I felt like I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.
Releasing that plush, mature body felt wrong on every level. The warmth of her pressed against me had felt so damn right.
The moment I opened my arm, cold air rushed between us like a slap. My arms felt empty, useless things hanging at my sides. The absence of her body heat left me feeling hollow.
I wasn't the only one feeling the loss, it seemed.
Kushina took a step back, one arm wrapping around herself while the other hovered over her mouth. She looked at me with half-confused eyes, her face beautifully flushed, lips parted and slightly swollen from where she'd been biting them. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, straining against that green dress, and strands of red hair had escaped to frame her face in wild disarray.
That look made me realize I should have forced her to face me. Should have stolen those fiery lips when I had the chance.
Should have pressed her back against that wall and hiked up that dress, pushed aside whatever she wore underneath, and taken her right here in the entryway. Felt those long legs wrap around my waist as I buried myself deep inside her again, made her cry out my name while her son slept just rooms away—
Alright, perhaps not that last part. Just the kiss.
"Kushina, I…." I started, not even knowing what I wanted to say here. Apologize perhaps? I took a step toward her.
She swiveled around sharply, her long red hair whipping through the air like a crimson curtain. "Go... go sit in the living room," she said, her voice carefully controlled but with an underlying tremor. "I… I'll make some tea."
She didn't wait for my answer, striding away toward the kitchen with quick, determined steps.
I stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Her reaction was... positive. Overwhelmingly so. She'd melted in my arms—or was I reading too much into it? No, I was sure. She was good at hiding it, but she wasn't immune. Of course, she wasn't. I'd already fucked her once. No matter how much she tries to keep it under wraps or tries to forget it. A forbidden threshold had been crossed.
But how far could I push that breach? She was still Kushina Uzumaki. Push too hard and she'd decide some broken bones were worth the noise.
But I could swear that just moments ago, I could have kissed her if I'd pushed just a little more.
And she would have responded.
The problem was, what if I couldn't control myself and grazed a too sensitive spot? And I knew myself, I'd tasted her body, felt her come apart under me. I wouldn't be able to control myself. And she was a mother with her son sleeping some room away. And that was an uncrossable line.
It would mess everything up. Guy outside, Naruto inside... No. Besides, I had an objective, didn't I? Focus on that. Making progress with Kushina was a good secondary objective.
And damn if this wasn't progress enough.
I looked down at the obvious bulge in my pants and clicked my tongue in annoyance. I shifted, pressing my erection against my leg. I wouldn't let my dick get in the way this time.
Then I walked to the living room.
The space was modest but comfortable. Modern furniture arranged around a low wooden table, family photos on the walls, everything clean and welcoming in that way that spoke of a woman who took pride in her home. It was lived-in, loved.
It made me feel odd, knowing I had a bigger house than the leader of the village. A better one, even, if I were being honest. It wasn't a good feeling. Like Minato had priorities, had found what actually mattered, while I was just a sham trying to compensate for something with material things.
Alcohol. Women. Money…. the three shinobi's prohibitions. It was clear our Lord Fourth had chosen substance over indulgence.
It made me feel like an utter prick, the biggest fraud. I sat on the couch, the low table before me.
I wasn't the most exemplary person, I know that. Hell, I was so far on the opposite end of the spectrum from good it wasn't even funny. The fact that I'd fucked a married woman and was actively trying to do it again was proof enough of that.
But this was the first time I'd felt like a fraud, as far as I could remember.
No, wait. It was the second time. The first had been when Shiho confessed to loving me... yesterday.
"Mmh….."
Was the world trying to tell me something?
I didn't get the chance to mull over that question. Kushina shuffled in with a tea tray, and all my self-doubt and philosophical musings flew right out the window. My eyes dragged over her form. Her green dress hugged her wide hips, the gentle sway of her walk, how the fabric stretched across her full thighs with each step. The dress ended modestly at her shins, but I could imagine, or rather remember, what lay beneath, those pale, soft legs I'd felt wrapped around me.
I didn't mind being a fraud anymore, not if it meant I could lift that hem and explore what was underneath.
The redhead set the tray on the low table and began pouring tea. Ignoring my gaze, acting like the perfect hostess, the dutiful housewife, like the moment we'd just shared had never happened.
Watching her play housewife was intoxicating in ways I hadn't expected. It brought me back to Tsunami, to the very first time I saw her. She had been busy with household chores, every bit the picture of a proper wife, and even then, I thought it was the most alluring sight I'd ever seen.
The middle-aged redhead moved with domestic grace, serving me like a proper hostess while we both pretended her body hadn't just melted against mine. The contrast between this performance and the woman who'd pinned me to the wall minutes ago made my blood sing.
Her chest rose and fell beneath that dress as she worked, the fabric shifting with each breath. Medium to large-sized, perfectly proportioned to her frame, the kind that would fill my hands just right.
Anko's were definitely bigger, but... what a pity I hadn't gotten the chance to properly appreciate Kushina's last time. I'd been so afraid the opportunity would slip away, so worried the spell would break, that I'd rushed through fucking her.
I swore I'd do a better job next time.
After she set the tea and cups down, she straightened up and smoothed her dress. "Naruto will be up soon," she said, still not meeting my eyes. "If you need anything else, I'll be in the kitchen."
I raised an eyebrow. She was actually running away.
I hadn't pegged her for a coward. That amused me more than it should have. It was just another proof that she wasn't as immune to me as she'd like to pretend. Kushina was a hot-headed, strong-willed woman after all. Cowardice was not something I would associate with her at all.
She turned around and made to walk back toward the kitchen.
"Afraid?" I asked casually, because I didn't have a better way to stop her than courting death.
That froze her mid-step. Her shoulders went rigid, and she turned slowly, a trembling fist starting to rise. When she faced me, she was wearing that terrifying smile. The one that wasn't really a smile at all, just a warning carved into her face.
"Oh, Afraid, you said?" Her voice was deceptively sweet, with an edge sharp enough to cut steel. "Afraid of what exactly, brat?" She emphasized the last word as if it were a curse. "Go on. Say it."
Yeah, she definitely wasn't a coward or scared of anything. It was the other way around; others were scared of her. And I was included in that 'others', not that I was going to show it. From what I'd figured out about her so far, I knew that the calmer you stayed, the better it was with beasts like Kushina. You should neither show fear nor your back. They could smell the former and would lunge at the latter.
But beasts were just that, beasts. Rip out their claws and fangs, and they'd be defenseless kittens….. I really don't know where I was going with this.
My smile turned brittle as I looked away from her. "I understand," I said quietly. For some reason, she flinched at that. "I really do. But I didn't expect it to be this bad... killing the Mizukage, I mean."
Kushina heaved a visible sigh, her shoulders dropping. What is with her?
She then scoffed lightly, trying to ease my apparent distress in her own way. "Look, it's normal protocol when something like this happens. The surveillance will end in a couple of days. Don't let it get to you—it's just procedure."
I felt a bit bad for using this manipulation, but it worked somehow. Kushina, the mother, was slowly being pulled to the surface, just like I'd hoped.
I shook my head and looked down at my hands. "I understand that. The village needs to do what it should, but..." I paused, letting weariness creep into my voice. "The villagers. The way they look at me now. Shinobi and civilians alike—they've started avoiding me, eyeing me with this... distrust. And the information got out so fast. I thought I'd have some time before word spread, but..." I ran a hand through my hair. "They're afraid of me. They're afraid of the Kage killer."
I'd intended to say those were all lies; I intended them to be more eloquently spoken to draw sympathy from her. But my tongue moved on its own, words spilling out without my control. It was strange. I could have sworn I didn't give a fuck what some nameless shinobi or powerless civilian thought of me.
Kushina just stood there, tray held to her chest, and listened.
Silence settled between us for a long moment after I forced my mouth shut.
The older woman sighed heavily and audibly. She set the tray back on the table and, surprisingly, flopped down beside me on the couch, not trying to maintain distance anymore.
"Oh, seriously," she said with a mix of exasperation and affection, the same tone I recognize she used with Naruto when he worried about silly things. "You're such a dork."
This should have delighted me. She was comfortable enough to drop her defenses completely and sit so close. But it didn't. It only annoyed me.
"Thanks for the compliment," I said, my voice a little too prickly than intended. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. "I get that a lot."
For some reason, that amused her, which only heightened my annoyance. Follow the fucking script, woman.
Kushina snorted and gave an exasperated smirk, eyebrows twitching. The danger vein was gone this time, replaced with amused disbelief.
"Ha! Don't give me that," she said with an eye roll that was so effortlessly sexy it made all my annoyance evaporate and my dick jump in my pants. "You're the one who's always poking and needling people, like you've got a death wish."
How could a moment be so tense and charged one second, then so light and lively the next? As expected of the Son of Prophecy's mom... Hmm, wait. If Naruto was the son of prophecy, was she the prophecy? Yeah... she was definitely my prophecy. That sounds more cringeworthy than all the flowery shit I greased Ino with, combined. It should not escape the prison of my mind. That brought a smile to my face even though I'd wanted to keep the moment tense.
She shifted beside me, and I became oddly aware of her proximity as she crossed her arms. "Listen, Eishin…. I've been a shinobi longer than you've been—"
My mouth had to cut that off. "Wisdom from age and stunning beauty, Kushina-san. You're a dangerous combi—"
Smack.
She slapped the back of my head. "Oi, focus! This isn't the time for your smooth talk." She tried to keep her serious expression, but a small smile kept twitching at her lips.
I rubbed the spot with a smile of my own, but listened to the scary lady and kept quiet.
She leaned back and continued in that gentle but matter-of-fact tone, confident and reassuring.
I didn't like it one bit.
"I know the villagers have their opinions," she said, "and they'll whisper when they're afraid. That's nothing new in this world. You killed because you had to. You fought because you had no choice—and because you protected what mattered." She punched my shoulder lightly. "So don't go making it heavier than it needs to be. You're not a monster, Eishin. You're just carrying too much on your shoulders, and too soon. Things will get better."
I really, really didn't like this. I'd wanted to bring out Mama Uzumaki, and I'd succeeded, but not how I'd envisioned.
I wanted to say her words didn't affect me, but they did. They fucking did. I didn't know if it was the reassuring words or the maternal tone, but they fucking did, and I really didn't want to think about why or how.
"Thank you," I blurted out, probably to shut her up.
And it did… for about three seconds. She hummed, craning her head to the side as if cringing at what she was about to say next. But that movement bared her fair neck, and I so, so yearned to bite it, kiss her there. That would most likely work in shutting her up.
"...And I never thanked you properly," Kushina began. "For Naruto. I should have visited you in the hospital. I should have... I was so caught up in everything else that I never said what mattered most."
I refrained from clicking my tongue. I'd just realized this woman was easy and fun to annoy, but she was annoying as hell, too. "You didn't have to," I said flatly. "I was doing my duty."
And that was true. I often refused leadership roles because I took them way too seriously. I would have done the same even if it wasn't Naruto... though if it wasn't Naruto, I probably wouldn't have worried as much, which might have resulted in them being dead. Then again, if it wasn't Naruto, they probably would have listened to orders and kept their heads on straight instead of running around in a bikini.
Banish that thought!
The redhead milf shook her head and looked me directly in the eyes with conviction and fire. "My son is alive because of you. There's no debt in the world that covers that, but..." she bowed her head. "Thank you, Eishin. Really."
What a… bothersome woman.
I turned to face her fully, "Well, if you insist so much on covering that debt..." I paused for effect. If she didn't want to shut up, then she left me no choice. "You could just give me your panties. That will wipe the slate clean."
I was fully expecting the explosion that would follow. Hell, I was practically counting on it.
Anything would be better than this conversation.
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