A night without dreams.
When the first ray of morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, gently casting upon her face, Uzumaki Kushina slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked in a daze, and immediately, an unprecedented feeling of refreshment surged up from the depths of every cell in her limbs and bones.
It wasn't just the relaxation of being well-rested, but a thoroughness and tranquility that seemed to have washed her soul from the inside out.
Having been a Jinchuriki for so many years, for the first time, she felt her body was so light and her spirit so full.
She subconsciously sank into the sealing space. Sure enough, that deafening roar was still echoing, but if she listened carefully, she could find a weakness in it, like a bristling cat bluffing.
"Hmph!" The Nine-Tailed felt her spying and turned its head away reluctantly.
Kushina's mood became even better.
She got out of bed lightly and opened the bedroom door.
In the living room, in the soft morning light, that silver-haired figure was leaning on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest.
He sat upright, and even when resting, he was like a sharp sword with its edge retracted, silent and full of power.
This feeling...
Kushina's breath hitched imperceptibly.
She found herself somewhat infatuated, even... addicted.
Just then, that damn inner voice arrived right on cue.
[Sleeping well, huh? Looking at that glowing face, it seems you chatted quite a bit with the Nine-Tailed last night.]
[Mental state stabilized, and she looks a grade more beautiful too. Not bad, not bad, it's all my credit.]
[He should be thinking about how to enter the second stage of the check-in: hugging.]
[I wonder what good things I can get by hugging. The special Sage Body of the Uzumaki Clan is very fragrant, with plenty of Chakra. If I can get my hands on it, I can retire early. Tsk, I need to find an opportunity, preferably the kind where she takes the initiative to throw herself into my arms...]
"Boom!"
Kushina's cheeks instantly turned from a healthy ruddy to a scorching crimson.
This bastard! What on earth is he thinking about all day long!
And... a hug?!
He has actually started planning how to take more advantage of her! And he wants her to take the initiative to throw herself into his arms?!
Shameless! Filthy!
She glared fiercely at the oblivious man on the sofa, wishing she could poke two holes in him with her gaze.
But, the comfort and tranquility coming from the depths of her body made it impossible for her to feel real anger to act. This contradictory feeling was driving her crazy.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the shame and anger in her heart, turned and walked into the kitchen, and began to prepare breakfast.
Before long, hot milk and sandwiches were placed on the dining table.
The atmosphere was eerily harmonious.
Kushina ate her breakfast in small bites, while the corner of her eye couldn't help but glance at the man opposite who had taken off his mask and was eating elegantly.
She had to admit, this guy was indeed impeccable, with silver hair and blue eyes, and handsome features as if carved by a knife, better looking than most men in the Village.
If... if only he didn't have so many filthy thoughts in his head...
Just then, there was a light sound of a key opening the door at the entrance.
"I'm back."
Minato Namikaze's slightly tired yet gentle and sunny voice sounded.
He was back.
Kushina was overjoyed and immediately got up to welcome him.
However, when Minato took off his Hokage mantle and walked into the dining room, seeing Gu Lingxiao "having breakfast" with his wife, the sun-like smile on his face stiffened imperceptibly for a moment.
Under his golden hair, a sharp glint flashed deep in his azure blue eyes.
This sharpness was not entirely from a husband's instinct, but more of the alertness as the Fourth Hokage.
Kushina is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, her emotional stability concerns the safety of the entire Konoha, and any unknown factor that can affect her mood so quickly is a potential threat that must be eliminated.
He hadn't returned all night, having dealt with piles of official business, and had rushed home as soon as he could, only to see such a... "warm" scene.
He keenly sensed that in just one day, the atmosphere between Kushina and Gu Lingxiao, this guard, had completely changed.
It was no longer the tense confrontation of yesterday, but instead... revealed a kind of harmony and tacit understanding that he couldn't describe, but was enough to ring alarm bells in his head.
"Kushina's state... seems better than before? No, it's too good. That kind of relaxation from the heart is something I haven't even given her."
"This Gu Lingxiao... who exactly is he?"
"What does he have that can have such a big impact on Kushina in just one day? Is this influence a blessing or a curse for Konoha?"
The moment Gu Lingxiao saw him, he had already put on his mask and stood up to salute: "Hokage-sama."
His posture was respectful and impeccable.
But Gu Lingxiao's inner voice played a completely different movement in his mind.
[Oh ho, the main character is back.]
[Look at this professional fake smile hanging on his face, as standard as a textbook. I'm afraid the third-level alarm has already been sounded in his heart, right?]
[Worked hard all night, and came home to see his wife chatting happily with another man. It looks like the male lead in a tear-jerker drama. Tsk tsk, I always feel like I've put a faint, green-glowing hat on his head.]
"Clang!" A crisp sound of impact, it was the glass in Kushina's hand hitting the table heavily, the milk in the cup shaking violently, almost spilling out.
The words "green hat" exploded in her mind like a thunderclap, making all the blood in her body rush to the top of her head, and then turn cold under the concerned gaze cast by Minato.
She felt a sense of suffocation and began to cough violently, not because of the milk, but because that absurd and bone-chilling inner voice made her feel ashamed.
"Cough, cough... cough..."
She was choked until her face was flushed red, and while coughing violently, she raised her head and glared fiercely at Gu Lingxiao with a pair of eyes full of murderous intent.
This bastard! What on earth is he thinking about!
Minato immediately got up and patted her back: "What's wrong, Kushina? Are you okay?"
Kushina coughed until her cheeks were crimson, but she didn't dare to look into Minato's eyes. She could only glare fiercely at the culprit opposite who was unconcerned, the murderous intent in her eyes almost solidifying.
And this look, containing both shame and anger, fell into Minato's eyes, but became another complex signal he couldn't understand.