Naruto: Starting With Three Tomoe Sharingan, Girlfriend Kushina

Around 3 p.m.

"Is Ryun home?"

When Kushina arrived at Ryun's house, she found the front door tightly locked. She called out twice, but no one answered.

"This guy, where does he even go when he doesn't have school..."

Kushina muttered to herself, her expression a little disappointed.

She stood hesitantly at the door, wanting to leave but also not wanting to, thinking that maybe he would return soon...

The sun was scorching hot, the ground temperature extremely high, and the air filled with stifling heat. Kushina shielded her eyes from the sun and, unable to bear the heat, ran to a nearby small tree to escape the blazing sunlight.

By nearly 4 p.m., after most of the afternoon, Ryun had finally mastered the water-walking skill. Walking upstream against the river, he couldn't help but smile happily.

Every bit of progress in his strength brought him joy.

Poof! Poof!

Two shadow clones disappeared at the same time, and a flood of training experience poured into Ryun's mind.

Splash!

The mental impact was not small, and Ryun lost his focus for a moment, disrupting his water-walking rhythm and falling into the water again.

"Looks like I still need more practice to reach the level where not a single drop touches me..."

After climbing ashore, Ryun set a new goal for himself.

Mastering the 'water-walking' skill to its peak would likely make even an A-rank jutsu like 'Great Waterfall Technique' ineffective. Just like when Pain fought the enraged Naruto, the surging underground water was comparable to water-release jutsu, yet Pain could walk on the waves as if on flat ground.

This required extremely refined chakra control, something Ryun was still far from achieving.

After wringing out his wet clothes slightly, Ryun walked slowly toward home.

When he neared his doorstep, a familiar figure under a small tree caught him off guard.

Ryun quickly ran over to her, and his arrival immediately caught Kushina's attention.

"Were you looking for me? How long have you been waiting?"

"I... I just got here..." Kushina replied in a small voice, her face red.

Ryun didn't quite catch what she said. He grabbed her hand and hurried her inside.

In this scorching heat, the little girl had been standing under the tree for who knows how long. Her face was flushed red, her clothes damp with sweat, and Ryun was worried she might get heatstroke.

Opening the door, he quickly led her to the shaded area behind the house. The air circulated better here, making it cooler than indoors. The old Ryun would occasionally hide here to read comics or nap.

"Stay here for now..."

After making Kushina sit on the bench, Ryun rushed inside to grab some chilled drinks.

"Here, drink something to cool down..."

As he spoke, he took out a fan and began vigorously fanning her.

Seeing him so attentive, Kushina's eyes curved into happy crescents. She took big gulps of the chilled orange juice, the icy, sweet-and-sour flavor making her whole body relax, filling her with joy.

After waiting so long, one sip of the cold drink washed away all the heat and frustration...

"You, if you were coming to see me today, why didn't you say so yesterday... What were you doing standing outside in this awful heat like an idiot?"

"At the very least, you could've climbed the wall to get in and escape the sun... So dumb..."

Ryun fanned her while 'scolding' her.

"Who are you calling dumb? Want me to punch you?" Kushina clenched her fist and glared threateningly.

"..."

Seeing Ryun shut up, she finally lowered her fist and huffed.

"I told you I just got here. Also, who climbs over someone's wall on their first visit? Am I a thief?"

"Ah..."

Ryun thought that made sense and scratched his head awkwardly.

"Big dummy!"

Kushina couldn't help but mutter, though the corners of her lips curled upward.

"..."

The two sat in silence for a moment. Then, noticing how soaked Ryun was, Kushina asked:

"Did you fall into the water? Why are you all wet..."

"Yeah, I wasn't paying attention and slipped into the water!" Ryun 'explained' with a laugh.

"Pfft—hahaha! I knew you were a big dummy! How can someone be so clumsy as to fall into the water while walking, yet call others dumb..." Kushina couldn't stop laughing.

"..."

Once she finally calmed down, Ryun spoke again:

"Wait here for me. I'm going to take a shower and change into dry clothes."

"Mm, go ahead..." Kushina nodded, her cheeks slightly red.

Soon, Ryun washed off the muddy smell with soap and dried his long hair with a towel.

After finishing, he sat right next to Kushina on the same bench, their closeness showing their intimacy.

Breathing in the faint scent of soap on Ryun, Kushina felt inexplicably refreshed—it was indescribably pleasant...

She instinctively lowered her head, her face burning red.

Noticing her strange state, Ryun grew a little worried.

"Why is your face red again? Are you really getting heatstroke?"

As he spoke, he reached out to touch her forehead.

"It's burning..."

Feeling the cool hand on her forehead, Kushina quickly turned her head away.

"I... I don't have heatstroke... Stop... touching me..."

Her voice grew quieter, but Ryun didn't respond.

When Kushina turned back, she saw that he had already gotten up and gone inside...

"!!!"

Kushina froze, then her face filled with disappointment.

As time passed, the feeling only grew stronger, and she almost stood up to leave.

"Stupid Ryun, you didn't even say anything before going inside..." Kushina grumbled, puffing her cheeks in frustration.

"Here, wash your face and cool down a bit..."

Ryun suddenly reappeared, handing her a clean, damp towel.

He had gone inside to fetch a towel and prepare a basin of cold water for her to wash her face...

"Don't worry, it's a new towel. No one's used it before."

Seeing Kushina still dazed, Ryun found it a little funny.

"What are you spacing out for? Need me to wipe your face for you?"

"!!!"

"N-no... I'll do it myself..."

Flustered, Kushina quickly wiped her face haphazardly with the towel.

"..."

Ryun took the towel back, rinsed it in the ice-cooled water, and handed it to her again.

"Wipe properly, then press it on your face to cool down..."

"Ah... O-okay..."

The cold towel against her hot skin made Kushina feel refreshed and comfortable beyond words.

Watching the boy diligently rewashing the towel for her, her heart trembled, and a warm, cherished happiness welled up inside her.

'Is this what it feels like to be cared for? He's really... so gentle.'

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