Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 168: I Love You Too
"You can do it, Kushina," said Raiken, trying to cheer up his sister.
"Brother, how did you know about Minato?" asked Kushina, looking at him with a deadpan expression.
"He is my disciple, of course I know about him," said Raiken with a smirk.
"That was not my question," said Kushina, glaring at him.
"I have known he likes you for a long time," replied Raiken.
"What, since when?" Kushina eyes went wide.
"Since he first asked me to become his teacher," said Raiken, looking straight at his younger sister. "Every time you came along to train, his eyes would light up without fail. Did you never notice the way he looked at you?"
"I..." Kushina lost her words for a moment, her mind drifting back through the years, replaying small moments she had never paid close enough attention to at the time.
"Kushina, even I noticed the way he looked at you," added Mikoto gently. "And I can say with certainty that Minato really does like you."
"Sister," murmured Kushina, genuinely touched.
"So if you both like each other, then just get married and do not do anything improper before the wedding," said Raiken. "I will sponsor the whole thing."
"Brotherrrrrrr," Kushina swung her fist toward him but her hand was caught mid-swing before it could land anywhere. Raiken grip held firm without effort and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it, which somehow made it worse.
"Do not delay your answer," said Raiken, releasing her hand and looking at her seriously. "Minato is popular and both of you are jonin and adults now, do not wait so long that someone else stops waiting for you."
"I... ok, brother," said Kushina after a moment, giving a small but genuine nod.
Uzumaki Itsuki, who had been sitting quietly through the entire exchange watching his parents and his aunt with wide and very attentive eyes, turned back to his food with the expression of someone who had just learned something important about the world.
'Women are scary,' thought Itsuki.
...
10 AM - TRAINING GROUND
Minato was surprised to see Kushina standing alone at the training ground. Although he had already noticed his teacher hiding nearby, he pretended not to.
'Thank you, sensei,' thought Minato.
Earlier that morning Raiken had called him to the playground without giving much explanation. Minato didn't know what his teacher meant, but he went anyway, and when he arrived and saw Kushina standing there alone, he understood immediately.
Minato took a deep breath and walked toward her.
Meanwhile, Raiken and Mikoto hid nearby, watching the whole thing unfold.
"Look husband, Minato is walking toward her," said Mikoto, barely containing her excitement.
"Yes, but keep your voice down," replied Raiken.
"I know but I cannot help it," whispered Mikoto, watching the two of them with the focused intensity of someone who had been waiting for this episode of a drama to air for a very long time.
Raiken, knowing there was no realistic way to keep his wife quiet through willpower alone, quietly activated a seal he had planted in the area earlier. The seal would block any sound from escaping their position while simultaneously amplifying the conversation happening between Minato and Kushina so they could hear every word clearly.
Their presence vanished entirely after that, erased well enough that neither Minato nor Kushina would be able to detect them even if they looked directly at the spot.
It was then that Raiken noticed Itsuki standing just beside them, calmly eating a stick of dango with the expression of someone who had been there for a while and saw no reason to announce himself.
"Itsuki, since when have you been here?" said Raiken.
Mikoto turned and stared at her son, equally surprised.
"I have been here with you since the beginning, Dad," said Itsuki, his cheeks going slightly red as he realized his parents had genuinely not noticed him following them the entire way here.
Raiken and Mikoto looked at each other before both of them let out a quiet laugh.
"Alright," said Raiken, ruffling his son hair once. "Stay quiet and listen to your aunt's conversation."
Itsuki nodded seriously, took another bite of his dango and turned his full attention toward the two figures standing in the middle of the training ground.
...
"Minato, did you really mean what you said yesterday?" asked Kushina, her voice become quieter than usual.
"I meant it with every bone and drop of blood in my body," replied Minato, holding her gaze without flinching.
"You....." Kushina cheeks turned red, nearly matching the colour of her hair, and for a moment she looked away before remembering what her brother had said to her that morning. She pulled herself together, lifted her chin, and looked back at him directly. "If you really mean it then send a matchmaker to my family."
Minato blinked, his mind taking a moment to catch up with what she had just said.
"Does that mean you are accepting my feelings?" he asked slowly.
"Idiot, I love you too," said Kushina, her cheeks going even redder as the words came out.
For a moment, everything became silent before Minato smiled. "Really... Kushina," said Minato, and suddenly Raiken and Mikoto revealed themselves.
"Yes, we have a new brother in law," said Raiken, immediately throwing his arm around Minato shoulders with a grin that made clear he had been looking forward to this moment for some time.
"Congratulations Kushina," added Mikoto warmly, pulling her sister in law into a hug
Itsuki, meanwhile, held dango in one hand and looked at his aunt happily.
"Brother, sister," said Kushina, "I noticed your chakra had disappeared earlier and I thought you had used the Teleportation jutsu to give me space." She looked at Raiken with an expression that caught him off guard. "You were there the whole time, weren't you."
Raiken, hearing his sister question him, just made a dumb face and didn't answer Kushina.
"Sensei," said Minato, also looking at Raiken.
Raiken leaned slightly toward Minato and lowered his voice just enough for him to heard.
"Do not touch my sister until after you are married," he whispered.
After that his smile returned then in his normal voice he continued, "Now, when is the wedding? Do not worry about the cost because I am covering everything. Do not even think about arguing with me on that."
Minato opened his mouth.
"I said do not argue," said Raiken.
Minato closed his mouth.
Kushina covered her face with both hands and made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a laugh. At the same time, Mikoto smiled beside her, and Itsuki finished the last of his dango with the satisfaction of someone who had witnessed something worth remembering.
...
Author Notes: There are 30 advanced chapters, and every support on my Patreon will help me write more chapters.
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