The contract had been made, and naturally Konan would carry it out.
At least for now, she had no intention of breaking it.
Since she needed to return and report to Nagato, she didn't start immediately, instead taking a few days off.
Ena Uzumaki generously agreed to her request.
After Konan left, she exhaled in relief and turned to Natsume, asking, "How was it?"
"Amazing."
Natsume smiled and lifted the teacup to her lips, saying, "You did great!"
Ena leaned forward and took a sip before asking, "So… what about my reward?"
Her voice was soft and languid, laced with subtle charm.
Natsume could tell she wanted to be teased by him.
He set the cup down, reached out, and gently brushed his hand against her soft cheek, asking, "I still have some tea here. Want a drink?"
A flush spread across Ena's face.
She rose and settled into his lap, nodding as she said, "I do."
"There's something else we need to discuss."
Natsume wrapped his arms around her slim waist and asked, "You know about the tailed beasts, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
Ena frowned slightly as she replied, "But I don't really know much about them."
"That's partly my fault—I haven't told you much about them."
"So?"
Ena rolled her eyes and rested her head against his chest, murmuring, "You can tell me now, can't you?"
"The tailed beasts—simply put—are the nine most powerful beings in existence."
Natsume stroked her blushing skin as he explained, "To better harness their power, the concept of the jinchūriki was developed. Basically, using sealing techniques to imprison these beasts inside human bodies."
Ena gasped sharply at his words, her body slightly trembling.
She thought of Naruto Uzumaki.
Back when Natsume had her perform that sealing technique, she hadn't understood why.
Now, everything suddenly clicked into place.
"I asked you here not just because of Akatsuki, but also to perform another sealing," Natsume got serious. "The previous jinchūriki of Sanbi, the three-tailed beast in Kiri, is about to die, so we need to replace him."
"Can I really do this?"
Ena bit her lower lip tightly, showing a look of uncertainty.
"Naturally, you can."
Natsume gave her a playful squeeze on the rear, kissed her on the face, and added, "And if you succeed, I'll give you an even bigger reward."
"Mm."
Ena nodded firmly.
An hour later,
Natsume finished his daily weight training.
The two of them headed toward the Mizukage Building.
"Just one person?" Mei Terumi asked, studying Ena closely. "Didn't your team from Konoha bring anyone else with you?"
Not that she doubted Natsume personally, but handling tailed beasts was extremely important—she preferred having multiple safeguards.
If anything went wrong, Zabuza Momochi might end up dead.
Kiri couldn't afford such a loss.
"It'll be fine."
Natsume leaned closer, whispering into her ear, "Let me share a secret—don't tell a soul. She's a member of the Uzumaki clan. When it comes to sealing techniques, few in the entire ninja world can match her skill."
Mei Terumī was momentarily stunned by those words.
Although Ena Uzumaki had red hair, Mei didn't give it much thought. After all, not every red-haired person belonged to the Uzumaki clan. But now, reminded of it, she immediately felt reassured inside.
Ena's eyes flickered slightly.
Natsume Hokage stood so close and spoke casually, yet Mei showed no reaction. Either Mei was naturally indifferent, or she had simply grown accustomed to it. Ena believed it was more the latter.
Because she knew how charming Natsume Hokage was. Still, she felt nothing about it—no jealousy, no sadness.
The fact that she could joke around with Natsume and Mikoto Uchiha already proved her nature—or rather, her mindset.
"If that's settled, then let's begin."
Mei snapped back to reality and said solemnly, "Follow me." Without a word, she turned and walked away.
Yagura Karatachi had once again been relocated for safety reasons. It was still relatively near Kiri Village.
The three reached their destination after walking only a few minutes.
"Lord Mizukage."
Zabuza Momochi and Haku stepped forward respectfully. Both of their gazes naturally fell on Natsume. Their calm expressions changed instantly.
The Hokage. They recalled the incident when they attacked Hokage Natsume and Team 9. They had suffered a crushing defeat. Never did they expect to see Natsume here today.
"You should all recognize him already—this is Hokage Natsume." Mei stated calmly. "To ensure a smooth transition during the jinchuriki change, I contacted Konoha Village."
Zabuza blinked in surprise but accepted the explanation. Konoha had access to the Uzumaki Sealing Techniques, powerful enough to subdue even the Nine-Tailed Fox. Containing the Three-Tails would be even simpler. Having them assist was indeed safer.
"Mizukage-sama, you've gone through quite the trouble." Zabuza glanced at Ena Uzumaki.
Her crimson hair was especially eye-catching. It was hard not to be suspicious of her. Though the Uzumaki clan was wiped out, if Konoha had obtained their sealing arts, rescuing a few survivors wouldn't be impossible.
However, even with suspicions, no one dared to say anything. Power dictates truth. Konoha was untouchable.
"Have the others arrived?" Mei continued asking.
"They're all inside the house—nine people total, five sealing ninjas and four medical ninjas." Zabuza answered.
Oh...
Mei gave a slight nod and glanced at Natsume again. She hesitated before speaking, "Lord Hokage, I hope you don't mind having more people involved?"
Of course, Kiri Village had its own sealing specialists. After all, previous jinchuriki replacements hadn't required Konoha's involvement. But those were standard sealing techniques they'd used.
Mei summoned them here as an extra precaution. Just in case something went wrong, there would still be a chance for rescue.
"Not at all." Natsume shook his head. Her reasoning made perfect sense.
"Go inside then." Privately relieved, Mei added, "Stay safe."
Zabuza and the rest nodded and entered the room. Ena Uzumaki cast one final glance at Natsume before stepping inside.
"Aren't you going to check it out?" Natsume noticed Mei still standing in place and asked.
"I'd only be in the way if I went."
Mei Terumī glanced around the room and said, "Maybe we should go outside and stand guard in case enemies appear."
"If you're nervous, I can offer my shoulder for support," Natsume said.
"…"
Mei Terumī remained silent.
If it were just the two of them playing their little master-servant game, she might have agreed.
But how could she now?
There were people nearby after all.
If they got discovered… Several images flashed through Mei's mind.
She quirked her lips slightly and said, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
"What am I up to?"
Natsume gave her a sideways glance and replied, "This is a little perk from your master. Don't misunderstand."
"Shut up!"
Mei was startled and whispered fiercely, "You promised me not to mention those two words outside!"
"I said I wouldn't in front of outsiders," Natsume corrected her. "They can't hear us anyway. Don't be shy."
"Me? Shy? Where did I act shy?"
Mei glared at him unhappily and retorted, "And even at this distance, how could they not hear us?"
"If you speak any louder, they really will start hearing us," Natsume gestured toward the room.
Mei immediately covered her mouth, falling silent.
Yet her glare remained fixed on him, full of anger.
A smirk curved Natsume's lips as he reached out and patted her thighs.
Mei's eyes instantly widened in shock.
She hissed quietly, "What are you doing?"
"What's the big deal?" Natsume blinked innocently and asked, "Didn't we do much worse things before?"
"…"
Mei gritted her teeth and warned, "Don't mess around here, or else I... I'll get angry!"
Saying that, she shifted her body away, creating some distance between them.
Hearing her half-hearted threat, Natsume couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
Still, he didn't tease Mei further.
After all, everything must be done in moderation.
Even playful banter between lovers shouldn't go too far.
Half an hour later, Ena Uzumaki stepped out of the room.
"How is it?" Mei rushed forward immediately, asking nervously.
It gave Natsume a sudden wave of déjà vu.
It almost felt like Ena was about to say the four-character phrase: Peace and Safety.
"The surgery went very smoothly."
"Thank you." Mei exhaled in relief and said sincerely.
"You should thank Hokage-sama instead," Ena turned toward Natsume and said, "After all, I'm only following orders."
Well done.
No wonder she was known as the thoughtful Ena Uzumaki.
Natsume sent her a meaningful look.
In response, Ena smiled softly.
Mei hesitated for a moment.
Was she really going to thank Natsume again?
At this rate, she'd lose herself entirely.
Her thoughts drifted far away.
"Hokage-sama."
Several ninja from Kiri filed out of the room.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Mei snapped back to reality and said, "Go take a rest first."
In the end, only Haku stayed behind.
She bowed slightly and said, "Lord Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi wishes to see you one last time."
Mei silently nodded.
"We'll leave first."
Mei Terumī glanced at him before turning to head into the room.
Natsume and Ena Uzumaki returned to Kiri first. After that, he used the [Flying Thunder God Technique] to transport her to the Land of Waves.
He didn't leave—he stayed behind.
Half an hour later, Mei opened the door with a heavy expression.
Her entire demeanor radiated irritation.
"Why are you in my house?"
Mei saw Natsume, paused briefly, and said, "I don't feel like playing any master-servant games right now. Go away."
"In your eyes, am I really such a terrible person?"
Natsume patted the sofa and said, "Come sit down."
Looking at him, Mei still walked forward.
Once she sat, he immediately pulled her into his arms.
She instinctively struggled until she heard what he said next.
"If you're upset, just cry. Don't hold it back."
"..."
Mei lowered her head and replied, "I'm not upset."
"Whatever you say."
Natsume reached out and tidied her disheveled hair.
Mei said nothing else, shifting closer as she nestled fully into his embrace, tucking beneath his arm.
An unfamiliar calm washed over her, instantly dissolving the weight of all the stress she'd carried for so long.
When Natsume finally came to, he found that she had already drifted off to sleep.
She really had pushed herself too hard.
Having followed Elder Yuanshi since childhood, the death of Yagura Karatachi hadn't hit her as hard as it might have otherwise.
But it acted as a catalyst, unleashing all the emotions she'd kept bottled up.
Still, she was the Mizukage—no outbursts, no wailing—and that kind of restraint was rare indeed.
[Three thousand words.]
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