For the time being, it seemed impossible to break through the bottleneck of Senjutsu development through Jūgo.
Just as Rinne Path–Orochimaru was pondering this issue, Rinne Path–Hiruko walked in from outside.
Behind him followed a gigantic two-headed snake, its scales alternating between deep crimson and dark purple.
It was a brand-new colossal serpent, created by fusing Garaga and Manda through Kiyomi no Jutsu.
Aside from lacking the ability to fly, its combat power was in no way inferior to the Ultimate Summoned Beast.
For Rinne Path–Hiruko, who primarily wielded the power of the Animal Path, this was nothing short of a tremendous boost to his overall strength.
---
In the blink of an eye, another month had gone by.
Aoshi's Apartment
The sun had just risen.
Golden sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, gently spilling over Aoshi and Kushina, illuminating their faces.
By now, Kushina had already mastered a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Although she still couldn't be considered a Perfect Jinchūriki, this progress alone was already remarkable.
Coupled with the fact that the Nine-Tails had not gone on a rampage for two or three years,
Kushina no longer needed to remain confined within the Senju Clan Compound all day.
She could now move freely within Konoha.
Even the ANBU who had once monitored her in secret had been withdrawn by Sarutobi Hiruzen.
In truth, reaching this stage was also closely tied to the deaths of those two old fogies—Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu.
Aside from them, no one else would stubbornly jump out to stop it at all costs.
Otherwise, Kushina's life in Konoha would still have been heavily restricted.
Since Honoka and Mai were both out on missions, and Tsunade was also away from Konoha on business, Kushina, feeling lonely by herself, chose to stay over at Aoshi's place the night before.
Naturally, Aoshi had not refused. On the contrary, he had welcomed it wholeheartedly.
Feeling the warmth of the sunlight, Aoshi slowly opened his eyes. His very first thought upon waking was a sense of self-reproach.
He had fallen into decadence again. Today, once more, he hadn't gotten up early to train out of habit.
He hadn't even become invincible in the ninja world yet; how could he have the nerve to indulge himself like this?
After criticizing himself inwardly, Aoshi lowered his gaze to Kushina, who was lying on his chest with her arms wrapped around him.
Her blood-red long hair spread softly across his body, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance. Her smooth, fair skin resembled fine jade, making it difficult to look away.
Especially with her current posture resting against him, Aoshi could clearly feel her softness and warmth.
Her eyelashes trembled ever so slightly.
That subtle movement told him everything. Kushina was already awake and merely pretending to sleep.
It seemed that after learning and practicing so much new "knowledge" the previous night, she had become shy, to the point of being embarrassed to face him directly.
After all, it hadn't been long since the two of them had truly "cleared the game."
Unlike Tsunade and Mikoto, Kushina still lacked that calm composure.
There was only one solution to this situation. And that was—more practice.
At that thought, a mischievous smile immediately crept onto Aoshi's face. He lowered his head, gently kissed Kushina's slightly reddened ear, and whispered softly,
"Little lazy cat, since you're already awake… let's start our morning exercise."
Under Kushina's charm, the self-reproach and guilt that had just arisen within Aoshi vanished instantly.
Besides, wasn't morning exercise with Kushina also a form of training? In any case, today was a day off.
He didn't need to go to work at the Konoha Hospital. Indulging a little was perfectly reasonable.
Feeling Aoshi's breath so close, Kushina could no longer keep pretending.
She hurriedly opened her eyes and spoke with a coquettish expression,
"Y-you…" But before she could finish her sentence, her lips were already sealed by Aoshi's.
Under Aoshi's refined skills, Kushina quickly lost her defenses and melted into the moment, instinctively responding to him.
It wasn't until they were nearly out of breath that the two finally separated.
Then, Aoshi flung the covers aside. In an instant, the room was filled with the vivid warmth of spring.
Naturally, all of this was for his eyes alone.
After that brief warm-up, both of them were already prepared. Soon, the sound of a new battle echoed throughout the bedroom.
Outside the bedroom.
Mikoto brought freshly prepared breakfast from the kitchen and set it neatly on the table.
She then walked over to the bedroom door, about to open it, when she suddenly heard Kushina's high-pitched voice from inside.
As someone experienced, Mikoto immediately understood what that sound meant.
Shaking her head, she didn't feel embarrassed at all and simply pushed the door open.
Looking at the two completely unclothed figures inside, she spoke helplessly, "You two… aren't you hungry yet?"
They had clearly played together until midnight before finally resting.
Yet even as she said that, she casually removed her purple apron, revealing a graceful figure no less captivating than Kushina's.
The scene before her stirred something within her as well.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, joined in, and looked down at Aoshi with a provocative gaze.
"Kushina, watch me avenge you."
After all, the two had been best friends for many years.
Their bond was deep; she couldn't just watch Kushina be "bullied" and do nothing.
Facing Mikoto's provocation, Aoshi didn't get annoyed at all. Instead, the corner of his lips curled upward slightly.
"It seems I need to make it clear today who exactly is the head of this family."
In an instant, the tide of offense and defense shifted.
Sensing the change in Aoshi's presence, Mikoto's expression wavered.
She wanted to persist, to refuse to admit defeat, but soon realized she simply couldn't.
"Aoshi…" She was about to speak, but Aoshi leaned down and kissed her softly, swallowing all the words she hadn't yet said.
Faced with his demands, Mikoto responded instinctively.
Unlike Kushina, who had only recently crossed that threshold, Mikoto had already fought alongside Aoshi for a long time, second only to Tsunade.
Because of that, she had developed countless habits around him. Most of the time, she reacted without even needing to think.
By the time the battle finally ended, all three of their stomachs were loudly protesting.
"Breakfast is ready," Mikoto said gently, leaning into Aoshi's arms.
And so, with Kushina in one arm and Mikoto in the other, Aoshi led the two of them to the dining table to enjoy breakfast together.
"Here, Aoshi." Without him lifting a finger, Mikoto picked up food with her chopsticks and brought it directly to his mouth.
"Mikoto, your cooking keeps getting better and better," Aoshi said sincerely. "I'm afraid I won't be able to eat anything else in the future."
At his praise, Mikoto smiled brightly, her eyes curving into crescents. "You're exaggerating."
Not to be outdone, Kushina also picked up food, but instead of feeding Aoshi directly, she ate it first herself.
Then she leaned forward and fed it to his mouth-to-mouth.
Aoshi was naturally delighted by such treatment. "Well done, Kushina."
Hearing his praise, Kushina became instantly smug and shot Mikoto a provocative glance.
The two who had seemed like sisters just moments earlier had now instantly turned into rivals.
In the very next second, Mikoto copied the same action.
The quiet competition had begun.
Aoshi only smiled, saying nothing. He didn't stop them; he simply enjoyed the attention in silence.
After finishing this rather indulgent breakfast, Aoshi wrapped his arms around both of them and headed into the bathroom to wash up.
Naturally, the delightful events that occurred during that time were not for outsiders to know.
Once everything was tidied up, the three of them finally headed out.
Mikoto went to work at the Police Force; as the Vice Captain, her daily workload was moderate.
Kushina returned to the Senju Clan Compound to cultivate, striving to become a Perfect Jinchūriki as soon as possible.
And Aoshi went alone to Tsunade's Research Base.