Karin subconsciously raised her hand and lightly patted her already flushed cheeks a few times, trying to calm herself down.
Ever since Rengoku returned to Konoha this afternoon until now, although less than ten hours had passed in total, to Karin, this stretch of time felt like a beautiful dream.
She took a deep breath, steadied herself, then reached out and pushed the door open.
The moment she stepped inside, a sweet fragrance greeted her.
It turned out Kasui was in the kitchen alone, busy making delicate and delicious pastries.
Ever since she came to live in Konoha with Karin, Kasui had finally escaped her tragic past.
No longer serving as a tool for others to draw blood from.
Normally, if Orochimaru's laboratory needed extra hands, she would go help out;
But if there wasn't anything urgent, she would stay home peacefully and carefully prepare all kinds of tasty sweets.
Anyway, no matter how many pastries she and Karin made, the two of them would always finish them all in the end.
This kind of simple yet warm life was exactly what Kasui had once dreamed of.
Because of that, she treasured every moment of her current days. To her, each day now was filled with endless happiness and contentment.
"Mom!"
Karin hurried over, covering the distance in just a few quick steps, and came right up behind Kasui.
She wrapped her arms tightly around Kasui's waist and gently rested her head on her mother's warm shoulder.
"Have you eaten yet?", Kasui asked softly.
At the same time, she calmly placed the freshly steamed glutinous rice flour onto the board.
Then, with ease, she added just the right amount of osmanthus syrup and crystal-white sugar, kneading it repeatedly and gently through a layer of cloth.
Right now, Kasui was making a delicate snack called crystal cake, which was quite time-consuming to prepare.
Since the mother and daughter didn't always come home at fixed times, most of the time they chose to eat at the Uchiha clan's private dining hall.
"Mm…", Just as Karin was racking her brain trying to figure out how to answer her mother, Kasui suddenly twitched her small nose slightly, and in an instant, a rich hot pot scent came rushing in.
"So you went to eat hot pot."
Kasui said with a smile.
Hearing that, Karin couldn't help giggling, "That's right, Shishou came back, and this time he treated all of us."
Kasui's busy hands suddenly paused. Then she turned around and looked deeply at Karin.
All this time, Karin had practically stayed by Rengoku's side day and night.
As her mother, how could Kasui not understand those delicate feelings hidden in Karin's heart?
It was just that back then, Karin had still been young and not fully mature, so Kasui had been unsure whether she could hold onto those feelings for long.
So at first, Kasui hadn't tried to stop her.
In fact, before this, she had repeatedly considered whether she should persuade Karin to let go. However, Karin was extremely stubborn. Once she made up her mind about something, it was hard to change it.
With no other choice, Kasui had given up on that thought, figuring that time would gradually wash away the deep attachment in Karin's heart.
Who would have thought that five whole years would pass in the blink of an eye, and Karin wouldn't waver even a little?
And now, Rengoku had suddenly returned without any warning, leaving Kasui's emotions extremely complicated.
On one hand, she felt happy for Karin, since from now on, Karin wouldn't have to stay alone in that basement day after day.
But on the other hand, she couldn't help but worry. Someone as outstanding and powerful as Rengoku, would he really accept Karin?
Kasui looked at Karin with concern, hesitating as she spoke, "Then the clan leader… um."
The words reached her lips, but she didn't know how to ask. After all, both she and Karin already understood these matters clearly, they had just never talked about them openly.
At that moment, Karin lowered her head slightly. Her cheeks turned red, and she looked a bit shy as she softly said, "I'm already dating Shishou."
Hearing this, Kasui's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief as she blurted out, "Really?"
Karin's face instantly flushed bright red, her shyness obvious, but she still nodded firmly.
Seeing this, Kasui froze for a moment, then came back to herself and smiled with relief, repeatedly saying, "Good… good…"
Standing there, Kasui was so emotional that she didn't know how to express her joy and relief. She could only keep repeating "good, good."
Many years had passed since she came to this clan, and whether it was Rengoku's unique personality or his astonishing abilities, he stood at the very peak of the ninja world.
Now that she knew her daughter could be with someone as outstanding as him, Kasui naturally felt both happy and deeply reassured.
"Mm," Kasui frowned slightly, falling into a long moment of thought.
She thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out what to say to Karin.
After all, Karin had grown up under Rengoku's care. As for how the two of them should get along, it seemed like no one else needed to teach them.
After thinking it through carefully, Kasui finally decided not to interfere in the matters between these two young people.
So she stepped forward gently, pulled Karin into her arms, and softly patted her back as she said, "Then just be together in the way that makes you both happy."
Hearing her mother's warm words, Karin's eyes grew slightly moist, and she replied softly, "Thank you, Mom."
Actually, in her earlier years, Karin had once had some conflicts with her mother.
Back then, she felt her mother was too weak and submissive, never knowing how to resist unfairness.
But as she grew older and gained more experience, Karin gradually came to understand the choices her mother had made.
Back then, the reason her mother endured everything was simply to find a place to settle down so their family could survive.
Even being forced to serve as a blood source for others had been something she had no choice about.
After all, in that dangerous ninja world, without the protection of a powerful force, it was easy to die without anyone ever knowing why.
Fortunately, Rengoku had stepped in to save them, allowing the mother and daughter to escape their predicament and start a new life.
Thinking of this, Karin's gratitude toward Rengoku surged like a rising tide.
And her love, like flowers blooming in spring, quietly spread and grew in her heart, deepening even more without her realizing it.
"Go get some rest early, Karin. I'll probably need a bit more time to finish here."
Kasui said with a gentle smile, waving her hand lightly to signal Karin to go to sleep.
At that moment, she was focused on the crystal-clear, fragrant crystal cake in her hands.
Karin nodded obediently.
"Got it, Mom. Don't work yourself too hard, and remember to rest early too."
With that, she turned and walked toward her room, without any intention of staying to help.
Because she knew that for her mother, Kasui, making these delicate pastries wasn't just a simple task.
It was also a way to relax her mind, a moment to enjoy life and find happiness.
So Karin chose to respect her mother's hobby and didn't disturb her in that peaceful, happy time.
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