In Kakashi's bedroom, the night was quiet and peaceful.A soft, warm glow from a dim light bathed the room in gentle amber.On the bed, Kushina—dressed in a soft beige cotton pajama—lay comfortably beside Kakashi, who had fully removed his mask, revealing the calm and handsome face that had long remained hidden from the world.
They lay under the same blanket, facing each other in a silence that was not awkward, but serene. The only sounds were their breathing and heartbeats.
"Heii~ Kakashi-kun…" Kushina's voice was low and sweet, her fingers gently tracing the line of Kakashi's jaw."How about we take a short trip outside the village? No missions, no shinobi business… just the two of us. There are so many beautiful places I want to see… with you, of course."
Kakashi turned his head toward her, his dark eyes calm as always. He raised an eyebrow slightly, then gave a rare but precious small smile."If it's with you, anywhere would be nice. Besides… I haven't used up my ANBU leave yet."
Kushina's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?" she murmured joyfully, and without hesitation, she kissed his cheek—cold, yet comforting."Thank you, Kakashi-kun…"
Kakashi didn't reply right away. He simply gazed at her—then slowly reached out and brushed aside a stray lock of her red hair covering her eyes. And without a word, he returned the kiss—this time, on her lips.
Kushina blinked in surprise, but then smiled into the kiss, returning it with just as much quiet affection.
When their lips parted, Kushina leaned her head on Kakashi's shoulder, exhaling softly as if letting go of all the weight she'd carried alone for so long.
"I guess… this is what they call happiness, huh?" she whispered.
Kakashi didn't answer with words. He simply pulled her closer into his arms, one hand stroking her back in quiet comfort and unsaid protection.
Kushina closed her eyes. Kakashi followed shortly after.
Outside, the night wind rustled past the window.
And within the room, two souls—who had once lost everything—found warmth in one another, without fanfare, without grand declarations—just the gentle comfort of being together.
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At a small dango shop in the heart of Konoha, an amusing scene caught the attention of several customers.Itachi Uchiha, the ten-year-old genius recently promoted to Chunin, was calmly sitting in the corner, enjoying his favorite dango. What made the scene intriguing was the fact that he was flanked by two girls from two prominent clans.
To his left sat Hyuga Natsu—a composed thirteen-year-old girl with pale white eyes. And to his right was Uchiha Izumi—a ten-year-old still in the Academy, her sweet face full of cheerful energy.
For some reason, sparks seemed to fly in the air whenever Natsu and Izumi locked eyes. On the surface, they both smiled sweetly like close sisters, but Itachi, ever sensitive, could feel the tension weighing down on his shoulders.
Itachi sighed internally.'Why is this happening… I just wanted to eat dango in peace.'
It had all started just a few minutes earlier…
Right after placing his order, Izumi—passing by after shopping—spotted him through the window and eagerly rushed in."Itachi-kun!" she called out cheerfully, her small wave catching the attention of a few bystanders.
Itachi, ever stoic, simply nodded. "Izumi."Without hesitation, she plopped down next to him. "Can I join you? I just finished my training at the Academy!"
Before he could respond, another voice came from the door."Itachi-san, you're here too?" It was Natsu, carrying a small shopping bag.
"…Natsu." Itachi nodded again.Natsu approached and, without much preamble, sat on his other side—right across from Izumi."What a coincidence," she said with a soft smile, though her gaze toward Izumi carried a subtle challenge.
Izumi returned her smile, though her dark eyes narrowed slightly—as if to say, 'I was here first, y'know?'
Itachi slowly stabbed a dango with his skewer, silently wishing for a surprise mission or emergency call—anything to save him from this situation.
Suddenly, Natsu broke the silence."Itachi-san, do you have time later? I wanted to ask about your shuriken technique from the final exam."Itachi glanced at Natsu, then at the now subtly-pouting Izumi."…If it's no trouble," he replied diplomatically.
Izumi quickly added, "Then I'll join too! I want to learn Uchiha techniques too!" Her grin was bright, though a vein twitched ever so slightly on Natsu's forehead.
Itachi chewed faster. 'Why is my day off turning into this…'
Meanwhile, the other customers watched on with interest."Ah, young people these days," muttered an old lady, amused.
Eventually, Itachi placed his skewer on the plate and sat up straighter."I'm done. I have to head home to help Father."
That line was like a magic spell of salvation.Natsu and Izumi, both about to speak, fell silent."I'll walk you out, Itachi-kun!" said Izumi quickly."Me too," Natsu chimed in with a smile that was way too sweet.
Itachi gave a weary nod, rising to let the girls follow—both pretending like no cold war was taking place.
As the trio walked through Konoha's busy streets under the setting sun, they seemed like just three ordinary friends… but a closer look revealed a subtle tension between the girls.
"By the way, Itachi-san," Natsu began, her voice calm, "how does it feel to be a Chunin at ten? You must've gone through tough missions already."
Izumi jumped in, "Itachi-kun is a genius! I bet those missions were a piece of cake! Even some Jounin praise him!"
Natsu turned to Izumi with a faint smile. "Of course, but being a genius doesn't mean skipping hard work. I'm sure Itachi-san trains harder than anyone."
Izumi laughed, "True, true! But isn't that cool? I bet Itachi-kun could be the next Hokage!"
Itachi merely gave a small smile. Praise wasn't his favorite topic—especially when it came in stereo from two rival girls.
"I'm just doing my duty," he replied briefly.
Seeing a chance, Natsu added sweetly, "In that case, teach me some of your training tricks next time, Itachi-san."
Izumi leaned in slightly, "Me too! Let's train together!"
Natsu's shoulders twitched—but she held back.Not to be outdone, she said with mock innocence, "I heard from Kushina-sensei that training is most effective when done with someone special."
Izumi smiled brightly. "Then I'll try to become special for Itachi-kun too!"
Two direct hits!
Itachi desperately wished he could teleport away. But as a proper Uchiha, he kept his composure. 'Why is my day off like this…?'
As they neared the Uchiha district, Natsu gave a polite bow."Thank you for today, Itachi-san. See you at the next training."
Not wanting to lose, Izumi waved. "See you soon, Itachi-kun!"
He nodded and walked off, leaving the two girls watching him disappear into the distance.Then, they glanced at each other and smiled—sweetly, but with unmistakable competitive fire in their eyes.