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"Where's Shin Uzumaki?"
After everything concluded, Pain surveyed the area, noticing Shin Uzumaki was gone.
"He left. Just a moment ago," Sasori replied. Pain hadn't noticed, but Sasori had seen Shin's departure.
Pain nodded without further comment and led the others back to the Akatsuki base.
Shin and Kushina didn't return to the Land of Whirlpools immediately. Kushina clung to Shin's arm, wanting to spend more time alone with him.
Shin, naturally, didn't refuse her request.
"I miss the old days, when it was just the two of us," Kushina reminisced about their time before the Uzumaki Clan's destruction, when no one else competed for Shin's attention.
"Now you're a two-timing scoundrel." Recalling the present, Kushina's expression soured, her tone laced with resentment.
"Just moments ago, she was complaining about Hiruzen's quick changes of face, yet she's doing the exact same thing," Shin muttered under his breath. He didn't let Kushina hear; otherwise, she'd likely bite him in embarrassment and anger.
"Do you think Mikoto and the others will be angry if we stay out for a few days?" Shin asked Kushina.
"Hah! Thinking about other women at a time ?" Kushina glared at Shin, her explosive temper instantly ignited. Her small fists rained down on Shin like machine-gun fire.
"Can't catch a break, can I?" Shin sighed, dodging her attacks. The entire street descended into chaos thanks to their antics.
"Stop running! I won't hit you anymore!" Kushina yelled after Shin. She'd been chasing him for a while but couldn't catch him. If Shin didn't want to be caught, she could chase him forever and still fail.
"How do I know you're not tricking me?"
"I am a woman of my word! If I'm lying, I'm a puppy! Don't you trust me, Shin?" Kushina asked pitifully.
"A puppy? You bite me all the time—you 'already' are a puppy," Shin retorted with a grin, turning back to face her.
"Don't Move! I promise I won't kill you!" Kushina's hair whipped around as her chakra flared. She charged at Shin, fists raised.
"Uh oh, is she really mad?" Shin felt a shiver seeing her genuine anger and quickly dodged her attack.
The unfortunate wall beside Shin crumbled under the force of her punch.
"Ahem, I was just joking. Don't be so serious. I prefer gentle women, Kushina. You're too violent," Shin coughed lightly.
"So you're saying you like Mikoto and Konan more, is that it?" Kushina asked unhappily.
"No! I swear! Kushina is the one I love the most… among others." The last two words, Shin thought silently. His emotional intelligence wasn't that low; he wasn't suicidal.
"That's more like it..." Kushina's face broke into a radiant smile, looking particularly captivating.
"What are you staring at?" Kushina asked, noticing Shin's dazed expression.
"You're just too beautiful. I got lost looking at you." Shin swore he wasn't lying; he truly had been captivated by her smile.
"Saying things like that…" Kushina blushed slightly, quickly masking her embarrassment. She wouldn't admit she was shy.
Shin noticed her blush but didn't tease her further. Annoying Kushina when she was genuinely flustered could be troublesome. He wasn't looking for that kind of excitement right now.
"I'm hungry," Kushina announced. After chasing Shin for so long, she was genuinely famished.
"Hungry? Let's see if there's anything good to eat around here."
They were currently in a town within the Land of Fire, a place Shin hadn't visited before. Though he'd traveled extensively, he hadn't explored every corner of every nation.
"I'd rather have you cook for me," Kushina said, looking at Shin expectantly.
"Kushina, you know we don't have any ingredients or cooking tools. I can't possibly cook right now." Shin spread his hands helplessly.
"Heh, I think you're just being lazy and don't want to cook." Kushina saw right through his excuse. And she was right.
Back when he lived with Kushina in Uzushiogakure, or later with Tsunade in Konoha, Shin had been quite diligent in cooking. Tsunade and Kushina were lazy—if he hadn't cooked, they might have starved.
But after Mikoto joined them, she took over most household chores, freeing up Shin's time. Over time, he had grown accustomed to the leisure. Now, he avoided it whenever possible.
Laziness was indeed a habit formed by indulgence.
"Look, there's a popular sushi restaurant over there. Let's check it out." Shin pointed. The restaurant was bustling with a long queue. The sushi must be good to attract such a crowd.
Kushina looked over, her curiosity piqued. So many people lining up? The aroma drifting from the shop was enticing, even from a distance.
"Alright, let's go try it. But you have to promise—next time I ask you to cook, you can't refuse."
Shin breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
As long as Kushina agreed now… Next time was a problem for next time.
Even if Kushina remembered and brought it up again, Shin was confident he could find another way to distract her. He had used this tactic countless times, and it always worked on Kushina.
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