On the other side, Karina, who witnessed the incident, immediately blushed and hurriedly pulled Reiji's hand, distancing him from Kushina with an unhappy expression.
"Why, Onee-chan?" Kushina asked with a teasing smile.
Karina looked at Kushina with a serious face. "It's not allowed."
The threatening aura from Karina made Kushina shiver. "I-I understand..." Kushina replied with an awkward smile.
"Alright, let's go." Tsunade said, approaching Kushina.
Kushina nodded, then looked at her family one by one. "See you again, Dad, Mom, Onee-chan, and Brother Reiji!" Kushina said while waving her hand.
Then, Kushina turned and left with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, as she departed from the Uzushio Village to begin her journey.
...
...
...
At the Uzumaki Clan residence...
That afternoon, the sun began to rise in the sky, painting it with beautiful blue and white clouds.
A gentle breeze blew softly in the Uzumaki Clan's yard, carrying the distinctive aroma of salty sea water.
Karina stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her sharp gaze piercing towards Reiji, who stood with a blank expression.
Karina's face was slightly flushed, whether from anger or some other feeling that even Karina herself was unsure of.
"...Why were you silent when Kushina kissed your cheek?" Karina's voice broke the silence that had settled between them.
Reiji furrowed his brow, completely confused by the question.
"What's wrong with that?" Reiji replied, his expression remaining flat, but there was a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Of course, that's wrong!" Karina snapped, her voice higher than usual.
This made a few people passing by glance over for a moment before returning to their own affairs.
Reiji still didn't understand why Karina was so angry about it.
Casually, Reiji shrugged.
"But what's wrong? After all, it was just a kiss on the cheek," Reiji replied in a tone as if it were no big deal.
In any case, in Reiji's previous life, he was used to kisses on the cheek.
Reiji could be said to have quite a few nieces and nephews, and those kids often kissed Reiji on the cheek as a form of affection.
So for Reiji, what Kushina did earlier was not something strange.
Karina fell silent for a moment, her face changing as if she was grappling with her own thoughts.
Karina blinked a few times, then muttered softly.
"It's... Uh! Anyway, that's not allowed!" Karina exclaimed before suddenly stepping hard on Reiji's foot.
"Ouch!" Reiji shouted, quickly lifting his pained foot, his expression reflecting both shock and pain.
Meanwhile, Karina had already turned around and was preparing to leave.
However, before completely leaving the place, Karina stopped and turned back towards Reiji.
"Where's the other watch?" Karina asked sharply, her expression still looking annoyed.
Reiji, still slightly limping from the foot that had just been stepped on, looked at Karina with an expression that seemed to say, 'Seriously? You hurt me and now you're asking for something?'
"Uh... After you stepped on my foot, you're just asking for something from me?" Reiji asked, raising an eyebrow at Karina.
However, instead of answering, Karina just huffed while staring at Reiji with a sharp gaze.
That look made Reiji pause for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh.
"Haaah... Alright." Reluctantly, Reiji reached into his robe pocket, pulled out a watch, and handed it to Karina.
Karina quickly took it.
Karina's face showed a moment of hesitation before she finally said in a soft voice, "...Thank you."
After that, Karina immediately ran away, leaving Reiji still staring at her departure in confusion.
From a distance, Kasumi, who had been watching their interaction, just smiled slightly before finally leaving, as if something had amused her from the recent scene.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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