Kushina pouted at Anko's attempt to reassure her.
Her mind was a complete mess.
Konoha was in chaos, ANBU everywhere, the village shaken to its core—
Where else could that infuriating man have gone?
She glanced at Anko's pretty face, hesitated, then finally said:
"Anko, I need to tell you something."
"Y-yes, ma'am. I'm listening."
Anko straightened up seriously.
Kushina lowered her voice, expression turning solemn.
"I want you to stay away from Evan. Don't get too close to him."
"Eh?!"
Anko's head snapped up, eyes wide in surprise.
"Why? He's a good guy! You must've misunderstood him!"
Anko puffed her cheeks.
Even her own relationship with her brother had been in the negatives lately, and now this topic?
Kushina's brows knit tightly.
She gritted her teeth.
"Because I don't like him. He's not a good person."
"Eh? Kushina-senpai, Evan is really nice! Are you sure—"
"He—"
Kushina stopped, unable to continue.
Her beautiful eyes flashed with something complicated.
Before she could find the words—
A voice came from the shadows.
"Yeah, Kushina-senpai, did we have some kind of disagreement?"
Kushina froze.
Her whole body jolted.
Anko brightened instantly.
"Evan! You're back!"
She rushed to his side happily.
Kushina, in contrast, stared at him coldly, lips pressed thin.
"What's this? Weren't you calling me 'big brother' the other day?" Evan teased gently, ruffling Anko's hair.
"Ah—Kushina-senpai is here!" Anko whispered, cheeks flushing with embarrassment and… sweetness.
Kushina watched the two's interaction, and her heart thumped.
Don't tell me these two… already…?
No! He must've tricked her! This guy…!
She shot Evan a frigid glare.
"You. Inside. Now."
"Yes, big sister," Evan replied obediently.
A moment later, the two were in the house, leaving a lonely, resentful Anko standing in the courtyard.
Inside, Evan grinned.
"Good, no annoying ANBU eavesdropping."
"ANBU?" Kushina frowned. "There's no ANBU around me."
Evan rolled his eyes internally.
Woman, what do you think you are? A normal housewife?
Nine-Tails jinchūriki. Fourth Hokage's wife. Eight months pregnant.
The only reason she wasn't imprisoned in a vault was because Minato loved her too much.
Evan had sensed the ANBU the moment he came home—
lurking outside the courtyard, watching from afar.
"What did you want from me?" Evan asked plainly.
Kushina bit her lip.
"Last night… those who attacked the Hokage Building—are they connected to the enemies you foresaw?"
Ever since hearing about the assault that morning, her thoughts had spiraled out of control.
She automatically associated the attack with the masked enemy Evan had shown her in his illusion of the future.
Her anxiety surged.
With the due date approaching, everything made her more and more uneasy.
Evan shrugged.
"You're overthinking. It was clearly the Sand shinobi—"
"Don't lie to me."
Kushina's eyes sharpened.
"They said a masked man appeared last night. And in your illusion, the attacker also wore a mask."
"So the enemy has already started acting against Konoha, hasn't he?!"
Evan: "…"
This level of brain補 is lethal.
Last night he wore a terrifying demon mask.
The future attacker—Obito—wore a spiraling vortex mask.
Not even remotely similar.
But this woman was convinced.
Looking at her deeply worried expression, Evan's face shifted into seriousness.
"Ai… to think you pieced it together."
"Yes. You're right."
"I fought him last night."
"Ah!"
Kushina's face paled, but also held a strange I knew it expression.
"So that's why you came home so late…! Then—how strong is he?!"
Evan sighed dramatically, sitting down.
"Very strong."
"Honestly, with an enemy like that… Konoha is in serious danger."
"You… even you couldn't win?"
Kushina's voice trembled.
She didn't like Evan, not at all—
but she trusted his strength.
Minato had praised Evan countless times at home.
If even Evan wasn't his match, then Minato wouldn't be either—
Who on earth could threaten Konoha like this…?
Evan coughed lightly and answered with a straight face:
"He calls himself Kuyue.
His methods are cruel, his power overwhelming.
To be blunt—my own skills aren't even worthy to polish his shoes."
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/GojoSatoru7