Shizune couldn't possibly not understand Tsunade's intentions, wasn't it just that she wanted to monopolize Aoba?
Aoba was that amazing; before, it had always taken several people taking turns with him. Now that Lady Tsunade wanted to face him alone, wasn't she worried her body wouldn't be able to handle it?
Besides, Shizune had started to feel that being the Hokage's secretary was wasting her youth.
And who knew when Aoba would ever actually become Hokage.
———
Aoba and Kurotsuchi strolled through the streets for a while.
He stared speechlessly at the overly exaggerated, long-legged mature beauty beside him, her curves so dramatic it bordered on parody, and finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I'm telling you, even if you're using the Transformation Jutsu, did you really have to turn yourself into that?"
Kurotsuchi straightened her unnaturally enhanced chest,.warped by the Transformation Jutsu, and said proudly, "What's wrong with it? This is based on what I'll look like in the future."
Aoba looked even more speechless, "More like what you wish you looked like in your dreams."
He knew what she looked like in the future, there was no way she'd ever be that big.
"Hmph!"
Kurotsuchi snorted softly, crossed her arms, and said smugly, "I heard that when Lady Tsunade was my age, she wasn't even this big yet. That means I'll definitely end up bigger than her in the future."
"Who told you that?", Aoba was honestly surprised that she even knew such a thing.
But it really was strange, Tsunade had been completely flat when she was young; no one could've imagined she'd grow to become the number-one peak of the ninja world.
"Of course it was Sakura and Karin who told me. They said they once saw Lady Tsunade transformed into her younger self."
Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up as she spoke, "Surpassing Lady Tsunade is our shared goal, not just in strength, but in every aspect!"
"Then good luck to you three."
After blessing them for their impossible dream, Aoba asked, "It's about mealtime now. Do you want to eat out or head back to the inn?"
Kurotsuchi thought for a bit, "Let's get ramen?"
It had been a while since she'd been to Konoha. Mostly, it was because of those ridiculous rumors, it had made her hesitant to come.
Just because she'd come to visit this guy a few times too many, people had started spreading gossip that she was one of his harem members.
'Too much. Way too much.'
And the most outrageous part was, those rumors hadn't just spread in Konoha, they'd somehow made it all the way to Iwagakure too.
She honestly felt like some invisible hand was setting her up.
"Alright, let's go to Ichiraku Ramen then."
Aoba didn't object and simply changed direction.
"By the way, can you undo that Transformation Jutsu? It's really uncomfortable to look at."
After walking for a bit, Aoba couldn't hold it in again. Mainly because it looked so fake, none of the natural grace that Tsunade had, and it just made him uneasy to see.
"Why does it look uncomfortable? I modeled it exactly after Lady Tsunade," Kurotsuchi looked puzzled, even lifting her chest twice right in front of Aoba.
"Your Transformation Jutsu has no soul. You didn't capture the essence at all."
Aoba shook his head in disappointment. You could tell she lacked experience, judging only by outward appearance, never having actually seen the real thing, of course it looked awkward.
He, on the other hand, had admired it up close more than once, he knew what he was talking about.
Kurotsuchi looked annoyed, "Then tell me, what do you mean by having a soul? What's the essence?"
"Practice is the only standard for testing truth," Aoba said it with complete seriousness.
"Huh?", Kurotsuchi stared, wide-eyed, "How are you supposed to practice that?"
She couldn't exactly go find Tsunade herself, could she?
"Forget it. If you're going to keep looking like that, I'd rather we walk apart,".Aoba quickened his pace, widening the distance between them.
"Hey!", Kurotsuchi sped up too, catching up to him with a scowl, "You bastard, I wasn't even the one complaining, and now you're the one dissing me?"
But by then, she'd already taken the hint and changed back to her original form.
"Much better. You're way cuter like this," Aoba glanced over and nodded in satisfaction.
A faint blush crept onto Kurotsuchi's ears, though her face was still full of irritation, "Great. Now tomorrow the village will be full of weird rumors again."
"Just ignore them," Aoba said casually.
He couldn't afford to make the same mistake as the Third Hokage, who, just because of one baseless rumor, had grown distant from his long-time friend, Shimura Danzo.
Afraid of even having him appear behind him.
That misunderstanding had never been cleared up, not even in death.
"Seriously, you might not care about your reputation, but I do!", Kurotsuchi said with clear annoyance.
"Don't tell me you've got someone you like now?", Aoba suddenly asked.
"Huh?", Kurotsuchi froze, completely thrown off by the question.
"Then are you planning on getting a boyfriend?", Aoba pressed on.
"No," Kurotsuchi shook her head. A boyfriend would only get in the way of her path to power.
"See? You don't have anyone you like, you're not planning on getting a boyfriend, so these rumors don't affect you at all, right? If anything, I'm the one suffering because of them."
"Come to think of it, that's true."
Kurotsuchi thought about it and nodded, "So what kind of suffering did you go through?"
"You're too young, you wouldn't understand even if I told you," Aoba gave her a kind, almost patronizing smile.
"You jerk, we're about the same age!", Her irritation flared at his expression.
"Then let me put it another way, you're a single dog, so you wouldn't get it even if I explained," Aoba grinned wickedly.
"You bastard! Say that again to my Rock Fist!"
"Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique!"
Kurotsuchi finally snapped, her right arm coated in stone as she threw a punch straight at Aoba.
Sure, she didn't plan to get a boyfriend, but being called a single dog was beyond what she could tolerate.
"Using ninjutsu to fight in public will land you in a detention cell, you know."
Aoba didn't dodge or flinch, the stone fist stopped right in front of him.
"You hateful bastard!", Kurotsuchi looked like she wanted to bite him.
But in the end, she retracted her jutsu and stormed off ahead without looking back.
Aoba quickly caught up, "Alright, alright, ramen's on me."
"I'm ordering the most expensive one!"
"No problem."
Just like that, the two were back to normal again.
———
Late that night.
Aoba informed Konan that the Akatsuki had begun capturing the Tailed Beasts.
Konan, who had been busily working, froze for a moment. It had been quite a while since she'd last returned to Amegakure.
Even if she did go back, Nagato never told her about such things anymore.
"Konan-nee…"
Aoba had just opened his mouth when a finger pressed gently against his lips, "Aoba, can't you ever pick a better time?"
Konan sighed helplessly, reaching out to gently stroke his sweat-drenched head.
With a delicate pinch of her fingertips, and then pulling them apart, she could already...