to Menma, the difference was night and day.
Both were Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
Yet their attitudes toward Kushina were completely different.
Noticing the newcomers, Kushina suppressed her anger and let go of Kyūsei's ear.
Kyūsei rubbed his ear helplessly and helped her sit down on the sofa.
"Go deliver the cake."
"And tonight we're going to talk."
Kushina crossed her arms and glared at him.
When she left earlier, she had worried Kyūsei might grow into some delinquent punk.
Now it seemed he didn't become a punk.
He became a womanizer.
Her worldview was collapsing.
Was the male version of herself really like this?
Was she actually a womanizing scumbag?!
Kushina fell into deep self-doubt.
Without realizing it, she had already begun treating Kyūsei as family—while seeing Karin and Sasuke as outsiders.
"Uh… Kushina-san, what happened?"
Karin asked awkwardly.
From what she had seen these past days, their relationship seemed quite good.
"Nothing."
"Just someone who makes my blood boil."
Kushina shot Kyūsei another glare.
Kyūsei sighed helplessly.
His relationship with Nao couldn't be explained in a few words.
But now wasn't the time.
After greeting Karin and Sasuke, he quickly packed the cake and escaped.
Sasuke glanced thoughtfully at the cake box in Kyūsei's hands.
Interesting.
This guy was actually the same type as him.
Then again, the Uzumaki clan had very few members left.
If Kyūsei didn't date several girls, how could he revive the clan?
This was clearly a like-minded comrade!
Sasuke suddenly felt he had found a kindred spirit.
Autumn lingered gently in the air.
Even at noon, the weather remained pleasantly cool.
Hyuga Clan
Archive Library
The black-haired girl with waterfall-like hair and delicate features looked at the slightly melted cake in Kyūsei's hands.
A smile appeared on her lips.
Even though the cake had melted a little—
It meant Kyūsei still remembered her birthday.
"Not bad."
"Come in."
Nao beckoned him inside.
Entering the library for the first time, Kyūsei was stunned.
Books.
Books everywhere.
The Hyuga clan had existed for centuries.
Their collection was enormous.
Kyūsei estimated there were at least dozens of bookshelves.
He knew Nao liked reading.
But he hadn't imagined it was this many.
"What are you looking at?"
Nao asked.
"The books."
Kyūsei answered naturally.
"You brought a cake here just to stare at books?"
Nao raised her tone slightly.
"Of course not."
"I made this cake myself."
Kyūsei said.
Nao cut a small slice.
Without any birthday wish ceremony, she simply handed a piece to Kyūsei.
Then she took a bite of her own and spoke.
"Do you remember what I told you last time?"
Kyūsei thought for a moment.
"The origin of the Caged Bird seal?"
Nao nodded.
"I recently went through the entire library."
"It was hidden very deeply, but I found some clues."
"What clues?"
Kyūsei asked calmly while eating cake.
He already knew the answer.
The Tenseigan.
But the fact that Nao could trace it herself through these books was impressive.
Just how long had she spent reading all of them?
"About that disaster in Hyuga clan history."
Nao's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"It all started with one person."
"It sounds unbelievable."
"He dug out the Byakugan of dead clan members."
"To combine them into something."
"I don't know what it was."
"But the records mention one location."
Nao's voice lowered slightly.
A sense of uncovering ancient secrets filled her gaze.
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