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Shin stared at Mikoto, dumbfounded.
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"So, only Kushina is allowed to come to your room at night?" Mikoto asked, sitting beside him.
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"Well, no, but..."
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"I''m scared to sleep alone," Mikoto interrupted, using the same excuse as Kushina.
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Shin''s lips twitched.
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"Are you going to refuse?" Mikoto blinked at him, her heart pounding.
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Shin hesitated. Refusing seemed cruel. He was a gentleman; how could he refuse?
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Yep, I''m one hundred percent sure I have absolutely no ulterior motives. None at all!
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She was nervous, despite her calm facade. The thought of Shin and Kushina sleeping together had bothered her.
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She couldn''t stand the imbalance. So, after tricking Kushina, she had come to Shin''s room.
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But now she was worried. What if Shin rejected her? What if he didn''t like her?
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"Ahem, of course I wouldn''t refuse a lady. If you''re scared, Mikoto, you can stay here. I''ll protect you."
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Shin said, trying to sound reassuring.
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Mikoto''s pale face regained its color. She was relieved, then lay down on the tatami mat.
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"Aren''t you going to sleep, Shin?" she asked, then blushed slightly. Why did she sound like a doting wife?
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Shin had been planning to refine Chakra, but he couldn''t focus now. He lay down next to Mikoto.
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"What if Kushina finds out tomorrow?" he asked.
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If Kushina found out, she might attack him with a kitchen knife.
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"Don''t worry, Kushina sleeps late. She won''t find out," Mikoto whispered.
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...
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The night passed peacefully.
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Mikoto woke up early and prepared breakfast. After finishing, she went to wake up Kushina.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
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Seeing Kushina rubbing her eyes sleepily, Mikoto felt a pang of guilt, but also a thrill.
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"Mikoto, what are you thinking about?" Kushina asked, noticing her expression.
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"N-nothing!" Mikoto quickly shook her head. She couldn''t let Kushina know, or she might not talk to her for days.
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Kushina looked at Mikoto, sensing she was hiding something, but she didn''t ask.
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...
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Half a month passed. Shin had been back in Konoha for a while now. He had also learned about the situation on the battlefields.
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Things weren''t looking good for Konoha. They were losing ground on the Suna front.
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Suna and Ame, who had been on the defensive, were now pushing back. The Konoha forces had been driven out of the Land of Rain.
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The defeat on the Suna front had even affected the Iwa front, where Konoha was also losing ground.
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In the original story, Suna and Ame hadn''t joined forces. Amegakure had been enemies with everyone.
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But now, Amegakure was allied with Suna and Iwa, putting Konoha at a disadvantage.
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Amegakure might be a small village, but it was the strongest besides the Five Great Villages.
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Shin had suppressed Hanzō before, but without Shin, Hanzō was a force to be reckoned with.
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He had single-handedly overwhelmed Sakumo Hatake on the battlefield and almost killed him several times. With his summon and his own strength, Sakumo was no match for him.
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With Sakumo occupied, the Third Kazekage was free to focus on Orochimaru and Jiraiya. And Tsunade had to deal with Chiyo. Thankfully, Ebizo was still recovering from his injuries.
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But enough about Konoha''s predicament. Shin was also in a difficult situation.
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He had a full house tonight. Kushina and Mikoto were both in his room.
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Mikoto had arrived first, and Kushina had snuck in later. Seeing Mikoto in Shin''s room, the atmosphere had become incredibly awkward.
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"Kushina, if I said Mikoto came here to ask me about Ninjutsu, would you believe me?" Shin asked with a stiff smile.
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"Yes, I came to ask Shin about Ninjutsu," Mikoto lied, blushing slightly.
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It was the first time she had ever lied.
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"Heh, you think I''m stupid? Asking about Ninjutsu in bed?" Kushina scoffed.
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She was furious.
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"Mikoto, I thought we were best friends!"
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Kushina glared at Mikoto. She should have known better than to trust her.
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"You jerk!"
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Kushina punched Shin.
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"Wait, Kushina, I have something to say!" Shin said, grabbing her fist.
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"What are your last words? I''ll let you say them, then I''ll send you to your grave." Kushina glared at him.
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"I don''t think I deserve to die," Shin said.
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"Still arguing? Die!"
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Kushina punched Shin again, but her punches were weak.
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"Kushina, you can''t bring yourself to hurt me, can you?" Shin chuckled.
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"You''re still laughing?!" Kushina punched a hole in the nearby table in frustration.
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She was angry, but she couldn''t bring herself to hurt Shin.
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"Hmph, Mikoto, you owe me an explanation." Kushina glared at Mikoto.
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Mikoto felt a chill. "What kind of explanation, Kushina?"
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"You know what I mean!" Kushina was fuming, her jealousy growing.
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Mikoto lowered her head, admitting her guilt.