章節 64: Confession

Chen, Kushina, and Mikoto sat around the table filled with food.

Looking at the dishes on the table, Chen frowned slightly. "Why are all the dishes vegetarian?" he asked, a touch of disappointment in his voice.

Although he didn't despise vegetables, he knew that as a ninja, he needed a protein-rich diet to maintain his energy.

Mikoto, noticing Chen's expression, smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Chen," she said softly, her voice betraying a slight tremor. "I-I don't feel capable of cooking meat these days."

Hearing this, Chen suddenly slapped himself in the face. The mission, with its scenes of blood and violence, had left a deep mark on Mikoto.

Feeling guilty about his complaint, he waved his hand. "It's okay, it's fine to skip meat in some meals anyway," he said, forcing a smile. "Besides, your food is always delicious, Mikoto."

And it really was. Despite the absence of meat, the dishes Mikoto had prepared were a symphony of flavors and textures. Chen found himself devouring every bite with enthusiasm, surprised at how satisfied he felt with a vegetarian meal.

After dinner, he collapsed on the sofa, patting his stomach with a satisfied expression. "I'm so full!" he exclaimed, letting out a sigh. "I think it's going to be hard for me to move."

Kushina, sitting next to him, giggled. "And whose fault is that?" she said, giving him a playful nudge. "Who forced you to eat like there was no tomorrow? Be careful, or you'll turn into a ball of fat."

Chen, indignant, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh yeah? Look who's talking. You can't move from the sofa either. Be careful, Kushina, if you get fat, I might stop loving you."

Kushina's eyes filled with tears upon hearing this. "Oh yeah? Well, if you stop loving me, then I'll... I'll kill you!" she exclaimed, baring her teeth.

"Are you threatening me?" Chen arched an eyebrow with a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "Looks like you need a lesson."

Without warning, he launched himself at Kushina, his fingers quickly finding her ribs, her most ticklish spots.

Kushina burst into laughter, squirming under Chen's relentless attack.

"Hahaha! N-no! Wa-wait!" Kushina screamed between laughs, tears of joy forming in the corners of her eyes. "Che-Chen! Stop! I ca-can't bre-breathe!"

Her laughter intensified as she continued:

"Ow-ow-ow! My ribs! Mer-mercy!" Kushina shrieked, her voice high-pitched from laughter. "I be-beg you! I'll do any-anything!"

Mikoto, who had just finished washing the dishes, watched the scene with a loving smile. Seeing Chen and Kushina like this, laughing and playing, was a balm for her soul after the day's events.

However, she couldn't resist the temptation to join in.

"Mi-Mikoto!" Kushina gasped between laughs, her teary eyes searching for her friend. "He-help me! Ple-please! Make him sto-stop!"

Mikoto approached with a strange smile. "Of course I'll help you, Kushina," she said sweetly.

Instead of rescuing her friend, Mikoto joined Chen, her fingers quickly finding Kushina's feet.

"Nooo! Tra-traitor!" Kushina squealed, her laughter reaching an almost hysterical pitch. "Aaaah! Not the fe-feet! That's pla-playing di-dirty!"

Between spasms of laughter, Kushina tried to form coherent words:

"I give u-up! I give up!" she shouted, her voice broken by laughter. "I-I won't... won't do it a-again! I swe-swear on ra-ramen!"

The room filled with laughter and shouts of joy, for a moment, they were just three enjoying each other's company, without worries or responsibilities.

Finally, when Kushina seemed on the verge of fainting from laughter, Chen and Mikoto took pity on her and let her go.

Recovering, Kushina looked at both of them reproachfully, her breathing still choppy from laughter.

"You two..." she panted, pointing accusingly at them with a trembling finger. "You're... you're..."

"We're what?" Chen challenged, arching an eyebrow.

"You're... wonderful idiots!" Kushina exclaimed, throwing herself at both of them in a group hug on the couch.

The three fell into a laughing heap, the warmth of their mutual affection enveloping them like a comforting blanket. For a moment, the outside world, with its wars and dangers, ceased to exist.

After catching their breath, they settled on the couch to watch some television.

As the night wore on and fatigue began to show, they decided it was time to rest. They headed to their respective rooms, exchanging "good nights."

___________

The next morning arrived with a soft breeze that slipped through Chen's slightly open window. Waking up slowly, however, as he got up and performed his morning routine, he noticed an unusual silence in the house.

After enjoying the delicious breakfast that Mikoto had left prepared, he frowned. "How strange," he murmured, his voice echoing in the empty kitchen. "Where are Mikoto and Kushina? Have they gone out?"

Deciding not to worry too much, he headed to the backyard to begin his daily training.

The fresh morning air greeted him, carrying with it the scent of leaves and damp earth.

With Ryūjin Jakka in hand, he began his Taijutsu and sword practice.

As he unsheathed the sword, the air around him seemed to warm slightly. The patterns on the blade shone with a cold light, promising a power he still couldn't fully unlock.

As he practiced, he couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. Despite his connection with Ryūjin Jakka, the Shikai still eluded him. Even calling it by its true name had no effect.

"Come on, Ryūjin," he muttered in frustration. "I know there's more to you. Why won't you show me?"

If the system hadn't confirmed that it was possible to unlock the Shikai, he would have doubted that this Zanpakutō could do Shikai.

He knew there was another way to unlock the Shikai: the system's coins. A hidden function he had recently discovered allowed him to improve his existing abilities in exchange for coins.

But the price... One million coins for the Shikai, ten million for the Bankai. Astronomical numbers.

"An artifact capable of destroying the world," Chen muttered, looking at the sword in frustration, "and I can't even unlock all its potential. What a mess."

The sun was already high in the sky when Mikoto and Kushina returned, loaded with bags of various sizes.

Chen, sweaty from training, looked at them curiously.

"What do you have there?" he asked, trying to peek at the contents of the bags. "Where have you been all morning?"

Kushina, with a mischievous smile, moved the bags away from his sight. "It's a se-cret!" she sang, winking. "Don't be so curious, Chen."

"Come on, Kushina," Mikoto intervened with a soft smile. "Don't tease him so much. Chen, I promise you'll know soon. For now, how about we prepare lunch together?"

Chen, although intrigued, decided to go along with it. "Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll save my questions for later. But I hope all this mystery is worth it."

After lunch, to Chen's surprise, the girls disappeared again, this time locking themselves in Mikoto's room.

"Hey!" Chen shouted from downstairs. "Are you planning how to make us millionaires or what?"

"Shut up!" Kushina yelled back. "Good things come to those who know how to wait!"

Resigned, Chen decided to use the time to train in the nearby forest.

The familiar green environment welcomed him, the sounds of nature mixing with the whistle of Ryūjin Jakka cutting through the air.

As he trained, he couldn't help but wonder what Mikoto and Kushina were up to.

The sun was already setting when he returned home, his body covered in sweat but his mind calmer after the intense training. As he approached the door, he heard whispers and giggles.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and a burst of colors and sounds greeted him.

"SURPRISE!" three familiar voices shouted in unison.

Chen blinked, momentarily blinded by the confetti falling around him. In front of him were Mikoto, Kushina, and, to his surprise, Tsunade.

The three were holding confetti cannons, their faces lit up with radiant smiles.

"Tsunade?" Chen looked at her in amazement. "What...? Shouldn't you be on the battlefield?"

With a slight blush on her cheeks, Tsunade, avoiding direct eye contact with Chen, replied: "And miss your birthday? Not in a million years, brat."

"Happy birthday, Chen!" exclaimed Kushina, "Mikoto and I have been running around like crazy since dawn to prepare all this. You owe us big time, dattebane!"

"We wanted it to be special," Mikoto said beside her while smiling softly.

Chen felt a wave of emotion wash over him, a lump forming in his throat.

Without thinking twice, he extended his arms and hugged the three women, pulling them close. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice broken with emotion. "I... this... you have no idea what this means to me."

Tsunade, caught in the embrace, felt her heart racing. The warmth of Chen's body, so close to hers, sent waves of electricity through her skin. "C-Chen," she stammered, her face burning. "L-Let me go, please. I'm... I'm not your girlfriend, don't get confused."

Still in the embrace, Chen, far from letting her go, looked directly into her eyes. The intensity of his gaze made Tsunade feel her knees weaken.

"Tsunade," Chen said softly, his voice laden with a determination that contrasted with his youth. "I like you. Not as a friend, not as a mentor. I like you... as a woman. Be my girlfriend."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Mikoto and Kushina exchanged looks of surprise, but surprisingly, they didn't seem upset. If it was Tsunade, they could accept it.

"I... you..." Tsunade stammered, her usual confidence completely gone. She felt like her heart was going to burst. "H-How can you say something like that? I'm... I'm almost ten years older than you, brat. And Mikoto and Kushina are here... This is crazy."

"Hehe~!" Kushina let out a mischievous giggle. "I don't have a problem if it's Tsunade-neesan. As long as you don't try to steal Chen from us, dattebane!"

Mikoto nodded seriously. "I don't mind either," she added. "Chen... has always been special. And if it's Tsunade-san, I can understand it."

Tsunade, feeling cornered, tried to regain control of the situation. Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her nervousness. "You're... you're a little ten-year-old demon whose hair doesn't grow, but you've already learned how to confess," she said, forcing a laugh that sounded more nervous to everyone. "Who taught you to be so daring, huh?"

Chen coughed, a little embarrassed. "Ahem, Tsunade... that doesn't answer my question. Is... is it a yes or a no?"

Tsunade felt like her heart was going to burst. Years of repressed feelings struggled to surface. "Don't... don't you care about our age difference? Aren't you worried about what people will say?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I don't care," Chen declared confidently. "Age isn't important to me, Tsunade. What I feel for you goes beyond that. Even immortality isn't impossible for us. I... I want you by my side, no matter what others say."

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