???
Araki's mind is suddenly filled with a bunch of question marks upon hearing the sounds from inside.
What's going on?
It really is Kushina's voice!
And...
She sounds struggling and excited!
Could they be playing some kind of role-playing game with Mikoto?
That's the most instinctive thought that comes to Araki's mind because in the past six months, Uchiha Mikoto has practically become a regular guest in their house.
Sometimes, she even sleeps over with Kushina.
The speed at which their friendship has deepened leaves Araki dumbfounded.
To the point where...
Araki feels like Mikoto has spent more time in his house than he has!
This sometimes leaves Araki feeling astonished, as if his own home has been occupied by these two girls. So every time he comes home, he feels both anxious and anticipatory.
Anxious about what he might see...
Anticipatory about what he might see...
Even Araki himself isn't sure if he wants to see something or not...
"Help me!"
Kushina's voice rings out again, entering Araki's ears through the door. The desperate tone sounds incredibly realistic, almost as if it were real.
If Araki didn't know that Mikoto is often here and that these two girls play around a lot, he might actually think something inappropriate is happening.
So... now... here's the question!
Should he go in?
Araki slowly extends his hand, inching closer to the doorknob. If he says he's not interested in whatever these two girls are up to inside, it would definitely be a lie!
Especially after that scream...
Just imagining the scene inside feels exhilarating!
Maybe they're changing clothes!
Or...
Seize this opportunity...
And act like something has happened to Kushina!
Rush in with the intention of helping Kushina, accidentally catch a glimpse of something... That shouldn't be a problem, right!
With these thoughts in mind, Araki becomes eager to take action.
He decides to swiftly rush in, catching the occupants inside off guard and not giving Kushina and Mikoto any time to react. Opportunities like this, where he might have a chance to feast his eyes, are rare.
In an instant,
Araki swiftly opens the door with the fastest speed he can muster.
Creak!
As the door opens, the scene inside comes into Araki's view, completely different from what he had imagined.
At that moment,
Three men are restraining Kushina, and one of them is using a rope to bind her hands tightly behind her back.
Araki is immediately stunned.
The people inside the room are also taken aback when they see Araki.
The scene falls into silence.
"Araki, save me! They're trying to take me away!"
Upon seeing Araki, Kushina sees a lifeline and her struggling intensifies. She almost breaks free from the grip of the three men.
When Kushina speaks,
The expressions of the three men immediately turn gloomy, and they exchange glances with each other.
"Our mission is to take this girl back. Everyone else is irrelevant!" the man with the stitched scar on his face coldly says, the one who just finished tying the rope.
"Boss, let's just take care of this kid. If he escapes and reports it, things will get complicated." The man standing on the left stares at Araki, his eyes gleaming with malice. He now holds a shuriken in his hand, its blade shining brightly.
"I agree." The man on the right nods.
"Yeah, hurry up and act. Don't cause any more commotion. Our actions need to be swift!" says the scar-faced man.
"Yes!"
The two men in front respond simultaneously, their faces filled with wicked grins. They stare at Araki as if a big bad wolf has spotted a little white rabbit, seeing him as a completely helpless prey.
"Araki, don't mind me, run!"
Just at that moment, Kushina's voice rings out again. Her tone conveys urgency and concern, completely overshadowing the previous fear and panic.
Now she realizes!
When she saw Araki, there was a moment when she felt a glimmer of hope, an instinctual desire for Araki to save her.
But...
When she saw those two men about to harm Araki and heard them say they would kill him, her heart sank.
No!
She can't let Araki die here!
She knows their target very well, and she knows she won't be in immediate danger. It's better for Araki to save himself first and then seek help from the village.
"Now you want to run?"
The scar-faced man, who is restraining Kushina from behind, sneers. The way he looks at Araki is like he's looking at a dead man, shaking his head and saying, "It's too late!"
In an instant, the two men start approaching Araki together, each holding a sharp shuriken. They seem ready to tear Araki apart.
Faced with this situation,
Kushina's expression becomes even more desperate.
Tears well up in her eyes.
"Araki, run quickly, don't worry about me, just run!"
Regret fills Kushina's heart. She regrets calling out to Araki to save her. She should have let Araki run first at the very beginning.
Now Araki's life is in danger because of her mistake.
At this moment,
Kushina is filled with immense anxiety.
But there's nothing she can do.
All she can do is widen her eyes and watch everything happening in front of her, feeling a sense of helplessness. Faint, unfamiliar voices begin to echo in her mind.
"Do you want me to lend you my power?"
This voice gradually becomes clearer from the depths of her mind, causing a slight blush to appear on Kushina's cheeks, but it remains within a controllable range.
However...
Just as Kushina prepares herself for a desperate gamble.
Araki's calm and deep voice suddenly resounds, reverberating throughout the room, bringing her back to a state of clarity.
"You're too slow!"
When Araki says these words, everyone except him is left dumbfounded.
It sounded like those three men were in cahoots with each other.
Upon hearing these words, the three men hesitated for a moment, wondering if someone from the village had arranged to meet them.
Kushina's eyes were filled with confusion, and she was completely disoriented, unable to see the situation clearly.
Clang!
Suddenly, the sound of the door closing resonated as Araki locked it from inside.
The moment he entered the room, he noticed the forehead protectors of these three ninjas. They were not from Konoha, but from the Hidden Cloud Village.
They were the group from the Hidden Cloud Village who came to kidnap Kushina!
Araki vividly remembered this scene. Back then, when Kushina threw her red hair on the ground, it was noticed by the observant Minato Namikaze, who successfully dealt with those Hidden Cloud Village ninjas and brought the girl back safely.
He had thought that such public appearances would continue to be handled by Minato Namikaze. Araki only needed to focus on improving his own strength every day.
But...
He never expected...
His visits home had become so infrequent, reduced to simply picking up his backpack in the morning and returning it in the evening, yet he managed to encounter invaders from the Hidden Cloud Village and trap them inside the house.
Perhaps...
This was the arrangement of fate!
If that's the case...
Let's send them off!
Deep inside, Araki had already acknowledged Kushina. If this had happened without his knowledge or in his absence, he might have convinced himself to let it pass.
But unfortunately, it happened right in front of him...
And these people even intended to take his life...
Then there was no other choice!