It was nearly dark, and the matches inside the arena were still ongoing. After giving a few instructions to Team One's captain, Shimizu turned and left without delay.
He hadn't forgotten—once the matches ended, Orochimaru would come looking for him again.
Fortunately, his relationship with Minato was currently in its "honeymoon phase."
Using a close friend as a shield wasn't too much, right?
So from then until nightfall, Shimizu stayed at Minato's house, chatting idly.
His sudden visit caught Minato off guard. And when Uzumaki Kushina heard about it, she immediately came over as well.
The feeling was almost as if she had finally seized an opportunity…
At dinner time, Kushina enthusiastically prepared her favorite dish for the two of them.
A bowl of ramen—an incredibly salty one.
Kushina finished her entire bowl at lightning speed—broth, vegetables, everything.
Minato, meanwhile, happily ate every bite of the "loving dinner" his girlfriend had made for him…
Aren't they both sensory ninja? Shouldn't their taste buds be more sensitive to salt?!
Shimizu took a deep breath and forced himself to swallow every strand of noodle. And why weren't there even any tomatoes?
"How is it, Shimizu-kun?"
From Kushina's bright blue eyes, Shimizu saw pure expectation.
"…It's alright," he said. Then, fearing his hesitation might be misunderstood, he quickly added against his conscience, "The fact that I finished it proves it's good."
"See! I knew Shimizu-kun was a great friend!" Kushina gave Shimizu a hard smack on his left shoulder.
That really hurt…
Why do all of you have the same habit of slapping the exact same spot...
His left hand was his dominant hand, though almost no one knew that. However, Shimizu suddenly realized that both Minato and Kushina had blue eyes; it was no wonder Naruto's eyes would be a brilliant sky-blue.
Wait, how would someone manage to kick Minato out of the picture and stay with Kushina to ensure Naruto was still born...?
Hey, hey, what am I thinking about...
He reined in his wandering thoughts.
"Calling you Shimizu-kun feels too distant. I'll call you Shimizu. You can just call me Kushina," she said with a bright smile.
"Sure."
"Minato, what's wrong with you? If Shimizu was coming over, you should've told me earlier! I didn't have enough ingredients today to prepare a proper feast for you two!"
A very salty feast? I think I'll pass.
"No need to be so formal. A bowl of ramen like this is already great."
Minato looked slightly embarrassed. His relationship with Shimizu had only improved in the past few days—how could he have expected such a sudden visit? He hadn't received any notice either.
Still, Shimizu's behavior today was unusual. Was something going on?
"Shimizu, how did your mission go today?" Minato tried to steer the conversation toward their shared assignment.
"I didn't really intervene much. I think Team One's captain has solid management and command skills, so I let him handle it."
Usually, a new official starts off with a bang to show authority. This transmigrator, however, had gone straight to being a "hands-off" boss. Was he really not afraid of being fired?
"Huh? Then Lord Hokage's side..." Minato felt Shimizu was somewhat failing the Third Hokage's trust. How could he be so perfunctory with his mission, even if it was just a simple one?
"Lord Hokage trusts me, and I trust my team leader."
"..."
He's clearly slacking, yet he says it with such righteousness.
"Minato, how are your preparations? Tomorrow's the final round of the Chūnin Exams, right?"
"I've arranged everything. There won't be any problems."
"I originally thought it'd be fine too, but let me give you a heads-up. Today, in the Forest of Death, one genin went missing."
"Missing?" ×2
Minato was surprised. Kushina looked worried.
"We couldn't find him. Civilian ninja. Thirteen years old. Here's his photo."
Shimizu handed over a graduation photo of a clean-cut young boy.
"There were no signs of intrusion, no witnesses, no clues. It's as if he vanished into thin air."
"Like that Earth Release incident that night?" Minato frowned deeply.
"I can't say for sure… but it's strange. I've already reported it to the Hokage."
Originally, Shimizu had intended to subtly direct suspicion toward Orochimaru—just to cause him a little trouble and make the snake calm down for a while.
But when the words reached his lips, Shimizu reconsidered.
Using this as leverage against Orochimaru—keeping it as a backup card—seemed more practical.
Even without solid evidence, he was fairly certain Orochimaru was responsible.
First, Orochimaru had a track record in the original storyline—multiple disappearances of Konoha ninja, even ANBU members later on.
Second, Orochimaru himself had appeared in the Forest of Death today.
"I'll increase patrols tomorrow," Minato said seriously. He seemed to assume that Shimizu's sudden visit had been specifically to warn him about this.
Shimizu glanced at the sky. Night had deepened.
"It's about time... I should head back and leave you two to your private world."
Kushina smiled. "Shimizu, come over more often!"
Minato added gently, "You're always welcome."
"When are you getting married?" Shimizu suddenly asked as he turned back.
Instantly, the usually bold and carefree Kushina flushed bright red, clearly unprepared for such a direct question.
Minato gave a shy smile. "Soon…"
"Knowing Minato, you'll probably have a son."
If a female Naruto were born... or twins or something... The mental image was too strange to continue.
As Shimizu's thoughts wandered, Minato replied awkwardly, "Either is fine with me..." He turned to look at Kushina.
Kushina's face was now a deep, ripe red. She shouted back, "I don't want a son! What if he's another airhead?!"
"Am I supposed to take care of a pair of airheaded father and son for the rest of my life? I'd be exhausted! No way, absolutely not!"
"..." Both men fell silent.
"Shimizu, you don't even have a girlfriend, do you? And you're already thinking about this?" Kushina attempted to change the subject.
"...I'm going."
Body Flicker Technique!
"He's fast. Faster than usual," Minato remarked.
…
…
…
After leaving Minato's house, Shimizu went to stand in front of the Hokage Rock for a long while before finally returning home near midnight.
Maybe being force-fed that much couple affection had left him inexplicably a little down.
"Uzuki-kun, you didn't come to see me after your mission ended as promised…" Orochimaru's voice carried faint displeasure.
He had just opened his door—the man had been waiting for him.
"Ah, sorry, sorry… Truly sorry, Orochimaru-senpai. Minato suddenly asked for my advice on security arrangements for the final round tomorrow, so we ended up discussing the details rather late."
Orochimaru's vertical golden pupils narrowed slightly. His voice was low.
"Is that so… Then perhaps Uzuki-kun can accompany me to the laboratory now?"
"But I'm really quite tired and would like to rest… And at this hour, if the patrolling ANBU discover us, it wouldn't look good."
"There's someone capable of discovering our movements? You are 'Shunshin Shimizu.'"
"Konoha's defenses are nearly at wartime levels now…" Shimizu felt he should add something substantial to caution Orochimaru. "And with the Third Kazekage's letter just stolen, at such a sensitive time, if anything else were to happen… I'm afraid…"
"…Very well. I'll come find you tomorrow morning." Orochimaru slowly withdrew.
"Understood, Orochimaru-senpai."
Though Shimizu knew Orochimaru was unlikely to use force outright, being scrutinized so intently by someone of that caliber—
That sensation of every hair standing on end—
Death.
Yes, the tangible brush of mortal danger.
Under the moonlight, the shadows stretched long and cold—chilling to the bone.