When Itachi Uchiha returned home, he was greeted by a living room in complete disarray.
The sight filled his young heart with confusion.
"Mom? What happened here?"
"Well… your father drank too much and made a mess," Mikoto Uchiha replied, her cheeks still flushed, breathing a little unevenly.
"Oh… no wonder you're so tired," Itachi said in realization.
Dad really was something—getting drunk and causing trouble, even ending up passed out under the table.
"Mom, there's so much spilled on the floor."
"It's fine. I'll clean it up later. Itachi, go back to your room, okay?" Mikoto urged gently.
"But I'm thirsty."
As he spoke, Itachi walked toward the table and reached for a cup.
"Don't drink that!!!"
Mikoto's face changed instantly as she stopped him.
"Huh?"
"I'll pour you a fresh one later. Go to your room first."
"…Okay."
Only after Itachi returned to his room did Mikoto finally let out a long breath.
She was exhausted.
But also… incredibly satisfied.
Drake's "endurance," she thought, was truly unforgettable.
Supporting herself on the table, Mikoto grabbed a towel and wiped her legs before pouring a fresh cup and heading to Itachi's room.
Under the Night Sky
Drake stepped out of the Uchiha compound and glanced up at the stars.
"…You really can't judge a book by its cover," he sighed.
Thinking back to Lady Mikoto's earlier enthusiasm, he couldn't help but marvel.
Who would've imagined a noble clan matriarch could be that uninhibited?
Suddenly, Drake froze.
"Crap!"
"I forgot—I still have an appointment with Maineko!"
As he rushed toward Happy Hot Springs, he casually opened his palm, condensing several tiny, glowing blossoms.
Happy Hot Springs · Darkened Room
"So you finally remembered to come back?" Maineko complained softly.
"Clan Head Fugaku invited me. I couldn't just leave midway," Drake explained.
Then, a few softly glowing flowers appeared in his hand.
"I saw these at the Uchiha compound and picked them for you."
"Oh? They glow?" Maineko's attention was instantly captured.
"Yeah. I heard they're called Starlight Blossoms," Drake made up a name on the spot.
"Starlight Blossoms?" Maineko took them, her annoyance melting away.
"Then what's their meaning?"
"Longing," Drake answered without hesitation. "They represent deep longing."
Hearing that, Maineko's eyes shimmered as she stared straight at him.
"If it's longing… what are you waiting for?"
"I'm waiting for you to make the first move."
Early Morning
Drake woke up in a daze.
He was still holding Maineko in his arms when Kushina Uzumaki barged in.
And that led to the current scene.
"Drake! Do you even realize what you've done?!" Kushina stared at him in shock.
She'd come to wake Maineko—only to find Drake sleeping beside her.
A shinobi… sleeping with a daimyō?
Kushina's head was buzzing.
"You're looking right at it," Drake replied calmly.
He'd been careless—forgot to leave last night.
"Maineko is a daimyō! And you—!"
"Kushina-senpai," Drake interrupted gently, "isn't a daimyō still a person?"
"Kushina, you don't need to worry about my relationship with Drake," Maineko added coolly, leaving Kushina speechless.
Breakfast was painfully quiet.
Kushina angrily poked at her food.
She was furious—because she'd been completely shut down by Drake and Maineko together.
Hinata Lingyin stole glances at Drake, then at Maineko.
Unbidden, memories of that night with Rin Nohara surfaced in her mind, and Drake was quietly labeled a scoundrel.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Amid the stiff atmosphere, Lady Mikoto arrived.
"Oh? You're all unusually quiet today," she joked as she sat down.
With her close friend present, Kushina immediately perked up.
"Mikoto, listen to me—stay far away from Drake in the future," Kushina warned earnestly.
"Ah?" Mikoto froze, panic rising.
Does she know about last night?
"Kushina… are you misunderstanding Drake?" Mikoto probed cautiously.
"Misunderstanding? How is that a misunderstanding?" Kushina shook her head vigorously.
She wanted to say everything—but hesitated.
Maineko was her friend too… and also the daimyō of the Land of Hot Water.
With both identities in play, she had to keep things hidden.
Still, warning her friend was necessary.
"Kushina, eat your breakfast," Maineko said with a gentle smile, neatly ending the topic.
To be honest, from the moment Mikoto walked in, Drake sensed trouble.
So he sped up his eating, planning to vanish the moment he finished.
Unfortunately—
Trouble arrived anyway.
"Mikoto, your husband entertained Drake quite late last night, didn't he?" Maineko asked casually.
"Yes… they talked a lot," Mikoto replied, her heart racing.
She glanced at Drake, wondering if he'd said something he shouldn't have.
"By the way," Maineko added, "those Starlight Blossoms from your clan are really beautiful."
"Huh? Starlight Blossoms?" Mikoto blinked.
Did her clan even have such a thing?
"…Uh-oh," Drake thought, breaking out in cold sweat.
"You don't know them?" Maineko looked surprised.
"…Flowers?" Mikoto tried cautiously.
"Yes! Those!" Maineko pointed at the vase filled with star-like blossoms.
"Oh… maybe some clan members planted them?" Mikoto answered uncertainly.
"I see~" Maineko nodded.
Then she glanced at Drake—who looked perfectly calm.
Buzz!
Kushina's expression suddenly changed.
She pulled out a kunai—its seal glowing.
"Hm? Minato-sensei's kunai?"
Drake recognized it instantly.
Minato had once given him one too—later returned.
"Minato is in danger," Kushina said urgently.
"How can you tell?" Drake frowned.
"The seal activated. That means Minato tried long-distance teleportation—but failed!"
"He said he'd only activate this kunai if he faced extreme danger."
She muttered under her breath.
Drake stood up.
"I'll handle it."
"Please," Kushina said, eyes full of worry.
"No need to ask. If Minato-sensei is in danger, I'll save him."
He turned to leave.
In this world, there was only one person Drake would risk everything to save—
Minato Namikaze.
Because only Minato had protected him when he was weak.
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