"Tuk—tuk—tuk~"
After eavesdropping outside Kushina's house for quite a while, Yagami finally raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Even though the wooden door was already old and worn, knocking politely at least made him look like a gentleman.
After all, he hadn't seen Kushina in a long time.
Leaving a decent impression was still important.
"Who is it?!"
After several knocks, voices finally came from inside the house.
Moments later, two figures stepped into view.
Both had striking red hair, and if one looked closely, their facial features shared a few similarities but their temperaments were completely different.
The taller one carried a carefree, fiery aura.
The shorter one felt gentler and more reserved.
Needless to say, the taller one was Kushina.
The shorter one was her cousin, Uzumaki Merma.
As shinobi of the same era, even though they hadn't seen each other in years, Yagami recognized Kushina at a glance.
"Um… excuse me, you are…?"
Just as Yagami was about to greet her, Kushina tilted her head slightly and asked in confusion.
Yagami's smile instantly froze.
"…Hey, Kushina."
"As someone who trained in the same period as you, you don't recognize me at all? That's a bit hurtful, you know…"
A vein popped on Yagami's forehead as he complained helplessly.
It seemed he had taken those shared years far more seriously than she had.
After all, in the shinobi world, faces were often the first things to be forgotten.
Yagami sighed inwardly.
"…You're—Yagami?!"
Kushina stared at him carefully for a long moment before her eyes suddenly widened in realization.
"Huh… Yagami?"
"The Yagami who once took on seven Uchiha clan members alone?"
Behind her, Uzumaki Merma suddenly exclaimed in shock.
She stepped forward and began examining Yagami from head to toe, as if afraid she might be mistaken.
After all, this was someone who had recently become a hot topic in Konoha's stories and records.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for being revered by Uzumaki Merma. Prestige +1.]
"Yes. That's me."
Yagami finally relaxed once the two recognized him.
After all, one of them was the mother of his future child, and the other was his future sister-in-law.
Being forgotten completely would've been tragic.
"…So what are you doing here?"
Now certain of his identity, Kushina asked, her tone guarded.
The two of them rarely interacted back then, so she naturally felt suspicious about his sudden visit.
"Uh… Minato asked me to come."
As he spoke, Yagami carefully observed Kushina's expression.
When he noticed she didn't immediately slam the door in his face, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Eh? Minato?"
Uzumaki Merma reacted instantly upon hearing Minato's name and tried to rush forward.
But Kushina grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.
"…What did that idiot send you here for?"
Although Kushina didn't explode, the irritation in her voice was obvious the moment Minato was mentioned.
"He… asked me to come and apologize."
Yagami's thoughts raced before he nodded decisively.
"Yes. To apologize."
"…No need."
Kushina glanced at him briefly and replied flatly.
Then, without another word, she pulled Uzumaki Merma inside and turned away.
From start to finish, she never once intended to let Yagami inside.
The conversation ended completely at the doorstep.
"…Ah."
Standing outside with the door shut in his face, Yagami twitched slightly.
It seemed Kushina's personality was just as troublesome as he remembered.
For a moment, he couldn't help wondering how his future self had managed to get along with her—and somehow even have Naruko.
With a sigh, Yagami shook his head and turned to leave.
To be honest, his objective had already been achieved.
He only wanted to confirm Kushina's current situation.
Now that he knew she hadn't truly reconciled with Minato yet, his trip wasn't a waste.
"Hey—Yagami!"
After walking a short distance, Yagami ran into Minato.
Judging by his position, it was obvious Minato had been deliberately waiting there.
"So… how did it go?"
Minato rushed forward, his voice filled with nervous anticipation.
Love made people anxious—and at this moment, Minato was no exception.
"Relax."
Yagami patted Minato on the shoulder and smiled.
"Kushina's still angry, but she actually agrees with you and Uzumaki Merma."
"Really—?!"
Minato jumped in place, unable to contain his excitement.
"Thank you! Yagami, thank you so much!"
With a flushed face, Minato grabbed Yagami's hands enthusiastically.
"Come on! I'll treat you—eat whatever you want!"
"Hey—don't grab my hand like that!"
Noticing the strange looks from nearby pedestrians, Yagami hurriedly pulled free.
"You're going to make people misunderstand!"
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