"Akira-san, Akiraaa-san." I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and slowly opened my eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep still playing in my mind.
Suppressing a yawn, I turned toward the voice.
"...Naruko? Good morning. What are you doing in my bedroom?"
"In your bedroom?" she echoed, surprised, then burst out laughing.
But even before she spoke, I'd already realized I hadn't spent the night at home. First, my eyes took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Then my memory reminded me I never made it back last night. And finally, my backside, feeling the hard wooden floor instead of a soft mattress - tatami or not, it didn't help - told me exactly where I'd slept.
Man, yesterday really ended on a… unique note. The familiar softness of my underwear was interrupted by a certain roughness - probably the dried result of Kushina's handiwork. At least someone had the decency to cover me with a blanket.
But for some reason, what bothered me most was missing my morning workout. I guess Guy's training program is starting to mess with my head.
"Is it already nine?" I tried to guess by the sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains in the living room.
"Ten! Akira-san, you really do love to sleep. We've been making noise in the kitchen for half an hour, and you haven't budged. I figured I'd better check if you were still alive," Naruko rattled off in one breath.
Just then, another face appeared in the living room.
"Akira-sensei… the bath's free now. Mom asked me to tell you. Join us for breakfast after." Sasuke said this quickly and hurried back to the kitchen.
I sent Naruko off as well and shuffled toward where I guessed the bathroom was, all the while thinking about what I'd say to the two women. Did they see what each other was doing in the dark last night? Who am I kidding? A shinobi who can't see more than a meter in the dark? That's a joke. Of course they saw. Of course they know. And it didn't stop them from taking things all the way.
Frustration, overheated bodies from the onsen, alcohol, and the close contact during Twister - yeah, that did the trick. Honestly, I didn't expect things to go that far, especially with Itachi there. I thought Kushina and Mikoto might get embarrassed in front of each other. But once the lights went out, it was like they all decided we were in a private setting.
Will they be mad at me? Only for show. Everyone knows I didn't force them to drink, or to rub up against me. I was just lying there, doing nothing. What could they possibly blame me for?
The real question is: what happens next? And just lying around doing nothing isn't going to cut it for me. Sure, chase two rabbits and you'll catch none - but that only applies to bad hunters.
****
"Sasuke, don't you have to go to the academy?" Mikoto asked, glancing at Kushina.
"No, it's our day off," she replied, giving her a look that said, "Did you forget?"
"Well, that's great! Naruko, why don't you and Sasuke go enjoy your day off? Meet up with your classmates, maybe get some training in," Kushina suggested with a gentle smile.
Naruko, after chewing her pancake and sending it on its way, shot Sasuke a skeptical look. It was clear she wasn't thrilled about spending her day with her "archrival."
"Only if you let me eat at - " Naruko started, and Kushina immediately slapped five thousand ryo on the table.
"Just don't overdo it," she said, and Naruko snatched the bills and vanished.
"Does she even know Ichiraku doesn't start serving ramen until lunchtime?" Sasuke grumbled, getting up from the table. "I'll head to the training grounds, then." Yesterday, while making ratatouille, Sasuke had asked Akira what steps she should take next for her chakra control and fire nature training. She was eager to keep practicing and see how much her fire techniques had improved.
Finally, with just the two women left in the kitchen, their usual gentle smiles faded.
The silence didn't last long. Kushina was the first to break it.
"Yesterday… things got a little out of hand," she admitted, a bit embarrassed, to herself and her friend.
"A little?" Mikoto snorted, then smirked.
"'Oh, my hair's stuck, let me just move my hips a bit.'"
"Says the pot to the kettle. I didn't see you rushing to get off his face. Was it really that comfortable?" Kushina shot back, copying her smirk.
"My… my legs just went numb," Mikoto lied, blushing.
"Yeah, right. I bet it wasn't just your legs. Damn, I'm actually a little jealous… how was it?"
"Well… it was nice," Mikoto blushed even harder, then, realizing what she'd said, gave her friend a playful smack. "Is this really what we're talking about?"
"Pff, fine, you're right, we can always get back to that. More importantly… what do we do about our 'friend' now?" Kushina asked, her smile fading.
"I don't know. Honestly. Yesterday was a mistake. We can't just pretend nothing happened, though… I could erase his memory," Mikoto said, looking thoughtful.
"Would you really want that? Don't you feel anything for him?" Kushina asked, studying her friend's face.
"Maybe I do, but I can't say for sure. My head's a mess right now. But you… you definitely feel something more for Akira than just friendship. Maybe you haven't noticed, but you act a lot more open around him."
"I just realized I can be myself with Akira. He honestly doesn't care about all the etiquette we had drilled into us as kids. And you've opened up more around him too, since you agreed to my onsen idea."
"I only agreed for your sake," Mikoto cut in. "But you're right, it's hard to stay distant around him. There's something about him."
"See? He's gotten to you too, admit it," Kushina pointed at her.
"Heh, but I'm not a young girl anymore, Kushina. I have two daughters and a clan to look after. I can't have an open relationship with him. People wouldn't understand. And honestly, why do I feel like you're trying to push him on me? Changed your mind about keeping him for yourself?"
"Mikoto-chan, let's be honest. We both like him, but between Akira and you, I'd choose you. I don't want you to get jealous again."
"Hm?" Mikoto looked at her, confused.
"Oh, come on, you think I didn't notice how you looked at Minato back in the day? If it hadn't been for that arranged marriage, wouldn't you have fought me for your happiness?" Seeing Mikoto look away, Kushina smirked.
"What makes you say that?" Mikoto replied calmly, trying to hide any emotion.
"Oh, don't play dumb. Back then, every girl was in love with the war hero, one of the strongest shinobi in the village. I developed a sixth sense for girls who wanted to get their hands on Minato. In your case, it was hard not to notice those glances," Kushina said, smiling at her friend's stunned expression.
*All girls are drawn to strong heroes,* Mikoto replied neutrally.
"And where are those heroes now? We're both widows. Akira's not a hero for a second, but if I could go back, I'd rather marry the guy who lounges at home all day than the one who runs off to risk his life at every opportunity."
"Heh, if you went back to your youth, you'd probably have to breastfeed Akira," Mikoto laughed.
"No big deal!" Kushina waved her off. "I'd wait."
"I'd like to see that," Mikoto giggled. "But seriously, what do we do now?"
"I'm not letting you erase his memory," Kushina said immediately. "But I don't know either… maybe we should just let things play out and see what happens."
"Then I'll just stay on the sidelines," Mikoto said firmly.
"Don't be so sure - it's not just up to us how things go…"
****
How thoughtful of Mikoto - not only did she leave out towels, but a change of clothes too, and it looked like they belonged to Fugaku. Poor guy, if he knew that less than a month after his death, some guy would be having breakfast with his family in his clothes, he'd probably be rolling in his grave. Oh, right, there aren't any graves here, but whatever.
Too bad the clothes are a bit tight. And I'm not a fan of blue. But what can you do? I should really start keeping a spare set of clothes in my scroll, just in case.
Clean and in fresh clothes, I headed to the kitchen in a good mood. At the table, Kushina and Mikoto were sitting side by side. Itachi, Naruko, and Sasuke were nowhere to be seen. With Itachi, it's obvious - she's working in ANBU, and they don't get days off. As for the girls, they'd clearly been sent out.
"Good morning," I said, and noticed Aika, who immediately ran over to me, abandoning Snezhok's bowl.
"Morning," both women replied, standing up at the same time to grab the teapot. For a second, they hesitated, realizing they'd both had the same idea.
"I'll get the pancakes, then," Kushina said, and I watched with interest as the two women worked together in perfect harmony. Apparently, I didn't need to lift a finger. Honestly, it was nice - just sit back and watch as breakfast is made for you.
"Did you sleep well?" I asked, and Mikoto and Kushina froze for a moment.
"Yap!" Aika answered, then started enjoying a good ear scratch.
I'll take that as a yes.
Mmm, pancakes and tea for breakfast - reminds me of childhood at grandma's. [ image ]

Mikoto and Kushina stuck to tea for themselves, and after setting the table, sat down across from me.
"Oh, this is delicious. I could get used to this every day," I couldn't help but say.
"Akira." The women spoke in unison, glanced at each other, then looked back at me.
Raising an eyebrow, I waited for the conversation to get interesting, popping another pancake in my mouth.
"I… I mean, we wanted to talk about what happened last night," Mikoto began, taking the lead.
"Yeah, we should clear the air," I replied calmly, looking each of them in the eye. Mikoto was about to break the silence, but Kushina beat her to it.
"Akira, what do you feel for me and… Mikoto?" Kushina asked bluntly, surprising her friend.
"If I said I think about you both a lot, would that count as an answer?" I replied, pushing my plate aside. Mikoto and Kushina seemed to have a silent conversation, glancing at each other again.
"We'd like something more specific," Kushina said right away.
"Specifics, huh? I'll be honest - I'm not about to confess my love to you, or anyone else. I'm not a teenager, and no matter how attractive you are, I know how to control myself."
"Khmph," Mikoto commented on my self-control. Yeah, she was probably remembering my wandering leg.
"But I can't say I feel nothing for you, either. Kushina, Mikoto, I like you both. A lot."
"So, you don't have deeper feelings for one of us over the other?" the redhead clarified.
I couldn't answer right away, even though I knew this question might come up. I took a sip of tea to buy time, glancing at both women. Kushina wants me to make a choice. No, she wants to know what choice I'd make if I had to. That's the real question. Give up one for the other? Ha! You're both already mine, you just haven't realized it yet. Mikoto can't get away from me now - she's already brought me into the clan council. And whatever Kushina's thinking, she won't want to get close to anyone else now.
Alright, time to stir things up a bit.
"Two days ago, I might have given you a straight answer, but now… my pants are still on the drying rack," I glanced at Kushina, "and my nose still hurts," then shifted my gaze to Mikoto.
Pants on the rack? Nose hurts? They didn't get it at first. But after two seconds, they both looked away, embarrassed. Yeah, after riding poor me and then asking the next day who I like more, not the best move.
Standing up, I slowly walked around the table to stand between Kushina and Mikoto. They turned in their chairs, forming a triangle between us.
With both hands, I gently placed my palms on their shoulders.
"Whatever you decide, I'll always be there for you if you need me."
Slowly sliding my fingers from their shoulders up to their chins, I continued,
"No need to rush things. Time will tell."
Lifting their faces gently, I smiled,
"You really are beautiful. One of you is as bright and fiery as the sun," I smiled at Kushina, "and the other is as alluring and mysterious as the moon." I mirrored the smile at Mikoto.
Damn, I just put on a scene straight out of a cheap romance. Hard not to grin, but Kushina and Mikoto were clearly moved, their thoughts written all over their faces. Perfect moment to make my exit.
****
After Akira left, silence hung in the kitchen for a while. No one got up to see him out—Kushina and Mikoto were too lost in their own thoughts.
"You know, Kushina… he's actually pretty bold," Mikoto finally broke the silence.
"Though I figured that out a while ago," she remembered that dinner when her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
"Well… looks like you were right when you said Akira wouldn't chase after just one girl. Seems like he's got his sights set on both our skirts," Kushina said, not sounding too happy as she sipped her now-cold tea.
Mikoto snorted.
"I'm always right. Who knows if he'll stop with just us?"
"Yeah, remember that time he ran into Asuma while trying to flirt with Kurenai?" Kushina added thoughtfully.
"Yeah, you told me. Maybe we should've given Akira a good punch in the ribs too?" Mikoto said with a wicked grin.
"Pff, what would that solve? You already gave him a taste of your mysterious, irresistible butt - right on his nose," Kushina teased, mimicking Akira. Then she burst out laughing.
"Oh, really? And who stained the pants I lent you so brightly?" Mikoto shot back, making Kushina blush.
"Come on… they'll wash out. I'll take them with me."
"Be glad I woke up first," Mikoto huffed. Silence fell again for a moment.
"You know what?" Kushina suddenly said. "You're right! I'm not young anymore, my daughter's about to graduate the academy."
"Exactly," Mikoto nodded, not quite sure where this was going.
"And in my loneliness, I've gotten to the point of using cucumbers, Mikoto! Do you know how sad it is to throw them out afterward? So if I have to choose between cucumbers and a gorgeous young guy, I'll take the latter."
"And you're not bothered that he's looking at me - and maybe someone else too?" Mikoto asked, not quite believing what she was hearing.
"So what? Am I supposed to drag him to the altar? Tie him down with vows? No, thanks. I've had enough gossip behind my back about my daughter - I don't need people whispering that I'm having an affair with a guy half my age. So, only a secret relationship."
"And how does a secret relationship solve the problem of him possibly being with other women?" Mikoto asked, confused.
"It's simple - to keep things secret, he'll need to have an official girlfriend. That way, no one will suspect anything about us."
"I still don't get the logic," Mikoto thought.
Kushina saw the look on her face and clarified,
"Look, we'll have a secret thing with him, and you too, since as clan head you can't go public with a partner outside the clan. If you're not sure about deepening things with Akira, fine. But let's say he's secretly with you too. Then people will wonder why Akira lives alone but spends so much time with us. No one will believe we're just friends - UNLESS he has an official girlfriend to draw attention. Simple and genius." To drive her point home, Kushina slapped her knee.
"And who's going to be this official girlfriend?" Mikoto asked, thinking aloud.
"Well… he listed a few girls he liked. Maybe Kurenai? He did try to flirt with her."
"Asuma's not the type to let her go easily… maybe Anko?"
Kushina and Mikoto hadn't figured out what to do about Akira yet, but without realizing it, they were already discussing which girl to set him up with. It was like they were wives picking out a concubine for a not-yet-existent harem. Or mothers deciding which girl would be best for their "son."

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