"I'm back."
Shizune called out as usual.
"Has the hospital been busy today?"
Without turning around, Tsunade asked while still watching TV.
"It's been about the same as always."
Shizune casually replied.
Only during wartime did Konoha Hospital become packed with patients.
Nowadays there isn't much need for extra hands.
But since Shizune didn't have much to do at home anyway, coming to the hospital was a good way to pass the time.
Even if she wasn't treating patients directly, she could still guide and train the inexperienced medical ninja.
With her skills, that was more than enough.
"I'll go prepare dinner."
After changing shoes, Shizune entered the kitchen.
The hall was once again echoed only with the sound of the television.
"I'll check what we're having tonight."
Tsunade patted Natsume's hand and said.
"I'll go."
Natsume immediately offered, "You're not in a convenient condition right now."
"What do you mean I'm not in a convenient condition?"
Tsunade narrowed her eyebrows slightly and said, "I can run and jump just fine. There isn't the slightest problem."
That argument made perfect sense.
Even being pregnant, given her physical constitution, she truly could manage well enough.
Natsume was simply being overly cautious.
"Then you go ahead."
"That makes sense."
Smiling, Tsunade playfully poked him on the forehead, then got up and walked toward the kitchen.
"Milady Tsunade?"
Hearing movement, Shizune instinctively turned, saw her, quickly set the knife down, and hurried over to support her.
"Why are you also acting like Natsume?"
Tsunade pushed her hand away, saying, "I'm pregnant, not paralyzed."
"Is there something Lady Tsunade needs?"
Shizune quickly changed the subject.
"Actually, there is."
Tsunade met Shizune's gaze and asked, "You're getting older—have you found someone special?"
"Eh?"
Shizune paused briefly, momentarily unable to catch up with this sudden question.
It had come rather abruptly.
"Do you or don't you?"
Tsunade asked again.
"No," Shizune said, suddenly thinking of Natsume and shaking her head hastily.
"So why are you flustered then?"
Tsunade frowned, "You're terrible at lying."
After following her for so many years, Shizune couldn't hide much from Tsunade.
Her face flushed red after hearing those words, making her feel even more anxious.
"Tell me, what's on your mind?"
Tsunade smiled again and asked.
"Nothing."
After a moment of silence, Shizune blankly replied, "I haven't thought about marriage—I'd planned to stay by Lady Tsunade's side forever, learning from you."
In fact, this was exactly how it happened in the original story.
Like Mei Terumī, she never married.
Of course, considering their status and power, finding a partner wouldn't be difficult.
They just hadn't met anyone they truly liked.
Especially Mei.
"Is that really how you feel?"
Tsunade paused briefly, somewhat regretfully said, "Then I suppose I'll drop it. I thought I might help if you had feelings for Natsume."
"Natsume?"
Instinctively, Shizune blurted out, "Wait!"
Tsunade halted mid-step, silently sighing to herself. She knew it was exactly as she suspected.
On second thought, however, it made perfect sense.
The men she liked had one thing in common—too much charm.
Natsume waited in the living room for half an hour before Tsunade finally appeared.
He asked, confused, "What took so long?"
"Just chatting with Shizune."
Tsunade sat down beside him and asked, "Do you want to eavesdrop on a girl chat?"
"No thanks."
Natsume held her hand and said, "I was just asking casually."
Dinner ended.
Tsunade went back to her study to read novels again.
If TV shows were her first form of entertainment, novels were definitely her second.
Her usual favorites—gambling and drinking—had to wait for now.
Seizing the moment, Natsume paid a visit to the Hyuga clan.
He brought Hinata Hyuga a midnight snack.
Afterward, he headed to the Land of Waves to pet some cats.
This had become part of his daily routine.
When Natsume got home, he found Tsunade still buried in her book. He announced, "I'm heading for a bath."
They used to bathe together, but now they did things separately.
There's an old saying: out of sight, out of heart.
Natsume entered the bathroom and turned on the water.
Not long after, he heard the bathroom door creak open.
Tsunade walked in.
"Wait, what are you—"
Natsume suddenly stiffened and said, "You're not Tsunade."
Even without the Byakugan, his power made detecting Transformation Jutsu effortless.
In a puff of smoke,
A cloud of smoke billowed up as the Transformation Jutsu dissolved.
It was Shizune.
Before Natsume could ask, her face turned bright red as she rushed him like someone charging into battle with no way back.
Shizune now understood why Tsunade often ended up completely exhausted.
The next day.
Natsume prepared breakfast for the two women who'd overslept, then made his way to the Hokage's office.
To his slight surprise, two people were already waiting there.
Kurenai Yuhi and Yakumo Kurama.
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
At that moment, Yakumo Kurama gave off an unusually sinister vibe.
Almost like Orochimaru.
Except her eerie aura felt natural, while Orochimaru's obviously wasn't.
So, does that mean Idoru—the monster born from Yakumo Kurama's Kekkei Genkai—had finally appeared?
"Hokage-sama."
Kurenai spoke up first. "Lately, Yakumo has been having some mental issues."
Then she explained the girl's strange behavior.
Natsume nodded. This was clearly Idoru's doing.
This mini-chapter isn't over yet—more excitement coming!
It was a creature born entirely from Yin Release.
Yin Release draws power from spiritual energy, which makes it prone to intense emotions.
The classic example is the Uchiha clan.
But they had their eyes as a vessel.
That means it can be controlled.
Yakumo Kurama didn't have such a vessel, so Idoru had become a monstrous abomination.
Fueled by hatred for everyone around it.
In the original story, it aimed to manipulate Yakumo Kurama until she lost all sense of self.
Earlier, Natsume had planned to use the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to enter her mind and defeat Idoru.
But thinking it through, it might be more complicated than that.
Because even if he defeated Idoru, he couldn't guarantee the beast would serve Yakumo Kurama.
So he had no choice but to summon the ultimate villain of his lineage—Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"Don't worry," he said calmly, "I have a solution."
Natsume smiled at the two and said, "Sister Kurenai, could you help me out today? I need to take Kurama to meet someone."
"No problem."
Kurenai Yuhi replied immediately.
As for who they were meeting, she didn't ask. She probably guessed it might be Tsunade.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was activated.
Natsume and Yakumo Kurama appeared inside a room in the Land of Snow.
He wasn't heading straight to Kaguya Otsutsuki yet. It would be too much of a hassle to explain.
"Yakumo, rest well. When you wake up, you'll finally be able to become a normal ninja."
If anyone else had said that, Yakumo Kurama definitely wouldn't have believed it. She'd likely suspect ulterior motives.
But Natsume was the Hokage.
She nodded and lay down on the bed.
"I can't fall asleep."
Knowing that her physical condition was about to improve, Yakumo couldn't help feeling excited.
Natsume formed several hand seals and nudged her gently into sleep.
Once the soft rhythm of shallow breathing filled the air, he opened the door and headed toward Kaguya Otsutsuki's room.
Before he even arrived, however, she had already appeared before him.
Without a word, she grabbed him and pulled him toward the room.
"Wait."
Natsume swiftly regained his balance and said, "I need to take care of something first."
"What is it?"
Kaguya hugged him tightly despite her expressionless face.
Even without showing any facial expression, Natsume could clearly sense her emotions.
Thinking back, he realized he had left her alone here for quite a while.
In the past, Kaguya always had a steady supply of chakra—she wouldn't feel anything unusual.
Now, however, she had picked up a new habit.
Sometimes, she actually missed this.
"Come with me."
After letting her hold onto him for a while, Natsume took her hand and led her back to the room.
Kaguya noticed Yakumo lying on the bed, her eyes flickering with emotion.
She understood exactly why Natsume had brought her here.
"What's my reward?"
Kaguya tilted her head slightly and asked.
Some things are either done once or repeated endlessly.
Once you've crossed the line, there's no turning back.
But Kaguya didn't believe she was in the wrong.
Because it was a fair deal.
Natsume winced, realizing it was time to get back to work again.
He thought for a moment, then tentatively raised one finger.
Kaguya's expression grew serious, as if weighing it carefully.
Something like this should have seemed utterly ridiculous.
But for her, it wasn't.
After all, this was her second greatest priority, only next to chakra.
A few seconds later, Kaguya shook her head.
She thought it was too little.
Natsume then raised two fingers.
Kaguya quietly asked, "How do you plan to handle this?"
This was clearly already agreement.
"Let's make the creature inside her into a stand-in that Yakumo can control," Natsume answered after thinking.
Idoru performed exceptionally well in the original story.
If Yakumo could fully control her, her abilities would rival those of an Uchiha wielding the Mangekyo Sharingan.
After all, the idea of turning genjutsu into reality as a Kekkei Genkai was simply too absurd.
Dual personalities alone were worrying enough—Natsume feared Yakumo might not be able to handle it.
If it's a substitute body, this works out perfectly.
In some ways, it resembles the Uchiha clan's Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kaguya Otsutsuki gave a slight nod and gripped Natsume's shoulders.
The next moment, their vision shifted.
Natsume opened his eyes and found himself in a desolate, chaotic world.
Only the scattered paintings around him appeared normal.
This also confirmed he was now inside Kurama Yakumo's mind—or rather, her genjutsu world.
Such overwhelming Yin Release power.
Natsume mused with amazement.
The entire world pulsed with immense power.
Considering Yakumo's age, it was almost unbelievable.
This level of power was almost unfair—close to Sasuke Uchiha's strength.
Now Natsume understood why the Kurama Clan had declined.
Too much power invites ruin.
"How did you get in here?"
A youthful yet familiar voice rang out.
Kurama Yakumo.
But unlike her real body outside—her expression was dark, exuding a twisted aura.
That's none of your concern.
Natsume narrowed his eyes slightly as he asked, "Did you have permission to use someone else's body?"
"This is my body!"
Idoru let out a low growl as a surge of chaotic emotions erupted from her.
In an instant, they transformed into towering flames.
Yet before reaching Kaguya Otsutsuki, the flames vanished entirely.
Seeing this, Idoru's face stiffened.
What the hell?
Kaguya didn't give her time to think. She swung forcefully.
This chapter isn't over yet!
An endless wave of mental force surged like a trembling ocean, sending ripples cascading outward.
The entire space suffered devastating damage.
Even the paintings began collapsing rapidly.
Idoru's face showed terror.
The image of Yakumo she maintained immediately dissipated, revealing a hideous monster with white hair, long horns, and a grotesque face.
This was her true form.
"That's impossible!"
Idoru exclaimed bitterly, "I refuse to die!"
Her voice faded.
Her eyes shifted from cruel to clear.
She looked dazed, no longer possessing that earlier liveliness.
Her consciousness had been erased by Kaguya Otsutsuki. She was now no more than a puppet.
A true final antagonist in every sense.
Effortlessly accomplishing what others could not.
Natsume returned to the real world.
Kurama Yakumo remained asleep, showing no reaction or change whatsoever.
But her body would no longer be plagued by Idoru's presence.
In other words, she could finally become a genuine ninja.
And, assuming no setbacks, the strongest genjutsu ninja.
Well, aside from the Uchiha clan.
They'll all end up piloting Gundams anyway—no one would even care about genjutsu anymore.
Actually, even including them, Yakumo still had the potential to become the strongest genjutsu user.
As for her disturbingly powerful kekkei genkai, Natsume already had plans.
First, help Sasuke Uchiha awaken his Sharingan.
Once his ocular power reached the required level, give him a small nudge.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Natsume thought again about Mikoto Uchiha.
There might be other avenues worth exploring.
"Natsume."
Kaguya Otsutsuki reached out, gently stroking his face. "Is there anything else?"
"No."
Natsume knew what she wanted to do and didn't refuse.
Yakumo Kurama would probably wake up in a few hours.
With Kaguya Otsutsuki's time-controlling abilities, they could already spend several days together.
[Your actions have altered the fates of Yakumo Kurama and Idoru. You have gained 100 Destiny Points.]
After exiting Amenominaka, Natsume heard the prompt sound from the Tamaki of Destiny. He chose to ignore it and looked at Yakumo Kurama, who had already woken up.
Her face was filled with excitement.
She had clearly noticed the change in her body.
Compared to her previous weak condition, now everything felt unusually normal.
To her, simply being normal was nothing short of miraculous.
"Hokage-sama!"
Yakumo Kurama hurriedly got out of bed, bowing deeply. "Thank you so much!"
"There's no need to thank me."
Natsume replied directly. "Your Kekkei Genkai is valuable—work hard to grow stronger and serve Konoha well."
"Yes!"
Without hesitation, Yakumo Kurama agreed firmly.
[Flying Thunder God Technique Activated]
The two returned to the Hokage's Office.
"How did it go?" Kurenai Yuhi immediately looked up, asking eagerly.
"Teacher, I'm completely healed now!" Yakumo Kurama showed a cheerful smile.
It was a stark contrast to her former self.
Kurenai instantly relaxed.
As a genjutsu specialist herself, after bonding with Yakumo Kurama, she had already decided to pass down her legacy to her as a worthy disciple.
After all, she now served as the Hokage's secretary.
It was unlikely she'd take another student again.
Unless she had children of her own in the future.
But that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.
She glanced at Natsume, then quickly averted her gaze. "Yakumo, let me take you home first."
After the two left, Natsume leaned back in the Hokage chair, his face showing traces of fatigue.
Fighting against Kaguya Otsutsuki was always dangerous.
However, he had also made progress—he had progressed enough to launch an effective counterattack.
Previously, Kaguya Otsutsuki always maintained her cold, composed demeanor.
But now, she was no longer composed—occasionally even losing control.
Winter's arrival meant the New Year Festival was coming.
The ninja world largely adopted Japanese customs, making it the most vibrant celebration of the year.
In the past, Natsume always accompanied Tsunade to enjoy the festivities.
This year, though, that wouldn't be possible.
Tsunade was pregnant now and shouldn't move around carelessly.
Hokage's Office.
A knock on the door rang out.
Inside came Hatake Kakashi and his three students—Gaara, Kanpo, and Temari.
"Hokage-sama, here's the mission report for our team's latest completed mission."
After greeting him, Hatake Kakashi pulled out a scroll.
"You can just say what you really came here to talk about," Natsume briefly glanced at them and smiled.
Nowadays, Konoha didn't require him to personally review every mission report.
"They want to request a two-week leave to return to Sunagakure."
Even as he spoke, Kakashi maintained his usual sleepy-eyed expression.
The three behind him, especially Kanpo and Temari, couldn't help but show expressions of anticipation and unease on their faces.
"I agree."
Natsume didn't think for long before agreeing.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Kanpo and Temari shouted in unison.
Gaara alone remained calm.
For him, there was little to look forward to back home.
After dismissing the four, Natsume suddenly thought about the Akatsuki organization.
He had been a member for quite some time, yet hadn't received any missions.
It wasn't because Nagato had forgotten about him, but rather because he had been too busy.
After obtaining 2 billion yen, he had too much on his hands and temporarily neglected Natsume.
With the arrival of the New Year Festival,
Natsume also started getting busy.
It wasn't as if he needed to decorate Konoha Village himself—professionals handled those tasks.
The reason for his busyness was that he needed to visit several places.
Ena Uzumaki, Kaguya Otsutsuki, Mikoto Uchiha, Mei Terumī, and finally, Tsunade.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>