Kushina's hands were warm—far warmer than Tsukiko expected.
The moment the rat and cockroach were dealt with, the red-haired woman grabbed Tsukiko by both hands and pulled her straight onto the cleanest single sofa in the living room, not leaving even the smallest chance to refuse.
"Sit, sit! You have to rest for a bit!" Kushina said, still full of energy despite everything that had just happened. She set the frying pan down on the table with a hard clack, then bent to pick up a few scattered cushions. "You really saved me. That horrible rat nearly turned my kitchen upside down. If I had known it would be this troublesome, I would have sealed it in a jar and displayed it as a warning."
Tsukiko sat obediently, though her brain was already half-floating.
There was a faint fragrance in the air—something fresh and warm, like soap, sunlight, and a little bit of citrus. It clung to Kushina's clothes and lingered around the sofa.
Tsukiko took one secret breath.
Then another.
She immediately felt like her soul had been gently purified.
While keeping the most innocent expression she could manage, she let her gaze briefly drop toward Kushina's waist and lower abdomen.
Nothing.
Still flat.
No visible sign of pregnancy at all.
That made sense. Mikoto had only recently conceived, which meant Kushina probably had not gotten pregnant yet—or if she had, it was still far too early to show.
Tsukiko's mind began calculating at once.
"Good," she thought. "There's still time. Plenty of time."
That alone was enough to calm her heart. She had not arrived too late. The future had not yet locked itself into place. She still had room to move.
Before Tsukiko could think any further, Kushina returned from the cabinet carrying a plate decorated with the Uzumaki clan's whirlpool crest. On it sat several red bean daifuku, perfectly round and soft-looking.
She proudly held one up.
"These are homemade," Kushina announced. "They don't look fancy, but I promise they taste better than the ones sold outside."
Then, without hesitation, she brought it right to Tsukiko's mouth.
Tsukiko blinked.
For one glorious second, she almost forgot every mission, every tragedy, every carefully laid plan.
This was dangerous.
Far too dangerous.
"Thank you… Sister Kushina," Tsukiko said sweetly, choosing the form of address with deliberate precision.
Then she bit into the daifuku.
The texture was soft, springy, and sweet without being too heavy. The filling practically melted. Tsukiko's eyes immediately curved into crescents.
"It's delicious!" she said honestly. "Better than anything from the shops."
Kushina lit up at once.
"See? I knew it!" She put her hands on her hips with a proud grin. "Minato always says it's too sweet, but that just means he has no taste. You can come eat them anytime. I'll make more."
Tsukiko nearly wanted to salute.
This was not just a good first impression.
This was a successful infiltration into the inner circle of the Hokage's household.
No—better than that.
This was the beginning of trust.
The moment stretched warmly between them, but then Tsukiko's eyes caught movement under the coffee table.
A dark shape.
Fast.
Low to the floor.
Her face froze.
A cockroach.
Worse, it was one of those ugly ones with wings.
Tsukiko swallowed the rest of the daifuku in one quick gulp and sat upright.
"Don't move!" she shouted suddenly.
Kushina, who had just started lowering herself onto the sofa opposite, jumped so hard she nearly collided with the armrest.
"W-What is it?" she asked, already reaching for the frying pan again.
Tsukiko pointed beneath the table with a grave expression.
"There's a cockroach."
There was a full second of silence.
Then Kushina let out a shriek so sharp it could have cut glass.
In one movement she abandoned all dignity, leaped onto the back of the sofa like a terrified cat, and clung to the cushions with a face gone pale.
"Kill it!" she cried. "Please kill it! Rats are one thing, but I hate these! They fly!"
Tsukiko stared up at her.
It was difficult to believe that this trembling woman was the same fiery Kushina Uzumaki who could flatten people with sheer force of personality.
Still, Tsukiko could hardly complain. This was another perfect chance to show off.
"Leave it to me," she said calmly, rising to her feet.
This time, instead of a slipper, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a simple elastic hair tie. It looked harmless, almost silly.
But with Sharingan-enhanced sight, even something that small became a weapon.
Her pupils sharpened.
In her vision, the cockroach's movements slowed. Every twitch of its legs, every flutter of its wings, every tiny shift in direction became obvious.
Tsukiko narrowed her eyes and flicked the elastic.
The rubber band snapped through the air.
Pop.
The cockroach was hit dead on and launched into the wall.
It slid down in complete silence.
Done.
Tsukiko lowered her hand and blew lightly across her fingers, trying not to look too smug.
Behind her, Kushina slowly peeked over the top of the sofa. When she confirmed the creature had truly stopped moving, she let out a long breath of relief.
Then she jumped down and rushed forward.
"Tsukiko!" she cried.
Before Tsukiko could react, Kushina wrapped both arms around her in a tight hug.
"You're my savior!"
Tsukiko froze.
Completely froze.
Kushina's embrace was strong, warm, and very, very soft. Her cheek was pressed against Tsukiko's face, and that clean, sweet scent surrounded her from all sides.
For a moment, Tsukiko's mind went entirely blank.
The blood rushed straight to her face so fast that her cheeks turned bright red.
"S-Sister Kushina…" she mumbled weakly, her voice muffled by the embrace.
Her hands hovered helplessly in midair, unsure where to go. In the end, she very cautiously rested them against Kushina's waist, as though touching something precious and dangerous at the same time.
Warm.
Alive.
Comforting.
Tsukiko felt half her brain short-circuit on the spot.
In her heart, she offered a silent apology to the unborn Naruto.
"Sorry, little guy," she thought solemnly. "Your mother is just too kind. This is not my fault."
Kushina, entirely unaware of the emotional catastrophe she was causing, pulled back at last and cupped Tsukiko's face in both hands.
Her blue eyes were bright with gratitude.
"Tell me," she said, smiling broadly. "What reward do you want? Since you helped me this much, I have to repay you."
Tsukiko blinked rapidly, trying to force herself back into proper thinking.
This was not the time to be overwhelmed.
This was the time to secure her long-term access.
She lowered her head a little and softened her voice.
"Actually… I really like the snacks you make," she said shyly. "And I like how peaceful it feels here. It's nice."
It was a perfect answer.
Sweet, harmless, and impossible for someone like Kushina to resist.
Sure enough, Kushina's whole expression melted.
"Oh, you sweet child," she said warmly. "Then come here whenever you want. After Minato became Hokage, he's always buried in work. I get bored by myself anyway."
She stood up suddenly as though struck by inspiration.
"Wait here."
A moment later she returned from the entryway with a spare key attached to a tiny red pepper charm.
She placed it directly in Tsukiko's palm.
"Take this."
Tsukiko stared.
A spare key.
To the Hokage's house.
It took all of her strength not to gasp aloud.
"Is that really alright?" she asked, still pretending to hesitate. "Wouldn't I be troubling you too much?"
"Nonsense," Kushina said immediately. "You're practically family now. From today on, you are our special little security officer."
Tsukiko closed her fingers around the key and felt something almost heavy settle into her chest.
This was not just convenience.
It was trust.
And trust was far more valuable than any mission reward.
As if responding to that thought, the system chimed inside her head.
[D-Rank Mission Completed: Clean the Fourth Hokage's Residence]
[Reward: Minor improvement in chakra control]
[Bonus Title Obtained: Kushina's Close Friend]
Tsukiko nearly laughed. Of all things, the title was what delighted her most.
A few seconds later, the sound of a key turning came from the front door.
Then a familiar gentle voice drifted inside.
"I'm home. Kushina, why is it so loud in here? And… why does the house smell like battle?"
The door opened.
Minato Namikaze stepped in, carrying a small bag from a convenience shop. His blond hair caught the light, and although he looked tired, his smile still carried that easy warmth that made it obvious why so many people trusted him.
Then he saw Tsukiko standing in the living room with a Military Police armband, a forehead protector, and a key to his house.
He stopped.
For a brief second, even the future Fourth Hokage looked confused.
Kushina brightened immediately and waved him over.
"Minato, perfect timing! This is Tsukiko. She saved me from a rat and a cockroach. If she hadn't shown up, you would have come home to a disaster!"
Minato's eyes moved from Kushina to Tsukiko, then to the still slightly overturned cushions, then back again.
At last, he smiled with mild amusement.
"I see," he said. "Then we really owe you a great deal."
Tsukiko straightened immediately and gave the most official salute her little body could manage.
"Intern Tsukiko Uchiha, reporting to Hokage-sama!" she announced. "I was assigned here to… catch rats."
Minato blinked once.
Then he laughed.
The sound was easy and genuine, instantly relaxing the room.
"No need to be so formal," he said, stepping closer and resting a hand lightly on her head. "If Kushina likes you that much, then you can think of this place as your own home too. Though I do have to admit, sending an Uchiha prodigy to handle pests feels like a very unusual use of talent."
Tsukiko shook her head firmly.
"No mission is small if it protects peace in the village," she declared with a straight face. Then, after a tiny pause, she added, "And Sister Kushina's daifuku is excellent."
Kushina burst out laughing.
Minato's smile deepened.
"Then we'll have to rely on you in the future, Tsukiko-chan."
When Tsukiko finally left the Hokage residence that evening, the sky had already darkened into deep blue. The streetlights along the road cast gentle yellow pools of light across the ground.
She held the red-pepper key in her hand and stared at it under the lamp glow.
Then she grinned.
"This," she whispered to herself, "is a VIP pass to the peak of life."
Before leaving, Kushina had packed a whole bundle of fresh daifuku for her to take home. Tsukiko carried them proudly all the way back to the Uchiha compound, where her adoptive father was waiting in the living room.
Iwao looked up as she entered and immediately noticed both the package and her expression.
"…That came from the Hokage's house?" he asked slowly.
"What do you mean, 'that came from'?" Tsukiko said, offended. "Sister Kushina gave it to me herself."
She puffed out her chest.
"Even the Hokage praised me."
Iwao stared at her for a long moment, then shook his head with a helpless sigh. Still, he did not look unhappy. For the Uchiha clan, being on good terms with the Hokage's family was not something to complain about.
And so, a new routine quietly formed.
Every morning, Tsukiko would appear at the Military Police station, sign in like a proper intern, and look just responsible enough to keep people from asking too many questions.
Then she would wander off to the Hokage residence under one excuse or another.
Reporting on neighborhood security.
Helping Lady Kushina with "household defense."
Inspecting suspicious pantry activity.
At first, some of the older members of the Military Police complained that she was clearly just finding excuses to stay close to the Hokage's household.
But Tsukiko was an Uchiha child prodigy who had already awakened the Sharingan at six, and after a few demonstrations of her absurd accuracy and reflexes, most of them decided it was simpler to pretend not to notice.
Besides, no one wanted to pick a fight with a little girl adored by Kushina Uzumaki.
Time passed quickly after that.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned into two full months.
And Tsukiko's relationship with the Hokage's family grew naturally, steadily, and without strain. She ate snacks with Kushina, listened to her complain about Minato's workaholic habits, and learned the rhythm of the house so well that she could tell from the front step whether Minato had slept at home the previous night.
Then one winter afternoon, shortly before the New Year, Tsukiko opened the door with her spare key as usual and called out brightly:
"Sister Kushina! I'm here! I even brought watermelon—"
She stopped halfway into the entryway.
The house was unusually quiet.
Not sad.
Not tense.
Just… heavy in a different way.
Minato was crouched beside the sofa holding a cup of warm water, and the expression on his face was so openly nervous and delighted that he no longer looked like the brilliant Hokage feared across the ninja world. He looked like an ordinary young husband whose heart had just been turned upside down.
Kushina sat on the sofa with one hand resting over her abdomen.
There was no visible bump yet, but something about her had changed. A softness. A glow. A stillness beneath her usual fiery energy.
Tsukiko's breath caught.
She knew.
Even before either of them spoke, she knew.
The countdown had begun.
Minato noticed her first and stood with an awkward smile.
"Tsukiko-chan," he said. "We have good news."
Kushina turned toward her and beckoned excitedly.
"Come here! Quickly!"
Tsukiko put down the watermelon and ran forward on cue, letting her surprise show across her face.
"What happened?"
Kushina took her hand and pressed it gently against her own stomach.
"I'm pregnant," she said, eyes shining. "The doctor confirmed it."
For a moment, Tsukiko said nothing.
Her hand rested there, over the place where the future had just begun to gather itself.
Uzumaki Naruto.
The boy who would shake the entire ninja world.
The child whose birth would be tied to one of the worst nights in Konoha's history.
Inside Tsukiko's chest, something tightened.
October 10.
The night of blood, fire, chaos, and loss.
That terrible clock had begun ticking.
But on the surface, she smiled brightly.
"That's wonderful!" she said, and this time there was no falsehood in it at all. "That's the best news ever! Have you picked a name yet?"
Minato and Kushina exchanged a warm glance.
"If it's a boy," Minato said softly, "we want to name him Naruto."
Tsukiko gave an immediate thumbs-up.
"That's an amazing name. Strong and bright. Then from now on, I'm officially Naruto's big sister, right? I'll protect him."
Kushina laughed and pinched her cheek.
"Alright then, Officer Tsukiko. Naruto will be under your protection."
Everyone was smiling.
But deep inside Tsukiko's eyes, a colder light flickered.
She had accepted their trust. She had entered this house. She had been welcomed like family.
That meant one thing.
She would not let that night happen the same way.
Not if she could stop it.
Not if she had to tear fate apart with her own hands.
After a brief pause, Tsukiko tilted her head and asked, in the most casual tone she could manage:
"Brother Minato… since Sister Kushina is pregnant now, shouldn't security around the house be stronger? Just in case?"
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Minato looked at her, then at Kushina, and the warm ease in his face became slightly more thoughtful.
"You're right," he said slowly. "I was already planning to make some arrangements."
Tsukiko nodded as though satisfied, though her heart was already racing ahead.
Good.
That was enough for today.
A seed had been planted.
The future had begun moving.
And so had she.
Standing there between Minato and Kushina, with the warmth of home around her and the weight of coming tragedy already pressing at the edges of time, Uchiha Tsukiko made a quiet promise to herself.
When the night of the Nine-Tails came, she would be ready.