Chapter 51: Chapter 51 : Mikoto Meets Kurama
Kushina was looking forward to it.
After she revealed her secret to Mikoto, how would her best friend react?
She couldn't wait to see Mikoto's expression.
Mikoto had only recently become the Uchiha clan leader, and clan affairs had kept her busy. But Kushina had made sure to schedule this meeting well in advance. No matter how hectic things got, Mikoto would always find time for her.
Same time, same place.
A secluded forest outside Konoha.
It was the very spot where Mikoto had awakened her Mangekyō Sharingan. A place significant to them both.
Because it was Kushina who had asked to meet, Mikoto arrived early.
The clearing was empty.
No sign of Kushina.
Mikoto sighed, crossing her arms. "Where has that troublesome woman gone? She wouldn't just leave me waiting, would she?"
Since Kushina wasn't there yet, Mikoto allowed herself to complain freely. Their friendship had long since passed the stage of formalities.
She knew Kushina inside and out.
Her temperament, her quirks, even her body size—Mikoto could probably guess it all with her eyes closed.
Suddenly, a pair of warm hands covered her eyes from behind.
A familiar laugh followed.
"Hehe, guess who?"
Who else could it be?
Mikoto sighed and spread her hands. "Kushina, how old are you? Still playing childish tricks like this?"
Kushina wasn't done. She leaned in, exhaling softly against Mikoto's ear before trailing her fingers teasingly along her friend's sides.
Mikoto flinched at the ticklish sensation and shoved Kushina away. "Oi! What the hell was that?!"
Kushina grinned mischievously. "I learned that from Kurama."
Mikoto's eye twitched. "That fox of yours is a bad influence."
Before long, the two best friends were rolling in the grass, exchanging playful shoves and light-hearted jabs. It was a routine they had perfected over the years.
Eventually, they collapsed onto the soft grass, panting from exertion.
Mikoto smirked, wiping a stray strand of black hair from her face. "You've gotten better. I swear, if you were a guy, I'd have to take you down seriously."
Kushina propped herself up on her elbows, grinning. "Oh yeah? And if I were a guy, I'd have you pinned already."
Mikoto rolled her eyes. "Tch. As if."
For the first time in weeks, she felt completely at ease. Only Kushina could bring out this carefree side of her.
But it was time to get to the point.
Mikoto was the first to ask, "So? What did you call me here for? Don't tell me you're finally ready to overthrow the Third Hokage?"
Kushina shook her head. "Not yet. That can wait."
She studied Mikoto carefully before reaching out, grasping a strand of her friend's long black hair, twirling it between her fingers. A slow, knowing smile curled at her lips.
Mikoto shivered. That smile put her on edge.
"Kushina, you're acting suspicious. What are you scheming?"
Kushina leaned closer, dropping her voice. "Mikoto… I have a boyfriend."
Mikoto blinked.
"…Huh?"
The words didn't register at first.
"A boyfriend? You?"
Kushina's smug expression only deepened Mikoto's confusion.
Something inside her twisted, an odd, uncomfortable sensation settling in her chest.
She scoffed, masking her reaction. "Hah. And you didn't tell me earlier? Where is this guy? Bring him out, let me judge him."
Kurama stirred within Kushina, unimpressed.
Walked out? Is that how humans view things?
Kushina grinned. "Oh, Mikoto, I can't just 'walk' him out. Kurama always resides within me."
Mikoto frowned. "Wait. What?"
Kushina decided it was time.
She revealed the full truth.
The Uzumaki clan. Her fate as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. How she had grown stronger, step by step, not just because of her own will but because of the presence within her.
Mikoto listened in stunned silence.
She had known Kushina for years. She had always assumed that her fiery best friend was just naturally strong. To learn that she had been forced into becoming the vessel for the strongest of the tailed beasts…
Mikoto clenched her fists. Konoha's leadership had done this to her?
But what shocked her even more…
Kushina's 'boyfriend.'
"Wait, wait, wait," Mikoto finally spoke, holding up a hand. "You're telling me that Kurama—the Nine-Tails—is not just a beast, but also… a man?"
Kushina nodded, grinning. "Exactly. He's not just the Nine-Tails. He's a being with a human mind and form. The ultimate Jinchūriki, in a way."
Mikoto exhaled sharply. "So… you're basically… the Jinchūriki of a Jinchūriki?"
Kushina laughed. "I guess you could put it like that."
Mikoto shook her head, still processing.
Everything she knew about tailed beasts… had just been turned upside down.
And, as if that wasn't enough, her best friend had essentially fallen for the Nine-Tails himself.
"This is insane," she muttered. "Even for you, Kushina."
Kushina smirked. "I haven't even told you the best part yet."
Mikoto groaned. "There's more?"
Kushina coughed dramatically. "Yes. See, everything I've experienced, everything I've seen… Kurama has seen too."
Mikoto narrowed her eyes. "…What are you getting at?"
Kushina wiggled her eyebrows. "For example… baths. Sleeping. Hot springs."
Mikoto froze.
Her brain short-circuited for a moment before her face turned redder than the Uchiha crest.
"…You're joking."
Kushina grinned wickedly. "Nope."
"T-That means—?!"
"Oh yeah. Kurama has seen everything. Every time we bathed together, every time we—"
Mikoto clapped her hands over her ears. "STOP! I don't want to hear any more!"
Kushina burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.
Mikoto, still red-faced, glared at her. "That damn fox! He—he better not remember any of that!"
Inside Kushina, Kurama chuckled darkly.
Mikoto groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is humiliating."
Kushina patted her shoulder. "Relax, Mikoto. It's not like he's going to tell anyone."
Mikoto shot her a glare. "That's not the point! I feel so… exposed!"
Kushina merely grinned. "Well, you did ask to meet him. Are you still sure about that?"
Mikoto hesitated.
Then, with a sigh, she straightened up, smoothing down her clothes.
"Fine. Call him out. I need to see this for myself."
Kushina smirked. "Alright then. But don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, she closed her eyes, focusing inward.
The air around them shifted.
And then… Kurama's voice rumbled, deep and amused.
"So, you're the one who's been sharing moments with my beloved vessel."
Mikoto stiffened.
This was going to be interesting.
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