During these three months, Simu lived a very leisurely life.
So much so that his imitation value increased to 48%.
That alone was enough to show just how much of a slacker he was.
Aside from eating and sleeping every day, he spent the rest of his time teasing Rei whenever Kushina wasn't around.
And when Rei wasn't around, he held Kushina's little hand and stole kisses from her lips.
Meanwhile, that idiot Minato was still training from dawn to dusk, tirelessly working on mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Today, taking advantage of Rei being away on another mission, Simu took Kushina to the grove for a date.
Their relationship had progressed by leaps and bounds.
Although they hadn't taken the final step yet, holding hands and exchanging kisses had already become a daily occurrence.
Because of this, their original three-man team had essentially split into two.
Minato was left all alone.
"Hey, Simu, didn't you say my hair was ugly when we first met?"
Kushina suddenly asked.
When she first transferred to the Academy, she had been frequently ostracized because of her red hair.
It seemed like only Minato and Simu never held any prejudice against her.
Simu scratched his nose.
"Ugly? Not really."
"Then do you like it?"
Kushina frowned slightly, staring at him with a hint of suspicion.
"Hehe."
Simu chuckled awkwardly and patted his head. "Well, actually, I thought your hair color was pretty from the start."
"Hmph, men's words are nothing but lies," Kushina huffed in disbelief.
But girls were like that.
Even if she didn't fully believe him, she still enjoyed hearing sweet words.
If he had been honest and told her something unpleasant, the only thing waiting for Simu would have been a chakra-enhanced punch to the face.
"Look, Simu! This path is so beautiful."
Kushina let go of Simu's hand and twirled around beneath the falling sakura petals.
As time passed, Kushina had grown rapidly.
She was now about 1.6 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure.
Although she wasn't as… voluptuous as Rei, her curves were starting to take shape.
Wearing a white dress that swayed in the breeze, she danced under the shower of pink petals.
Her red hair fluttered, contrasting beautifully against the scenery.
Simu found himself mesmerized for a moment.
Suddenly, his brows furrowed.
He turned to the side, body tensing as he prepared for action.
Two masked Anbu operatives appeared on the path.
However, they still maintained a certain distance from Kushina.
This was a rule Simu had set.
Even Konoha's elite Anbu had doubts about this arrangement at first.
After all, protecting a Jinchūriki was of utmost importance.
But when Simu allowed them to attack him and effortlessly demonstrated his overwhelming strength, they had no choice but to accept reality.
With Simu by Kushina's side, their protection was redundant.
However, today, the Anbu weren't here because of an enemy attack.
Instead, Konoha had been placed under martial law.
"Simu, Kushina, Lord Hokage has ordered you both to return home immediately," one of the Anbu said sternly.
"What happened?"
Simu had a bad feeling.
While he vaguely remembered certain events from the original story, he couldn't recall every detail.
The Anbu ninja shook his head.
"It's not convenient to disclose right now, but the entire village is on high alert."
"I understand."
Simu took Kushina's hand.
"Come on, I'll take you home."
The next moment, he scooped her up, transformed into a flash of light, and disappeared.
The Anbu sighed before quickly following.
The next morning, Simu and the others finally learned what had happened.
Konoha's renowned hero from the Second Great Ninja War…
The man who single-handedly turned the tide of battle in the Land of Rain…
The man known as Konoha's White Fang…
Hatake Sakumo had taken his own life the night before.
He had ended his life with his most famous weapon—the White Fang Short Sword.
"Senior Sakumo actually…"
Minato was at a loss for words.
Though they weren't particularly close to Hatake Sakumo, they had always known him to be a kind and noble man.
No one expected him to commit suicide at home.
Rumors had been spreading throughout the village for days, but since Simu had been staying home most of the time, he hadn't paid much attention.
Of course, even if he had known, there was no way he could have stopped Sakumo from taking his own life.
This was a psychological attack, something Simu had no way of countering.
The people of Konoha claimed that Sakumo abandoned an important mission to save a comrade, making him unworthy of being a ninja.
To make things worse, the very ninja Sakumo had saved publicly accused him as well.
With so many voices condemning him, fueled by hidden schemes from certain individuals, Hatake Sakumo eventually crumbled under the immense pressure.
And so, he chose to end it all.
At Hatake Sakumo's funeral, Simu stood with his hands in his pockets, silently watching a white-haired boy clutching a short sword.
Many people attended.
The atmosphere was heavy with grief.
These were all ninjas who had received kindness from Sakumo in the past.
It had to be said—Konoha's White Fang had saved countless lives on the battlefield.
Yet in the end…
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were present.
The air felt chilling.
Simu and Danzo's eyes met through the cold mist of the morning.
Danzo smiled slightly.
Like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
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