The sunlight crept across my face, warm enough to pull me out of sleep. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness… and that's when I felt her.
Soft breaths against my chest. Warm arms loosely wrapped around me. Wild red hair spilling over my neck.
Kushina.
Sometime during the night she'd curled up on top of me, again, cheek resting right over my heartbeat like she belonged there. Her hair was everywhere — warm, ticklish, and honestly adorable. The memory of last night's kiss drifted back, and a smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it.
I brushed my thumb gently along her cheek. "Kushina," I whispered, voice soft, "wake up."
Her eyelids fluttered open, hazy and unfocused. She stretched like a sleepy cat, arms rising above her head and back arching, her pajama top sliding up just enough to reveal a smooth line of her stomach.
And then she realized she was sitting right on top of me.
Her eyes went wide, and her face turned bright red. "W-Wah—Ryo!!"
Before she could scramble away, I sat up, and she slipped naturally into my lap, hands gripping my shoulders to steady herself. Her flustered stare was priceless.
"Good morning," I murmured with a smile.
I leaned in and kissed her — slow, warm, lingering. She melted instantly, fingers curling into my shirt before she hid her face in my chest.
"…too smooth… you're way too smooth in the morning…" she mumbled.
I laughed quietly and held her close. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just soaking in the warmth of each other.
Eventually she pulled away, cheeks glowing. "I—I'll go freshen up first."
"Go ahead," I said.
She grabbed a towel and slipped into my bathroom like she'd already claimed it. When the door shut behind her, I stretched lazily and waited for the sound of the water stopping before I got up to get ready myself.
By the time I finished washing up and headed downstairs, the smell of fresh coffee drifted through the house.
Kushina stood at the counter, pouring into a familiar cup — my cup. Her damp hair clung to her neck, catching the morning light beautifully. She looked up when she heard my footsteps.
For a moment she didn't speak — just cradled her mug and gave me that soft, shy smile only I ever saw.
"I made you coffee," she murmured.
I stepped closer until I could feel her warmth. "If you keep waking up beside me and doing things like this…" I leaned in slightly, "…I might get used to it."
Her cheeks flushed pink. "M-Maybe… that's not such a bad thing."
The morning felt lighter immediately.
I sipped the coffee — perfect, exactly the way I liked it — and she tried to hide her smile behind her hair. I brushed my fingers along her wrist.
"Come on," I said. "Let's make breakfast before Tsunade shows up and steals everything."
Kushina snorted. "She totally would."
We moved into the kitchen, falling into our natural rhythm — me rinsing the cup, her gathering ingredients. Every now and then our hands brushed, and she stiffened for a heartbeat before continuing. I flicked her forehead gently.
"Relax."
"You're doing this on purpose," she muttered.
"Me? Never," I said, innocence dripping from my voice.
Between us, breakfast came together easily — rice, eggs, miso soup, grilled fish. Warm, simple, homey.
And right on cue, the front door opened.
Tsunade walked in like she owned the place, hair messy, eyes half-open, shirt crooked. "Morning," she mumbled.
"Morning, Tsunade. You're right on schedule," I said, leaning against the counter.
She grunted — which was her version of a greeting — and plopped down at the table.
Breakfast was lively. Kushina stole bites from my plate, I flicked her hand away, Tsunade laughing at the chaos, sunlight filtering through the windows like it was blessing the morning.
After we finished, I packed four bentos — three for the girls, one for Tsunade. Kushina tied them neatly, adjusting her hair between folds.
I handed her the three boxes. "One for you, one for Mikoto, one for Tsume."
She smiled warmly. "They'll love it. Thanks, Ryo."
Tsunade took her portion with a huff that didn't match the quiet smile hidden behind her mask of annoyance.
We saw them off — Kushina bouncing down the path, Tsunade pretending not to care — and once the door closed, the house felt still again. Peaceful. Perfect.
Then a faint chakra ripple brushed my senses.
An ANBU appeared in front of me, silent as a shadow. "Heaven Fist," he said. "Team Fang has a new mission. Report immediately." He vanished a moment later.
Duty called.
I made one quick sweep of the house, ensuring everything was secure, then headed for the academy. Walking those halls again felt… different. Familiar, yet distant now. Memories clung to every corner — childhood laughter, training matches, late-night studying — but now I walked here as someone with responsibilities far beyond these walls.
Class hadn't started yet. When I slid open the door, Kushina, Mikoto, and Tsume looked up instantly. The sunlight framed them like a scene from a memory — Kushina with her bright eyes, Mikoto poised and serene, Tsume restless and alert.
"Gotta go to work," I said softly.
Their eyes widened in immediate concern.
Mikoto rose first. She stepped close, brushed her hair behind her ear, and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Come back safe," she whispered.
Tsume followed, pressing her cheek lightly to mine before giving her own kiss. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"
I smiled. "I'll be back. Promise."
Then Kushina stood, walked straight toward me, and pulled me down into a real kiss — warm, bold, and full of emotion.
"Come back safe," she murmured, hands resting on my chest.
Mikoto and Tsume froze, stunned, but I only smiled and brushed my hand over Kushina's cheek. "I promise."
I handed her the house key. "Just in case, I am late."
Her fingers curled around it tightly.
With one last reassuring nod to all three of them, I body-flickered away, some travelling later reappearing at the base of the cliff where the ANBU hideout lay hidden.
The moment I stepped inside, the quiet hum of the underground base settled around me. Passing through the verification seals felt almost natural now — layers of chakra brushing against mine as doors unlocked one after another.
I entered the changing room, removed my casual clothes, and slipped into the sleeveless ANBU uniform. The fabric fit perfectly — light, flexible, durable. My mask waited in the locker. I held it briefly before placing it over my face. The world sharpened. My senses aligned.
Heaven Fist stepped forward.
Walking into the briefing room, I was greeted by the familiar presence of Team Fang. Tiger lifted a hand. "Heaven Fist. Hope your day off actually felt like a day off."
Raven tilted her head. "He looks too awake. Probably trained all night."
Hawk snorted. "If he trained all night, he'd look worse than you."
Serpent leaned back casually. "Good to have you back. We missed our walking disaster."
Their banter settled around me like a warm cloak. Even in ANBU, bonds meant something.
White Fang entered moments later, mission scroll in hand. His calm presence filled the room. "Team Fang," he said warmly, "let's begin."
He unrolled the scroll. "A small team of rogue ninja's has appeared in the Land of Rivers. Small, but fast. Gathering supplies and scouting territories. We cannot let them grow."
Tiger nodded. "These types relocate the moment they sense danger."
Raven added, "Observe first. Don't alert them."
White Fang continued assigning roles. Hawk and Serpent on perimeter. Tiger and Raven mid-range. Then he looked at me.
"Heaven Fist — infiltration and tracking. Move unseen. Leave no trace."
"Understood," I said simply.
Hawk muttered, "Try to stay hidden, kid. This is an infiltration mission."
Serpent chuckled. "He probably won't."
White Fang tapped the scroll once. "Prepare. We depart in thirty minutes."
As the team moved to gather equipment, I stood still for a moment. Images of earlier floated through my mind — Kushina's shy morning smile, Mikoto's gentle touch, Tsume's fierce worry.
Their warmth didn't pull me away from this world, It grounded me in it, Strengthened me, Centered me.
With that quiet resolve settling in my chest, I turned toward the mission ahead. Time to move.
(A/N): And that's a wrap for this chapter! Hope you enjoyed the mix of fluff and mission buildup. See you all in the next one!