Not having a jonin instructor around felt like freedom.

If they wanted to take on a mission, they did. If they didn't feel like it, they just took the day off and trained in the village.

It was easygoing and liberating.

Mikoto needed to head home and check in, so they parted ways for the day.

Uh-oh.

The moment Takuya got to his doorstep, he knew he was in trouble.

Kushina and Minato were standing there, giving him looks that could kill. Kushina seemed fine, but Minato looked like he was a heartbeat away from demanding answers—his face practically screaming, You didn't tell me!

"Made a little extra cash today, how about we go grab some barbecue?" Takuya suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sure!" Kushina responded instinctively, her mind going blank for a second. She didn't realize she'd just betrayed her teammate Minato until it was too late, her face turning bright red.

Minato rolled his eyes, wearing an expression that clearly said, I knew it.

Expecting Kushina to be the one to rein in Takuya was a lost cause.

Anytime Takuya was involved, Kushina somehow always ended up siding with him without even realizing it.

You've gotta be kidding me, Minato thought, his shoulders slumping as he grumbled through gritted teeth, "You formed a two-man team with Mikoto and didn't even tell us? If Jiraiya-sensei hadn't mentioned it today, I'd have never known."

It seemed Jiraiya and Minato had already had the talk and sealed the deal as master and apprentice.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to drag you into it unnecessarily," Takuya said, adopting a serious tone. "Minato, I still believe that training under Jiraiya-sensei is the right choice for you. Just… don't pick up any of his bad habits."

"Huh?" Minato blinked in confusion. "Bad habits? What bad habits?"

Minato had only just met Jiraiya today, and they'd spent the whole morning talking. He didn't know much about Jiraiya besides the fact that he was a student of the Third Hokage.

But Kushina knew all too well.

Her slightly flushed face turned to one of alert suspicion, her gaze growing more intense.

What's with that look? Minato thought, completely bewildered. What did I do wrong?

Wait… could it be because of Jiraiya-sensei?

"Let's talk while we walk," Takuya said, throwing an arm around Minato's shoulders and lowering his voice. "Jiraiya's a bit of a perv. He likes to 'gather research' by sneaking peeks at women while they're bathing."

Pffft!

Hack! Cough!

Minato's eyes widened as he choked on his own breath, his face flushing red with embarrassment. It took him a moment to recover before he asked, wide-eyed, "Jiraiya-sensei really does that?"

"Spare me," Takuya muttered, unable to resist cursing under his breath.

Kushina, ever the voice of reason, chimed in, "Takuya, you just swore."

"That's not important," Takuya waved it off, then turned to Minato and barked, "That's not just a bad habit; it's downright immoral!"

"Think about it—how would you feel if someone was spying on your sister, your girlfriend, or even your future wife while she was bathing?"

I'd kill them! Minato thought instinctively, his fists clenching.

But wait… Minato hesitated. The one doing the spying would be my sensei.

"I… I'll talk to Jiraiya-sensei about it. I'll try to convince him to stop," Minato mumbled, looking troubled.

Takuya had a deep distaste for both Jiraiya and the Third Hokage's habit of peeping on women. Where did they even pick up such a sleazy habit?

You like watching so much? Takuya thought. Why not just pay for it? There are plenty of places where you can watch all you want if you throw enough money around. Why sneak around like some kind of lowlife?

No, even thieves have more dignity.

I have to talk Jiraiya-sensei out of this. He can't keep doing it, Minato resolved, determined to help his sensei break the habit.

Takuya, meanwhile, wondered if he should find a way to keep the Third Hokage busy—maybe leak his "telescope jutsu" and see how he likes it when everyone knows what he's up to.

Pretending to keep an eye on the village just so you can peep? Disgusting!

What if someone spied on your wife—oh, wait, she's way too old for that.

The three of them arrived at the barbecue joint.

Minato grabbed the menu and ordered just about everything. He was determined to eat Takuya out of house and home, just to get even.

"So, what mission did you and Mikoto take on today?" Kushina asked, her curiosity bubbling over.

Minato was about to start his training with Jiraiya, Takuya and Mikoto had formed a team, and here she was, a jinchuriki, stuck in the village with nowhere to go.

She couldn't even team up with anyone for missions. If she got too close to someone, the ANBU would start tailing them.

It was a lonely burden that only Kushina could understand.

So, she was eager to hear about the outside world.

"We took on a mission to drive away some wild animals," Takuya said, recounting the day's events.

When they heard that Takuya had easily captured a tiger strong enough to be a summoning beast and sold it for 300,000 ryo, both Minato and Kushina were floored.

"Do ninjas really make that much money?" Minato asked, still shocked. He was no stranger to being broke, while Kushina didn't really grasp the value of money.

After all, she owned an entire street in Konoha, and without lifting a finger, she made millions every year from her investments.

"So, don't worry about the bill tonight. Eat as much as you want," Takuya declared.

As it turned out, a barbecue dinner didn't come close to costing tens of thousands of ryo.

Even with Minato's determination to bankrupt Takuya, he ended up leaving the restaurant leaning against the wall, stuffed to the brim.

Takuya was half-worried he might start puking before he even made it home.

"Let me walk you back," Takuya offered.

Minato wanted to walk Kushina home, but she didn't give him the chance.

"Sure," Kushina said cheerfully. She was delighted that Takuya wanted to walk her home and bounced along beside him, chattering non-stop like a happy bird.

It seemed like she had an endless supply of things to talk about.

Takuya smiled, nodding occasionally as he listened to her chatter and complaints.

"See you later," Kushina said as they parted ways, her mood much improved, and she happily hummed a tune as she walked away.

"Well, well, you were all gloomy this morning like the world was ending, and now you're all smiles and humming a tune. Did you see someone special?" Tsunade teased when she saw Kushina's cheerful demeanor.

"Tsunade-sis!!" Kushina's face turned bright red as she stomped her foot in protest. "It's not like that! Takuya just explained why he kept things from us, and it made me feel better. It's nothing like what you're thinking."

"Sure, sure, not someone special at all," Tsunade said, laughing as she teased Kushina, who was too flustered to realize she was being played.

Thinking Tsunade had bought her explanation, Kushina skipped off to her room to change clothes.

"Ha ha ha…" Tsunade laughed, collapsing onto the couch as she giggled uncontrollably.

That girl is just too adorable.

"What's so funny, sis?" someone asked.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 280+ at patreon.com/Emik01.