As the sun dipped further below the horizon, casting the camp in twilight, Akane made his way to his tent. The whispers from the medics and shinobi who had witnessed the emergency still buzzed in the air, though he paid them little mind. He could feel their stares, both curious and cautious, as they tried to figure him out.
Sliding into his tent, Akane let out a soft sigh. The day's events had gone just as he expected—or maybe even better. Akane sat cross-legged on his bedroll, resting his head against the wall of the tent. Creating a Shadow clone, he closed his eyes and his thoughts shifted, centring on Kushina.
Every day, they had made it a ritual to meet in the dreamscape, away from the chaos of their lives. Although Akane wasn't physically present, these moments felt as real as they could be.
Closing his eyes, Akane allowed his chakra to guide him into a meditative state. The world around him faded into darkness as he reached out for her familiar presence.
The dreamscape took shape quickly—a serene forest clearing illuminated by soft moonlight. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of flowers. In the centre of the clearing stood Kushina, her red hair glowing like fire under the moonlight.
She turned toward him, her lips curling into a smile as soon as their eyes met.
"Took you long enough, A-chan," she teased, hands on her hips.
Hearing the familiar nickname, Akane rolled his eyes. With a smirk on his lips, Akane stepped closer to her and said, "You know how it is—saving lives, making impressions, keeping the unusual relationship with Tsuna outside."
Kushina let out a laugh, the sound filling the clearing like a melody. "Sounds like a busy day. Though, should I be jealous of all the time you're spending with her?"
"Maybe you should be," Akane said, his tone light. "But you know, I am special and we can spend time together like this."
"Hmph, we were doing this before, too. You just came and you had to leave." Kushina said with a hmph and turned her head away.
Seeing her like this, Akane chuckled and put his hand on her shoulder.
"So, you aren't happy that I have come to Konoha?"
Making a sad face, Akane asked and made Kushina look at him. Hearing his words, Kushina's expression changed, and when she looked at his expression, her body froze.
"Y-You! How cute!"
The words slipped from her lips as she gazed at his pouty face. While many thoughts crossed her mind, the primary one was to pinch his cheeks, and she did.
Looking at Kushina's reaction Akane wasn't expecting, he was caught a bit off guard. He gazed at Kushina's face, who seemed to be engrossed in pinching his cheeks. A laughter escaped his lips which made Kushina come to her senses and tilting her head, she asked, "Why are you laughing?"
"Haha, it's nothing."
Saying those words, Akane pulled her. They sat down together beneath a large tree, the leaves above them rustling gently in an imaginary breeze. Kushina looked at Akane, who was looking ahead and not speaking anything. She opened her mouth to say something, but she felt that there was no need for any words. For the moment, they just enjoyed the silence, the kind that was quite rare in their meetings.
"So," Kushina began, breaking the quiet. "What's the real reason you came here tonight? You're not one to drop by just to relax."
Akane chuckled. "I am here to relax,"
Kushina rolled her eyes at his words and said, "Yeah, but that's one of the reasons, right?"
"Hmm? Since when did you become like this?" Akane asked Kushina with a curious face. She had predicted his thoughts and wondered when the little red-airhead had started to mature.
"I am always like this," Kushina replied with a cheeky grin.
Akane chuckled at her words, and Kushina also laughed in response. He leaned back against the tree, gazing up at the dreamscape stars.
"Things are moving faster than I anticipated. Danzo's likely already scheming. The Hokage knows about me now, and Tsuna's name will be dragged into all of it. The Nara Commander will try to get more information out of me tonight."
Kushina frowned, her playful demeanour fading. "And you're okay with that?"
"I'm fine," Akane said with a shrug. "It's all part of the plan. Let them come. I'll deal with them when the time comes. For now, I just need to make sure no one gets close enough to figure out who I really am."
Kushina studied his face, her expression softening. "You don't have to do this all alone, you know. Besides, soon your other identity that grandma prepared will be known to everyone. Even though being the fiancé of the next Jinchuuriki would make you a target, it's still better than having everyone know that you are Uzumaki and about others."
Akane reached out, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm not alone. I have you all, and yeah, you are right. Also, I have already placed my pieces around. Even if I can't get all the information from them, I can still use dream manipulation to mess with them."
"Besides, Kaguya can also help me in this place to do a few things."
While saying those words, there was a sharp look in Akane's eyes, which faded when Kushina reached out to hold his hand.
Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and for a moment, she couldn't think of a response when she heard him saying that he had her, but as she heard later words, she was again reminded of the fact that she couldn't have him for herself.
Thinking of this, Kushina inwardly sighed and she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You're good at this, you know that?"
"Good at what?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"Making me fall for you all over again, and then pouring a cold shower on me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Akane's expression softened, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Huh, I can't say anything on this."
Kushina closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder. She didn't say anything since she knew that it wasn't his fault and if a situation came where he would have to choose one between them, she knew he would choose everyone no matter what he had to do.
The two stayed like that for a while, letting the dreamscape's peaceful atmosphere wrap around them. For Akane, this was the one place where he could let his guard down completely. For Kushina, it was a reminder of the bond they shared—one that no one could break.
When Akane opened his eyes again, the dream had faded, leaving behind only the faint warmth of Kushina's presence. He glanced at the small clock in his tent. There was still time before his meeting with the Nara Commander.
He stretched, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Time to see what the Commander wants," he muttered to himself, stepping out of his tent and into the cool night air.
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Chapter 52 is out on ptreon
(Guess who has an exam coming but still hasn't studied? Surely not me! SURELY!!!)