Land of Demons, Miko's Palace.
"Are you really going to leave Kushina there?" Miroku asked curiously as she helped Shishou tidy his clothes.
"Her identity is too special. If she appeared in Konoha, it would cause a big stir, so for now, she should stay in the barrier," Shishou replied casually, looking at himself in the mirror. "I will go and have her teach the Uzumaki sealing techniques to Eri later."
"That way, Eri can learn the true sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan, and you can observe as well."
With his current strength, Shishou didn't think much of the Uzumaki sealing techniques. However, they would be perfect gifts for Eri and Miroku. This way, Uzumaki Eri would have a valuable skill of her own, and Miko Miroku could further her expertise in sealing techniques by learning from the Uzumaki methods.
"I don't think that's appropriate. After all, those are Uzumaki clan techniques. It's one thing to give them to Eri, but giving them to me seems improper," Miroku said, although she was indeed curious about the differences between the Uzumaki and Miko sealing techniques.
Shishou lifted Miroku's chin, kissed her, and laughed as he embraced her. "You agreed to teach Eri the sealing techniques when I asked, didn't you?"
"Besides, Eri is also from the Uzumaki clan. She has the right to teach you the Uzumaki sealing techniques."
Miko Miroku leaned into Shishou's embrace. "I taught her because of you," she said softly.
"Then let Eri teach you because of me," Shishou shrugged.
"Alright, I'll listen to you," Miroku said with a smile.
"I'll go check on that little spitfire," Shishou said.
Miko Miroku glared at Shishou, "Don't call Kushina-san that."
"I'll listen to you," Shishou said indifferently.
"Behave yourself!" Miroku playfully threatened, making a mock move to hit him, causing Shishou to flee with a laugh. Watching him leave, Miroku chuckled softly and walked out of the bedroom to find Uzumaki Eri, intending to inform her about Kushina.
...
In the basement.
Kushina lay sprawled inside a bottle, staring blankly at the ceiling light. "Why hasn't that jerk come back yet?" she muttered. "Is he fooling around with Miko Miroku?" She couldn't help but start to worry. "Has he really abandoned me?"
Feeling her small body, Kushina suddenly sat up, examining herself. "That's right, I'm so small now. He can't possibly do anything to me," she reasoned. "Maybe I should agree to him, so I can see Naruto."
Kushina talked to herself, considering her options. If Shishou wanted to harm her, it wouldn't matter whether she agreed or not. She felt a pang of dejection. She had always been one of the strongest among her peers, and this was the first time she felt so powerless.
Swoosh!
Shishou's figure appeared in the basement. Seeing him, Kushina's emotions were conflicted. The Flying Thunder God technique was her husband's signature move.
Shishou walked to the desk, opened a ramen box, and placed a bowl beside the bottle Kushina was in. "Here, eat up," he said. "It's Ichiraku Ramen. You probably haven't had it in a while, right?"
"Naruto loves Ichiraku Ramen, but he's so poor he can't afford it," Shishou added. Of course, Naruto wasn't actually that poor, but Shishou wanted to make Naruto's situation sound as dire as possible to weaken Kushina's resistance.
Kushina sat inside the bottle, feeling her heart ache at the thought of Naruto being unable to afford ramen. This only strengthened her resolve to see him and fulfill her duties as a mother.
After a period of silence, Kushina asked the question that had been weighing on her mind. "Can you tell me where you learned the Flying Thunder God technique?"
Flying Thunder God was the Fourth Hokage's signature move, so Kushina wanted to know the truth.
Shishou slurped a mouthful of ramen and replied indistinctly, "Your husband taught me."
Kushina was stunned and angrily shouted, "That's impossible, absolutely impossible! You must be lying!"
Her husband was dead, sealed in the stomach of the Death God. There was no way he could teach someone the Flying Thunder God technique.
Shishou continued eating his ramen without saying a word, merely giving Kushina a glance. Kushina suddenly remembered her first encounter with Shishou and started to doubt herself. She found it hard to believe that anyone could master the complex Flying Thunder God technique in such a short time unless they were a prodigious genius.
As Kushina was lost in thought, Shishou pulled out a small jade bottle, removed the stopper, and a familiar chakra began to emanate from it.
"That's Nine-Tails' chakra!" Kushina exclaimed, standing up in the bottle, stunned.
"Yes, it's the Yin half of the Nine-Tails from the Fourth Hokage's body," Shishou explained, shaking the bottle slightly. "Hey, Yin Nine-Tails, come out and see your old friend."
As he spoke, the bottle's mouth began to emit a bright, fox-like spirit.
The thumb-sized spirit of Yin Nine-Tails appeared at the bottle's opening, looking displeased. Its chakra had been almost entirely consumed by Shishou's Phosphorescent Insects, leaving it extremely weak. It had no choice but to comply with Shishou's demands, transforming into a smaller version of itself.
"Long time no see, Kushina," the Yin Nine-Tails said emotionlessly.
Kushina stared at the tiny fox spirit, stunned and speechless. She couldn't believe the proud Nine-Tails would appear in such a state.
"Yin Nine-Tails, why do you look like this?" Kushina asked in shock.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 530+ at patreon.com/Betek.