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They created Shadow Clones to clear the weeds in the courtyard and clean the house.
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"Whew, that was tiring," Kushina said, collapsing onto the engawa.
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Even though the clones had done the work, the fatigue still transferred to them when they were dispelled.
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"I don''t even want to cook anymore, Shin..." Mikoto looked at Shin expectantly. He was the only one who still had energy. The cooking duty fell to him.
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Shin was a decent cook. Before Mikoto arrived, he had been the one preparing their meals.
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"Fine, I''ll cook. What do you want to eat?" Shin didn''t refuse. He couldn''t bear to make Mikoto work any more.
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"Anything is fine. I could eat an entire cow right now," Kushina said.
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They had been busy all day and hadn''t eaten anything yet.
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"Wait, we don''t even have any ingredients. Let''s just eat out."
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Shin had just stood up when he realized they hadn''t bought any groceries yet.
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"Looks like we''re eating out. But I don''t want to move," Kushina whined.
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"Do you want me to carry you?" Shin asked.
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Kushina''s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
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"Shin, I don''t want to move either," Mikoto chimed in.
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"No way! You''re not that tired!" Kushina protested before Shin could even respond.
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"Kushina, You have the Sage Body; you should recover faster," Mikoto argued.
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The two girls glared at each other, sparks flying between them. Konan, seeing this, hid behind Shin.
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In the end, Shin didn''t carry either of them. Choosing one would only cause trouble.
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....
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They arrived at Konoha''s food street. It was usually bustling, but due to the war, it was deserted.
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They entered a Yakiniku restaurant, ordered some meat and vegetables, and ate hungrily.
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"This is so good!" Konan exclaimed.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
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"Then eat more, Konan. You need to gain some weight," Shin said, placing more meat on her plate.
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"But I don''t want to get fat," Konan said with a pout. No girl wanted to be fat, not even Konan.
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"But you''re too skinny, Konan," Kushina said.
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Konan had been a war orphan, living a life of hardship. She was malnourished.
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Even after joining Shin and his team, she was still thin.
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After they were almost full, they bought some snacks from other stalls, like tempura and takoyaki.
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"I''m so full."
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Kushina rubbed her stomach as they walked back in the evening.
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"I wonder how Tsunade-neechan is doing," Mikoto said worriedly.
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She used to call Tsunade "Tsunade-sensei," but she had switched to calling her "neechan" (big sister).
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"Don''t worry, she''ll be fine. Even on the battlefield, she''s safe," Shin said confidently.
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Tsunade also had his Mangekyō Sharingan abilities implanted in her.
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And she was strong, her strength rivaling that of a Kage. Even the Third Kazekage couldn''t threaten her.
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Besides, her main duty wasn''t combat; she was a medic.
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"The situation on the Amegakure front isn''t good, is it? Why did the Sandaime Hokage call us back?" Kushina asked.
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She hadn''t thought much of it before, but now that she considered Konoha''s situation, it seemed strange. Why would they call back their strongest fighter when they were in such a precarious position?
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"I don''t know, and I don''t care."
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Shin wasn''t interested in guessing Hiruzen''s motives.
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"Kushina, you should focus on your Ninjutsu training. You''re falling behind Mikoto."
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Shin said.
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"That''s not true! I''m stronger than Mikoto!" Kushina protested.
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"I don''t think so."
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Mikoto looked at Kushina. She didn''t think she was weaker.
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Kushina had the Sage Body and large Chakra reserves, but Mikoto had the Sharingan, and it was at the three-tomoe stage.
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"Then let''s spar and find out," Kushina challenged.
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"Sure." Mikoto accepted.
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Shin was speechless. He had only meant for Kushina to focus on training, but now they were going to fight.
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And Mikoto had actually agreed.
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He didn''t try to stop them, though. They often sparred anyway. It would be good for them.
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Shin and Konan followed Kushina and Mikoto to the Senju Clan training ground.
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It was evening, but the sun hadn''t set yet.
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"Mikoto, I''m not going to hold back this time," Kushina warned.
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"Me neither. I hope you won''t give up, Kushina."
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"Mikoto, you''re underestimating me!"
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Kushina used the Body Flicker Jutsu to close the distance and threw a punch. Her Taijutsu was excellent; Mikoto was no match for her in that area.
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But Mikoto was prepared. Kushina''s fist struck a Shadow Clone.
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"A Shadow Clone? When did she create that?" Kushina was surprised.
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A gust of wind, and Mikoto appeared behind Kushina, launching an attack.
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"Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
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Kushina reacted quickly, forming hand seals. Chakra chains erupted from her back, blocking Mikoto''s fist.
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"Hmph, you think you can sneak up on me, Mikoto?" Kushina said smugly.
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"Now I''ve got you!"
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She spread the chains, trying to bind Mikoto.
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Mikoto knew what would happen if she was caught by those chains. She wouldn''t be able to break free.
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She quickly retreated, putting distance between them.