The quiet of the house greeted Kūga and Reifū as they stepped inside, the familiar warmth of home settling around them.
Just as they removed their shoes, a door down the hall creaked open, and Kenta stepped out, his hair still damp, a few droplets clinging to his forehead. He looked up, blinking in surprise before his face broke into a wide grin.
"Kūga!" Kenta called, walking over with an eager step. "Thanks for saving me back then. I seriously thought my head was going to be chopped off," he added, a hint of gratitude lingering in his tone.
Kūga gave him a casual nod, his expression calm but warm. "No problem," he replied. Then, with a raised brow, he added, "But you didn't go soft on your training, did you?"
"Never!" Kenta replied quickly, a spark of pride lighting up his eyes. "Reifū and I spar every day. I can even beat her sometimes."
At this, Reifū let out a scoff, flashing Kenta a playful grin. "Oh yeah?" she said, crossing her arms. "Then let's test that right now."
Kenta took a step forward, his competitive streak already showing, but before he could say more as Kūga shook his head, chuckling.
"Easy now," he said, holding up a hand. "It's been too long since I've been home. How about I cook something instead?"
The tension dropped, and Reifū and Kenta exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement.
"Fine," Reifū said, sighing with mock reluctance. She glanced at the pantry door and then at Kūga. "Anything you need, just let me know. I stocked up on beef rib, salmon, and some cuts of chicken after I got paid from the last deployment."
She nudged Kenta, who nodded, adding, "And I chipped in too... we got a bit of everything."
Kūga raised an eyebrow as he made his way to the kitchen. "Must've been a good payout," he commented, noticing a new set of polished knives on the counter. He picked one up, admiring the weight and sharpness. "Fancy."
Behind him, Reifū and Kenta shared a grin but kept quiet, each clearly pleased with their contributions.
Kūga rolled up his sleeves and got to work, choosing a thick cut of ribeye for each of them. He seasoned the meat with a light coating of salt and pepper, massaging it in before setting a cast-iron pan over the fire. A satisfying sizzle could be heard as he placed the steaks on the heated pan, letting the fat render and sear until a golden crust formed.
As the meat cooked, Kūga moved on to the potatoes, peeling and boiling them in a pot until they were soft. He drained them, adding a generous lump of butter and a splash of milk before mashing them into a creamy, fluffy consistency. A dash of salt, and they were perfect.
While Kūga focused on the cooking, Reifū set out the plates and utensils, with Kenta helping her arrange everything neatly on the table. Before long, the meal was ready, and Kūga carried the plates over, setting one down in front of each of them.
.
They ate together, laughter and chatter filling the room. As they settled in, Kenta's eyes drifted to Reifū's hand, and he froze, noticing something glinting on her finger.
"Reifū, what's that?" he asked, his brows furrowing with curiosity.
Reifū glanced down, her cheeks flushing as she smiled, a soft, almost shy look crossing her face. "It's a gift," she replied, her fingers brushing over the ring lightly. "From Kūga."
Kenta nodded, studying it closely. "A gift?" he echoed, still looking puzzled. "What's it mean?"
Reifū glanced at Kūga, who gave her an encouraging nod. She smiled back at Kenta, a gentle pride shining in her eyes. "It means…" she paused, savoring the words before continuing, "that Kūga and I are going to get married."
Kenta's expression didn't change at first; he simply blinked, taking in her words. He was about to reach for his fork again, his mind slowly piecing it together, when he stopped mid-motion. His eyes went wide, his gaze snapping back to Reifū.
"Wait—married? As in… married?"
Kūga laughed, reaching over to ruffle Kenta's hair. "Yes, Kenta," he said, his voice warm. "Married."
Kenta broke into a grin, his surprise melting into excitement. "That's… that's incredible!" He looked between them, his smile growing wider. "When did this happen? How come I'm the last to know?"
Reifū chuckled, giving Kenta a playful nudge. "It happened just earlier today, actually. But you're the first to know."
Kenta shook his head, still beaming. "Well, congratulations! I mean… wow. Does this mean I'll have to start calling you 'sister-in-law' now?"
Kūga laughed, and Reifū grinned, the warmth of the moment filling the room as they all settled back into their meal, each one savoring the newfound joy around the table.
.
The breeze was calm, carrying a gentle warmth as Hashirama and Kūga stood atop the Hokage Tower, waiting. The sun cast a soft glow over the village below, setting a peaceful backdrop for the meeting.
Moments later, Mito Uzumaki approached, her footsteps light yet purposeful.
She gave Kūga a long, measuring look before her lips curled in a sly smile. "So this is the man who whispered fear to the Raikage's ear," she said, raising an eyebrow. "And you've been a bad influence on my husband, I see. He didn't even think to visit me when you guys arrived from Land of Iron."
Kūga met her gaze, a grin spreading across his face as he chuckled, his amusement easy and genuine. "I'd say I'm innocent, but I'm guessing that wouldn't work here."
Mito joined in his laughter before her tone turned sincere. "Well, thank you for that. Kumo has been trying to kidnap Uzumaki children for a while now, looking for any way to wield our sealing jutsu for themselves." She inclined her head in appreciation. "Due to you, they may have to busy themselves first."
"No problem." Kūga gave her a simple nod and smiled, his response casual but kind.
Mito's eyes lingered on him thoughtfully. "Tell me," she began, tilting her head, "I'm curious about your power. I'd love to see it firsthand, especially after all the stories I've heard."
"Now, dear…" Hashirama stiffened slightly, his usual relaxed demeanor breaking. "We wouldn't want the disappearance of Konoha, would we?"
Mito chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, relax. I only want to see its nature, not watch him do what he did to those Kumo nins. Besides, I'd like to compare it to my chakra chains."
Hashirama let out a relieved sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
Kūga, meanwhile, smirked and nodded, turning his gaze toward Mito.
"Sure," he agreed, raising his hand. "No harm in showing a little to my friend's wife."
As Mito and Hashirama looked on, Kūga lifted his hand and gathered a small amount of Aether energy, focusing it in his palm. To anyone watching, it would seem as if Kūga's hand was simply raised, his expression calm, but there was no visible energy or movement.
Mito squinted, glancing around, clearly puzzled. "So… where is the energy?"
Kūga chuckled. "My power's called Aether. What I've conjured here is its purest form," he explained smoothly, letting the concept sink in. "It's not visible to the eye, and you won't sense it either. It exists beyond regular chakra... no feeling, no sign."
The two stood silent, intrigued, and Kūga decided to elaborate. "But if I merge it with an element, that changes."
With a flick of his wrist, a small flame sparked in midair, hovering where the Aether had been. The fire flickered and danced with intensity, shifting and shaping itself without any visible source.
"This is Aether combined with fire," Kūga stated, his tone even. "It's similar to a fire technique but not dependent on chakra."
He gave it a moment, then raised his hand slightly, and the flame faded.
Almost immediately, a sphere of water took its place, floating gently in the air, suspended by invisible threads of energy.
"Water," Kūga murmured, watching Mito's eyes widen as she absorbed the display. He held the water for a few seconds before shifting it again.
Next came a small patch of earth, tiny stones and dust particles forming a miniature landscape in his palm before he allowed it to dissipate. A current of wind followed, swirling in a focused, controlled vortex.
"Wind," Kūga said, giving it a slight push to emphasize the fluid control he wielded over each form.
He then summoned a flicker of lightning, the crackling energy striking in controlled bursts between his fingers. "and Lightning."
Hashirama wasn't surprised by this as he experienced how Kūga fights first-hand alongside Madara, Kūga would shoot barrages of different elements that took different shapes like nothing.
However, Mito's usually composed face held a hint of astonishment. She totally couldn't feel any chakra emitted from the side of the white-haired.
Kūga paused, his gaze flicking between them. "Then there's this," he continued, focusing the Aether energy into a darker, more concentrated form.
The air seemed to ripple around it as if space itself were bending under the pressure of his control.
"This is void energy," Kūga explained, his voice calm. "It's a force that disrupts the stability of things around it."
As he allowed the void energy to dissipate, he looked up at them with a faint smile. "Aether isn't just about elements. It can bend reality. Change the way things exist."
He gave them a moment, letting them absorb this idea. "And it doesn't stop there. I can also create basic chemical elements like hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen... but creating and controlling them is another matter."
Kūga could see Mito's expression shifting from fascination to slight embarrassment as her gaze dropped, her cheeks tinted pink.
She cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "I… I admit I only understood up until you said 'chemical elements'."
Kūga glanced at Hashirama, who was scratching his head in confusion, clearly no better off in understanding.
With a sigh, Kūga chuckled to himself. His mind drifted briefly to his past life, where such knowledge had been commonplace. Here, though, it seemed the complexities of chemical science were foreign concepts.
Before he could continue, Mito's voice broke through his thoughts. "So… with all that in mind, how did you get so strong?" She paused, searching his face for answers.
"Hashirama told me he's never seen you practicing ninjutsu or taijutsu. Every time you spar, it's like there's always a new technique."
Hashirama nodded in agreement, a look of curiosity crossing his face. "Even Madara and I have no clue how you do it. You're always surprising us."
Kūga paused, his eyes drifting skyward as he hummed thoughtfully. After a few moments, he simply shrugged, a faint smirk on his lips.
"It's hard to explain," he said, sounding almost as if he were teasing. "Maybe my brain's just that special?"
Mito's face fell to a neutral expression, a small sigh escaping her as she realized he wasn't going to give a proper answer.
Hashirama let out a laugh, shrugging as well.
"Don't even try to understand him, dear," Hashirama said, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "Madara and I have known Kūga for nearly a decade, and we're still in the dark. Maybe he really is just… special." Hashirama chuckled. "Even Madara admitted that much."
Kūga let out a quiet laugh, his gaze shifting back to the village below, his calm and mysterious presence as steady as ever.
.
Kūga turned his head slightly, giving Mito a curious glance. "So… how did you and Reifū get to know each other?" he asked. "It surprised me, honestly, seeing her hanging out with Uzushio's princess."
A few small veins appeared on Mito's forehead, but she kept her smile steady. "You think I can't make friends just because I'm a princess?" she replied, crossing her arms. "What kind of logic is that?"
Kūga laughed, raising his hands in mock defense. "As I said, I'm just surprised, that's all."
Mito chuckled, then sighed, softening as she recalled the memory.
"Well, we actually met back when you and Hashirama were off at the Kage Summit. I'd been wandering around the village one day when I heard sparring sounds coming from a house nearby. I tried to open the gates to check it out but couldn't; there was some barrier there that even I couldn't understand."
She gave a small shrug, clearly still perplexed. "So, I improvised. Made a floating seal to lift me a few meters up and took my time watching them."
She grinned as she continued. "Eventually, they noticed me. Reifū was the one who approached, and I think she was more confused than anything. Meanwhile, the red-headed kid, who I thought was an Uzumaki at first, just kept training. They were both polite, though. When I introduced myself as Hashirama's wife, I half-expected a bow... but Reifū didn't, which was a relief. And, well, we hit it off after that. Practically best friends!"
Kūga, who'd been listening with a raised brow, murmured, "I never asked for the whole story…" but smiled, giving Mito a nod. "I'm glad Reifū has a friend here. I was worried for her."
Mito's expression softened. "Well… I'm even more grateful you brought her to this village. Thanks to her, I finally have someone to rant to when Hashi-baka here forgets I exist!" she said, throwing a quick, playful glare at Hashirama.
Hashirama rubbed the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly.
"Sorry, dear…"