Chapter 131: Shy Shizune, Eve of Departure
"By the way, where's Kushina? Didn't she go shopping for clothes with you guys early this morning? How come she didn't come back with you?"
Ling Yu scanned the living room and noticed Kushina—who should have been sitting on the sofa watching TV—was missing. He released his Observation Haki to sense the house, but her presence was nowhere to be found. A hint of confusion appeared in his heart.
"When we were out shopping for clothes today, we ran into the same person you did—Rinane Uzumaki, Kushina's classmate from when they first enrolled. She invited us to her place at first, but I wasn't interested, so I brought Konan and the others back home early."
"As for Kushina… she said it had been a long time since she last saw Rinane and wanted to catch up properly, so she went with Rinane to her house to hang out."
Mikoto propped her chin on one hand, recalling what happened that morning, and calmly explained why Kushina hadn't returned.
"Uzumaki Rinane? Now that you mention her, I almost forgot she and Kushina used to be pretty close. No wonder Kushina agreed to go over."
Ling Yu sighed with some emotion.
At first, the name felt both familiar and distant. Only after Mikoto mentioned her surname did Ling Yu remember who she was.
Ever since Kushina became the new Nine-Tails jinchūriki, she had moved out of the Senju compound and been placed under high-level protection by Konoha. Even Ling Yu didn't know exactly where she lived now. Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still quite wary of him.
As for Kushina's safety? There was no need to worry. The Nine-Tails' chakra flame inside her could sense good and evil. If any danger approached, it would know immediately.
Besides, Kushina's current strength ranked among the very top in Konoha. Anyone trying to deal with her would need a very long time—and that would be more than enough for Ling Yu to arrive via Space Power.
"Alright, it's almost lunchtime. Konan, Shizune, and I haven't eaten yet, so I'll go prepare food now."
Seeing that Ling Yu had no further questions, Mikoto didn't linger. She turned and walked straight into the kitchen.
After Mikoto left, Ling Yu sat down on the sofa, turned on the TV, and waited for the two little girls upstairs to come down while idly passing time.
He still remembered Konan telling him earlier that Mikoto had also bought a dress for Shizune. He wondered what Shizune would look like once she changed into it.
He recalled that in the anime, grown-up Shizune always wore long robes that completely hid her long, fair legs. In fact, in all the later plotlines, she never seemed to wear a skirt at all.
"Sigh… such a beautiful girl with looks on par with the other heroines, yet reduced to this. What a shame."
For a moment, Ling Yu felt indignant on her behalf.
And every time he remembered adult Shizune's alluring long legs, an nameless fire would ignite in his heart. To suppress that dirty thought, he quickly grabbed the water on the table and gulped down several mouthfuls.
"Big Brother Ling Yu! Don't move~ Shizune is still a little shy. You can only open your eyes after she's ready!"
However, before Ling Yu could even put the water down, a pair of soft little hands covered his eyes. Then Konan's mischievous voice sounded right beside his ear.
"Okay, I'll listen to Konan."
Ling Yu nodded cooperatively, closed his eyes as instructed by his little angel, and waited patiently.
Seeing Ling Yu obey, Konan slowly lowered her hands and whispered in his ear:
"You can only open your eyes after I finish counting, okay? Three… two… one."
Only after Konan finished counting did Ling Yu open his eyes. When he looked at Shizune—who had completely transformed—his breath caught for a moment in surprise.
The girl in front of him had already changed out of her conservative, plain black-gray clothes. She now wore a long black dress that perfectly complemented Konan's blue-and-white one. Paired with her petite frame, she looked exactly like a little black butterfly.
Moreover, because this was the first time Shizune had ever worn a skirt, she was clearly still adjusting. A shy blush colored her fair face, giving her an air of pure, gentle innocence. She looked incredibly adorable.
"Hehe! This is the dress Big Sister Mikoto bought for Shizune! Big Brother Ling Yu, what do you think? Does Shizune look pretty in it?"
Right after, Konan ran to the shy Shizune's side with a beaming smile. In an instant, two little girls—one black, one white—stood before Ling Yu's eyes.
"Shizune looks very pretty in the dress. It really suits you."
After a brief moment of surprise, Ling Yu quickly regained his composure. He stood up with a gentle smile, walked slowly to Shizune's side, and lightly placed both hands on top of her head, stroking her hair.
"Mmm… thank you, Big Brother Ling Yu."
Receiving Ling Yu's praise filled Shizune's heart with sweet happiness. She squinted her eyes and quietly enjoyed the warmth he gave her.
For the big brother who had taken her away from a home that had long lost all warmth, brought her to this loving place, and even found her the strongest female ninja in Konoha—Tsunade-hime—as her teacher, Shizune's gratitude was beyond words.
She knew the chances of repaying him were very slim, so as long as she could make him happy, Shizune would be completely content.
"Hmph! Big Brother Ling Yu is playing favorites. Let me ask you—which one of us looks prettier, me or Shizune?"
Seeing that she hadn't received any praise, Konan felt a little jealous. Puffing out her cheeks, she deliberately asked him.
"Of course… both of you look equally pretty. Let's not talk about that anymore—come on, let's watch TV together."
Ling Yu gave a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, knowing Konan was jealous. He paused for effect just as both girls waited for his answer—then scooped them both up in his arms and changed the subject.
He carried them to the sofa, and the three of them sat together watching TV in cozy warmth.
"Konan, Shizune—go wash your hands! Lunch is ready!"
Before they could enjoy more than a few minutes of leisure, Mikoto carried the food out from the kitchen, set it on the dining table, and called out to Ling Yu and the girls.
"Ling Yu, could you go call Big Sister Tsunade? She should be hungry by now too."
She also gave a casual instruction to the idle Ling Yu—asking him to fetch Tsunade for lunch.
"Coming!"
After shopping all morning, Konan and Shizune were already hungry. They immediately abandoned Ling Yu, held hands, and ran off to wash up.
"Big Sis should still be in the Senju clan meeting room. Let me find her… got it."
Once Konan and Shizune left, Ling Yu had no intention of continuing to slack off. He released his Observation Haki, located Tsunade, and used Space Power to leave the Senju compound.
After quickly bringing Tsunade back, Ling Yu waited until the girls finished lunch and were all sitting together on the sofa resting. Only then did he bring up the real matter with Tsunade.
"Big Sis, have you finished arranging everything over there? How much longer will it take?"
"The main arrangements are pretty much done. It should all be finished by the day after tomorrow. But I still haven't had time to speak with the Third Hokage."
Tsunade nodded seriously and replied.
After all, this trip away from Konoha would last a long time. By the time they returned, years might have passed. Informing the Third Hokage in advance was necessary.
"You haven't told Sarutobi Hiruzen yet? No problem. Since you don't have time, let me go speak with him personally."
A bright glint flashed in Ling Yu's eyes as he spoke softly.
---------------------------
Support me and be 100 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/inkshield