After spending an hour in the ruins of the Hidden Sky Village, Natsume and Mikoto left.
The scenery was nice, but the earlier battle had spoiled much.
An hour was already a lot—
Especially for Mikoto's frail body.
Exhausted, Mikoto even stumbled and tore her kimono.
Natsume carried her back to the Daimyo's manor in the Land of Waves.
[Because of your actions, Shinnō's fate has changed. You gained 50 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Uchiha Mikoto's fate has changed. You gained 69 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Shimura Danzō's fate has changed. You gained 9 Fate Points.]
Why Danzō?
And only nine? That's stingy.
What's he up to out there?
"Get some rest."
Natsume patted Mikoto's head.
Her hair was smooth—as was she.
"Mm."
Mikoto answered shyly.
After Natsume left, her eyes grew dazed.
Though she had convinced herself, she knew this was a betrayal—
Especially of the late Fugaku.
But that sense of unbound freedom was unprecedented—
As was the sense of strength.
Mikoto raised her head to the setting sun.
After a moment, she lifted her hand to her nose and took a gentle breath.
Familiar scent drained her strength. She lay down and fell asleep.
…
In a nearby office—
Natsume knocked and entered.
"Big brother."
Karin ran over, complaining, "You haven't played with me in so long."
"Where's Tayuya?"
Natsume picked her up. "She didn't keep you company?"
"She did, but she trains every day—too diligent. I feel bad interrupting."
Karin's face suddenly turned serious. "Brother, did you do something? She keeps muttering about you."
"Just muttering?"
Natsume chuckled. "Knowing Tayuya, I don't buy it unless she's cursing."
"She did say some indecorous things."
Karin said primly, "I corrected her."
"Corrected?"
Natsume blinked, curious. "You beat her?"
"Nope."
Karin lifted her chin proudly. "I goaded her into my territory of expertise—reciting the text in full with me."
Good grief.
You've got Tayuya's temperament nailed.
"Smart."
Natsume ruffled her red hair.
Karin purred, smug like a cat, basking in the petting.
"But don't let her rub off on you."
Cursing spreads fast.
In foreign languages, you don't even need to be taught.
How many people know those few lines.
"I won't!"
Karin clenched her fist. "No matter how many words—one punch beats them."
"…"
Natsume was speechless.
Hard to argue with that logic.
Maybe I should worry about Tayuya instead.
In a few years, she might not beat Karin.
Tayuya's best at summoning and sound-based specialty jutsu.
But Karin is learning sealing and taijutsu.
In the original, she even learns Sage Art—
Meaning she has a medic's talent.
But she's still young; no rush.
Sealing and taijutsu are enough to roam the shinobi world.
Natsume worried she lacked peers.
Luckily, after Tayuya came Amaru.
He suddenly realized all three were redheads.
Fate indeed.
"Karin, why are you saying strange things again?"
Uzumaki Hinae set down her work, a bit helpless but mostly fond.
"It's not strange."
Karin made a face. "Brother didn't mind."
Hinae looked at Natsume with eyes that clearly said: You spoiled her.
"I don't see a problem."
Natsume shrugged.
"Brother understands me best!"
Karin cheered.
Hinae sighed and shook her head, but didn't press it.
"How's Amaru now?"
Natsume remembered her strange illness.
Shinnō was arrogant, but his medical skills weren't fake.
He roamed the shinobi world unexposed—he had some real ability.
"No big issue."
Hinae's gaze stayed on Natsume, full of warmth and attachment. "She just keeps wanting to go back to her village."
"We didn't account for that."
Natsume didn't recall the movie's details clearly.
Nor how Amaru felt about her village.
Given his interference, at least Shinnō meant little to her now.
"Then relocate the village here."
Natsume waved grandly.
The Land of Waves lacked people.
Even after absorbing the Land of Whirlpools, still not enough.
Shipping, the bridge, and future marine resource development all needed manpower.
Hinae nodded.
She handled the logistics, but any order of Natsume's—no matter the toil—she didn't mind.
"News from the Hidden Mist."
Hinae picked up a dossier. "Five sea lanes will be cleared next month. Also, the chefs you requested are in place."
Natsume blinked.
He remembered the sea lanes.
But the chefs—he would've forgotten without Hinae.
Speaking of which, he'd kept Mei Terumi waiting quite a while.
"Got it."
Natsume patted Karin's head, eyes on Hinae.
She understood and smiled indulgently.
But Natsume had to return to the Konoha.
As Assistant to the Hokage, he couldn't skip work all day.
Under Hinae and Karin's reluctant gazes, he appeared in his office.
…
Papers had piled up on the desk.
He flipped through them.
The hot topic was Naruto Uzumaki.
The revelation of his identity had stirred much discussion in the Konoha. hearts, reflected in this mirror, shone in different lights.
Let's just say, lack of education looks ignorant.
Natsume considered establishing schools.
But opposition would be huge.
Ninja think it's expensive and unnecessary.
Nobles think you're challenging their power.
The smarter the populace, the harder to rule.
He'd wait until he became Hokage.
Then, the first matter would be the Fire Daimyo.
What Tsunade could manage, he would; what she couldn't, he must.
Not that she's a bad Hokage—just constrained.
And her temperament was lazy.
So Natsume would do it.
After finishing the documents, he didn't summon ANBU; he carried them to the Hokage's office himself.
"Sis, tired?"
He opened the door and found Tsunade resting with eyes closed.
"I'm fine."
Tsunade opened her eyes with a smile. "Put the files on the desk."
"Mm."
He set them down, then noticed a top-secret brief. He picked it up.
In the Konoha, intel had several levels.
The highest could only be viewed by the Hokage.
But Natsume and Tsunade knew each other too well—
They shared everything.
Natsume skimmed and was surprised.
Shimura Danzō.
After leaving the Konoha, he went to the Rain to find Hanzō the Salamander.
Though the outside world didn't know Nagato had killed Hanzō; the village had sealed the news tight.
Other villages' probes vanished without a ripple.
Danzō seeking Hanzō made sense.
Few could help him rise again.
Outside the Five Great, the Rain was likeliest—
Because they had a leader hailed as a demigod: Hanzō.
God is Hashirama.
Demigod—by inference, Hanzō's prestige was immense.
Most famous for defeating the Sannin single-handedly in the Second Great War.
Strictly speaking, he gave them the title "Sannin."
So the title wasn't honor—but shame.
But fame stuck, so the name stayed.
And the more famous the Sannin, the more Hanzō's legend gleamed.
The intel lacked detail.
It only said Danzō sought Hanzō and fled gravely injured.
Go figure—
He didn't die!
Natsume guessed Nagato wasn't ready to expose the Akatsuki yet.
If Danzō, a Konoha defector, died in the Rain, Tsunade would send people to negotiate—at least to reclaim the body.
Corpses reveal too much.
Him living was fine.
He could keep gifting Fate Points.
Where would Wandering Danzō go next?
"After being gravely injured, Danzō's whereabouts are unknown."
Tsunade glanced over. "But it proves Hanzō's blade is still sharp."
She, like others, believed Hanzō still lived.
And Danzō, though flawed, was stronger than most ninja.
Few could defeat and gravely wound him.
Tsunade thinking of Hanzō was natural—
They had fought before; the impression was deep.
"Worried about the Rain?"
Natsume set the file down.
"Since the Second War, the Rain has forbidden entry and exit."
Tsunade nodded, uneasy. "Hanzō isn't the type to sit idle. After all this time, who knows what he's plotting."
Plotting how to be resurrected.
Natsume thought immediately.
Hanzō does show up later—
As an Edo Tensei.
But without his salamander summon, he looked weak—losing to Mifune of the Land of Iron.
Not the least bit "demigod."
Compared to the God of Shinobi Hashirama, "demigod" should be "one-billionth of a god."
Natsume decided not to explain. "Whatever he's plotting, the Konoha's strength is more than enough."
"You don't know how tough Hanzō was."
Tsunade launched into the legend of the Sannin versus Hanzō in the Second War.
Natsume listened without interrupting, though inwardly reflective.
She seemed to have let go of the past.
Otherwise, she wouldn't talk about that war—
Her brother Nawaki died then,
In front of Orochimaru, blown apart by explosive tags.
Such a small tool changed two of the Sannin's paths—
One stopped being human; the other withdrew in despair.
"He was indeed formidable."
Natsume agreed when she finished.
"Perfunctory."
Tsunade rolled her eyes—she heard his indifference.
But with Natsume's power, Hanzō did seem… underwhelming.
She rolled her eyes playfully. "If you don't like hearing it, I won't say more."
"No, I like listening."
Natsume stepped close, gazing at her delicate face. "Whatever you say, I'll listen."
"Why are you so smooth?"
Tsunade flicked his forehead. "How many innocent girls have you deceived behind my back?"
"What? Since when can the Hokage slander people?"
"She can."
She kneaded his face with a grin. "That's the Hokage's privilege."
"Fine."
Natsume growled playfully. "Just wait—one day, the Hokage's seat will be mine!"
Tsunade froze, then her face darkened—veins bulging, lips twitching.
She stood, pinned Natsume to the Hokage's plush chair, rolled up her sleeves, and, face-to-face, said, "That's for later. Right now, I'm teaching you a lesson!"
Their playful wrestling quickly escalated, the air in the office thickening with tension.
Tsunade straddled Natsume's lap, her strong thighs pinning him down against the cushioned seat. She grabbed his wrists, holding them above his head with one hand while her other trailed down his chest, fingers deftly unbuttoning his shirt.
Natsume's eyes darkened with desire, a smirk playing on his lips as he tested her grip—not truly trying to break free, but enough to make her press harder.
"You think you can take my seat?" Tsunade whispered huskily, her breath hot against his ear. She ground her hips against him, feeling the growing hardness beneath her.
Natsume groaned, his free hand slipping under her robe to cup her breast, thumb circling her nipple until it peaked. She gasped, releasing his wrists to yank open his pants, freeing his erect cock. It throbbed in her hand as she stroked it firmly, her superhuman strength tempered to a teasing pressure that made him buck upward.
Without breaking eye contact, Tsunade hiked up her own robe, revealing she wore nothing underneath. She positioned herself over him, guiding his length to her entrance. She was already wet, slick with arousal from their banter and the thrill of dominance. Slowly, she lowered herself onto him, inch by inch, savoring the stretch as he filled her completely.
Natsume's hands gripped her hips, pulling her down harder until he was buried deep inside her.
They moved together in a rhythm born of raw need—Tsunade riding him with powerful, rolling thrusts, her breasts bouncing with each motion. Natsume thrust up to meet her, one hand kneading her ass while the other tangled in her blonde hair, pulling her down for a fierce kiss. Their tongues battled as fiercely as their bodies, moans muffled against each other's lips.
The chair creaked under the force, but Tsunade's chakra reinforced it subtly, ensuring it held.
Sweat glistened on their skin as the pace quickened.
Natsume's fingers found her clit, rubbing in tight circles that made her clench around him, drawing out low, guttural sounds from her throat.
"Sis," he growled, his voice strained. She responded by slamming down harder, her inner walls pulsing as pleasure built.
Finally, she shattered first, her orgasm crashing over her in waves, body trembling as she cried out his name.
Natsume followed moments later, thrusting deep one last time and spilling inside her with a shuddering release, his grip on her hips bruising but welcome.
They lingered there, panting and entwined, Tsunade's forehead resting against his as the afterglow settled. She activated a subtle barrier seal on the door to muffle any sounds, ensuring their privacy.
As they fought in the Hokage's office, Shizune and Yamanaka Ino were right outside—
Each holding a stack of files.
"Shizune, it seems no one's inside."
Ino knocked, got no reply, and turned to ask.
"That can't be."
Shizune knew Tsunade.
Though lax by nature, she never let personal feelings delay village business.
She stepped forward and tested the door—sensing a barrier.
Shizune blinked, then blushed slightly.
So bold. Aren't they afraid of being discovered?
"Ino, let's come back tomorrow."
"Lord Tsunade must've left for the day."
"Okay."
Ino nodded, walked a few steps, then asked, "Shizune, why's your face red? Are you unwell?"
"It's fine. Just warm tonight."
Shizune shifted topics. "You revived the rooster today—that makes you a medical ninja now."
"I'm still far off."
Ino was happy but humble. "If I can reach a tenth of you, I'll be satisfied."
"Your talent isn't worse than mine."
Shizune smiled; the blush faded. "Keep it up, girl."
…
Night fell.
Natsume carried Tsunade home on his back.
Shizune rose from the sofa.
She was about to ask what to cook when Natsume raised a finger—don't talk.
Shizune glanced at Tsunade on his back—fast asleep.
She understood—the Hokage was exhausted.
Natsume laid Tsunade on the bed and didn't wake her.
"Shizune, dinner for two."
He said after leaving the room.
Shizune nodded—face calm until she reached the kitchen, where she let out a breath.
Still, she wondered—Tsunade, with all that stamina, could be this tired?
Soon, dinner began.
With one person missing, it was simple.
Natsume didn't mind; after eating, he told Shizune, then carried Tsunade to bathe—
After such exertion, she was drenched in sweat.
Done, they settled into a rare quiet night.
…
The Land of Snow.
Snow City.
Even at night, lights blazed.
Dotō Kazahana sat on his throne. "That fortress that suddenly appeared in the sky—any findings?"
Kneeling below were his three top retainers:
Nadare Rōga, Fubuki Kakuyoku, and Mizore Fuyukuma.
They were silent.
After a moment, the pink topknot Fubuki spoke. "None of the people we sent returned."
"Completely wiped out?"
Dotō's face darkened. "And the enemy? Didn't they even see the enemy?"
"They lost contact the moment they entered."
Fubuki hesitated. "It's like they were defeated instantly."
"Impossible."
Dotō looked up. "They wore chakra armor—each equal to a jonin. How could they lose so quickly?"
"I don't know."
Fubuki's tone was grave. "Perhaps the fortress has built-in weapons."
Dotō propped his head and pondered.
The fortress's appearance was too strange.
He kept wondering if it was a ninjutsu or some technology.
He'd thought Snow's tech was top in the nations.
Unexpectedly—there's always someone stronger.
"They haven't attacked us yet—perhaps they're waiting for something."
Dotō tapped the throne. "Tomorrow, gather all forces and assault the fortress."
The longer the enemy delayed, the less chance he should give them.
That he understood.
And the longer the fortress hung there, the more it damaged his prestige.
Besides, he wanted the fortress.
"Yes!"
The three answered as one.
"Any trace of Koyuki Kazahana?"
Dotō asked again.
He sought the daimyo's seat only for the "treasure."
The key was the Hexagonal Crystal.
He searched the Land of Snow and found nothing—so the only possibility was the exiled princess.
"No."
Fubuki braced and answered.
"Useless!"
Dotō fumed. "All these years—you can't even find one person?"