The voice of Araki gradually faded away from the scar-faced man's consciousness, and he fell into a deep sleep, completely devoid of any awareness.
This sleep was eternal!
The scar-faced man never woke up again.
"Thud!"
The scar-faced man's body fell to the floor, creating a loud noise that startled Kushina.
Kushina felt the absence of the pulling force on the rope behind her. As she prepared to turn around, she realized that her wrist was being held by a hand.
"Ah?"
Kushina let out a frightened scream and instinctively struggled.
"Don't be afraid, it's me."
Araki's gentle voice sounded as he began to untie the rope from Kushina's wrist.
"Phew..."
After hearing Araki's voice, Kushina couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Since Araki returned to the room, her heart hadn't been at peace. She was even more worried than when she was captured.
After experiencing such an event, she gradually confirmed something in her heart.
They say true colors show in times of adversity.
Araki's willingness to risk his life and come here to replace her, even leaving a contingency plan, made her immensely grateful.
"This rope is a bit difficult to untie..."
Araki's hand movements seemed fast, but in reality, they were slow. And beside him, another Araki was visibly transforming into a wooden figure at a rapid pace.
That was the Araki who had just been tied up.
Right when Araki punched away the Cloud Village ninja on the right and was ambushed by the one on the left, he used the Wood Clone Jutsu.
Coincidentally, the battle was happening at a fast pace, and both Kushina and the scar-faced man were focused on the Cloud Village ninja on the left, not noticing that after knocking down the one on the right, Araki used the Wood Clone Jutsu to switch himself and the clone.
Being able to do this right in front of both of them, his greatest reliance was his speed. The original Araki had concealed himself on the other side of the room's wall, ready to ambush the scar-faced man at any moment.
It just happened to present an even better opportunity.
Of course...
If Araki hadn't been overly cautious when facing the scar-faced man and used the Wood Clone Jutsu...
He would never have taken such a risk!
Without a hundred percent certainty, he would never put himself in even a one percent danger.
Now he personally came out to untie Kushina, but it was just to replace the Wood Clone and maintain the two clones. Sustaining two clones would divide his chakra in half, weakening himself, and it couldn't be maintained for long.
But most importantly...
The immediate problem had been resolved.
The Wood Clone was visibly transforming into wood at a rapid pace, and the bound rope naturally loosened, ultimately turning into a wooden stick that disappeared with a soft sound.
"Araki, what just happened?"
The moment the rope in Kushina's hands was untied, she abruptly turned around and pounced on Araki, tightly wrapping her hands around his neck as if she wanted to strangle him.
Luckily...
It wasn't too tight...
If it were Tsunade-sensei...
Wouldn't she suffocate!
"What... What happened?"
Araki felt a bit suffocated and was about to push Kushina away when he noticed her delicate body trembling slightly. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her nose made sobbing sounds. Clearly, she was highly emotional and had started crying.
"It's alright."
"It's all over."
"I won't let anyone take you away."
Araki gently patted Kushina's back and slowly comforted her with his words. Regardless of his initial motives, he did save Kushina, so he deserved credit for it.
"Mm."
Kushina softly responded, but then she seemed to remember something. Her body tremors became more intense, and she burst into tears with a loud wail.
Tears flowed uncontrollably like a bursting river, continuously dripping onto Araki's clothes, soaking the front of his shirt.
Seeing this scene, Araki suddenly felt a bit at a loss.
Before his reincarnation, he was just an ordinary otaku with no experience in love. He had only seen such scenes in TV dramas, but when it happened to him personally, even he was taken aback.
Araki patted Kushina's back a few more times but didn't know what else to say. However, he couldn't keep patting her forever!
After a few pats, he stopped.
But then he didn't know where to put his hand.
While Araki was contemplating how to comfort Kushina, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
Araki instinctively tried to push Kushina away, but halfway through, he froze. He saw Kushina, teary-eyed, and in that moment, he felt pity and couldn't bring himself to blame her.
If it were someone else, he would have definitely scolded them, asking if they were a dog!
Kushina had just bitten his right shoulder hard. Although he hadn't had a chance to examine the wound, it was most likely bleeding. It showed how forcefully Kushina had bitten him.
"Are you stupid or what?"
Suddenly, Kushina's emotions erupted all at once. She instantly let go of Araki's neck, creating a slight distance between them. Then she began to deliver a series of small punches to Araki's chest. Her movements were as swift as a gale, and the impact was surprisingly strong. Araki could clearly feel the pain.
"I told you to run, so why didn't you run? You're so reckless! It's dangerous!"
While punching Araki, Kushina scolded him in a stern voice. After saying those words, she was moved by her own emotions and tears started streaming down uncontrollably.
"You're just a fool!"
"Do you know how worried I was about you?"
"You scared me!"
The more Kushina spoke, the more she cried. Her punches became stronger, and the sound of her fists hitting Araki's sternum echoed.
"Gosh..."
Araki grimaced and took a sharp breath. He finally experienced such a scene firsthand and couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. From Kushina's behavior, he could clearly sense her concern for him. Amidst the overwhelming emotions, he also felt a sense of satisfaction that he had never experienced before.
So, this is what it feels like to be a hero saving the damsel in distress!
Although he couldn't be considered a gallant hero who soared through the sky, the current sensation made him feel incredibly content.
"Uh... Um... That... The scar-faced man isn't dead yet!"
Araki still had worries in his mind. Despite knowing that he had used a sufficient dosage of anesthetic, this was still the ninja world. There was no chi or magic, but there was chakra. What if the scar-faced man regained consciousness? It wouldn't be good.
"Let me finish him off first!"
Araki said as he prepared to squat down and pick up the fallen kunai to deliver a fatal blow to the scar-faced man, who was lying unconscious like a dead fish.
But at that moment...
A warm, soft, slightly damp touch lightly brushed against his face and disappeared in an instant. The entire process happened so quickly that even Araki himself couldn't react in time.