"Ah!! Why?! I wanted to sleep a little longer!!"
Soon enough, a wail echoed from Nawaki's room, and Takashi, busy washing and cutting meat, chuckled.
With a little sister like Kushina, Nawaki's frustration was inevitable.
He couldn't bear to hit her, nor could he scold her, and most importantly, there was no guarantee he could even win a fight against her.
Despite being a few years older than Kushina, Nawaki's chances in a real tussle were still uncertain.
Never underestimate Kushina just because of her age.
Under the guidance of Takashi and Tsunade, the power of the little Red Hot-Blooded Habanero was definitely beyond what her original counterpart was capable of at this age.
"Why doesn't my sister have to work?"
Nawaki sat on a small stool, looking dejected as he slowly skewered the meat on bamboo sticks.
Now that was a real soul-searching question.
Takashi smiled and asked, "Are you sure you want to know why your sister doesn't have to work?"
What could be wrong with that?
Nawaki paused for a moment, then nodded without thinking.
Takashi promptly turned towards the staircase and shouted:
"Tsunade, Nawaki says you should come downstairs and help out!!"
"..."
Are you serious?
Is it not enough that my sister already hits me hard enough?
Nawaki was stunned, left clutching a piece of meat in one hand and a bamboo skewer in the other, utterly confused.
"No, wait!! Bro, I'm calling you brother here, don't shout again! My sister will kill me. She's been in a bad mood since last night—let her sleep a little longer, I'll do all her work!"
Driven by survival instincts, Nawaki leapt up and pleaded with Takashi to stop yelling.
If Tsunade were woken up, the unlucky one would undoubtedly be him.
How could you be so mean!
You called my sister down to work, and even used my name.
"You said it, not me. I'm not forcing you."
"No, no, I mean it—this is all on me, nothing to do with you," Nawaki forced out an awkward smile.
Takashi was laughing inside.
You think you can slack off? Let's see if I let you get away with it.
With the fear of being beaten by his sister looming, Nawaki had no choice but to buckle down and finish the rest of the work.
Once everything was nearly ready, Kushina returned with her friends.
"Takashi, I'm back!"
Kushina burst happily into the living room, followed by three others.
First was Uchiha Mikoto, the white moonlight in Nawaki's heart. Next was a blonde-haired Namikaze Minato, a shy but sunny boy. And third—
Wait, who brought Hinata Hyuga to my house?
Seeing the girl's appearance, Takashi was shocked.
And he understood why Kushina had warned him not to be mad at this friend.
Because she, like him, was from the Hyuga clan, and the girl—who looked ninety percent like Hinata—was actually from the main family!
She resembled Hinata so much and was also a member of the main branch... Could it be that this girl would grow up to be the future clan leader's wife, or perhaps Hinata's mother?
"Hello, senior, I am Uchiha Mikoto."
Of the three, the blonde-haired boy gave an embarrassed smile, scratching his head repeatedly, while Hyuga Miho looked at Takashi with a complicated gaze.
It was Uchiha Mikoto, the little prodigy of her clan, who introduced herself gracefully.
"Hello, I'm Hyuga Takashi, a friend of Kushina's—basically her older brother. Welcome to our home," Takashi said, smiling as he invited them to sit down, while Kushina happily ran off to fetch some drinks.
Once they were seated, Takashi observed Hyuga Miho, whose forehead bore no Caged Bird seal.
She looked so much like Hinata. It was uncanny.
But what was the Hyuga clan thinking, allowing someone from the main family to befriend Kushina like this—not just at school, but even visiting her home.
The Third Hokage and his advisors weren't usually this lenient.
"Ha~~~ Hey there."
Tsunade, having just woken up, yawned as she greeted the guests. She gave Takashi a look, making a circular gesture with her hand.
Takashi suddenly understood.
The elders council group were difficult to deal with, and were particularly adamant that Kushina shouldn't have private contact with people deemed sensitive, like those from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.
But with Danzo Shimura still in an ANBU prison cell, and Akimichi Torifu forced to step up as Hokage's advisor, things had shifted. Torifu, representing the Ino-Shika-Cho and some of the neutral shinobi clans, was aligned with Tsunade.
With Torifu brokering peace in the middle, and no Danzo Shimura to stir up trouble, the Third Hokage, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado weren't in any position to target Kushina.
Without Danzo to charge in headfirst and take the blame, the Third Hokage and others simply couldn't bring these matters to the surface.
So, Kushina had more freedom than ever before. Apart from not being allowed to leave the village, there were no other restrictions—even regarding making friends.
Since the Hokage's office had no objections, the Hyuga clan certainly wouldn't interfere.
They were even eager for Hyuga Miho to get closer to Kushina, given Tsunade had her back.
The Hyuga clan desperately needed a powerful ally to stand with them.
"You're from the main family branch, right?"
Uchiha Mikoto was poised and graceful, unfazed by the surroundings.
The blond-haired boy wasn't particularly shy either and quickly started chatting with Nawaki.
Only Hyuga Miho sat quietly on the couch, looking restrained.
So Takashi decided to talk to her first.
"Yes, senior."
Hyuga Miho stood up quickly, showing none of the arrogance or prejudice typical of a Hyuga from the main family.
Of course, with Tsunade present, even someone from the Hyuga main branch couldn't act arrogant.
"No need to be nervous. I told Kushina that her friends are my friends as well. Besides, we are from the same clan, so just think of it as visiting a friend's house. Relax."
"Mm."
Hyuga Miho nodded shyly, her pale skin gradually turning red.
It might be a bloodline trait, but Hyuga clan members tended to have fairer skin than most. When they were emotionally stirred or embarrassed, blushing was quite noticeable.
Tsk, not only does she look so much like Hinata, but even her personality is so similar—blushing at the slightest thing.
"Nawaki, come help out."
After greeting everyone, Takashi called for Nawaki.
"Senior, let me help too."
Compared to the reluctant Nawaki, the blonde-haired boy had a strong sense of propriety. Without Takashi even needing to ask, Minato offered to help.
With Namikaze Minato already helping, Nawaki had no choice but to follow along obediently.
Seeing the two—one tall and one short, one with a bright smile and the other looking miserable—Takashi couldn't help but think to himself, no wonder this little blonde-haired kid became the Fourth Hokage.
It's true what they say: those who smile often are blessed with good fortune.
But Nawaki, you really need to watch yourself. You lost your life to a single explosive tag—such a small thing, yet it cost you everything.