When it came to gaming, it all came down to skill and reflexes.
Natsume had plenty of both.
But his opponents, Tsunade and Hinata Hyuga, weren't weak either.
Fighting two opponents at once, he naturally didn't stand a chance.
Even if he could win, he wouldn't risk it.
That was just basic social etiquette.
Besides, if he upset both of them, Natsume would end up homeless.
Still, judging by their personalities, they wouldn't actually get angry over a game.
Time always flew when playing games.
Before they knew it, night had fallen.
"U-um… I'll make dinner. How does that sound?"
Hinata spoke timidly but still found the courage.
She fit the image of a devoted wife and mother perfectly.
In her mind, preparing meals for her husband was only natural.
Though Natsume had always been the one cooking, she'd picked up a few cooking skills along the way.
Now that it was her first time at his place, she naturally wanted to impress him a little.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Hinata."
Natsume reached out and gently ruffled her hair as he spoke, "You don't need to be so nervous at home. Just relax a bit."
"Okay!"
Hinata nodded firmly, a smile appearing on her face.
She got up, her steps light and lively, and happily made her way toward the kitchen.
"What a great girl. You're such a lucky bastard."
Tsunade shot him a glare and scoffed.
"…"
Natsume twitched his lip.
He wanted to argue, but nothing came to mind.
Well then, guess I'll play the part.
After all, he was coming out ahead either way.
"Sister," he suddenly recalled the earlier conversation with Shikamaru Nara about weddings and spoke up, "Let's have our wedding next month."
Tsunade froze abruptly, the smile on her face gradually disappearing.
She stayed silent for a few seconds before shaking her head in refusal.
"Not that kind of wedding," Natsume said, sensing her misunderstanding.
Tsunade blinked in confusion.
Unfamiliar with online culture, she hadn't even imagined something like that.
At first glance, it sounded absurd.
But upon further thought, it actually seemed pretty good.
A wedding is a ceremony—a symbol of two people committing to each other.
So the actual form doesn't matter much.
Getting married in real life or in a game are basically the same thing.
"What do I need to prepare?"
Tsunade suddenly felt uneasy.
To her, marriage had always felt distant—everything about it was unfamiliar.
"You don't need to prepare anything."
Seeing her expression, Natsume couldn't help reaching out and pinching her cheek slightly, "Just wear your wedding dress when the time comes."
"Won't we be recognized?"
Tsunade held his hand tightly and raised another concern.
According to Natsume's explanation, they'd each control an in-game character.
If their avatars looked different from themselves, it would lack authenticity.
But if they looked the same, others might recognize them.
That would only invite more suspicion.
"Don't stress about it."
Natsume gently rubbed her soft hand, "This will be something totally new."
In the ninja world—or rather, in this anime called Naruto—the idea of a wedding is actually based on Western traditions.
He wanted to hold a traditional Chinese-style wedding.
There was another reason beyond his past life.
In a traditional Chinese wedding, the bride remained hidden beneath her veil.
This way, Tsunade could appear as herself without being recognized.
As for whether others would question it, that wasn't important.
Given Natsume's current status and power, he could even popularize the Chinese-style wedding across the ninja world.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade relaxed.
Although she didn't know exactly what kind of wedding ceremony it would be, she trusted that Natsume wouldn't embarrass her.
Not long after, Hinata Hyuga came out from the kitchen carrying dishes.
Seeing this, Natsume stood up and walked to the dinner table.
He glanced at the food—it looked quite rich and varied.
Tempura, grilled fish, miso soup, steamed cabbage, and natto.
All commonly seen dishes in the ninja world.
"Here."
Hinata picked up the chopsticks and handed them to Natsume.
After he accepted them, she passed a pair to Tsunade as well.
"It looks really good."
Tsunade wrinkled her nose at the delicious aroma, ignoring formal dining etiquette. She immediately picked up a piece of grilled fish and took a bite.
Hinata felt somewhat unaccustomed to this.
At home, there had always been rules about dining.
However, she understood Tsunade's personality and didn't say anything.
Hinata's gaze fell on Natsume.
Naturally, what mattered most to her was his opinion.
Even more importantly, his cooking skills were excellent.
This made her feel pressured.
"It's pretty good."
Natsume said while chewing on a shrimp tempura, "Almost on par with my level."
Though Hinata knew he was just being polite, she still showed a happy smile.
Dinner ended in a relaxed atmosphere.
After finishing their meal, Hinata began clearing the table.
Natsume originally wanted to help, but she shooed him away.
She was unyielding on this point.
Natsume had no choice but to give in.
Right now, he was considering one issue.
Where should Hinata sleep?
There were four rooms in the house.
One for him and Tsunade, one for Shizune, and another for Senka.
The fourth room used to be his bedroom, but it had since been converted into a storage room.
Luckily, Shizune wasn't home tonight.
Natsume discussed the situation briefly with Tsunade.
Though not entirely pleased, she agreed to sleep in Shizune's room for one night.
Oh...
But this couldn't be a permanent solution.
Natsume planned to restore the storage room tomorrow.
Night gradually deepened.
After taking a bath and resting briefly, it was time to sleep.
Holding Hinata's hand, Natsume led her into the bedroom.
They exchanged glances, but she quickly looked down shyly.
Even after what happened last night, she still wasn't used to moments like this.
Yet she didn't dislike it either.
Hinata took a deep breath and slowly reached out her hand.
Natsume turned off the lights.
Meanwhile, in the next room, Tsunade stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, unable to fall asleep.
It had been a long time since she'd last slept alone.
Ever since losing Natsume, she hadn't felt sleepy.
And with her enhanced senses, she could faintly hear Hinata's soft murmurings.
She sighed with a helpless sigh and closed her eyes.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually the night fell silent once more.
Suddenly, her body stiffened as she felt herself being embraced.
That familiar stench caused her to instinctively reach out and pinch Natsume's arm.
"Idiot!"
Tsunade muttered under her breath.
It was obvious exactly where Natsume had come from.
He hadn't even taken a bath.
In a certain sense, she had reached a cooperation with Hinata Hyuga that night.
Yet even thinking about it irritated her.
Still, that refusal quickly faded away.
Night fell, and before long, the sun rose once more.
A brand new day.
Hinata Hyuga opened her eyes.
Instinctively, she reached out her hand, but couldn't feel Natsume beside her.
Her drowsy thoughts instantly cleared.
Looking around, Hinata couldn't spot Natsume anywhere.
Had he gone to prepare breakfast?
Thinking this, she forced herself up from bed despite her slightly aching body.
In her opinion, breakfast should be prepared by her, his wife.
Hinata picked up her outfit from the floor and put it on before heading directly to the kitchen.
But there was no one inside.
She felt mildly puzzled, although this did give her a chance to cook.
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