Uchiha Shin had been waiting impatiently, his eyes locked onto Kanako, who had been teasing him relentlessly in the kitchen. His patience had run thin, and he was ready to indulge in the desire she had stoked within him.
But at that very moment, the doorbell rang, interrupting his intentions.
"Tch, just in time… Kanako, let your hair down," Shin muttered.
Kanako rolled her eyes upward in irritation. Just a moment ago, he had asked her to tie it up, and now he wanted it down? The resentment in her gaze was evident.
His energy had not yet been replenished—how dare she run away now?
Understanding her silent protest, Shin chuckled, rubbing her head gently. "Alright, I'll pay you back double later. Consider this my debt to you."
Kanako's lips curled into a sly smile. "Slurp~ Young Master, don't regret saying that~"
She ran her tongue lightly over her lips, glancing up at him with a seductive gleam in her eyes.
Gulp.
Shin felt a rush of heat, but before he could act, he noticed her apron strap had slipped down at some point. Clicking his tongue, he reached out and pulled it back up.
He pinched her cheek hard and reminded her, "Take this off quickly. If Kushina sees you like this, she'll raise hell."
"Okay, okay~ I tried my best, Young Master," Kanako pouted, before standing up and darting off into the house.
Shin sighed, quickly straightening his clothes. Once he was back to looking presentable, he put on his usual sunny smile and went to open the door.
"Kushina, you're here!"
"Hmm~ Hmm~ I'm here, Shin-kun," Kushina responded, nervously pinching the hem of her skirt, her cheeks tinted a deep red.
Normally, she just called him 'Shin,' but now her way of addressing him had changed, just like Mikoto's.
"Let's go. It's been a while since we took a walk together," Shin said, offering his hand.
When Kushina's soft hand touched his palm, her entire body tensed up, her fingers clenching unconsciously.
Feeling her nervousness, Shin gently kneaded her hand, helping her relax.
Before stepping out, he discreetly activated a unique electromagnetic field around himself. This was a skill he had developed through the evolution of his chakra nature, allowing him to subtly manipulate the perceptions of those around him. It made people instinctively feel admiration, attachment, and other subconscious emotions toward him.
This field had been one of the reasons why Konoha's unrest had calmed down so quickly after his rise to power. The cognitive distortion it created made him seem more natural in the eyes of others, preventing excessive scrutiny or suspicion.
As they walked, Kushina's initial shyness faded, replaced by bold curiosity.
She glanced at Shin and hesitantly asked, "Shin-kun… what does it feel like to be Hokage?"
Shin chuckled. "It's nothing special. Just a lot of work every day."
"Eh?! Really? But I always see you looking relaxed, and everyone respects you so much."
"That's because I have someone else carrying the workload for me," he replied with a smirk.
Kushina gasped, covering her mouth before laughing. "Tsunade-sama must be suffering!"
Somewhere in the village, Tsunade sneezed violently three times in a row, cursing whoever was talking about her.
Kushina giggled, but Shin suddenly turned to her with a teasing grin. "By the way, I remember you saying once that your dream was to be the Hokage's woman?"
"No! I said I wanted to be the first female Hokage!" she huffed, crossing her arms.
Shin's smirk only deepened, making her realize he had been messing with her. "Shin-kun, you're the worst! If Mikoto hears about this, she'll be mad!"
She lightly punched his arm with her tiny fists, pouting.
Feigning pain, Shin laughed before replying, "Don't worry, Mikoto won't mind. And if you really insist, Kushina, I wouldn't mind handing over the title of Hokage to you."
His words weren't spoken in jest.
What was so great about being Hokage? He much preferred pulling the strings from behind the scenes, watching things unfold at his will.
Kushina's eyes widened, touched by his sincerity. Due to her pure Uzumaki bloodline, and the unique sensory ability granted by the special seal Shin had placed on her, she could perceive truth from falsehood by reading a person's emotions and heartbeat.
And Shin was telling the truth.
Feeling overwhelmed, Kushina lowered her head, her face burning. She felt like all eyes were on her.
To distract herself, she quickly changed the subject. "Shin-kun, your reforms in Konoha have been amazing! The roads are paved with something new… is this cement? What's your next plan?"
Shin nodded as they walked, watching her step lightly on the smooth pavement. "Yeah. The old roads were either stone or dirt. I had earth-release ninjas pave them over."
Kushina looked around, noticing the newly erected signal towers. "Those tall poles… are they for communication? I thought only ninjas used long-range communicators. Won't they become enemy targets in wartime?"
"Maybe, but it's worth the risk. I want ordinary civilians to have access to better technology. Konoha has spent too much time focused on war. It's time to improve people's quality of life."
Shin's words weren't empty. His vision for modernization extended far beyond just infrastructure—eventually, he planned to introduce things like advanced messaging devices, computers, and even entertainment technology.
After all, once all this groundwork was done, he could finally create video games. Then, he'd be able to relax, game, and—
Well, spend more time "applauding for love."
Of course, Tsunade would still be suffering.
Kushina looked at Shin with genuine admiration. She had never thought about such grand plans. Her dream of becoming Hokage had been a way to fit into the village, but Shin… he was actually changing it.
"And once this is all done," Shin continued, "I'll contact your grandfather and the rest of your clan. We'll see if we can bring them back to Konoha, so you won't have to be separated anymore."
Kushina's breath hitched. "Shin-kun… you…"
Tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them.
She knew he had done a lot for her, but hearing this… this was beyond what she could ever repay.
Without caring about the public setting, she threw herself into his arms, clinging to him tightly.
The cognitive distortion field ensured no one could recognize them, but their sudden embrace still drew attention from nearby villagers.
Shin, however, didn't care.
Smirking, he held her close and whispered, "What's this? A public confession?"
Kushina sniffled before punching his chest. "Baka! I just… I just…"
Shin chuckled, running his fingers through her long red hair. "Relax, Kushina. There's no rush. We have all the time in the world."
For a long moment, they simply stood there, wrapped in each other's warmth, oblivious to everything else around them.
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