Kushina leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes sharp despite her easygoing grin. "Alright, let's get one thing straight. This isn't just a recruitment pitch—though if I did want to poach you, I'd be offering more than tea."
"Are you implying you're cheap?" I asked, resting my chin on my hand.
Tsume nearly spat out her drink laughing. "You'd think she was flirting, if we didn't all know she's obsessed with that blond idiot."
"I'm not obsessed," Kushina said, dramatically rolling her eyes. "I'm focused. Minato's just one of many objectives."
"Like becoming Hokage?" Mikoto asked dryly, sipping her tea.
"Exactly." Kushina snapped her fingers. "And I'm not gonna get there just by being strong. I need allies—trusted ones. You know how this village works, Yuki. Clan politics, council posturing, and I hate that stuff."
My mouth tightened slightly. "So you want someone else to do all the boring work once you become Hokage?"
"Well, you don't expect those two muscle heads to do it, do you?" Mikoto said. Drawing amused snorts from the two others.
"Honestly? No," I said, swirling my tea idly. "But I also didn't expect to be drawn into the building of a future power base while on my way to the hospital."
"Going to have some fun with Koji?" Tsume teased, "Guy would surely jump on you to cover you in his scent again, despite your face still smelling of piss."
A crack split the air.
I saw how both Mikoto and Kushina smelled the air at Tsume's words, and the cup in my hand shattered as I tightened my grip.
The shattering of the cup quickly drew their attention. Tsume laughed wildly, while the others looked shocked. "Wait, for real?" Kushina asked in disbelief.
"For real, for real! Koji pissed all over her face while fucking her, that's how he ended up in the hospital, the village thinks it was the enemy, but it was Yuki here who beat him up for it." Tsume explained.
Both of them were beyond shocked by what they had just learned, and I quickly started to regret going along with them. Why was it that every time I went out with members of the Inuzuka clan, I would end up embarrassed like this?
With every detail of my sexual life laid bare?
I was really starting to realize why people normally stayed clear of them. The clan was nice, loyal, and they would gladly lay down their lives for you if you were their friend. But damn, did they have no boundaries.
And with their noses, keeping anything a secret around them was impossible… yeah, they were good people, great friends… but at the same time, terrible friends when in public.
"I can't believe it! You? The Hyūga princess doing stuff like that? Tsume, is this normal in your clan?" Kushina asked.
"Well, it happens, though if my guy dares to try something like that, I'm going to break his legs." She snorted.
"I think Yuki already did that," Mikoto said behind her teacup, though the twitch in her lips betrayed her amusement.
"Ah! You are right, way to go Yuki, showing that mutt what is up." Kushina gave me a big thumbs up.
I exhaled slowly, setting the shattered remnants of my teacup aside before I ended up flinging them into someone's face. "I'm starting to regret not punching him harder."
"Oh please," Tsume said with a grin, "If you had hit him any harder, he would have died, you really didn't go easy on him."
Kushina leaned back, stretching like a cat, still grinning. "Good, look at that hair, I can barely stand anyone talking about mine, much less making a mess of it."
The others both nodded, and yeah, messing with a girl's hair was indeed a crime not easily committed.
"Can we please talk about something else, before I suddenly remember something else I have to do?" I once more tried to change the subject.
"Fine, we can talk about this later, but honestly, I really just wanted to get to know you, and I feel I learned a lot more than I had ever expected." Kushina finally agreed.
Mikoto gave me a sympathetic glance, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Honestly, I'm amazed you haven't killed him. Or Tsume."
"Yet," I muttered.
Tsume barked a laugh and stole one of my dango sticks from the tray. "You'll miss us when we're gone."
"I will have Kuro, and maybe adopt your ninken as well, so I'm sure I will survive." I shot back, narrowing my eyes as she munched on it without shame.
Kushina, still lounging like she owned the entire tea shop, let her amusement fade—just a little. "Jokes aside, I really did want to talk to you. Not about gossip, not even about Koji. Just… you."
I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden seriousness.
"You've been on the front lines," she continued, resting her chin in one palm. "You've led missions, you have been out there. I'm stuck here in the village, forbidden from going out… but you, you are different from the rest of us. You are the real deal, and well, I want to get to know you better, because you are right, I'm no good at diplomacy and stuff, so I need people to help me, and when it comes to clan politics and all that, who better than people like Mikoto-chan and you?"
I leaned back slightly, arms folded. "So, you're building your future power base now, before the war is over? I guess it's better sooner than later, though the old fools in charge are unlikely to step down unless forced."
Mikoto made a delicate choking sound, barely stifling a laugh behind her sleeve.
Kushina didn't even flinch. "Well, if they need a hand, I'm not afraid of helping them, but I think I can still prove myself, if only they led me onto the frontlines like you."
"Yeah, I doubt they will do that. I mean, you are Konoha's ultimate stick. If you go out, who will defend the village? The old monkey?" I decided to expose that I knew what she was, to test her reaction.
As I had expected, the mood shifted instantly, and everyone suddenly grew tense, which indicated that the others both knew the truth as well.
"Ahhh," Kushina sighed deeply. "I guess there is no way I could hide that from the so-called all-seeing eyes."
"They are called that for a reason." I replied calmly, eyes meeting hers across the table. "The clan has known about the tailed beast since it was brought into the village for the first time, and kept an eye on it since, but we understand its role in things."
"See? That's why I need you, you get clan politics and all that shit, so what do you say? Wanna be an adviser once I take the hat?" Kushina didn't seem to dwell on that topic for long before moving on.
It wasn't that surprising; she was vastly different from Naruto; she had support when she came to the village, and she knew her role from the moment she took it on. And more so, while often seen like an outsider, she wasn't seen as a monster.
Plus, the clans were able to support her, which did, in fact, give her a chance at becoming Hokage, after all, being strong was the most important point. And she was strong as hell.
"Flattering, really, but I too hate all that stuff, why do you think Tsume and her clan like me? A dog knows a dog and all that." I knew she wouldn't become Hokage, not because she wasn't strong enough, she was, not because she didn't have support, she might be lacking now, but she could build it.
No, she couldn't become Hokage simply because the current one wouldn't allow it, he had no intention of giving up his power, and even when he would be forced to it at the end of this war, he would pick someone whom he could control.
Minato was strong and had great charisma; he was a bright and sunny person, a good person, of that I had no doubt, but he also fully believed in Konoha and the current Hokage's vision and words.
He was a good option, and he had little support; he was just another person dreaming of becoming Hokage, one among thousands. He had no power base and little ability to start building one yet.
This meant he would be easy to control, since he had no Clan support, something Kushina was already working on, and why Hiruzen would never allow it.
All this meant joining her would be pointless, more so since I didn't think I would stick around in Konoha when the war ended.
"More like a dog knows a bitch!" Tsume said with a laugh.
I rolled my eyes. "You say that like it's an insult."
"It's a compliment coming from me," she grinned, baring teeth like a wolf proud of her pack.
Kushina snorted into her drink, but then waved a lazy hand through the air. "Alright, alright. We can circle back to power and politics later. I'll give you time to pretend you don't want to be my advisor. For now—let's talk about something more important."
I raised an eyebrow. "More important than the future of Konoha?"
"Yes." She leaned forward with a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. "Boys."
Mikoto let out a long-suffering sigh. "Must we?"
"Yes!" Kushina chirped. "Yuki already gave us the full soap opera—Koji, piss, face, beating—honestly, I think she's peaked. But now it's your turn, Mikoto-chan."
Mikoto's expression flattened. "I have nothing to say."
Tsume leaned forward, eager. "Oh really? Because I can smell a guy on you, is it Fugaku? He isn't bad looking, and a future clan leader."
Mikoto gave her a warning glance. "I'm not discussing my clan's personal affairs in public."
Kushina huffed. "Why so shy? Just because Yuki-chan is here? You normally can't stop talking about that guy."
Poor Mikoto looked shy and embarrassed, but given what I had gone through, I didn't care much about that.
"I'm sure both Tsume and I know it… so why hide it?" I asked, a knowing glint in my eyes.
Tsume's grin grew wider, showing off her teeth. "Yeah, my nose isn't wrong, so why not tell us the happy news?"
"What?" Kushina asked, brows furrowing.
Tsume didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned her head toward Mikoto, studying her with a more focused look now. "You've got more than just a man on you, Uchiha."
Mikoto went stiff.
"Okay, what's going on?" the redhead demanded, glancing between us. "I don't like nothing being part of the joke."
"This is no joke, Kushina, this is a good thing, happy news in dark times." I said, my own smirk just as knowing as Tsume's.
While the future Naruto might be super dense, Kushina was better adjusted, and quickly started to pick up on what we were laying down.
"Wait… don't tell me… Mikoto… are you… With a child?" She finally asked.
Mikoto didn't say anything, but honestly, she didn't have to, because her reaction was all the answer we needed.
She lowered her eyes, one hand drifting unconsciously toward her stomach, her other hand tightening slightly around her teacup. It was the smallest of movements—delicate, reserved—but in that gesture, the truth was undeniable.
Tsume gave a satisfied hum, nodding like she'd just confirmed a hunch. "Knew it."
Kushina's eyes went wide. Then wider.
"Oh. My. God."
She practically slammed her hands on the table, rattling the dishes. "Mikoto! You're pregnant?! And you didn't tell me?!"
Mikoto flinched at the volume. "Keep your voice down, will you?"
"Why? It's not like it's a secret anymore! Tsume sniffed it out and Yuki saw it with her creepy ghost eyes!"
"They're not ghost eyes," I said calmly.
"They're majestic," Tsume added, smirking.
Kushina rounded on Mikoto like a storm. "I cannot believe this! You tell me everything! I'm supposed to be your best friend! I know what shampoo you use! I helped you pick out that awful first date kimono!"
"And I regretted that immediately," Mikoto muttered, covering her face with her hand.
I sat back and watched the whole thing unfold, oddly entertained. It wasn't often you got to see someone like Mikoto Uchiha completely derailed by a redheaded whirlwind.
Kushina slumped back into her seat with a dramatic sigh, arms crossed. "I should've known. With how you turned down every invitation to drink lately."
Tsume snorted. "What are you gonna do now, demand to be the kid's godmother?"
"I am the kid's godmother," Kushina snapped without missing a beat. "That's not even up for debate."
Mikoto groaned. "We haven't talked about that yet."
Kushina ignored her. "Oh my God. What if it's a girl? I'm going to buy so many tiny hair ribbons."
"I vote for a boy," Tsume said. "One with those scary eyes and a jawline that could cut stone."
"He's going to be an assassin," I muttered under my breath. "Calling it now."
"What was that?" Mikoto asked, sharp.
"Nothing," I said, sipping my tea with perfect innocence.
Kushina practically vibrated with excitement. "We need to celebrate this! Properly! Dinner, sake—well, not for you, Mikoto-chan, but the rest of us can drink enough for three!"
Mikoto gave her a flat look. "You're impossible."
"Impossibly happy for you," Kushina beamed. "Don't fight me on this. It's happening."
(end of chapter)
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