"No, let me explain..."
Kushina's already flushed cheeks became even redder after hearing Uchiha Mikoto's words.
"Aren't you living together?" Uchiha Mikoto asked with a slightly narrowed and skeptical gaze, as if she had discovered some big secret.
"Not really..." Kushina shook her head repeatedly, instantly feeling a sense of panic rushing over her. She quickly said, "It's not what you imagine!"
"What do you imagine?" Uchiha Mikoto said meaningfully, giving Kushina a significant look.
"Oh no!" Kushina stomped her foot at that moment, realizing that she was only making matters worse, making the atmosphere even more awkward.
"Then it must be as I imagined!" Uchiha Mikoto giggled.
"No! It's really not! You misunderstood!" Kushina waved her hands frantically, her mind quickly organizing the words to explain.
However...
Uchiha Mikoto didn't seem to have any intention of letting Kushina explain.
Not because she was being aggressive.
Not because she wanted to embarrass Kushina.
And certainly not because she was deliberately prying.
Only she knew...
She was using this approach to avoid the awkwardness that had just occurred. The situation just now was too awkward. Her cute and pink outfit was completely exposed to that boy's gaze.
To the point that she dared not look into that boy's eyes now.
So, she kept diverting the topic towards Kushina.
This way, she could pretend that nothing had happened just now.
"So, tell me, what did I misunderstand?" Uchiha Mikoto suddenly realized that Kushina was even more clumsy with her words than she was. In the past, Kushina often left her speechless, but now seeing Kushina's adorable face turning from red to her neck, she couldn't help but want to tease her a bit more.
"Well, it's like this..." Kushina rubbed her forehead helplessly and said, "I'm renting here. This is Araki's home, and he doesn't stay here at night."
"I see!" Uchiha Mikoto felt that the joking should stop now. She hadn't known Kushina for long, just an afternoon to be exact, but it felt like they were kindred spirits, instantly becoming close best friends. She had even shared her own clothes.
In the short time they had spent together, she could tell what kind of person Kushina was.
If she continued to ask questions, like where does he stay at night?
It might become bothersome.
Uchiha Mikoto was gentle and kind-hearted, hardly ever doing anything to trouble others. If it weren't for the extreme shyness of the situation just now, she wouldn't have said such things.
"Yeah!" Kushina finally felt that she had explained a sentence, nodding repeatedly and saying, "I don't know when he'll come back..."
...
Araki silently watched as the two girls spoke. His rationality told him not to say anything at that moment, or else all the blame might fall on him.
Suddenly.
Araki took advantage of a moment when the two were tired of talking.
He immediately threw his backpack at the door and swiftly turned around, disappearing in an instant.
"???"
"???"
Both Kushina and Mikoto were surprised by Araki's actions. They glanced at each other and saw the confusion in each other's eyes.
"Why did he leave?" Mikoto asked in confusion.
"Maybe you scared him away!" Kushina casually remarked.
"How is that possible? It's our first meeting, and we haven't met before," Mikoto immediately defended herself.
"Yeah, think about it. We see each other every day, and he never reacted like this. Today, when you came, he got scared and ran away. Isn't that the reason?" Kushina said with a smirk. She finally managed to turn the tables.
"What could scare him about me? Am I that scary?" Mikoto instinctively retorted upon hearing such words.
"You're young!" Kushina said with a meaningful tone.
"Where am I young?" Mikoto was stunned for a moment. She was about to say that she was older than Kushina.
"What do you think?" Kushina stared at Mikoto's eyes, and her smile became even brighter.
"Nonsense!" Mikoto instantly widened her eyes, crossed her arms in front of her chest, as if trying to cover something, and then pouted, "You seem more grown-up!"
"Definitely older than you!" Kushina immediately raised her head and chest, as if showing off.
"Impossible! I saw it just now! It's not true! We're clearly about the same age!" Mikoto pounced on Kushina, her hands clawing like a demon, grabbing at Kushina.
"Giggle giggle giggle..."
Laughter echoed in the room as the two girls' relationship grew closer under the playful scratching.
...
Araki's face was full of black lines as he left the room. He became even more acutely aware of the early maturity of the young boys and girls in the ninja world. They were clearly little girls whose hair hadn't even grown out yet, but when they spoke, even he, a time-traveling otaku, felt a bit overwhelmed.
Araki had intended to search the house for any potential ways to make money, but upon reflection, it didn't seem very reliable. Anything that could make money was probably already taken by Konoha.
Making money wasn't an easy task.
He'd better think slowly about it.
For now, he should go and fulfill his youthful promise with Might Dai!
However...
There was still a small question mark in Araki's mind.
Was Mikoto Uchiha's arrival related to Sora Hyuga's situation, or had she truly become best friends with Uzumaki Kushina?
He was more inclined to the latter, considering that Sora Hyuga's case was handled by the Konoha Security Department, and Mikoto Uchiha probably didn't have the qualifications to be in the department yet.
But...
The sight of the Young Detective Team that night...
It made him slightly more alert.
He couldn't afford to make a mistake!
...
It didn't take long.
Araki arrived at the park.
He coincidentally ran into Might Dai, who was warming up.
"Dai-sensei!"
Araki immediately greeted Might Dai and then walked briskly over. After a day of studying, he was mentally and physically exhausted. He hadn't been able to rest in the morning and had been listening to lectures the whole time. Even though he had already understood the content of the courses, he still had to appear attentive.
In the afternoon, he went straight to Lady Tsunade's class, which was full of hardcore medical theory knowledge. He couldn't afford to be careless at all and had to firmly remember every detail. Any negligence could lead to disastrous consequences.
The whole day of intense concentration made him feel mentally fatigued, and his body felt tired. His head was a bit swollen, and he was starting to feel drowsy.
It was time to do some extreme exercises to relax!
When Araki saw Might Dai, he felt the spirit of youth. After a night of arduous training, he would become a refreshed version of himself.