Chapter 97 Time

Chapter 97 - Time

Summary of the previous chapter:

Max starts walking through the center of the village of Konoha, trying to improve his mood, and when he was distracted, he arrived at a place where he could smell a very pleasant scent. Max discovers a food stall, and the one attending it is Teuchi. Max enters the food stall, and Teuchi prepares his best bowl of Ramen. Teuchi's wife, named Aya, introduces herself to Max. Max, Teuchi, and Aya start talking, which distracts Max. After several hours had passed, Max leaves the food stall, having paid a large sum of money as they cheered up his day. As Max was walking, he became bored of the place, as there were many people in the center of the village, and he goes to a quieter place. Max heads back to where he had started his journey but at a different time, and stays there to watch the sunset. After a while, a crying girl arrives, and it's Uzumaki Kushina. Kushina attacks Max, and he immobilizes her to stop her from hitting him. Kushina tells Max to humiliate her like everyone else, calling her ugly, and Max tells her that she is beautiful. After some time talking, Kushina calms down, and Max releases her. Kushina tells Max that she has made a decision to marry him. After some time, the two part ways, and Max goes to the territory of the Uchiha Clan.

******************

Continuation...

[November 2nd, 14 A.N.N.]

Bang...!

As I reached the house and was about to enter, I heard a loud thud from inside the house.

I opened the door, took off my shoes, and entered, also deactivating the transformation technique.

Inside the house, there was the person I thought I wouldn't see again, but I was wrong, she was waiting for me on the couch.

I looked at her and saw that she was in pain, rubbing her knee, and her eyes were red.

"Hello, Mikoto," I spoke calmly, thinking 'She shouldn't be in this place.'

"Where have you been?!" Mikoto said with pain, not answering my question.

"I was walking around the village," I said as I approached.

"I thought you had left... and left me," Mikoto said sadly, looking at me, trying to hold back her tears.

"..." I listened to her words as I sat in front of her, waiting for her to continue.

"..." We stayed silent for a moment.

Mikoto felt something when I sat in front of her, and since I hadn't responded, and was just looking at her, she got scared. This feeling of feeling distant when we're close, she didn't hesitate and threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly.

"..." I didn't hug her back and remained silent, as I wasn't going to beg anyone.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... don't push me out of your life," Mikoto said, hugging me tightly, and started sobbing on my chest.

"..." When I felt her tears, I let out an internal sigh, thinking 'A woman's sincere tears are a man's weakness,' and hugged her, still remaining silent, and started stroking her back to calm her down.

"I just... just wanted to be alone for a moment... because I wanted to think..." Mikoto said between tears, continuing, "Don't leave me!... I want you by my side."

I could understand her, as it's very difficult for someone to share the person they love, and she must have been with the same thought.

After listening to her words, I raised her chin with one hand, making her look at me, and said, "Mikoto! Are you sure? If you accept, there's no turning back," I didn't look away and stared at her.

Mikoto looked at me and nodded, saying, "Yes."

When I heard her answer, I didn't hesitate anymore, I pulled her towards me and kissed her.

Mikoto instinctively closed her eyes when I kissed her, and this was going to be her first kiss.

I hugged her tighter and continued the kiss.

After a moment, I ended the kiss, moved back a bit, and started wiping her tears away, stroking her face, and said, "I also want you by my side."

"..." Mikoto nodded at me, and now she kissed me, and I kissed her back.

We finished the kiss, Mikoto's face was red, and she showed me a big smile, hugging me, resting her face on my chest.

I started stroking her hair while hugging her and said, "What happened to your knee?"

[Continued...]

After some time, I arrived at the meeting place, and I began to wait on the branch of the tree, gazing at the sky. I had already deactivated my transformation ability and concealment.

As I observed the sky, I sensed Kushina's presence approaching the location from afar. "It seems she came," I thought as I directed my gaze in her direction.

Kushina drew nearer to the meeting spot, her demeanor betraying a sense of nervousness. After a moment, she appeared, and upon seeing her, I approached. Her hair seemed somewhat disheveled, and she attempted to rectify it, evidently not wanting me to notice.

Without delay, I descended from the tree and approached her, meeting her gaze. She appeared somewhat vexed by something, though she attempted to conceal it upon seeing me.

"Hello, future husband, dattebane," Kushina greeted with a smile, attempting to mask her discomfort.

"Kushina... tell me, what happened?" I spoke with a serious tone, studying her carefully.

Kushina met my gaze, then clenched her fists, stating, "Some jerks... were insulting me because of my hair... and I gave them what they deserved, dattebane..." as she displayed her fist.

I approached Kushina without uttering a word, lifting her and settling her on the tree branch, positioning myself behind her.

Kushina glanced at me with uncertainty as I began to adjust her hair, and she too attempted to tidy her appearance.

"How did this happen?" I inquired calmly, aiming to avoid pressuring her as I continued to tend to her hair.

"I was on my way here when I was intercepted halfway by a group..." Kushina began.

"I recognized two of them, having confronted them previously, but this time, they brought their older brother..." Kushina continued.

"Their older brother... is a ninja... Those jerks thought I'd be scared... but I still punched him because he insulted my hair," Kushina stated boldly, displaying her fist without hesitation.

Upon hearing her account, I recalled a scene from the anime wherein Kushina was frequently taunted, and Minato would merely observe from a distance without intervening. "So, I'm in this timeline," I ruminated briefly before refocusing as Kushina spoke.

After a while, I arrived at the meeting place and began to wait on the tree branch, gazing at the sky. I had already deactivated my transformation and concealment abilities.

While observing the sky, I sensed Kushina's presence approaching from afar. "Seems like she's coming," I thought as I looked in her direction.

Kushina was nearing the meeting spot, and she seemed nervous. After a moment, she appeared. I glanced at her; her hair seemed a bit disheveled, and she tried to fix it discreetly, not wanting me to notice.

I immediately jumped from the tree and approached her. She seemed somewhat irritated by something, which she tried to conceal when she saw me.

"Hello, future husband, dattebane," Kushina said with a smile, attempting to hide her discomfort.

"Kushina... tell me, what happened?" I spoke with a serious tone, looking at her.

Kushina met my gaze, then clenched her fists, and said, "Some jerks... were insulting me because of my hair... so I gave them what they deserved, dattebane..." as she showed me her fist.

Without saying a word, I approached Kushina, lifted her, and brought her to sit on the tree branch, positioning myself behind her.

Kushina looked at me with uncertainty as I began to fix her hair, and she also attempted to tidy it up.

"How did this happen?" I asked calmly, not wanting to pressure her as I continued to fix her hair.

"I was on my way here when I was intercepted by a group halfway..." Kushina began.

"I recognized two of them, as I had fought them before, but this time, they brought their older brother..." Kushina said.

"Their older brother... is a ninja... Those jerks thought I'd be scared... but I still punched him because he insulted my hair," Kushina said bravely, showing me her fist and speaking without fear.

Upon hearing her words, I recalled a scene from the anime where Kushina was often teased, and Minato would just watch from afar without intervening. "So, I'm in this timeline," I thought before refocusing as Kushina spoke.

"Do you think my hair is awful?" Kushina asked with doubt, looking at me.

"Your hair is very beautiful... don't pay attention to them..." I spoke calmly, then continued, "Tell me, do you want to get revenge?"

Kushina smiled when she heard that her hair was beautiful, but when she heard the word "revenge," she seemed surprised and hesitant.

"Don't worry, it'll just be a prank on them, and they'll never bother you again..." I reassured her calmly as I noticed her hesitation.

"Okay!" Kushina said immediately, standing up as her hair was now fixed.

"Great!" I spoke calmly and took out a mask, putting it on. This mask was very different from the one I usually wear.

Kushina looked at me without saying a word, understanding that I was doing it to conceal my identity.

"Tell me, where did they go?" I asked calmly, thinking, "I hope they're close."

"That way, dattebane," Kushina said, pointing me in a specific direction.

When I looked in the direction she pointed, I touched the tree and sent out a pulse of chakra. After a moment, I could sense several presences in that area, which made me suspicious.

"Let's go... keep quiet until we get there," I whispered, carrying her in my arms as it was faster to travel with her.

Kushina nodded in agreement, fist bumping her palm in preparation for the fight.

At this moment, I utilized chakra cloak and concealment abilities, covering her with the skills, and headed toward that direction.

The plan was straightforward: Kushina would fight everyone, and I would be backup in case anything went wrong without anyone seeing me.

After a while, when we were close, I stopped as I sensed the presence of two low-level Jounin ninjas.

I signaled to Kushina to remain silent, and she simply nodded in response.

"It's good that she obeys," I thought as I looked at her.

The location of the group was well-hidden, and no one would come to this place.

"When I looked at the group, there were many children, and only one Chunin was beaten up, and I immediately knew it was because of Kushina. In this group, there were also two Jounin, and by the way they were dressed, I could recognize them as members of the Root organization.

'Two Root ninjas...' I thought as I looked at the group.

Kushina and I began to listen to the conversation.

"How is the mission going?" the Root ninja asked, looking at the Chunin.

"Sir, my brother has already spread the word to harass the outsider," the Chunin said, glancing at his brother.

"Yes, sir. Many of my friends are bothering that freak... we've told everyone not to talk to her," the younger brother of the Chunin said, pointing at all his companions.

All the children nodded in agreement and looked at the two Jounin.

When I heard their words, I immediately looked at Kushina, who was about to shout and rush forward. Immediately, I hugged her, covered her mouth, and gestured for her to stay calm.

Kushina's eyes reflected anger and rage; she looked at me angrily, and I signaled for her to keep listening. When Kushina calmed down a bit, we continued listening to the conversation, and we remained silent, me not letting go of her as a precaution.

After a while, the conversation ended, and everyone started to walk away. No one had discovered us.

I watched as they walked away, and I memorized their chakra signatures. No matter where they escape to, I will always find them. I thought, 'Revenge is a dish best served cold,' and now I had another reason to come to Konoha in the future.

Throughout all this time, I had been holding her, covering her mouth, as she wanted to go and hit them all.

When everyone was gone, I left that place with Kushina and returned to where I met her, and I released her.

Throughout the journey, Kushina only looked at me with anger and resentment.

"Why did you stop me from teaching them a lesson, dattebane?" Kushina said angrily, pointing her accusing finger at me.

"I sighed... What would you have done if I had let you go?" I asked calmly, not being upset with her.

"Of course, I would have punched them all, and no one else would have bothered me, dattebane," Kushina said as she bumped her fist against her palm.

"What then?" I asked, wanting her to understand the consequences.

"What then?... Nothing!... They wouldn't have bothered me anymore, dattebane," Kushina said, a little annoyed.

"Well, she's still a child, she hadn't realized the gravity of the situation... she still thinks like a child," I thought, speaking calmly. "Kushina, if the other party had found out that you knew about this mission... the consequences would have been worse, as they would have done even worse things."

When Kushina heard my words, she looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"How do I explain this to her," I thought, and I began to explain in detail everything that would happen if the other party found out.

When Kushina heard me, she looked sad because if the other party had found out, the harassment or bullying would have been worse, and it would have led to even worse things.

"So, what do I do?!" Kushina exclaimed, annoyed, as she now didn't know what to do.

"It's very simple... I'm going to teach you a method to defeat a man with just one blow, no matter what level he's at," I spoke calmly, as I wouldn't allow her to be hit.

When Kushina heard me, her eyes lit up, and she looked at me with joy, eager for me to continue.

"It's very simple, it's a kick in the middle of the legs... in the balls," I spoke calmly, and thought, 'Every man is going to curse me.'

Kushina was surprised and looked at the lower part of my body.

"Don't even think about it," I spoke immediately, as I didn't want to be the guinea pig.

Kushina looked away, seeming calmer, and said, "So, I can defend myself, then, dattebane."

"Of course!... I never said you couldn't defend yourself," I spoke calmly, and Kushina smiled at me.

I started to explain many methods she could use to defend herself so she would never be bothered again.

Kushina was cheerful as I explained, and she wanted to try it out the next day.

We started to chat as we watched the sunset, as it was about to begin.

As I watched the sunset, I thought, 'I would have liked to kill all those who are bothering Kushina, but they are not the ones responsible... Besides, if I kill someone from Konoha, this place will be more dangerous for me, as they will be searching for the culprit... And this could put Kushina and Mikoto in danger.'

I stopped thinking and looked at the sunset with Kushina, enjoying the moment. Kushina looked cheerful as she watched the sunset, her red hair shining in this setting.

When the sunset ended, Kushina stood up and began to clean up, then she looked at me. "Thank you, future husband... I'll come back tomorrow at the same time, dattebane," Kushina said with a smile on her face, looking calmer and more enthusiastic.

"Alright... I'll be here, future wife," I spoke calmly. Kushina jumped and hugged me, saying, "Thank you!"

When Kushina hugged me, I responded and caressed her hair, saying, "Goodbye, dattebane," as she pulled away.

"Goodbye," I spoke calmly, watching her walk away.

As I left the place, I headed back to where I was staying with Mikoto, and after a while, I arrived. When I entered the house, I found Mikoto cooking, wearing an apron, and she hurried to greet me.

"Welcome home, husband," Mikoto said with a smile and kissed me.

"I'm home," I spoke calmly as we parted from the kiss, still holding her in my arms.

"Come on, I've prepared some food for you," Mikoto said, taking my hand and leading me to the table.

Mikoto started serving the food, and we began to eat while chatting. When we finished eating and cleaning up, we headed to the roof to watch the stars.

After a long time, we both went to bed to rest, and Mikoto was still awake, lying in my arms as she looked at me.

When I saw Mikoto looking at me, I smiled at her, my hand holding her waist, pulling her closer to me. Mikoto snuggled into my arms, her face getting closer to mine, and she gave me a kiss.

While kissing Mikoto, my hand on her waist began to descend. Her clothing was very thin, and I could feel her skin and the warmth of her body. My hand trailed down to her soft, firm buttocks as I continued lowering it. When I touched her skin, I could feel her warmth, and as my hand moved upward, her dress rose as well. I reached her buttocks and began to touch them.

Mikoto's nightwear had ridden up to her waist as my hand kneaded her tender buttocks.

"Ahh..." Mikoto let out a moan as I pulled away from her, and she looked at me, then kissed me again.

I enjoyed seeing her flushed face and began to play with her.

After a while, Mikoto was in my arms, both of us covered with a blanket, and she had a beautiful smile as she slept.

When I felt Mikoto was asleep, I deactivated the Shadow Clones and retrieved the memories from the Wood Clones. I created a Wood Clone and sent it to watch over the house. Looking at Mikoto in my arms, she seemed very peaceful when she slept.

"My time is running out... I have to leave Konoha before December," I thought as I reflected, "The war is getting closer."

I wished this relaxed and peaceful atmosphere could last longer.

Unaware, I fell asleep while holding her.

Several days passed...

To be continued...