Souta looked up, pausing mid-motion. His usual calm expression flickered with something else when he saw her—concern.
"You're out late," he said simply, setting down the cloth he had been using to wipe the counter.
Kushina shrugged, stepping inside. "Yeah, well. Needed some air."
Souta studied her, noting the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her fists clenched unconsciously at her sides. Something was wrong.
"You look like you need a drink," she said suddenly.
Souta blinked. "A drink?"
Kushina nodded, crossing her arms. "Yeah. You drink, don't you?"
"Not often."
"Well, you're drinking tonight," she declared.
Souta let out a slow breath, wiping his hands on a towel. "Kushina—"
"No 'Kushina,' no excuses." She stepped closer, grabbing his wrist. "You're coming with me. End of discussion."
There was no room for argument.
Souta sighed, glancing at the shop. He was almost done closing anyway. He studied her again—her eyes were daring him to refuse, but beneath the fire, he saw something else.
Something unsettled.
"Fine," he relented. "Let's go."
The bar wasn't one of the loud, rowdy ones where shinobi got into brawls after missions. It was tucked away, quieter, with dim lanterns and a few scattered patrons nursing their drinks.
Kushina dragged Souta to a small booth in the corner, ordering a bottle of sake before he could even sit down properly. She poured herself a cup first, downing it in one quick gulp before setting it down with a loud thunk.
Souta, meanwhile, took his time. He wasn't much of a drinker, but he poured himself a small amount, taking a careful sip.
For a while, they just sat in silence.
Then, Kushina let out a heavy sigh, leaning back against the wall. "You ever feel like… no matter what you do, it's never enough?"
Souta glanced at her, tilting his head slightly. "You want to talk about it?"
She scoffed. "Not really."
He didn't press. Instead, he just took another sip, waiting.
Kushina sighed again, running a hand through her hair. "Minato and I had a fight."
Souta raised an eyebrow. "A bad one?"
Kushina let out a humorless laugh. "I punched a wall."
Souta blinked. "So, a bad one."
She poured herself another cup, swirling the liquid absentmindedly. "He doesn't get it. He doesn't understand what it's like to be treated like… like something to be protected instead of just being me."
Souta leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Because you're the jinchūriki?"
Kushina exhaled sharply. "Because I'm the jinchūriki. Because I'm supposed to just sit still and be the perfect, strong, unwavering Kushina Uzumaki." She took another sip. "But sometimes… I just want to be me. No expectations. No weight of the village on my shoulders."
Souta remained quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "So that's why you're here."
Kushina glanced at him. "Huh?"
"You wanted to be somewhere where you're just… Kushina."
She stared at him, the words settling in. Then, she snorted. "Damn, Souta. You always see through things, don't you?"
He gave a small shrug. "You make it obvious."
She smirked, then nudged his cup. "Drink more. You're too serious."
He sighed but complied, taking a longer sip this time. The warmth of the alcohol spread through him, but his senses remained sharp.
Kushina, on the other hand, was already on her third cup, her cheeks lightly flushed. "You know, you're a weird guy."
Souta raised an eyebrow. "Am I?"
"Yeah," she said, tilting her head at him. "Most people either treat me like some untouchable jinchūriki or like the Hokage's wife. You? You just treat me like…"
"A customer?" Souta offered.
She laughed, shaking her head. "No. Like a person."
Souta didn't respond right away, simply looking at her.
She held his gaze, something lingering between them in the silence. Then, she smirked and poured herself another drink. "Guess that's why I like coming to your shop."
Souta hummed. "Because I don't treat you special?"
She grinned. "Exactly."
The conversation drifted into lighter topics after that. Kushina told him about a mission where she had to chase a thief across the rooftops of Konoha, only for the guy to trip on his own shoelace. Souta shared a story about a stubborn old man who always haggled over the price of tea, only to buy it anyway because, in his words, "it tastes like nostalgia."
Souta had seen Kushina drink before, but tonight was on a whole other level.
She swayed slightly as they left the bar, her steps uneven, her hair a mess as she flicked it over her shoulder with more force than necessary. The streetlights cast a warm glow over the quiet road, and the cool night air did little to sober her up.
"Alright, come on," Souta said, keeping a steady pace beside her. "I'll walk you home."
Kushina let out a loud, exaggerated groan. "Ughhh, nooo." She waved a hand dismissively, almost smacking him in the face in the process. "Not goin' home. Nope. Nuh-uh."
Souta caught her wrist before she could stumble. "You can't stay out here like this."
She grinned, her cheeks flushed. "Why not? S'nice out. Look at the moooon." She threw her arms up, spinning in place before losing balance and nearly falling over.
Souta sighed, grabbing her by the shoulders to steady her. "If you pass out in the street, someone's going to rob you."
She snorted. "Pfft, lemme see 'em try. I'd kick their ass—" She mimicked a half-hearted punch but nearly toppled over again.
"Yeah, you're in great shape to fight right now," Souta said dryly.
Kushina giggled, leaning against him now, completely unbothered. "Maaaan, you're sooo serious all the time."
Souta ignored that. "If you're not going home, where are you going?"
She hummed in thought before suddenly gasping, eyes lighting up. "Ohhh! Your tea shop!" She pointed at him dramatically. "Take me there!"
Souta stared at her. "…What?"
"Tea shop," she repeated, like it was obvious. "S'nice. It's quiet. I like it. Wanna go there."
Souta pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't leave her like this, and bringing her to his house was out of the question. His only real option was…
"…Fine."
"Woooo!" Kushina cheered, throwing her fists up like she'd won something. "Souta, you're the besssst."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, leading the way.
Inside the shop, she sprawled onto a cushion, smirking lazily. "You know, Souta…"