Hearing this, Minato felt a warm sensation in his heart. During the three months since he arrived on the battlefield, his spirit had been in a constant state of high tension, never allowing himself a moment to relax. He knew that any lapse on the battlefield could lead to irreversible consequences.
But when he heard Mikoto's familiar voice, Minato's tense mood eased slightly. Although Suki was also an old acquaintance, the bond between him and Mikoto was naturally much stronger.
Since entering the ninja academy, the two had been close friends. Later, when Kushina transferred in, the three of them became inseparable, attending classes and practicing together.
When he saw Mikoto, Minato seemed momentarily dazed, recalling the lively and active girl who was always around Mikoto—the person he cared about most.
"Long time no see," Minato responded with a smile.
Mikoto smiled softly and said, "You've had a hard time these days, haven't you?"
Among the people around them, Mikoto's gaze toward Minato was the most normal. Clearly, as a friend, she was more concerned about his well-being than his growing reputation. She herself wasn't one for fighting, so the war was particularly difficult for Mikoto, going against her nature.
"It's been tough, but I'm managing. How about you?" Minato paused and asked slowly.
Mikoto understood what he meant and smiled. "I'm doing well. Thanks to your efforts on the front lines, the village has remained peaceful."
Minato felt relieved, but then Mikoto changed the subject. "Kushina asked me to tell you something, but it's not convenient to say it here."
Mikoto glanced around, noting the many eyes on them. It was clear that many were observing Minato.
Upon hearing this, Minato's expression brightened, and he said, "Let's find a more private spot."
The two of them then left under the watchful eyes of the crowd. After walking for several minutes, Minato and Mikoto finally found a secluded place. After all, the dense forest was currently housing more than 2,000 people.
"After I left, did Kushina get into any trouble?" Minato asked after they stopped.
"With her personality, how could she not?" Mikoto laughed and said, "The last time the reinforcements came to the Land of Rain, she knocked out a Chunin and used the Transformation Jutsu to impersonate him, but she was caught by the Anbu."
"The village elders didn't punish her, did they?" Minato frowned slightly. Kushina's behavior clearly violated some of the village's rules, given her special status. Not only Sandaime, but the other Konoha elders were also closely monitoring her as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"No, she was just given a stern talking-to by Sandaime Hokage," Mikoto replied. Minato nodded, relieved that Sandaime had managed to keep the situation under control.
"She wasn't upset with me, was she?" Minato asked, now worried about Kushina's feelings.
Mikoto frowned and asked, "Why would you think that?"
"I left without saying goodbye and didn't tell her I was going to the battlefield," Minato said, his lips tightly pressed together.
"Yes, she was angry about that," Mikoto replied seriously.
Minato's face instantly turned somber.
"Pfft." Mikoto couldn't help but laugh at his expression.
"Minato, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but despite your amazing talent in training and ninjutsu, you're really slow when it comes to understanding some things."
Minato was taken aback.
"When you went to the battlefield, even though you left without saying goodbye, when Kushina found out, she wasn't in the mood to blame you. She was only worried about your safety. It seems you really don't understand how girls think," Mikoto said with a mix of teasing and concern.
Sometimes, Mikoto thought Minato could be a bit dense.
"It's my fault for making her worry," Minato muttered to himself.
"As ninjas, we naturally have to follow the village's orders, and it's not a bad thing that you went to the battlefield. On the contrary, you saved many of our comrades. For that, Kushina is very proud of you, even happier than if she had done it herself," Mikoto said with a smile. If Minato hadn't come to the battlefield, Konoha might not have achieved such a complete victory.
That's what she had heard from Kushina.
"But you've kept a lot of things from us. I never knew you were so strong," Mikoto added with a sigh. After all, they were the same age, yet Minato was already capable of defeating Jonin from enemy nations.
Jonin are the backbone of any ninja village and represent the first step into the ranks of the truly strong in the ninja world. Minato had taken that step without anyone noticing.
"Hehe," Minato chuckled awkwardly, not wanting to dwell on the topic. His expression turned slightly impatient as he asked, "What exactly did Kushina ask you to tell me?"
Mikoto's eyes curved slightly as she heard this. She didn't want to tease Minato further and reached into the pouch of ninja tools behind her.
Then, she extended her hand in front of Minato, revealing an object that made him pause. It was the hairpin he had bought on the street in the Hotspring Ninja Village and given to Kushina. For over a year, Minato had never seen Kushina take it off.
"This is it." Mikoto placed the hairpin in Minato's palm, gently closing his hand around it.
"Kushina asked me to tell you that she will stay in the village and fulfill the promise between you two. She will wait for you to return and then help her put the hairpin on again," Mikoto said, looking at Minato with a slightly playful smile, knowing full well the depth of his relationship with Kushina.
Staring at the hairpin in his hand, Minato seemed to see the face of the determined girl waiting for him in Konoha Village. He slowly closed his hand around the hairpin, holding it as if he could feel Kushina's presence through it. His azure-blue eyes gazed in the direction of Konoha.
"By the way, what's the promise between you two? How come I don't know?" Mikoto asked curiously. Although she wasn't usually nosy, she was quite interested in the progress between the two.
Minato smiled at her question but didn't answer. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes and thought to himself.
"Kushina, I will do my best to protect the village and our comrades. I will return to the village safely and then tie your hair with my own hands and help you put on this hairpin."
"I promised we'd be together forever. This time, no one will take her away from me!"
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