章 88: Home

"Let me show you!" exclaimed Kushina enthusiastically. Without waiting for a response, she extended her arm, which began to glow with a reddish light before transforming into a flow of incandescent lava.

Tsunade took a step back, her eyes widening. "This is... incredible. It's like the Hōzuki Clan's technique, but much more dangerous! This ability seems almost invincible."

Leaning against a nearby tree, Chen shook his head. "It's far from invincible," he commented. "Armament Haki could easily pierce through it. And with enough water, even the hottest magma can be extinguished."

Kushina turned to Chen, her eyes narrowed with irritation. "Chen! Don't ruin my moment of glory!" In a quick movement, she lunged at him, sinking her teeth into his arm.

Chen didn't even flinch.

His eyes met Kushina's, "Careful," he warned, "Or you might lose some teeth in the process."

Kushina responded by tightening her bite, her eyes fixed on his, clearly communicating that she had no intention of letting go.

With a sigh, Chen made no attempt to free himself. Despite his earlier threat, he knew it was impossible for him to harm Kushina. Besides, she wasn't using force.

Tsunade observed them, feeling her own mood improve at the spectacle. The tension she had felt before began to dissipate.

Standing aside with Konan, Mikoto watched the scene with an affectionate smile. She took the younger girl's hand, squeezing it gently.

"Don't worry," she murmured to Konan, noticing her slightly confused expression, "This is normal for them. It's their way of showing affection."

Finally releasing Chen's arm, Kushina looked around. The camp was full of military tents, but none seemed particularly cozy. "By the way," she asked, "where will we live? In these tents?"

Chen smiled confidently. "Let me build a house. Since you burned down our house, I've specialized in construction. I think I've improved quite a bit."

Without waiting for a response, he performed a seal with one hand. "Earth Style: Earth House Technique!"

The ground began to shake slightly, and before everyone's astonished eyes, an earth structure emerged from the ground. It was solid and spacious, but its appearance left much to be desired. The walls were irregular, the windows were crooked, and the door looked more like a rough opening than an entrance.

Kushina wrinkled her nose. "It's... um... functional? But, Chen, I'm a bit embarrassed to live in something like this."

"It's perfect! It serves its purpose, doesn't it?" However, Chen seemed proud of his creation.

Tsunade seemed more interested in the technique than the result, "Impressive, Chen. Not many can perform seals with one hand."

"Oh, that," He shrugged. "Mikoto can do it too. It's quite simple once you get the hang of it."

"Mikoto too?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows, surprised.

Mikoto nodded with a smile. "Yes, Chen taught me."

"Come on, let's go inside and take a look," suggested Chen, pushing the heavy stone door.

The interior was as rough as the exterior. A large empty space, with bare earth walls and a strong smell of dampness and minerals.

There was no furniture, no divisions, just a large cavernous space.

Kushina looked around skeptically. "Chen, do you really think we can live here?"

Noticing the discomfort on everyone's face, he tried to stay optimistic. "Well, give it a few days. The earthy smell will go away... eventually."

Looking for support, he turned to Mikoto. "It's good, right, Mikoto?"

Mikoto nodded softly. "It's... interesting. I think it would be perfect for raising pigs."

Chen's face fell. "If I had the Mokuton," he muttered, "I could build you a house with a natural atmosphere in minutes."

Tsunade, surprised by the mention of the Kekkei Genkai, "The Mokuton was only possessed by my grandfather. You shouldn't think about that."

Chen just smiled, Although he met all the conditions to awaken the Mokuton. Not that he didn't like the idea, but he had other priorities in mind.

"I think I prefer a tent. You should live in this... house, Chen!" Looking at the structure skeptically, Kushina wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Still proud of his creation, he crossed his arms defensively. "What's wrong with it? It's an A-rank Earth ninjutsu. It's durable and safe. Not even I could easily tear it down."

Mikoto, always the peacemaker of the group, intervened. "Actually, we could make it quite comfortable. Chen, how about we bake it with a Fire jutsu and then ventilate it with Wind? That should eliminate the earthy smell."

Tsunade, who had been observing the scene until then, nodded. "Not a bad idea."

Without wasting time, Mikoto performed her Great Fireball, the intense heat hardening the earth walls. Then, Kushina used her Wind Style to ventilate the interior, dissipating the smell of dampness and earth.

The change was immediate. The air became fresher and the interior, although still rough, no longer smelled like a cave.

Mikoto, with a determined gleam in her eyes, began to organize the space. With some minor jutsu and a lot of creativity, soon the interior was transformed.

Observing the interior, Tsunade was amazed. "I really don't know if you've come to the battlefield or on vacation. This seems too comfortable... I think I'll move here later."

Chen and the girls seemed to be taking the situation lightly. Didn't they realize they were in the middle of a war?

While Chen went out to practice his Sage Mode, Mikoto headed to the makeshift kitchen. The smell of home-cooked food soon filled the air, a stark contrast to the cold, flavorless army rations.

"What an aroma! It's been so long since I smelled something like this. The food here barely satisfies hunger."

Tsunade inhaled deeply, her mouth watering.

Kushina, always straightforward, looked at Tsunade's breasts with envy. "You don't seem to have lost weight, Tsunade. How do you do it?"

Tsunade smiled, remembering that at Kushina's age, she wasn't as well-endowed as Kushina.

When the food was ready, Chen returned from his training, bringing with him Konan, who had been silently observing him.

"Konan, you're still very young, you need to eat more," said Kushina, placing an extra piece of meat on the girl's plate. "You're very thin!"

Konan's eyes lit up with gratitude. "Thank you," she murmured, bringing the morsel to her mouth with evident delight.

These days were probably the happiest she had experienced in a long time. Some people pamper her and there's food.

When she used to wander in the past, she was happy to be able to eat a meal every two or three days.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The knocks resonated on the door, abruptly interrupting dinner. Chen, with a bite halfway to his mouth, frowned.

"Who could it be?! It's rude to interrupt someone's dinner." Kushina pouted, dropping her fork.

Mikoto stood up, but Chen stopped her. "I'll go," he said, getting up with a sigh.

Heading to the door, his irritation barely concealed.

As he opened it, he leaned against the frame "Who is it? I hope it's important, you're interrupting a family dinner."

In front of him stood a middle-aged ninja. His eyes scrutinized Chen with confusion and annoyance. "Who built this... structure? It must be demolished immediately."

Behind the ninja, an impatient young man intervened. "Captain, why waste time talking? Let's just tear it down."

Chen felt his irritation turn to concern. "Wait a moment. Is this house obstructing something? Why should it be demolished?"

His mind was working at full speed. Had he accidentally built in a forbidden place? Or was it simply a bureaucratic misunderstanding?

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