Kushina had long since grown used to Roy knowing things he should not have known.
It often seemed as though he understood every corner of the shinobi world.
She had no intention of questioning him too deeply.
As long as Roy meant no harm to her or Naruto, Kushina was willing to accept his presence as a small kindness from the Sage of Six Paths after Minato had been taken from her.
Roy, meanwhile, had some doubts about Yagura Karatachi’s reputation as a perfect jinchūriki.
Yagura had become both the Fourth Mizukage and the jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.
At some point afterward, however, he had fallen under the control of the Sharingan.
If both Yagura and the Three-Tails had been controlled by the same person, then naturally their movements and chakra would appear perfectly aligned.
Otherwise, it was difficult to believe that someone who had only recently become a jinchūriki could achieve complete control over a Tailed Beast almost immediately.
Even if the Three-Tails was calmer than some of the others, such rapid progress still seemed unnatural.
After washing her face, Kushina looked into the mirror.
Her gaze settled on the handsome young man standing behind her.
Without noticing it, a faint warmth stirred within her heart.
Roy ate with her, stayed beneath the same roof and remained at her side at every moment.
Because of the strange bond between them, he could not even leave when she bathed or used the bathroom.
Aside from Minato, Roy had already become the person closest to her.
The instant Minato entered her thoughts, however, that warmth vanished.
What are you thinking, Kushina?
She silently scolded herself.
Minato has only just died, and Naruto is still a baby.
I can’t do anything that would betray him.
Her expression softened.
Besides, that wouldn’t be fair to Roy either.
He deserves someone who can give him her whole heart.
Roy had no idea what was passing through her mind.
Seeing Kushina staring blankly into the mirror, he finally reminded her, “Kushina, we should go check on Naruto.” Kushina snapped out of her thoughts, and embarrassment rushed across her face.
“I’m sorry, Roy.” Roy stared at her in confusion.
He had no idea why she was suddenly apologising.
Kushina offered no explanation and quickly left the bathroom.
Over the next several nights, Kushina used her Adamantine Sealing Chains to keep herself lying on her side while she slept.
Roy watched her bind herself into place and could only assume that she was embarrassed about constantly rolling onto him.
He did not object.
Being held against someone warm and soft was hardly unpleasant, but the constant closeness was becoming its own kind of torment.
Roy might have possessed enough strength to force the issue if he truly wanted to, and Kushina might not have been able to stop him in his current spiritual state.
But he would never do something so vile.
The truth was that Kushina was not the only one affected by their closeness.
Roy had never shared such intimacy with a woman before.
Now he was suddenly living beside someone as beautiful as Kushina, unable to move more than ten metres away from her.
It would have been stranger if he felt absolutely nothing.
However, Minato had only just died.
Kushina’s love for him was still fresh, and her grief had not begun to fade.
Trying to force his way into her heart now would be cruel.
He briefly remembered the absurd methods shown in certain adult films from his former world, where a man would take advantage of a grieving widow until she became dependent on him.
But fiction was fiction.
Anyone who tried something like that in reality was not charming or clever.
He was simply a criminal who deserved prison.
The shinobi world might not have the same laws, but Roy still had his own sense of right and wrong.
“Lady Kushina.” Nonō Yakushi suddenly entered the room with a worried expression.
“The village…
The village is…” “Slow down,” Kushina said.
She was playing with Naruto and motioned for Nonō to sit.
“Tell me what happened.” “The village is reducing the supplies sent to the orphanage,” Nonō explained.
“They said the budget is strained and that supplies must be sent to the shinobi fighting Kumogakure.” Nonō did not want the orphanage to interfere with the war effort.
Konoha’s forces at the border needed food, medicine and equipment.
However, the orphanage had already been surviving on very little.
Most of the children were still growing.
If their supplies were reduced any further, eating enough each day would become difficult, let alone receiving proper meals.
Had the situation not become desperate, Nonō would never have troubled Kushina over it.
Kushina’s expression changed instantly.
“What?” She slammed her palm onto the table and shot to her feet.
“Which idiot gave that order?
Did they think my promise meant nothing?” Nonō glanced anxiously at Naruto, worried that Kushina’s outburst might frighten him.
“Stay here for a while,” Kushina said.
“I’m going to find out who thought they could do this.” She placed Naruto into Nonō’s arms and stormed toward the Hokage Building.
The guards at the entrance saw her approaching from a distance and immediately sent word to Hiruzen.
By the time Kushina reached the Hokage’s office, no one attempted to stop her.
“Third Hokage!” Kushina pushed open the door.
“Why has the orphanage’s funding been cut?” Hiruzen stared at her, completely taken aback.
He had no idea what she was talking about.
Who had ordered the orphanage’s supplies to be reduced?
The amount spent on those children was insignificant compared to Konoha’s military expenses.
More importantly, many of the children living there had lost parents who died fighting for Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War.
If the Hokage allowed the village to abandon those children, why would any shinobi continue risking their lives for Konoha?
“Kushina, there may be some misunderstanding—” Kushina did not allow him to finish.
Her fist slammed through his desk, leaving a large hole in its surface.
“You should understand the Will of Fire better than anyone!” she shouted, pointing directly at him.
“Those children are part of Konoha’s future!” “If the village takes food away from war orphans, what are the shinobi at the border supposed to think?” Her voice echoed through the office.
“They’re risking their lives against Kumogakure while the village leaves their children to go hungry!
Are you trying to destroy their morale for the enemy?” Hiruzen’s face darkened.
He wanted to explain that he had known nothing about the order, but Kushina continued without giving him a chance to speak.
Despite his anger, Hiruzen did not completely agree with everything she said.
Children were indeed the future of the village.
However, most of those living in the orphanage came from civilian families.
Children from the shinobi clans would still be raised by their relatives even if both parents died.
In Hiruzen’s private view, those clan children were more likely to become the village’s next generation of capable shinobi.
Of course, as Hokage, he could never say such a thing aloud.
“I won’t allow the village Minato protected to turn its back on those children,” Kushina said.
Her eyes hardened.
“If this isn’t fixed immediately, I’ll personally find the one responsible and have a very long conversation with them.” Kushina already knew Hiruzen had probably not issued the order himself.
She had simply taken the opportunity to release some of the anger she had been holding toward him.
Once she had said enough, she turned and left.
Hiruzen remained seated behind the ruined desk, his expression darker than before.
“Call Danzo,” he ordered coldly.
There was no need for a long investigation.
Danzo had been interested in Konoha’s orphanage for years.
Even its director was a former Root operative.
Anyone could see that he intended to search among the orphans for children with useful abilities and recruit them into Root.
The ANBU hidden inside the office immediately understood that Hiruzen was genuinely furious.
This time, he had not even told them to ask Danzo to come.
The last person who had dared to stand in the Hokage’s office, point at Hiruzen and openly scold him had been Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First Hokage.
The ANBU did not waste a moment.
He disappeared with the Body Flicker Technique and headed for Root’s underground headquarters.
On her way home, Kushina wore a bright, satisfied smile.
In the past, even when she disagreed with Hiruzen, she would never have shouted at him directly.
Now, just as Roy had told her, she no longer needed to hold herself back.
She had been right, Hiruzen knew it, and no one could punish her for saying so.
After finally releasing everything she had wanted to say, Kushina felt better than she had in days.