Deep in the night, Konoha Village.
A figure appeared beside Kushina out of nowhere, without making a sound. Seeing that Kushina was still fast asleep, Lin Yu let out a soft breath, tiptoed to open the door, and walked out.
Perhaps it was the special intuition of a girl, Kushina squinted her eyes hazily. Seeing a blurry yet familiar figure walking out, she felt much more at ease. She rolled over and kicked away the quilt that had just been pulled over her, continuing to dream of "taming Lin Yu"!
Morning.
"Mrow~~ Good morning." Kushina yawned and said to Lin Yu.
The Ninja Academy was on holiday today, so Kushina was wearing a light green cartoon pajama set. Her messy red hair was unkempt, and she sat obediently on a chair, rubbing her eyes. She was waiting to be "fed"!
Soon, Lin Yu came out of the kitchen, holding a pot of hot porridge. It was a nutritious special breakfast he learned from Mikoto, the "Carrot and Greens Porridge, Each to Their Own Taste"!
He took a small bowl and served Kushina a portion.
"Whoosh~ It smells so good! Lin Yu, your cooking has improved again!"
Kushina sniffed vigorously, then blew on it twice, and took two small sips with her lips.
Hiss! It's so hot!
"Eat slowly, this whole pot is for you!" Lin Yu took out a few tissues and handed them to Kushina.
"Wow! It's delicious! Lin Yu, where did you learn this? It's amazing!"
Kushina squinted her eyes, very happy. Her Lin Yu finally knew that to conquer Kushina, he had to start with her "stomach"!
"Really? That's great. I'll go learn some more recipes from Mikoto another day!"
Pfft!
Kushina sprayed the mouthful of porridge she hadn't swallowed all over Lin Yu's face. She coughed a little, almost losing her breath!
Mikoto again! Hmph!
Stupid Lin Yu, all he talks about is Mikoto, Mikoto. I, Kushina, am very cute too!
Kushina seemed to have thought of something, her big eyes rolled. She stopped eating her porridge, ran upstairs barefoot, "deng deng deng".
Lin Yu twitched the corner of his eye. A piece of green vegetable slid down his face and fell to the ground with a *pat*.
Am I being too lenient with Kushina? I've always treated her like a little girl, indulging her in everything. She's becoming more and more disrespectful!
It seems I need to make her understand who's in charge in this house!
Deng deng deng!
In a moment, Kushina came running down from upstairs with a red wooden box, placed it on the table with a *bang*, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she looked at Lin Yu.
"Kushina, come here, I have something to..."
"Lin Yu, this is something Grandma Mito left for me. She said it could be my dowry in the future."
Kushina's voice grew softer and softer, and finally, she shyly covered her eyes, peeking at Lin Yu through her fingers.
"Uzumaki Mito left it for you?" Lin Yu's attention was drawn to the red wooden box. If he guessed correctly, it should contain the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu.
"Mm! It was the night Grandma Mito entrusted the Nine-Tails to me. She told me to keep it safe and only open it after I graduated from the Ninja Academy."
Mentioning Uzumaki Mito, Kushina's eyes couldn't help but redden again. Uzumaki Mito was the kindest elder to her after she came to Konoha.
Lin Yu hugged Kushina and said softly, "It's okay, I'm here, I won't leave you."
"Mm!"
Kushina nodded heavily, wiped the corners of her eyes, and said to Lin Yu, "Lin Yu, can I give it to you?"
Kushina's voice was very soft, and her face was very red. Lin Yu had no impure thoughts. He knew that it should contain the Uzumaki sealing jutsu. No matter who got it, him or Kushina, they wouldn't hide it from the other.
Lin Yu said, "Open it. I think I know what's inside. Kushina, you'll have to work hard in the future!"
Kushina, it's time to grow up!
"I'll listen to you!" Kushina's voice was soft and sticky, seemingly shy that Lin Yu accepted her "dowry."
Lin Yu reached out and touched the wooden box. The grain was very fine, and it had a faint floral scent.
Without much hesitation, Lin Yu opened the red wooden box.
*Clack!*
"Ding! Golden Legend!"
Lin Yu only felt these words reverberating in his mind!
If it weren't daytime, Lin Yu was sure he would have been blinded by this chest of gleaming gold. This was no sealing jutsu! This was clearly a chest of wealth!
At the very top of the red wooden box lay a scroll tied with a red string. The rest was golden, all gold. Although the sizes varied, they seemed to be unpolished and unrefined.
Lin Yu didn't believe the entire chest was gold. He reached in and felt around. When he pulled his hand back, a stack of banknotes was in his grasp. Good heavens! Thousand-ryo banknotes were just the padding!
Was Uzumaki Mito that rich? This chest was worth more than buying an entire street! The ownership of all the houses around the Hokage Building could be in Kushina's name!
But... why leave it all to Kushina? Am I, Uzumaki Lin Yu, not part of the Uzumaki clan!?
Discrimination!
Lin Yu felt a little upset. If Uzumaki Mito was so rich, why didn't she help him and Kushina earlier! Making him work as a small clinic doctor for four long years!
However, this was just Lin Yu's grumbling. When he saw that Uzumaki Mito had placed the sealing scroll at the very top, he understood.
Ninjas, only their own strength is true. These external possessions of gold can only be icing on the cake. If you are weak, you cannot protect them; if you are strong, you will never lack them!
As for why the items were only handed over to Kushina after the Nine-Tails was entrusted to her, it couldn't be said to be a test for Kushina. After all, with Kushina's personality, Uzumaki Mito would have figured it out in a month.
She was testing him, Uzumaki Lin Yu! For four whole years!
Indeed, women trust men the most. Uzumaki Mito treated Kushina like her own granddaughter, and Lin Yu was Kushina's childhood sweetheart. With only the two of them seemingly left in the Uzumaki clan, if nothing went wrong, Kushina would have to marry Lin Yu to continue the Uzumaki bloodline.
Therefore, Uzumaki Mito spent four years observing Lin Yu, his character, his attitude towards others, his way of handling things, and most importantly, his attitude towards Kushina.
Undoubtedly, he passed Uzumaki Mito's test. But she also left him a warning, which was the sealing jutsu placed at the very top. In other words, strength!
You, Uzumaki Lin Yu, are good in every way. You are kind to civilians, humble to ninjas, and doting on Kushina. But in my eyes, Uzumaki Mito, these are all manifestations of your lack of strength!
In other words, your approachability and kind actions over the past four years have made Uzumaki Lin Yu increasingly cowardly in your heart!
Cowardly?
Lin Yu asked himself. While playing the role of Uzumaki Lin Yu, he did seem to be easily tolerant. Whether it was Yamamoto Ichiro at the beginning or Shinkyo Sho during the opening of Ichiraku Ramen, he chose to let things go. Perhaps the image of a "nice guy" for the past four years was deeply ingrained in him, making him subconsciously avoid offending anyone.
Only by wearing a mask could he hide the weakness in his heart. Only by wearing a mask could he... be fearless!