"I'm back! Why is no one welcoming me?"
Tsunade's complaining voice came from the entrance. Minato walked over quickly.
"Welcome back, Sensei. Dinner is ready."
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Tsunade paused while changing her slippers, looking at Minato with a strange expression.
For a moment, she had a flash of déjà vu—like a wife coming home from work to find her husband had cooked dinner and was welcoming her.
It felt very warm, but Minato's age made her feel a pang of guilt.
"Sorry, something came up and I'm late. Have you guys eaten?"
"Not yet. Sis, if you didn't come back soon, I would have starved to death." Nawaki's tone sounded resentful.
"Haha, sorry, sorry."
Tsunade walked quickly into the room and sat at the dining table.
Minato brought the dishes that had been kept warm in the pot to the table. Tsunade eagerly picked up a braised chicken leg, took a bite, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"This is great. If only I could eat Minato's cooking every day in the future."
Hearing this, Nawaki was confused. "What are you talking about? Isn't Minato cooking every day?"
Tsunade smiled and ruffled Nawaki's hair. "Idiot! You guys will eventually find girlfriends, get married, have children, and start your own families."
Minato smiled gently. "Then I'll just live nearby, so it will be convenient for Sensei to come to my house for dinner."
So gentle...
Hearing Minato's words, Tsunade felt healed instantly.
But for some reason, she was vaguely dissatisfied with Minato's answer. She couldn't say exactly why, or perhaps she didn't dare to think too deeply about it.
"Cough... let's talk about that later. Right now, there's something I need your opinion on."
Tsunade coughed lightly. "For some reason, the Village Hidden in the Eddies will send a girl to the Leaf Village in two days. Given the relationship between the Senju and Uzumaki clans, that child can be considered a distant cousin of Nawaki and me."
Kushina is coming?
Minato felt a surge of joy.
"The Third Hokage thinks that since the child is coming to the Leaf alone, she might be lonely, so he wants her to stay with me for the time being."
Tsunade's gaze paused on Minato's face for a moment before continuing.
"Personally, I don't mind, but I need to ask for your opinions. After all, Nawaki is the heir to this house, and Minato works hard cooking every day."
"Of course, it's okay if you don't agree. As proof of friendship with the Uzumaki clan, Grandpa once designated a piece of land in the village as the Uzumaki clan's territory..."
"I have no objection!"
Before Tsunade could finish, Nawaki spoke without hesitation. He had always been a warm-hearted person.
"If Nawaki has no objection, then neither do I," Minato said gently.
It seemed that in the original story, Kushina probably lived in the Uzumaki compound; otherwise, she wouldn't have been easily kidnapped by the Cloud Village.
Or maybe she lived at Tsunade's house at first and moved out after graduation, or after Nawaki died...
Thinking of this, Minato was suddenly startled.
He remembered that Nawaki died at the age of twelve during the Second Great Ninja War.
That meant there were less than five years left...
Life had been so comfortable lately that he had almost forgotten about it.
"I knew it..."
Tsunade shook her head and laughed. She knew these two would agree.
Nawaki was enthusiastic and straightforward, and Minato was gentle and polite. Although their personalities were different, they were both kind-hearted children.
Thinking about it, that stinking old man, the Third Hokage, must have counted on this point!
Thinking of what just happened, Tsunade gritted her teeth secretly.
She had just learned the news from the Third Hokage.
One hour ago, Hokage Office Building.
"Why did you call me here?"
Having just finished a surgery at the hospital, Tsunade was about to go home when she was invited to the Hokage building by an Anbu sent by the Third.
This made her tone carry a bit of anger.
"Well... I just wanted to discuss something with you. It won't take too much of your time."
Hiruzen was helpless. I'm the Hokage, can't you give me a little respect?
Forget it. Her two grandfathers were both Hokages.
Tsunade took the file, scanned it quickly, and her gaze narrowed slightly. "Kushina Uzumaki? Is this the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"That's right."
Hiruzen nodded. "In two days, the Village Hidden in the Eddies will send someone to bring this child to the Leaf."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, instinctively feeling something was wrong. "What does this have to do with me? Intelligence leak? You want me to meet them?"
"No. To prevent leaks, currently, besides me and Lord Mito, only you know."
Hiruzen said calmly, "As for the arrangements for this child... to be honest, I intend for her to have more contact with Minato. After all, you know the suppressive power of Wood Style on Tailed Beasts..."
"Wait a minute!"
Tsunade's face darkened, and she waved her hand to interrupt Hiruzen. "Stinking old man! Minato is only five years old! You want to bind his future with a Jinchuriki?"
"You should understand the importance of the Nine-Tails to the village."
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, then sighed slightly. "I don't intend to bind the two of them together. I just want to try letting them interact. If they can really build a bond, it would be a good thing for the Leaf. After all, the First Hokage and Lord Mito were like that..."
Tsunade sneered. "What if... Minato doesn't like that child, or that child doesn't like Minato? What will you do?"
"Whether from the perspective of the village or personal perspective, them being together is the best outcome."
"Minato's Wood Style can greatly reduce the risk of Tailed Beast rampage, allowing that child to be relatively freer. And if Minato wants to become Hokage, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki will also be his strongest support."
Hiruzen paused. "Also, I can guarantee that I won't actively interfere."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Sounds nice, but why should I trust you?"
"That's too harsh..."
Hiruzen's mouth twitched, and he rubbed his forehead helplessly. "I'm the Hokage, after all. Do I have no credibility?"
Tsunade scoffed. "Throw away that broken crystal ball, and I'll believe you."
"Cough..."
Hiruzen coughed lightly. "Don't worry. With the talent Minato has shown, no one can force him. After all, even I can't face the power of Wood Style and the Nine-Tails at the same time."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. That made sense.
Minato was only five now, and his raw power was already not weaker than hers.
Based on his current training speed, who could force him in ten years?
"Although it's a bit shameless, but... this is all for the Leaf."
Seeing Tsunade waver, Hiruzen said sincerely, "Besides, that child was chosen as a Jinchuriki for the sake of the Leaf. This is also what the Leaf owes that child. Why don't you ask for Minato and Nawaki's opinions?"
"Tsk... I'll go back and ask."
Tsunade curled her lip. Thinking of their personalities, she already knew the result.
"Let me declare in advance: if that child has bad character... I will kick her out without hesitation!"
Hiruzen nodded repeatedly. "Naturally!"
Only then did Tsunade huff lightly and leave reluctantly.
Back home, looking at Minato's gentle, sunny smile and eating the dinner he made, Tsunade's mood worsened instantly.
Damn it!
My student is so excellent, so perfect! Why should that red-haired girl from nowhere get him?!
Damn old man!
---