Lively gatherings always pass by quickly.
It was also because this was a rare moment of leisure after everyone had been busy for an entire year. Chatting about all sorts of random things, they stayed in the barbecue restaurant until it was almost evening before finally dispersing.
Tenten and the other girls had originally planned to go somewhere else with Aoba afterward to do some activities to deepen their feelings.
But seeing that it was already getting late, the girls had no choice but to give up and head home separately.
"Aoba-nii, once you become a jonin, does that mean you'll always be out on missions?", Walking down the street, Karin asked.
Aoba thought for a moment, then nodded, "If it's an ordinary jonin, then yeah, the workload really would increase quite a bit."
Karin's expression immediately turned resentful as she grabbed his hand and swung it back and forth, "Then does that mean it'll take a really long time before we can see each other?"
Seeing her pouting lips, Aoba felt like laughing and said, "That's just the general situation. Karin, don't tell me you forgot. Once the New Year passes, I'll pretty much be becoming the next Hokage."
"Oh, right."
Karin remembered, but her face quickly fell again, "Wait, no! If that's the case, won't Aoba-nii have even less time to spend with us?"
The Hokage had to sit in the Hokage's office every day. Wouldn't that mean there was basically no time at all to be with them?
The smile on Aoba's face grew even wider as he stuffed the hand she was still swinging into his pocket and sealed it away, "If I don't have time to accompany you, then when you're free, can't you come to the Hokage Building to accompany me?"
"That's true."
Karin suddenly realized. Anyway, it didn't really matter to her where she went. What mattered was that he was there.
Aoba then asked, "Karin, have you thought about becoming a Hokage guard?"
"Hokage guard?"
Karin's eyes lit up, full of anticipation, "I can do that?"
If she became a Hokage guard, wouldn't she be able to stay by his side every day?
"Of course you can."
Aoba said with a bright smile.
Once he became Hokage, the Hokage secretaries could stay the same. The current ones were already familiar with their respective duties, so there was no need to change them.
But the Hokage guards could be swapped out.
After all, his strength didn't actually require any guards for protection, and besides, the current Hokage guards had all gone off to become team leaders.
"However, that'll have to wait until after you become a jonin," Aoba added.
"Mhm! Mhm! I'll become a jonin very soon too!"
Karin said with complete confidence.
With her current strength, it wouldn't take long at all for her to become a jonin.
The two of them chatted and laughed as they returned to the Senju clan compound.
.
.
.
The house was clearly very lively as well.
Since there had been celebrations outside, the family naturally couldn't skip it.
"We're back!"
Aoba pulled Karin inside. Uchiha Mikoto and Kushina were there as well.
"Aoba-kun… welcome back."
Uchiha Mikoto greeted him a bit shyly.
Back then, she had always been able to greet him naturally when he came over. Now that their relationship was confirmed, she had instead become a little reserved.
But Aoba-kun had mentioned before that he wanted her to move in. Did that mean she could be considered half the mistress of this place now?
"Aunt Mikoto, Kushina-nee."
Seeing the two of them, Aoba smiled and greeted them as well.
Kushina, however, revealed a teasing smile and joked, "Aoba-kun is still calling you 'aunt' now, huh?"
"Kushina!"
Before Aoba could answer, Uchiha Mikoto glared at her with a bashful scold.
Their relationship hadn't been made public yet. Only a few people like Shizune and Tsunade had noticed something off. Karin and the other girls were still completely unaware.
Uchiha Mikoto still wasn't mentally prepared to face girls like Karin yet.
A classmate's mom suddenly becoming a romantic rival was just too bizarre.
Meanwhile, seeing their reactions, Uzumaki Kasui showed a puzzled expression and asked, "Hasn't Aoba-kun always called Mikoto 'aunt'?"
"Well…", Hearing Uzumaki Kasui's question, Kushina also fell into thought for a moment.
With Uchiha Mikoto as a precedent, and combined with her usual observations of Uzumaki Kasui, this single mother seemed to harbor some improper thoughts about Aoba-kun as well.
She had actually thought about helping her fellow clanswoman before. After all, helping one was helping, and helping two was also helping.
Besides, neither of them seemed to care about that sort of thing. Of course she wanted her two good friends to both find their own happiness.
The only difference was that Kasui had Karin as a daughter.
And it was precisely because of that that she had never taken action, which troubled her quite a bit.
Still, giving a little hint should be fine, right?
A mischievous smile appeared on Kushina's face, "Well, that's because—"
"Alright, Kushina, behave yourself too. Tonight is this brat's celebration dinner," Seeing that Uchiha Mikoto was on the verge of taking action, Tsunade spoke up and cut off Kushina's words.
Over the past year, she had noticed that although this girl had already become a mother, her personality was even more jumpy than before.
Back when she still had the identity of a jinchuriki, even when she was noisy, she restrained herself quite a bit. Now she was completely the type who feared nothing and loved stirring up trouble.
"Fine…", Since Tsunade had spoken, Kushina pouted and fell silent.
She still listened to Tsunade a lot.
Aoba also cast Tsunade a grateful look.
Naturally, all he got in return was a pair of eye rolls.
Only Uzumaki Kasui blinked, her expression still confused. But since Tsunade had spoken, it wasn't appropriate for her to ask more at the moment. She simply looked at Uchiha Mikoto and Aoba with a bit more scrutiny in her eyes.
"Brat, today I called together the heads of the village's ninja clans for a meeting. The proposal to nominate you as the next Hokage has already passed. Once the New Year is over, the jonin vote will be held."
Tsunade directly stated the outcome of today's meeting. Tonight wasn't just about celebrating him becoming a jonin.
With all the major ninja clan heads supporting Aoba as Hokage, the matter was basically set in stone.
"Mm! I'll be ready when the time comes."
Aoba nodded, looking fairly calm. After all, this was something he had already prepared for.
"You're about to become the youngest Hokage ever, and you're acting this calm?"
Off to the side, Kurotsuchi, feeling a bit sour, couldn't help but complain.
Aoba, who was even younger than her, was about to become Hokage, while she herself was still far, far away from becoming Tsuchikage.
Seeing her expression, Aoba couldn't help but laugh and teased, "Jealous?"
"Damn it! If Grandpa were like Lady Tsunade, I'd be able to become Tsuchikage very soon too!"
Kurotsuchi said indignantly.
With such a filial granddaughter, Aoba couldn't help but offer a moment of silent condolence for Onoki.
But thinking of what Onoki had done in the past, he realized the man wasn't exactly a good person either.
Truly a case of a kind grandpa and a devoted granddaughter.
"Speaking of which, the New Year's almost here. Aren't you planning to go back to Iwagakure to see your grandpa?"
Kurotsuchi froze for a moment, then quickly puffed out her cheeks, "What's there to see about an old man who can even make up rumors about his own granddaughter?"
"…"
"But maybe they've realized their mistake by now," After a brief silence, she continued.
"Aoba, do you have time in the next few days to take me back?"
"With your Flying Thunder God, it shouldn't take much time for a round trip."
"You're planning to come back?", Aoba was a little surprised.
Kurotsuchi said matter-of-factly, "Of course. I'm just going back to see whether he's dead or not. I still haven't collected the remaining payment for that construction job."
"That's a huge sum of money!"
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