Although no mushrooms were picked in the end, Yagami still followed Uchiha Mikoto back to her home.
The grand elder showed no displeasure toward Yagami's behavior—on the contrary, he welcomed him warmly.
After all, the relationship between Yagami and Mikoto had been personally encouraged by the elder himself.
Naturally, he hoped the two would eventually come together.
Yagami chatted casually with the elder while tasting Mikoto's cooking.
The meal was simple, but carefully prepared, and carried a warmth that made people unconsciously relax.
By the time dinner ended, night had already settled in.
Yagami stood up to bid farewell.
The elder, clearly in a good mood, reminded him to come by more often. Yagami smiled and agreed without hesitation.
Only then did the elder nod in satisfaction, instructing Mikoto to personally see Yagami out of the Uchiha compound.
…
The next morning, early.
Yagami first went to Kakashi.
He gave him detailed guidance on kenjutsu—explaining practical essentials, common mistakes, and weaknesses that only appeared in real combat.
After that, he personally sparred with Kakashi for an entire morning, deliberately suppressing his strength while continuously pressuring him.
It wasn't until noon that Yagami finally stopped.
After giving a few final pointers, he turned around and left.
There was something he needed to confirm now.
Kushina Uzumaki.
To be precise...
the current situation of Naruko's mother.
With her bright red hair, Kushina was extremely well-known in Konoha.
After asking a few people, Yagami quickly found her residence.
It was a traditional Konoha-style house with an old but elegant design.
Several cherry blossom trees were in full bloom around it.
A mountain stood behind the house, while a stream flowed quietly in front, giving the entire place a peaceful yet dignified atmosphere.
The environment alone was far better than Yagami's own place—by several times.
"…Isn't this Minato's territory?"
Standing in front of the house, Yagami raised an eyebrow as he prepared to knock.
That was when he noticed something on the ground beside him.
A distinctive three-pronged kunai.
And not just any kunai.
It was unmistakably one of Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God kunai.
"…Huh?"
Before Yagami could think any further—
"BOOM—!!"
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from inside the house.
Explosions followed one after another, accompanied by the violent clashing sound of chains slamming and tearing through the air.
It sounded less like a household dispute and more like an outright battle.
"Huh—?!"
Just as Yagami was about to break in—
A sharp sound of air splitting rang out beside him.
The space where the Flying Thunder God kunai had been suddenly distorted.
In the next instant, a figure appeared.
"…Minato?"
Yagami froze.
Minato Namikaze stood there, drenched in sweat, clothes disheveled, his expression nothing short of desperate.
Hearing his name, Minato turned and finally noticed Yagami.
"Run—! Kushina's gone completely berserk!"
Without another word, Minato grabbed Yagami by the arm.
Flying Thunder God activated.
The two vanished instantly.
At the same time...
CRASH—!!
The door of Kushina's house was blown apart by chains.
A violent explosion swallowed the spot where they had been standing only moments ago.
…
"Haaah… that scared me to death."
The scenery changed in a blink.
Now standing somewhere else entirely, Minato leaned forward slightly, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he let out a long breath.
Yagami steadied himself, still a bit dizzy from the sudden teleport.
"…What exactly happened?"
Looking at Minato's battered state, Yagami genuinely couldn't process it.
Kushina… fighting Minato?
"Don't mention that tiger—no, that demon Kushina…"
Minato sighed deeply, frustration written all over his face.
"I just got back from a mission. I originally wanted to visit Uzumaki Merma, but Kushina blocked me at every turn and kept calling me a sissy…"
"Wait. Stop."
Yagami abruptly raised a hand.
"…Uzumaki who?"
Several large question marks practically floated over his head.
There was no such person in his memory of the Naruto world.
"It's Kushina's cousin," Minato said helplessly.
"…Cousin?"
Yagami stared at him.
His understanding of the world started cracking.
Since when did the Uzumaki clan have this many surprise characters?
Had the world diverged this badly?
"…Yeah. Cousin."
Minato nodded.
And when he mentioned the name Uzumaki Merma, his expression softened unconsciously.
"…Can you explain everything properly?"
Yagami asked.
At this point, he felt like the timeline had gone completely off-rails.
Hearing that, Minato let out another sigh and began explaining.
"A few years ago, a squad from Kumogakure secretly infiltrated Konoha. Their target was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
"But they caught the wrong person."
"They took Uzumaki Merma instead."
Yagami's expression stiffened.
"…And then?"
"I rescued her," Minato continued.
"And we… fell in love at first sight."
As Minato spoke, his emotions fluctuated between happiness and bitterness.
To Yagami, the story already felt wildly different from the Naruto he knew.
An extra Uzumaki.
A botched kidnapping.
A completely altered emotional triangle.
"I truly love Merma," Minato said seriously.
"But Kushina keeps interfering—calling me weak, calling me a sissy, and refusing to let us be together."
He clenched his fists, clearly holding in a lot.
Finally, he looked straight at Yagami.
"Tell me honestly. Do I really look like that much of a sissy?"
"…No. Atleast I don't think so."
Yagami waved his hands repeatedly, forcing himself not to laugh.
Minato was gentle.
Strong.
A bit soft-spoken.
But calling him a sissy?
That was completely unreasonable.
Yagami could only conclude one thing.
Kushina's standards were… terrifyingly high.
And Minato?
He was simply unlucky.
(PS: Relax, Minato. Beating Kushina was never part of your destiny. Cough.)
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