"Hey, handsome! Hello! I'm Fu from Takigakure!", Fu stretched out her hand toward Aoba, her smile bright as sunshine.
"I'm Aoba."
Aoba smiled back and shook her hand. Just as he was about to let go, she suddenly tightened her grip.
"When you were fighting Kakuzu-senpai just now, you were so cool."
At that moment, Fu's eyes shone brilliantly, as if glowing with light, "Can we be friends?"
"Fu! Don't be rude!", Seeing this, Shibuki broke out in a cold sweat.
This girl's reckless behavior, what if she offended him somehow? If that happened, Takigakure couldn't possibly withstand Konoha's anger.
"It's fine," Aoba waved a hand lightly toward Shibuki, smiling at Fu, "Then from now on, we're friends."
He actually liked making friends too.
"Yay!", Fu jumped up happily, eyes sparkling with delight.
"Today I made three new friends!"
"If you come to Konoha, you'll definitely make even more," Aoba said with a grin.
Fu's eyes grew even brighter as she looked hopefully toward Shibuki.
Shibuki couldn't help but press a hand to his forehead with a sigh of exhaustion.
'How did this kid get swayed in just a couple of sentences?'
"This matter still needs to be discussed. Come outside with me for a moment," Though he said "discuss," he was already leaning toward letting Fu go to Konoha.
If Akatsuki's target was the Seven-Tails, there was no way they could protect it.
As for the possibility of Konoha orchestrating the whole thing, of course he had considered it.
But intelligence on Akatsuki could be verified with Iwagakure and Kumogakure. And if Konoha truly intended to harm Fu, Takigakure wouldn't be able to stop them anyway.
"Huh? Do I have to be there too?"
Fu blinked and looked toward Kakuzu, who had been cold-faced the whole time, "I still wanted to ask Kakuzu-senpai about the details of his battle with the First Hokage."
"...", Kakuzu's lips twitched. If Aoba weren't standing right there, he might've taught this brat a lesson.
Shibuki could only laugh awkwardly before turning back to Aoba, "Should I arrange rooms for these two as well?"
Aoba nodded, "Yes, please. Don't worry, they both have binding seals I placed on them, they won't harm anyone."
"All right, I'll take care of it. Sorry to disturb you. Tomorrow morning, we'll give you both an answer. Please rest well tonight."
After that, Shibuki pulled the reluctant Fu out of the room.
Then Kurotsuchi returned to her own quarters, Kakuzu and Sasori were led away, and only Aoba and Tsunade remained.
"So, this bloodline ability of yours, it's a type of dojutsu?", Tsunade asked directly.
Aoba nodded. He had no intention of hiding it. If he did, he wouldn't have used it today.
"These eyes are called the Tenseigan. They can manipulate gravity and repulsion, among other abilities. They're on the same level as the Rinnegan," As he spoke, his eyes turned a deep azure blue.
"The same level as the Rinnegan? No wonder you didn't panic facing that Akatsuki leader with Rinnegan eyes," Even Tsunade was astonished. She couldn't help leaning in closer, cupping his face to examine those star-like eyes.
"Uh… Sensei, do you have anything else to ask?"
Tsunade's current gaze made Aoba feel strangely nervous.
Seeing his expression, Tsunade pinched his cheek, exasperated, "No. I'm just tired. Go get some sleep."
"Huh?", Aoba blinked, "Go back?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes and said sharply, "We're in Takigakure. The room they prepared for you is right next to mine!"
"Got it."
Aoba sighed helplessly, then left Tsunade's room and went to his own.
Watching his sulky expression, Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Even if she didn't have her pillow to hug tonight, at least she could rest for a day.
She really should bring Shizune along for trips like this next time.
But just as she finished washing up and lay down, someone suddenly appeared in her bed.
"Sensei, it's me!"
If Aoba hadn't spoken immediately, in that darkness Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred kick would've already landed.
And if that happened, even if Aoba were made of steel, things would've ended in disaster.
"You brat! I taught you the Flying Thunder God technique, but this is what you use it for?"
Tsunade clenched her teeth and pinched Aoba's face.
"I can't sleep without holding you, Sensei."
Aoba said shamelessly as he wrapped his arms around her soft, toned waist.
Tsunade thought for a moment, then also embraced him, "Fine. But tonight, you behave. No touching."
"Okay."
Aoba nodded obediently.
"Mm."
Seeing him agree, Tsunade didn't say more.
After a long silence, in the dark—
"Sensei, are you asleep?", Aoba suddenly spoke.
"If you've got something to say, spit it out," Tsunade, eyes still closed, replied. For some reason, just holding him like this, she felt something was missing and couldn't quite fall asleep.
"Sensei, do you want to try the power of my eyes?", Aoba asked again.
As he spoke, his eyes turned that azure blue once more, glowing faintly in the pitch-black room.
"Huh?"
Tsunade opened her eyes, and for a moment, she was dazed by the brilliance of the Tenseigan right before her.
Then, she suddenly realized her body was floating upward.
"You little brat!"
"Sensei, my hands and feet didn't move, see?"
———
The next morning, by the waterfall outside Takigakure, Tsunade let out a long yawn.
"Lady Tsunade, didn't you sleep well last night?", Kurotsuchi asked curiously.
She'd heard movement last night, Aoba had gone back to his own room to sleep, hadn't he?
Tsunade nodded blankly, expression unreadable, "I was thinking about Akatsuki's situation last night. Slept a bit late."
"I see," Kurotsuchi sighed inwardly, then thought back to Tsunade's commanding figure in battle.
Lady Tsunade, if only she didn't have Aoba around, was the perfect kunoichi, the role model every woman in the ninja world aspired to be.
Yet the woman she admired was, at this very moment, secretly pinching a certain white-haired boy's waist hard.
That brat always used his strange new powers for ridiculous things.
'Such a powerful bloodline ability, used for that?'
Though… admittedly, being able to do nothing and still feel everything automatically had been… an experience. But still, she'd lost miserably last night.
Aoba kept his awkward smile, desperately changing the subject, "Why isn't Fu here yet? Don't tell me she's not coming to Konoha after all?"
"She's probably saying goodbye. She'll be living in Konoha for a long time, so taking her time is only natural," Kurotsuchi replied.
"True. Then I'll use this chance to draw a Flying Thunder God seal. That'll make things faster," Aoba finally managed to escape Tsunade's clutches.
[T/N: I have released a new novels set on Type-Moon universe: "Playboy Watchman of Camelot". Search it by name, it is not in this account. Do give it a try. Have a great read~ I have also pinned it below.]
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