"How many years has it been since I got dropped into this world?"Kaito Uzumaki looked up at the towering Hokage monument, the faces of past Hokages staring down at him with their stern expressions. It had been, what—three, maybe four years?
The memories of the day he woke up in this strange world were still vivid, like he had been thrown into the middle of a story he wasn't supposed to be in.
The world of ninjas and chakra, where everything was more intense than he'd ever imagined. And then there was the issue with his family.
His sister, Kushina Uzumaki, was a big deal in this world.
Yeah, that Kushina. The red-haired, fiery woman who was supposed to be his sibling. But in his previous life, Kaito didn't even have a sister,
so it took him a while to piece things together. In this world, she was his sister, but Kaito couldn't exactly wrap his head around it.
And yet, every time he was around her, she would look at him with this strange expression, almost like she wanted to… eat him.
And no, it wasn't the "big sisterly love" kind of way. Nope, this was something else entirely.
Kaito sighed and continued walking through the village, trying to shake off the weird vibe that always followed him.
It was another lazy afternoon, the sun shining bright as he wandered through Konoha's bustling streets. But today? Today something felt off. His instincts were on high alert, and that was never a good sign.
As he passed a group of academy girls, he could feel their eyes on him. Every. Single. Time. They always looked at him like he was a prize to be won. And before long, one of them approached with a shy smile.
"H-hey, you're… Kaito, right?" she stammered.
Kaito gave her a polite smile, the same one he gave whenever this happened. "Yeah, that's me."
She giggled, glancing back at her friends who stood in a small group a few feet away, clearly waiting for something. "You're pretty handsome," she said, her cheeks flushed.
Really? Kaito couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He'd always been told he was good-looking, but it was starting to get a bit ridiculous. His new life in Konoha had already been more complicated than he anticipated, and now this? Women throwing themselves at him like he was some kind of rare gem?
Before he could respond, a loud, familiar voice cut through the air.
"Oi! Get away from my brother!"
Kaito froze. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The voice was unmistakable. His sister, Kushina, was here.
The girls flinched and turned to face her, eyes widening in shock. Kushina stormed toward them, her red hair practically blazing in the sunlight. She was glaring at them, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"Wh-what's going on, Kushina?" one of the girls asked nervously.
Kushina didn't even look at her as she snapped, "Stay away from my brother. He's not some pretty boy you can just stare at and giggle over."
Kaito sighed, rubbing his forehead. Here we go again.
"Kushina, you don't have to—" he began, but she wasn't hearing any of it.
"No!" Kushina's voice was loud and forceful. "You're my little brother, Kaito. Nobody touches you!"
The girls quickly scurried off, some still muttering apologies as they disappeared into the crowd. Kushina, on the other hand, just stood there, hands on her hips, glaring at the space where they had been.
Kaito wasn't sure if he should laugh or sigh in exasperation. His sister always went way overboard when it came to his "protection," but this was getting ridiculous. She was acting like he was some kind of precious commodity.
"What are you doing letting them talk to you like that?" Kushina scolded him, still with that possessive look in her eyes. "You know I won't let anyone take advantage of you!"
Kaito rolled his eyes, trying to defuse the situation. "Kushina, it was just a conversation. You don't need to chase them off every time."
But Kushina wasn't having any of it. "They were flirting with you! And you're still too young to be dealing with that stuff!" Her tone softened slightly, but there was still that odd, intense energy to it. "No one's good enough for you, got it?"
Kaito muttered a "whatever" under his breath, but he couldn't help but smile. It was sweet in a weird, overbearing way.
As they walked up the path to their shared home, Kaito felt that ever-present buzz of chakra in the air. Their place wasn't flashy, but it had a certain quiet strength to it—an old Uzumaki-style house with reinforced seals embedded in the wood and stone, remnants of a time when their clan was feared, not scattered.
Kushina threw the door open like she always did, her energy always a few notches above "normal." "Home, sweet home!" she shouted.
Kaito stepped in after her, the sliding door clicking shut behind him with a soft thunk. The moment they were inside, the energy changed—quieter, warmer. Home. For better or worse, this was where he belonged now.
Kushina had already kicked off her sandals and tossed her jacket onto a hook, stretching her arms high over her head with a satisfied groan. "Man, I hate dealing with girls like that. So clingy."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you're not ten times clingier."
She grinned over her shoulder. "Damn right I am. But it's different when I do it. I'm family."
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, heading toward his room.
But, as usual, his plans for solo time didn't last long. By the time he'd changed into a loose shirt and pajama pants and crawled into bed, the familiar sound of bare feet padding down the hallway reached his ears.
Slide.
The door creaked open, and Kushina poked her head in. "You awake?"
Kaito sighed, already knowing what was coming. "You're doing it again, huh?"
She stepped inside without answering, wearing one of his old T-shirts that hung off her shoulder and looked way too big on her. "Mito-baachan's snoring again," she said casually, like it was the most normal excuse in the world. "And my bed's cold."
"You say that every night."
"Because it is every night."
Kaito didn't argue. He just scooted over automatically, making room as she flopped down beside him, pulling the blanket over both of them like it was her god-given right.
Kushina immediately pressed against his side, her head resting on his shoulder, arms curled loosely around his chest. It had become a weird kind of ritual between them—one that Kaito had long since stopped questioning, even if it still left him feeling awkward sometimes.
"You're warm," she muttered, her voice already drifting toward sleep.
"And you steal the blanket."
"Shut up," she said, smiling. "I protect you all day. I've earned some blanket."
Kaito rolled his eyes but didn't fight her.