Minato Namikaze returned home to find Miyuki Uzumaki bustling around the kitchen, preparing dinner. A smile warmed his face.
"I'm home," he said softly.
Miyuki turned, returning his smile. "Welcome back. Dinner's almost ready. Just a little longer. Did the Third call you in for a mission?"
Minato shook his head. "No mission. The Third… he wants me to be the Fourth Hokage."
Miyuki froze, staring at him.
"Miyuki?" Minato waved a hand in front of her face. "What's wrong?"
She gasped. "AH!" The apron came off in a flash as she bolted for the door.
"Miyuki? Where are you going?"
"I need to buy more groceries! We're celebrating!"
Minato chuckled, shaking his head, and followed her out. "I'll come with you."
…
At Qianyu's home.
Kushina Uzumaki stared at the dining table. It was covered, dish after dish looking like it came from a high-end restaurant.
Her jaw was practically on the floor. "Qianyu… you made all this?"
Kakashi's visible eye was wide with disbelief. He'd seen his sensei cook on the battlefield. That food was… functional. Edible fuel. It had no presentation, no flavor to speak of.
But this? The colors, the aromas… this was a feast.
Qianyu smiled, nodding. "Of course I did. You just always take over the kitchen, Kushina. Never gave me a chance to show off."
Then, without the smile leaving his face, he knocked Kakashi on the head. "And wipe that look off your face. You think I'm going to whip up a gourmet meal when we're starving in a warzone?"
Kakashi rubbed his head, pouting as he shot Qianyu an unhappy glare. Unfair. Why did Kushina get a gentle answer? He didn't even say anything! He just looked surprised and got hit for it.
Kushina couldn't wait. She grabbed her chopsticks, snatched a piece of food, and popped it in her mouth.
Her eyes lit up. "Mmm! This is amazing!"
"Then eat as much as you want," Qianyu said, his smile softening as he watched her.
Thump. Kushina playfully punched his arm. "Seriously! You hid this skill from me? I always thought you couldn't cook!"
Qianyu kept smiling, though his face paled slightly. Damn her Uzumaki strength. That was definitely going to bruise.
Kushina and Kakashi dug in with gusto. Qianyu just watched her, a gentle smile never leaving his face. Her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's.
She noticed he wasn't eating. Swallowing, she tilted her head, looking utterly adorable. "Mmf? Qianyu, why aren't you eating?"
He took a breath and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Kushina," he said. "Let's get married."
Kushina blinked, still chewing. "Mm? Oh, okay… this 'marry' dish is…"
Then it hit her.
Her eyes shot wide. She choked, her face flushing red as she pounded her chest.
Kakashi, across the table, coughed violently, slapping a hand over his mouth.
At first, Qianyu thought she was just flustered. Then he realized—she was actually choking. He quickly patted her back.
Finally, she managed to swallow. She grabbed his arm, her gaze intense and burning. "Qianyu. What did you just say? Say it again. Please."
He placed his hands on her shoulders. His voice was steady, clear, filled with a certainty that left no room for doubt.
"We've been together for over a decade. The only woman I see in my future… is you. So, will you marry me?"
Kushina's lips trembled. Tears welled in her eyes, shimmering but not falling. She looked at his face, at the man she'd loved since they were children.
"I will," she whispered. Then, louder, a promise: "I will!"
She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, and cried. Great, heaving sobs.
Qianyu held her, gently stroking her back. "Hey… this is a happy thing. Why the tears?"
"They're happy tears!" she insisted, her voice muffled against his shirt. She rubbed her face against him, leaving a damp patch. "Stupid…"
He chuckled, resting his chin on top of her head.
Kakashi watched them with dead-fish eyes.
So, this was his life now. He came for dinner and got a front-row seat to their love story instead.
He looked at the feast on the table. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry anymore.
…
After the newly-engaged couple finished their moment, they started planning.
Qianyu mentioned he'd asked Orochimaru to officiate.
Kushina nodded eagerly. "Lord Orochimaru is your sensei. He's an elder to us both. I'd be honored if he did it."
They moved on to the guest list, where a problem quickly became apparent. Between the two of them, their circle of friends was… small. Very small. They couldn't even scrape together ten people.
Kushina finally looked around. "Huh? Where's Kakashi?"
Qianyu glanced at the empty seat, equally puzzled. "He was just here…"
…
Kakashi was walking down a quiet Konoha street, a deep scowl on his face.
He went for a meal and ended up a third wheel. If he'd known, he would've eaten his fill before all this started.
…
Orochimaru's Lab.
Danzō Shimura had found him and delivered the news.
"This plays right into Hiruzen's hands!" Danzō fumed.
Orochimaru didn't look up from his experiment, his hands moving with practiced precision. "The Third's intention was always to use Minato as a puppet. Teacher and student, controlling Konoha together."
Having already heard Qianyu's analysis, Orochimaru felt nothing. No surprise, no disappointment. The position of Hokage held little appeal for him now. This was merely an opportunity to use Danzō.
"With this kind of leadership, Konoha has no future!" Danzō spat.
Orochimaru finally turned. A slow, cold smile curved his lips. "It's too early to give up, Danzō. Once this research succeeds, seizing power in Konoha will be child's play. And for that goal… we can prepare to use more forceful methods, if necessary."
The research. The cells of Hashirama Senju.
Danzō's face was a thundercloud. "When the time is ripe, we will spare no means. But that time is not now."
Konoha's eternal weakness was the Nine-Tails, sealed within its walls. With the First Hokage's death, the art of Wood Release—the perfect counter to tailed beasts—was lost. Hiruzen and Danzō had poured the village's resources into researching Hashirama's cells, desperate to reclaim that power.
Volunteers died. Dozens of them. The project became a black stain, sealed away by a guilt-ridden Hiruzen.
Orochimaru wanted to reopen it. Danzō should have been ecstatic. His support should have been immediate.
'Not yet.'
The words gave Orochimaru pause. A flicker of genuine curiosity cut through his cold calculation.
Why the hesitation now?
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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