Chapter 127: Playful Fighting, Kato Shizune
The dull and tedious memorial ceremony hosted by the Third Hokage finally ended amid Ling Yu and Kushina's playful scuffle.
At first, their roughhousing was fairly discreet, but it still drew the attention of several powerful Konoha ninja—such as Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hatake Sakumo, and Orochimaru. After all, this was a very solemn occasion that allowed no room for carelessness.
Yet the moment they turned toward the source of the noise and clearly saw who was involved, the anger in their hearts instantly evaporated. They hurriedly looked away, not daring to stare again—afraid of being noticed by that demon Ling Yu.
The other ninja were equally terrified of getting into trouble with Ling Yu, so they had already scattered far away from the group as soon as the two started messing around—like avoiding a plague god.
In the end, Kushina couldn't escape Ling Yu's attack. After he caught her and gave her a few spanks on the backside, he asked if she surrendered.
Blushing furiously and full of indignation, Kushina naturally refused to admit defeat. She even shouted that she would get revenge the moment she found an opening.
Finally, Ling Yu hardened his heart and unleashed the tickle combo—his hands lightly tickling her waist. For that brief period, Kushina's life could only be described as "worse than death."
Because they were in such a solemn setting, Kushina didn't dare make loud noises under Ling Yu's assault. She could only cover her mouth with one hand while wriggling frantically, trying to escape his embrace.
But Ling Yu refused to let go. No matter how much strength Kushina used, she couldn't break free. And the more she twisted and struggled, the harder it became for Ling Yu to find the right ticklish spots.
This caused Ling Yu's hands to keep moving randomly across Kushina's body. By the time she realized something was wrong—it was already too late…
"This…"
The moment Ling Yu's hand landed on a soft spot, both of them froze. The air instantly became quiet.
After all, they had only just established their relationship. They were still too young and hadn't progressed any further. An accidental touch like this was quite embarrassing.
"Hm… not bad. It's starting to develop."
As if fate was teasing them, Ling Yu even gave it a playful squeeze—after all, she was his girlfriend, so why couldn't he touch?
Then he put on a serious expression and evaluated her, instantly causing Kushina to explode.
"LING YU!!"
Kushina's red hair flared behind her. Her face turned dark. She looked like an enraged demon. Somehow finding strength from who-knows-where, she pried Ling Yu's hand away and shouted through gritted teeth.
"S-sorry."
Ling Yu immediately backed down.
Now it was Kushina's turn for revenge. She charged straight at him and used every woman's advantage—grabbing and pinching him wildly.
In the end, after thoroughly bullying Ling Yu—messing up his hair and tearing most of his clothes into rags—Kushina finally stopped. She huffed and ordered:
"Hmph! I'll let you off this time. Now send me back—I want to take a proper bath."
After playing around for so long, her clothes were wrinkled and she was sweaty and uncomfortable. She wanted to go home and wash up.
Knowing Kushina was still angry, Ling Yu didn't argue. He opened a portal and sent her straight back.
"Nice one! As expected of my little brother."
Once Kushina left, Tsunade walked over with a teasing grin, wrapped an arm around him, and whispered in his ear with playful mockery.
"Ling Yu, this isn't okay. Kids shouldn't be doing that kind of thing."
Serious Mikoto quietly appeared behind Ling Yu. Her head was lowered, face already completely red for some reason. Though she looked shy on the surface, she still gathered her courage and—despite the jealousy—gave him a gentle lecture.
She wasn't an innocent little girl like Kushina. In her effort to become a good wife, she had already read all the books about what couples should know. Naturally, she understood exactly what Kushina's reaction meant.
"Big Sister Mikoto, what are you talking about? Wasn't Big Brother Ling Yu just playing the tickle game with Big Sister Kushina? Why won't you let them play that game anymore?"
Before Ling Yu could respond, Konan—who had been following behind Mikoto—spoke up for him. Tilting her little head, she tugged on Mikoto's sleeve and looked at her with pure, innocent confusion in her eyes.
"This… um… you'll understand when you're older."
Caught off guard by Konan's question, Mikoto suddenly didn't know how to answer. She could only give a vague excuse to brush it off.
"Alright, Kushina's already gone back. The memorial ceremony is almost over too. I'll send you all home now."
Seeing Mikoto's embarrassment, Ling Yu quickly changed the subject and spoke to the girls.
After receiving their agreement, Ling Yu opened a portal and let them leave.
Then he took out a fresh set of clothes from his system inventory and changed out of his now-torn outfit. He decided to stay behind for a while and see if there were any familiar names among the fallen ninja.
Not long after the girls left, the memorial ceremony concluded. The Third Hokage left first. Seeing him depart, the other ninja also began leaving the cemetery one after another as the ceremony ended.
The light drizzle from the morning had gradually stopped, but the sky was growing darker. It looked like heavy rain was about to pour down at any moment.
Just as Ling Yu finished walking around without finding anything noteworthy and was preparing to leave, something caught the corner of his eye—a small, thin figure about the same age as Konan. The girl was standing silently in front of several gravestones, letting the rain soak her without any intention of leaving.
In that instant, Ling Yu felt the figure seemed strangely familiar, as though he had seen her somewhere before. But when he tried to recall, nothing came to mind.
"Little sister, the ceremony is already over. Why are you still standing here alone? If you don't leave soon, it's going to pour."
To figure out who she was, Ling Yu didn't leave immediately. Instead, he opened an umbrella, walked over to the little girl, and spoke gently.
The closer he got, the more familiar she felt. The girl had short black hair and a very pure, gentle appearance—quiet and refined, very similar to Mikoto.
"Lord… Lord Ling Yu! I'm sorry, I didn't notice you coming."
Hearing the voice from behind her, the little girl jumped in fright. She quickly turned around to face the speaker.
The moment she saw that familiar face, she covered her mouth. Her pupils dilated instantly. Then she hurriedly bowed deeply and greeted him respectfully.
The little girl clearly knew who the person in front of her was. Though still young, he was the hero of Konoha who had led them to victory against four nations in the Second Great Ninja War.
He was also the figure feared throughout the ninja world—the "God of Death" who killed without blinking, the one whose name alone made people's hair stand on end, let alone meeting him in person.
In just a moment, the girl's small body began to tremble violently—whether from the cold or from fear of the person standing before her.
"No need to be so nervous. I don't look scary, do I? Why does everyone act so afraid of me? Come on, lift your head and look at me properly."
Noticing the girl's fear, Ling Yu gave a light chuckle. He extended his umbrella to shield her from the falling rain. Then, using Fire Release chakra, he gently evaporated the moisture from her wet clothes so she wouldn't catch a cold.
Finally, he put on the demeanor of a gentle big brother, slowly helped her stand up straight, and let her look directly into his eyes.
For the first time seeing Ling Yu up close, the little girl froze for a moment. Once her damp clothes were dried and warmth returned to her body—something she hadn't felt in a long time—she stared into Ling Yu's eyes.
Her originally pale face, pale from fear, suddenly flushed red. Her gaze began to drift nervously, little swirls appearing in her pupils.
"See? I told you—I'm not scary at all, right? Aren't I quite handsome?"
Seeing the girl's shy reaction, Ling Yu smiled lightly and teased himself with a touch of narcissism.
It was only natural. Though Ling Yu had a fearsome reputation, that reputation came from people fearing his strength first—so they overlooked his appearance and subjectively labeled him a villain.
But setting aside his combat record, Ling Yu himself was strikingly handsome—elegant, dashing, exuding the aura of a refined young noble. If he didn't have the infamous war record, he would undoubtedly be seen as…
"Mm… yes… I'm sorry."
Almost unconsciously, she nodded. Then, realizing she might have overstepped, the little girl quickly apologized.
"Alright, what's your name?"
Without blaming her at all, Ling Yu gently stroked her soft hair and asked in a warm voice.
"I… I'm Shizune. Kato Shizune."
It seemed she finally understood that the big brother in front of her wouldn't hurt her—and was even joking with her like a kind older neighbor. The little girl suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to get closer to him.
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