Naruto’s crying interrupted Kushina and Roy’s discussion.
Having never cared for a newborn before, Kushina immediately found herself at a loss.
She held Naruto in her arms and gently rocked him back and forth, but instead of calming down, his cries only grew louder.
“Maybe he’s hungry,” Roy suggested from behind her.
He had no experience raising children either, but there were usually only a few reasons for a baby to cry.
Naruto was either hungry, needed to be changed, or was uncomfortable with the way he was being held.
Several hours had already passed since Naruto’s birth, and he had yet to be fed.
Hunger seemed like the most likely cause.
Kushina did not have time to think about anything else.
She loosened the front of her clothes and brought Naruto close to her chest.
Sure enough, the moment he began feeding, Naruto stopped crying.
His two tiny hands remained tightly clenched as he drank with all his strength.
Seeing him finally settle down, Kushina ignored the discomfort and smiled tenderly at him.
Roy tactfully moved several metres away.
With the strange restriction forcing him to remain behind Kushina, all he would have to do was lower his gaze to see far more than he should.
Hearing him step back, Kushina quietly released a breath of relief.
“Thank you, Roy-san,” she said sincerely.
Roy assumed she was thanking him for realising Naruto was hungry.
“You’re welcome,” he replied calmly.
With all her attention focused on Naruto, Kushina no longer had the energy to worry about Konoha or what she should do next.
Once Naruto had eaten his fill, he gave a small yawn and began to grow sleepy.
Kushina held him against her and resumed rocking him gently.
Unfortunately, every time Kushina swayed, Roy was pulled from side to side behind her.
Fortunately, the movements were small enough that he could endure them without pressing himself against her back to avoid becoming dizzy.
Just as Naruto was about to fall asleep, however, he suddenly began crying again.
“You’re still hungry?” Kushina looked surprised and tried feeding him again.
This time, it made no difference.
Even with his mouth occupied, Naruto continued to cry.
Realising that Kushina had not noticed the problem, Roy spoke again.
“Check his blanket.” Kushina lowered her gaze.
Sure enough, one part of the previously dry swaddle was now soaked.
What followed was another round of frantic activity.
By the time Kushina finished changing Naruto, Roy no longer had the strength to complain.
One moment, he was being thrown to the left.
The next, he was being pulled to the right.
Worst of all, when Kushina bent forward, Roy was dragged upward until his entire body was pressed against the ceiling.
Had he not reacted quickly and used his spiritual power to keep himself suspended in mid-air, he would have crashed directly into Kushina’s back.
“Kushina…” Realising what she had done, Kushina immediately bent forward to apologise.
That single movement sent Roy swinging through the air like a pendulum.
“I’m sorry, Roy-san!
I didn’t mean to!” Kushina sounded close to tears, but she desperately resisted the urge to bow again.
“It’s…
fine.
Just stop moving around so suddenly…” Roy covered his mouth.
“Ugh…” The thought of living every day with the risk of being flung through the air without warning filled him with despair.
Hearing his retching behind her, Kushina felt even more guilty.
After hesitating several times, she pushed aside her embarrassment and spoke softly.
“Why don’t you lean against my back, Roy-san?” Roy had saved her life.
He had helped her think about what she and Naruto should do next, and he had even helped her care for Naruto despite having no experience himself.
Much of Kushina’s earlier suspicion toward him had already faded.
For some unknown reason, Roy was forced to remain directly behind her.
Even a slight movement could send him flying around her.
But Naruto was restless, and Kushina could not possibly remain still while caring for him.
The situation left her deeply apologetic.
After hearing her suggestion, Roy moved slightly closer, but he did not actually press himself against her back.
While Kushina continued trying to lull Naruto to sleep, Roy began considering several other problems.
Kushina would eventually need to bathe.
She would also need to use the bathroom and sleep.
When that happened, what was he supposed to do?
“Um, Kushina…” “What is it?” “Slowly turn your back toward the door.” Kushina did not understand what he intended to do, but she followed his instructions and turned carefully.
Once she stopped moving, Roy began backing away.
He continued until he reached the ten-metre limit, which placed him just outside the room.
Roy then released a small amount of spiritual pressure and pushed the door closed.
Under normal circumstances, a Shinigami in spiritual form could pass through solid objects such as walls and doors.
However, when Kushina had thrown him against the ceiling earlier, he had not passed through it and entered the room above.
Roy wanted to test whether placing a door between them would affect the strange bond connecting him to Kushina.
Perhaps it could cut off the connection entirely.
Even if it could not, having a door or wall between them would at least prevent many awkward situations in the future.
However, the instant the door closed, Roy found himself standing inside the room.
He had appeared on the other side of the door without warning.
There had been no distortion in space.
He had not felt the pulling force that appeared whenever Kushina moved beyond the ten-metre limit either.
It was almost as though he had never stood outside the room at all.
“Roy?” Kushina heard the door close and wondered what he was doing.
She wanted to turn around, but she was afraid of sending him flying again, so she remained still and called out softly instead.
“Kushina.” “Yes?” “There’s something you should know.” Roy hesitated briefly before explaining what had happened during his experiment.
After hearing his explanation, Kushina forgot to restrain herself and spun around.
As expected, Roy was instantly dragged halfway around her.
Roy was beginning to understand that even motion sickness could become easier to endure after suffering through it enough times.
He still felt nauseous, but it was nowhere near as severe as before.
“I’m sorry, Roy-san!” Unable to see him anywhere, Kushina hurriedly apologised.
Roy no longer had the energy to blame her.
After apologising, Kushina began imagining what this strange connection would mean in the future.
Whether she was bathing or using the bathroom, Roy would be forced to remain directly behind her.
He could not even wait outside.
The thought alone made her feel miserable.
Even Minato had never followed her into the bathroom.
Unfortunately, Kushina could not think of any way to avoid the problem.
She could not simply stop bathing or using the bathroom for the rest of her life.
For one brief moment, she wondered whether it might have been better if Roy had never saved her.
At least then, she would not have to face such an unbearable situation.
Roy noticed Kushina’s body growing stiff.
His gaze fell on her clothes, and an idea suddenly came to him.
Walls and doors could not separate them, but clothing apparently could.
Otherwise, he should have been forced inside Kushina’s clothes instead of remaining behind her.
Roy immediately told her what he had realised.
He picked up a nearby blanket and unfolded it in front of himself.
This time, he did not pass through it.
The blanket successfully remained between them, creating a barrier that could at least spare them some embarrassment.
To make things easier, Roy suggested that Kushina place a wooden frame inside the bathroom and hang a blanket over it.
That way, he would not have to hold the blanket himself whenever she bathed.
The idea sounded promising.
Unfortunately, reality was not so kind.
When Roy held the blanket, it remained between them.
But the moment they hung it over the frame and Roy released it, he vanished from behind the blanket and reappeared on the same side as the shower.