By the time Saiki left the Hokage Building, night had fully descended.
Konoha was alive with lights and the sounds of celebration.
Saiki didn't join the party; he headed for the orphanage first.
He saw Nono'u. The kids were asleep.
He spent an hour with her, telling her about the front and soaking in her motherly warmth.
Then, he headed for Kushina's.
The red-haired woman was waiting at the gate, her eyes like bright stars.
"Saiki!"
She lunged at him with enough force to knock him over.
He caught her, letting her hang on him like a koala.
"Welcome home! I heard what you did... you're so amazing!"
"It was alright," Saiki smiled, carrying her inside.
As they entered, Kushina struggled to get down.
"The fire! I left the stove on!" she shrieked, running barefoot to the kitchen.
Saiki watched her back—the loose loungewear outlined her slender waist and full hips, her red hair bouncing behind her. He followed slowly.
In the kitchen, the stew was boiling over.
Kushina turned off the heat, squinting against the steam as she stirred the pot.
Then, two arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
Kushina relaxed into the heat of Saiki's chest.
"It's going to burn..." she whispered, though she made no move to stop him.
"Let it burn," Saiki's voice was a low, magnetic rasp.
His fingers traced the curves of her waist through the thin fabric.
Kushina's hand on the spoon trembled.
She remembered that since his return, he had seen her once, then didn't come back for two days.
She had been too shy and stiff during their first night back together.
She didn't want to lose him to Tsunade or Nono'u.
She closed her eyes and put down the spoon.
Instead of pushing him away, she leaned back, pressing herself harder against him.
Saiki paused. He noticed her red ears and her trembling lashes.
"Sensei Kushina," he whispered.
"Mm?"
Saiki's hand slid up to her flat stomach, then up to cover her soft breasts.
"Are you inviting me?" he asked.
"Mm," she whispered, as quiet as a mosquito.
Saiki laughed and kissed her neck, his tongue flicking her pulse-point.
The stew pot hissed—it was definitely burning now.
But neither of them cared.
He turned her around to face him. Her eyes were watery, her face a deep crimson.
He kissed her deeply, a dominant, soul-swallowing kiss.
Kushina responded with a raw, clumsy passion, her fingers bunching up his shirt.
She could feel the burning, rigid weight against her stomach.
"The food... it's really ruined..." she gasped during a break.
"Then don't eat it," Saiki smiled. "We'll make something else. You teach me."
Kushina blinked, then beamed. "Okay!"
The next hour was spent in domestic bliss. Saiki assisted her in making a new meal.
They sat at a table lit by two candles, the overhead lights off.
"To your safe return," Kushina said, her eyes shining.
"To the end of the war," Saiki replied.
They ate slowly. Kushina talked about the Sealing Corps, her voice full of excitement.
With Tsunade, Saiki was a pillar. With Nono'u, he was a child.
With Kushina, he could just be Saiki—relaxed and even a bit immature.
"Saiki," Kushina said, putting down her chopsticks. "Thank you. For saving me, and for being with me."
Saiki ruffled her hair. "Silly girl."
After dinner, they curled up on the sofa.
Saiki held her, his hand playing with the hem of her sleepwear.
Kushina relaxed, her body heating up.
"Saiki... how long will you stay this time?"
"For a while," he said, kissing her cheek. "At least until the peace is settled."
"Good." She snuggled closer.
His hand moved up her back, then around to cup her massive, soft breasts.
"Mngh..." Kushina let out a needy hum. She didn't resist.
Saiki kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her lips.
The kiss was slow and full of promise.
He unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her pale skin and soft mounds to the cool air before his hot palms covered them.
Kushina's body turned to jelly. She let out a tiny moan as he sucked on her collarbone.
He laid her down on the sofa and moved between her legs.
This time, the kiss was not gentle. It was full of possession and the hunger of a hunter.
Kushina didn't fight. She arched her back to welcome his touch.
The fire was lit.
The night grew darker.
The residential district was silent, save for a distant dog barking.
Minato Namikaze walked down the street with heavy steps.
The war was over, but he felt no joy.
He had a promotion waiting for him, but his heart was cold.
He was heading toward Kushina's house. He had a bouquet of flowers.
He knew it was stupid—she had rejected him. But he wanted to ask why.
Why him and not me?
He turned the corner, and then he stopped dead.
He felt a massive, suffocating aura—it was Saiki's. It acted as a domain, covering the entire house.
It was calm, yet unassailable.
Minato's face went white.
He could hear it. Even muffled by the barrier, he heard everything.
The suppressed moans.
The wet slapping.
The heavy breathing of pleasure.
And the low, satisfied growl of a man.
Minato stood frozen. The flowers fell from his hand, scattering on the pavement.
He stared at the warm yellow window, his heart feeling as if it were being crushed by an invisible vice.
He and Kushina grew up together. He had always been there.
Then Saiki appeared. A shooting star that saved her and then took her.
Minato realized the truth: Kushina was doing this willingly. She was happy.
That realization hurt more than any wound.
Minato closed his eyes, took a ragged breath, and picked up the scattered flowers.
He laid them on the steps and walked away into the night, never looking back.
Inside the house, the storm was at its peak.
Saiki had sensed Minato the moment he entered the domain.
But he didn't stop. He actually became more violent, more aggressive, marking his territory.
Kushina was pinned to the sofa, her long legs clamped around Saiki's waist as she met every thrust.
She was near-delirious with pleasure, her nails digging into his skin.
"Saiki... slower... ah...!"
Saiki kissed her, swallowing her cries.
This was his victory.
Minato was a hero, but Kushina was his.
With a final, desperate wail, Kushina shuddered as Saiki filled her to the brim, planting his seeds in her fertile soil.
At the same time, on the other side of the village.
Rin Nohara had just finished washing up and was heading to bed.
"Saiki-kun should be back soon..." she whispered, looking at the ceiling.
She was proud of him, but worried about his fatigue.
She drifted off to sleep.
In the shadows of her room, a dark mass seeped from the corner.
Black Zetsu.
It slid toward the bed like ink, covering her bare arm.
Rin didn't wake.
A microscopic thread of shadow pierced her skin—no pain, just a faint chill.
A hidden curse mark was injected into her system.
It wouldn't affect her now. It wouldn't show up in a medical scan.
It had only one purpose: under specific triggers, it would drive Rin into a manic state of extreme sexual arousal and loss of inhibition.
Black Zetsu vanished.
The room was silent.
Rin shifted in her sleep, a faint black mark appearing on her arm before fading into her skin.