Terumi Mei lifted her hand to wipe away the tears that had never even fallen, then secretly peeked out of one eye, quietly observing Kakashi's reaction.
And then, she saw Kakashi with both hands in his pockets, eyes flat as dead fish, saying, "So that was all just an act of yours?"
"As expected, Jiraiya-sama was right: the prettier a woman is, the more deceitful she is; the more deceitful a woman is, the easier she steals a man's heart. Ah, just how did Jiraiya-sama manage to summarize such a profound truth?"
Terumi Mei was stunned. She froze in place, stopped her act, and asked softly, "Kakashi, you didn't just now think I was pitiful, and feel like protecting me?"
Kakashi turned his head aside and snorted, "Of course not."
Terumi Mei looked disappointed, "Then what about the weak and delicate woman thing? How do you do that?"
Kakashi couldn't help patting his head, "Just be yourself, that's enough. It doesn't suit you."
Terumi Mei looked even more disappointed, "If it doesn't suit me, then how do I walk into your heart? Or, how do you walk into mine?"
Kakashi's whole body trembled, 'Could it be, that feeling just now, was it Terumi Mei entering my heart?'
He shook his head fiercely. From now on he had to be on strict guard, never again let Terumi Mei so easily slip into his heart.
Just then, Kakashi's stomach suddenly rumbled loudly.
His face flushed red. Because after sneaking onto the slave ship, he had been eating and living the same as those war orphans. The slavers provided very little food, and he hadn't had a full meal in a long time. On top of that, he had just fought a battle earlier and used up much strength…
Seeing Kakashi's embarrassed look, Terumi Mei suddenly laughed mockingly, "So you're just hungry."
Kakashi immediately pulled out a scroll and released from it a ration pill. He had already prepared for all kinds of extreme situations, so his supplies were plentiful. He wouldn't run short of food in the short term.
But Terumi Mei quickly snatched away Kakashi's ration pill, saying, "You came to my house and you're still eating this stuff? No way. I'll go buy groceries and cook a proper meal. I'm hungry too."
After saying that, Terumi Mei hurriedly rushed out. Before closing the door, she deliberately shouted loudly, "Mr. Handsome hubby, don't you dare sneak any ration pills, wait till I get back!"
Kakashi nearly choked. But since Terumi Mei had already opened the door, and outside was the street, what if someone passed by?
He could only pinch his nose and accept the title, and muttered quietly, "Come back soon."
Terumi Mei struck a victory pose and with a loud bang! shut the door, then dashed off like the wind.
———
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The Akatsuki members, who had checked into a small inn, were now split into male and female groups, soaking in the hot springs.
Since the inn had poor business to begin with, with no other guests staying, they simply booked out the entire place for peace and quiet.
This made the innkeeper overjoyed, bowing in gratitude over and over.
The Akatsuki were happy too, since the occasional team-building trip and leisure helped ease the mood.
Of course, the money was paid by Kakuzu. The one whose heart hurt: was Kakuzu. As for whether it was one heart aching, or all five hearts aching together, no one knew.
Kakuzu sulked alone in a corner of the hot spring, submerging his whole body in the water with only his head exposed. No matter who greeted him, he refused to respond.
Sasori and Nagato, meanwhile, soaked while huddled together, discussing the difficulties of constructing giant puppets.
Separated by a wooden wall, Konan, Pakura, and Suikumi Haruka had their own lively topic, chattering nonstop.
Obito and Yahiko, having returned to their true forms, naturally ended up together.
Yahiko leaned against the edge, looking relaxed, and casually asked, "Obito, what's your plan next? I mean, if we kill the Mizukage, who do we sell the chakra converters to? That Genshi guy?"
Obito thought for a moment, "Still to the Mizukage. After all, the Kage of a village has the highest authority, and it's easier to supervise."
Yahiko was startled, "You mean, the new Mizukage? But if we create too much chaos, it won't be easy for a new Mizukage to ascend."
Obito smiled, "That's why, to make things easier, we'll push Kirigakure to launch a coup d'état. As long as the coup succeeds, naturally a new Mizukage will be supported into power."
Yahiko was shocked, "Launch a coup? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Obito said, "What's inappropriate about it? The Third Mizukage's actions have already stirred massive discontent among Kirigakure's ninja. We're only helping them make up their minds to punish evil."
Yahiko gave a bitter smile, "Obito, you already have a plan?"
Obito answered calmly, "Of course. In fact, Genshi's faction has long wanted to act. They've secretly rallied many people already. They're just lacking one decisive force."
"As soon as we hand them that force, they'll naturally act. After all, who likes living in an environment of mutual slaughter?"
Yahiko grew curious, "So what's the decisive force you're talking about?"
Obito gave a mysterious smile, "Naturally, the power of a tailed beast. Ever since Kirigakure's first jinchuriki died, the Three-Tails also vanished. Kirigakure searched for a long time and never found it."
"But in reality, the Three-Tails is right inside the extravagant lake at the Water Daimyo's residence. It's just that Kirigakure never thought to look there."
Yahiko couldn't help turning to Obito, "How do you know something like that?"
Of course Obito knew. In his previous life, after controlling Kirigakure for so long, he had already sorted out many things.
If he didn't intervene, then after a few years, during the next expansion of the Daimyo's lake, an explosion would disturb the Three-Tails, waking it up and causing chaos.
Kirigakure would then discover its whereabouts, quickly capture it, and choose a suitable host.
And under Madara's control, the Mizukage would choose Rin…
That was how the tragedy of the previous life began.
It was precisely because the Mizukage's wars ended in failure, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen scattered, and then, absurdly, the Three-Tails was sealed into the body of a shinobi from an enemy village—such an incomprehensible act.
Eventually most Kirigakure shinobi could no longer endure it, deciding that the Third Mizukage must have gone insane.
Led by Genshi, that faction launched a coup, finally killing the Third Mizukage, then recaptured the Three-Tails and sealed it into Pakura's body, supporting him as the Fourth Mizukage.
The Fourth Mizukage was originally from Genshi's faction, but later he fell under Obito's control, slipped from Genshi's grasp, and launched a new round of the "Bloody Mist."
Thinking of this, Obito gave Yahiko a small smile, "Naturally, I have special information sources. You can think of it as being related to the informants Madara recruited."
"In short, with the intelligence I have now, even if we do nothing, these things will happen anyway. We're only giving the process a little push, making it happen faster…"
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