In Naruto, I Have an Affair with Mikoto and Kushina

Kushina leaned back, arms still crossed, her expression unreadable. "Just a regular."

The tall woman's eyes glimmered with mischief. "Ohhh, is that so? A 'regular,' huh?"

Kushina's lips pressed into a thin line. Why did the way she said that irritate her?

Meanwhile, Souta continued as if he didn't notice the shift in the air. "Would you ladies like your usual?"

The brunette giggled. "Of course! But only if you serve it with that smile of yours."

Kushina scoffed, louder this time. "What a bunch of suck-ups," she muttered under her breath, but not low enough.

The women blinked, exchanging amused glances.

Souta simply poured the tea, his expression unreadable.

Kushina took another sip of hers, but the tea suddenly tasted bitter.

Soon the women eventually left, their giggles fading as the shop door swung shut.

Silence settled.

Kushina stared at her cup, fingers tapping against the ceramic. Tch. Why was she so irritated?

She wasn't mad, obviously. That would be stupid. It wasn't like she cared who Souta entertained in this shop. He could flirt with every damn woman in Konoha for all she cared.

…Right?

Souta poured himself a fresh cup of tea, completely unfazed.

"You're quiet," he said casually. "That's new."

Kushina's eye twitched. "Shut up."

He hummed, taking a slow sip. "You sure? Seemed like you had plenty to say a minute ago."

Kushina scowled, crossing her arms. "I just don't like fake people. Those girls were acting all sweet and flirty just to get your attention. It's annoying."

Souta smirked, setting his cup down. "So that's what this is about?"

"Yeah."

"…Not about me, then?"

Her jaw clenched. "Why the hell would it be about you?"

Souta leaned back, watching her carefully. "No reason. Just… I don't know. I guess I thought maybe you'd care."

Kushina clicked her tongue. "Tch. You're full of yourself."

He chuckled. "Maybe. But I'm also here, talking to you, instead of flirting with them."

Kushina paused. The words settled between them, pushing past her irritation.

Souta wasn't just messing around like usual. He was actually trying to talk to her. Not teasing, not brushing her off—just putting in the effort.

Minato never did that. Not like this.

Not that it mattered.

She grabbed a dango skewer, stuffing a piece into her mouth. "Hmph. Whatever."

Souta smiled, shaking his head. "You really are stubborn."

"You really are annoying."

Kushina glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Maybe he was annoying. But right now, he was also the only one paying attention to her.

The days turned into weeks. The weeks bled into months.

It happened subtly. So slowly that none of them noticed. Not at first.

Mikoto's visits became routine. A constant. It wasn't just about tea anymore—if it ever had been. It was about the quiet conversations, the way Souta never rushed her, never dismissed her thoughts as inconsequential. He listened, truly listened, with an attentiveness that felt almost foreign.

She started looking forward to their conversations. Their debates. Their silences.

And then, the excuses began.

"I was just passing by."

"I needed a moment to breathe."

"The house was too quiet."

Fugaku never questioned it. He was always busy, always wrapped up in clan affairs. He assumed she was just taking time for herself.

And maybe, at first, that's all it was.

But when she found herself lingering even when she had nowhere else to be—when she realized she enjoyed the hours spent in that small shop more than she did in her own home—she knew.

This wasn't just about tea. Or conversation.

This was about him.

Kushina was different.

Where Mikoto sought quiet solace, Kushina brought chaos. Energy. Fire.

She came storming in, talking a mile a minute, complaining about her training, grumbling about Minato, about missions, about how the other shinobi still looked at her like she was a wild card that needed to be reined in.

And Souta—damn him—just smirked, pouring her tea, acting like she wasn't one spark away from burning something down.

But he listened.

She hated how much she liked that.

Minato was kind. He was sweet. He adored her.

But sometimes, she felt like he was too perfect. Too patient. Like no matter what she said, no matter what she did, he would always just smile and tell her she was amazing.

Souta wasn't like that. He challenged her. Called her out. Teased her in ways that made her want to throw her tea at his face—but at the same time, made her want to come back the next day just to prove him wrong.

She told herself it was just friendship. That she only came here because he made good tea. That was all.

But then the women came.

The ones who flirted. Who giggled and batted their lashes at him like he was some prize to be won.

And something inside her burned.

She had no right to feel that way. She was with Minato. She loved Minato.

And yet, when she sat across from Souta, watching the way those women spoke to him, watching the way he smiled at them—

She hated it.

She hated how effortless it was.

She hated how he let them do it.

She hated how much she cared.

But what she hated most… was that he noticed.

The first time he called her out on it, she nearly threw her cup at him.

The second time, she had no retort.

And the third?

She simply looked away, biting her lip, unsure of what to say.

The cracks formed slowly.

Mikoto, growing colder toward Fugaku, yet feeling warmth in a place she never expected.

Kushina, laughing a little less with Minato, yet smiling a little more when she sat across from Souta.

Neither of them fully realized it yet.

But Souta did.

And he simply continued to pour their tea, knowing that sooner or later, they would.

During this time, Souta wasn't just sitting around. He was making connections—important ones.

Through casual conversations and well-placed words, he managed to get on the Third Hokage's good side. Hiruzen liked him. The old man enjoyed his company, appreciating his intelligence and way of speaking. Souta never overstepped, never seemed too ambitious, but always left an impression.

And where Hiruzen was, Danzo wasn't far behind.

Danzo had already taken notice of him. He saw how often Kushina visited. How Mikoto lingered. He didn't know Souta's true intentions, but he made his own assumptions.

A jinchūriki growing close to someone outside her usual circle? An Uchiha matriarch forming bonds elsewhere? Interesting.

When Danzo finally spoke to Souta, it was short and to the point.

"You seem close to both Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha."