chsdbacks Chapter 567 Minato Namikaze: What did you do to Kushina?
Chapter 567 Minato Namikaze: What did you do to Kushina?
On the stone table in the corner of the courtyard, half a cup of cold tea remained in the glass.
A sound came from outside the courtyard gate, breaking the tranquility of the courtyard.
"Kushina, I've come to see you. I brought you your favorite salted bean cake, from the same shop you loved when you were little. I went out of my way to buy it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the wooden courtyard gate was gently pushed open with a soft creak, startling the sparrows carrying grass leaves in the corner of the wall.
Minato Namikaze slowly walked in, wearing a neat and tidy light-colored cloak. The hem of the cloak swayed gently with his steps, and a few tiny bits of grass were stuck to the corner of the cloak... obviously from accidentally brushing against it while traveling.
His face wore his usual gentle smile, his eyebrows curved, his eyes filled with an unyielding warmth, even the curve of his eyes carried a hint of ingratiation. His right hand held a delicate ebony box tightly, his fingers slightly clenched, protecting the box as if afraid that the pastries inside would be broken or chilled.
He approached with extremely light steps, his eyes anxiously searching the courtyard, muttering softly, "Kushina? Are you there? I know you might still be throwing a tantrum, don't be angry."
But when his gaze swept across the courtyard and landed on Kushina Uzumaki, who stood quietly at the door of the room, the smile on his face froze slightly, his steps faltered, and even his breath caught in his throat for half a second. He increased the pressure on his fingers, and the edge of the ebony box slightly dug into his palm, sending a faint pain through him, but he was completely unaware of it.
He knew Kushina too well—every expression, every tone of her voice, every subtle movement. He knew her so well that if she frowned, he knew she was angry; if she smiled slightly, he knew she was in a better mood. But the red-haired girl before him was so unfamiliar that it made him panic and left him at a loss.
She still wore her dazzling crimson hair, which fell over her shoulders and swayed slightly in the wind, with a fallen petal still clinging to the end. But her eyes were cold and calm, like a frozen pool, devoid of any of her usual coquettishness and joy, any of the excitement and shyness she felt when she saw him, not even a ripple of emotion.
It was as if the person standing in front of her was not her childhood sweetheart of more than ten years, not someone she had grown up with and accompanied since childhood, but just an insignificant stranger, a passerby who could be ignored at any time.
That deep-seated sense of alienation, like a fine needle, gently pierced Minato Namikaze's heart, causing a slight stinging sensation that spread through his veins to his limbs and bones, making him feel a chill all over.
He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm, trying to suppress the surprise and panic surging in his heart with the slight pain, and tried to maintain the gentle smile on his face. However, the smile had long lost its former sincerity and had become somewhat stiff and forced.
He moved slowly, step by step approaching Kushina, each step tentative, each step cautious, as if afraid that a single careless move would completely anger her and push her away. When he was a few steps away from her, he stopped, not daring to get any closer, and just quietly looked at her, his eyes filled with increasingly intense flattery and expectation.
"Kushina," his voice was softer than usual, trembling slightly, as he handed her the ebony box, his wrist slightly raised, his posture extremely humble, his eyes full of expectation, even with a hint of humble pleading, "Try it, it's still the taste you know. The shopkeeper said they specially added your favorite savory filling today, and also added your favorite sesame seeds. I tried a small piece, and it tastes exactly the same as when I was a child."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, intending to open the ebony box to show her the pastries inside. His fingers touched the clasp, but he paused, turning to Kushina with a tentative look in his eyes: "Shall I open it for you?"
However, Kushina Uzumaki simply turned her body slightly to the side, her movements swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, precisely avoiding the ebony box he offered, without even sparing a glance at the box of salted bean cakes she had once treasured.
Her eyelids drooped slightly, and her long eyelashes cast shadows under her eyelids, obscuring the complex emotions that flashed through her eyes... There was the bond of being together day and night in the past, the decisiveness to sever the ties of love now, and a trace of pain and reluctance buried deep in her heart that she did not want to touch.
That trace of reluctance, like a thin vine, tightly wrapped around her heart, making her feel slightly suffocated. But when she thought of the tragic scene she saw in Tsukuyomi, the injustice done to her clan, and Minato Namikaze's cowardice and escapism, that trace of reluctance was instantly replaced by cold decisiveness.
Her tone was icy cold, devoid of any warmth. Every word was like ice, decisive and leaving no room for negotiation, even carrying a deliberate distance: "No need, you can take it. Also... don't come looking for me again. There's nothing more to say between us."
Minato Namikaze's hand, which was handing out the wooden box, suddenly stopped, frozen in mid-air. The gentle smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by disbelief. The warmth in his eyes was instantly replaced by panic and confusion.
His pupils contracted slightly, his lips moved slightly, and he opened his mouth, but his throat felt as if something was blocking it, so dry and painful that he couldn't speak for a moment.
He and Kushina spent more than ten years together, growing up together from innocent children to budding teenagers. They ran together under the cherry blossom trees, fished together by the river, shared a small piece of salty bean cake, and spent countless warm and unforgettable moments together.
Even when she was at her angrier or more resentful, she never spoke to him in such a cold, distant, or hurtful tone, nor did she ever say things like "Don't come looking for me again" or "There's nothing to talk about between us."
All those memories flooded back... He ate savory bean cakes with her, and when she got them all over her face, he smiled and wiped the crumbs from her mouth; when she was misunderstood by her tribe and cried in distress, he silently stayed by her side, clumsily comforting her and promising to always protect her; when he was injured during cultivation, she anxiously bandaged him up, her eyes red-rimmed, and told him not to push himself so hard again...
Those heartwarming scenes contrasted sharply with the indifference before him, like sharp blades piercing his heart, causing a surge of emotion, a mix of sourness and pain, and bringing a slight redness to his eyes.
"Kushina, what...what did you say?" After a long while, he finally found his voice, his tone trembling slightly, with a heavy sense of panic, his eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment, and a hint of self-deceiving luck.
He took a small step forward, wanting to get closer to her, wanting to see her expression clearly, wanting to know if she was deliberately lying to him, if she was just being stubborn. "Are you still angry? Did your people say something bad about me to you again? Did they misunderstand me, and did they make you misunderstand me too?"
He spoke faster, his tone urgent, with some incoherent explanations, "Tell me what they said to you, and I'll explain it to you, okay? I really didn't do anything to betray you, and I didn't do anything to betray the Uzumaki clan either. You have to believe me, Kushina, you must believe me."
Kushina Uzumaki slowly lowered her eyes, her crimson hair obscuring the emotions within, leaving only a cold and resolute profile, her jawline taut, exuding an undeniable determination.
Her fingers clenched slightly, her nails digging into her palms, sending a sharp, distinct pain through her. This pain just barely suppressed the last vestiges of tenderness and reluctance in her heart, making her even more determined.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed on Minato Namikaze. Her eyes were utterly calm and unwavering, her tone steady yet authoritative as she clearly stated, "I'm not angry, nor have I misunderstood you. I simply don't want to see you again, don't want to hear your voice again. Go away. Don't bother me anymore, and don't bother anyone else in the Uzumaki clan. Our Uzumaki clan's affairs are none of your concern."