Chapter 46: Yakumo — Obviously I Was the One, So Why Did It Turn Out Like This?
"Mr. Su Li, who is she...?"
Yakumo, startled and anxious, looked up at Su Li.
She hadn't expected this at all.
Her teacher had suddenly brought home a girl —and not just any girl, but a very pretty one.
A faint sense of crisis welled up in her heart.
"Well, hello, nice to meet you. My name is Temari, the fiancée of Lord Su Li."
Without waiting for Su Li to introduce her, Temari quickly stood and introduced herself.
Just moments ago, she had felt unsure about Yakumo's relationship with Su Li.But she recalled that Su Li had said earlier that he didn't have anyone he liked yet.
So although it looked like the two of them were living together...Temari reasoned that she was probably overthinking it.
Maybe this girl was a relative or student of Su Li-sama?
"W-wait, fiancée?!"
Yakumo's eyes widened, her voice trembling in disbelief.
She turned to Su Li, utterly stunned."Mr. Su Li... this... what does she mean...?"
"Well," Su Li sighed, "there's a lot of context behind it, but... in short, what she said is true. For the next few years, she'll be living here, just like you."
Yakumo suddenly felt light-headed — like the air had vanished around her.
What was going on?
Su Li had gone out earlier saying he had official business to handle.And now he'd come back... with a fiancée?
What kind of "official business" was that?Was this homewrecking?!
She was clearly the first one here — the first to know him, to live with him!So why... why had things suddenly turned out like this?
"Yakumo?" Su Li called out softly.
"Mr. Su Li... I... I feel a little sick to my stomach. I'll go rest in my room."
Her voice wavered. She couldn't think straight. She didn't even know how to express what she was feeling — disappointment, confusion, jealousy?So she grabbed the first excuse she could think of and fled to her room.
"Yeah," Su Li nodded as she disappeared down the hall. Then he turned to Temari."Come in."
Although Su Li had told Yakumo earlier that he wouldn't be back for dinner, one glance at the table said otherwise —she had clearly prepared a full meal for him.
That small gesture warmed his heart.But with Yakumo retreating to her room, he couldn't thank her now — he'd just have to remember it later.
Since there was another guest tonight, the food on the table wasn't enough.
Su Li rolled up his sleeves, took a few ingredients from the refrigerator, and started cooking.It had been a while since he'd done it himself.
Before long, several fragrant dishes appeared on the table.
During that time, Temari sat at the dining table like a well-behaved child, hands folded, not daring to touch anything.
"Lord Su Li can cook?" Temari asked in surprise, looking at the steaming plates of food.The colors and aromas were mouthwatering — and the presentation was neat and skillful.
"I used to live alone," Su Li replied with a smile. "I was forced to learn a few things. Anyway, let's eat while it's hot."
"Ah... I see."
Temari didn't ask further. She nodded obediently and picked up her chopsticks, tasting a dish.
A moment later, her eyes lit up."It's delicious!"
Su Li chuckled. "Glad you like it."
Her reaction didn't surprise him.
As a ninja, Temari probably hadn't eaten a proper home-cooked meal in ages.Most of the time, ninjas filled their stomachs with things like military ration pills — fast, convenient, tasteless.And to keep their reflexes sharp, they often couldn't eat until they were full.
In contrast, Su Li had cooked for himself for years in his past life.He wasn't a professional chef, but his skills were more than enough to impress in a world where good food was rare.
By the end of the meal, Temari's nervousness had eased considerably.
"The bathwater's ready for you," Su Li said after cleaning up."As for clothes, I was going to let you borrow some of Yakumo's, but... better use mine for now. Tomorrow, I'll take you into town to buy your own things."
He handed her a set of plain white undershirts.
"...Thank you," Temari murmured, face burning as she took them and slipped into the bathroom.
Inside, her heart thudded wildly as she changed.What if Su Li suddenly came in? What would she do then?
Her thoughts raced, but her worries were unnecessary.
The moment Temari closed the door, Su Li vanished from the house.
A second later, he appeared on the rooftop.
"How are things progressing?" he asked quietly.
Two figures appeared out of thin air — both dressed in black cloaks and wearing animal masks.
"Everything's been taken care of, Your Excellency," one of them replied.
"There's no one else here," Su Li said, waving a hand. "No need to be so formal, Minato-san."
The two removed their masks — it was the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina.
"Brother Su Li," Minato asked, "are we starting tonight?"
Su Li nodded. "Yes. There's no need for him to keep living any longer."
"Then leave it to me!" Kushina snapped, clenching her fists. "That old bastard — I've hated him for years!"
The air around her crackled with anger.
This time, she had finally learned the truth — the full story of what Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō had done to Naruto.
Her fury was absolute.
Minato still hesitated, thinking of the political weight of their actions.But Kushina didn't care about politics.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was already dead, and Danzō... Danzō would not escape her wrath.
"Kushina, calm down," Minato urged quickly.
"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?" she shouted, tears welling in her eyes. "Naruto is your son too! Do you know how he's lived all these years? I went to see the place he grew up in — his milk was expired! The Third promised to take care of him! Promised!... I'm the one who failed him..."
Her voice broke at the end, trembling with guilt.
To be honest, when Minato decided to seal the Nine-Tails into Naruto, he already knew his son's future would be difficult.But he hadn't imagined it would be this cruel.
And now, seeing Kushina's tears, Minato's heart twisted with regret.
He embraced her tightly."I swear, Kushina... no one will ever hurt you or Naruto again."
It was a tender moment — warm, loving, full of shared pain and resolve.
But watching from the side, Su Li couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
This couple...
Are you two seriously feeding me dog food right now?