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Konoha had grown lively again—and orderly, too.
At Natsuki's home, a rocking chair sat in the yard. Natsuki lay there, swaying lazily, cracking sunflower seeds and looking every bit the picture of leisure.
In the garden, the greens were at their tender best, and the racks of cured meat and sausages were "sweating" under the sun.
On the window frame, even more orange peels hung to dry.
Everything looked the same as before, yet Natsuki's mood was anything but. He almost felt like crying.
When Tenten came back, she stared blankly at the blue sky through the window.
"What's up?"
Tenten asked with concern and naturally slid into his arms.
The two of them rocked together—surprisingly comfy, actually.
Natsuki sighed from the bottom of his heart. "My laid-back days are gone. From now on I'm stuck in an office every day—maybe even pulling all-nighters. I might not even have evenings free to dote on my wife."
Tenten giggled. "You really hate being Hokage's advisor that much?"
Natsuki nodded without hesitation. "Of course. There's nothing great about being an advisor. We don't crave power, and we're not short on money with my gorgeous onee-sama patron backing us. If I could just be a regular jōnin (elite ninja)—take missions now and then, and spend the rest of the time relaxing with you—that'd be the best."
"Aiya, when did my husband become this lazy?"
Tenten poked his cheek, smiling. "The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. Everyone trusts you, so do the advisor job properly, okay? You don't even know—Dad's been strutting around ever since he heard you became Hokage's advisor, bragging to everyone. And I think you're the coolest when you're serious and responsible!"
Natsuki surrendered. "Okay, okay. Since my most, most, most beloved wife has spoken, I'll do it well. But—I want a reward!"
Feeling his hand get mischievous, Tenten twisted her waist. "What kind of reward? Which country's outfits did you prepare this time?"
Natsuki beamed. "I designed a few sailor uniforms. Tonight you'll try them all. Also… black stockings and white stockings."
"You… your tastes keep multiplying…"
Tenten could only indulge him. Her man was hers to spoil; whatever he wanted to play, she'd play along.
The next day, Natsuki arrived at the Hokage's office feeling refreshed.
Tsunade had set up three advisor desks right in the office, requiring the advisors to work on-site for easy discussion—and to stand in when the Hokage was away.
When Natsuki walked in, he was surprised to see Kakashi already at his seat. Unbelievable.
"Morning, Natsuki."
Kakashi greeted him, then added a sheepish explanation. "I used to be late because I was pretty aimless… and, well, kind of copying Obito. But Obito isn't dead, and I need to set him straight. So I have to put in the effort now."
Natsuki gave a big thumbs-up. "Well said! In that case, Kakashi-senpai, let's work hard on my share too!"
Kakashi rolled his eye. "In your dreams. Sit—Tsunade-dono already stamped these files for us!"
Natsuki shrugged, sat, and flipped through the documents. Not too complicated. For example, Sasuke and Neji's Security Force roster submissions—scan the names, if nothing looks off, stamp the circle.
"Yo, these two are motivated!"
He read down the list. "Squad One: Shino, Hinata, Kiba. Squad Two: Yakumo, Rinya, Lee. Squad Three: …"
Naturally they'd prioritize familiar faces. You knew their strength, and you could trust them.
Plus, Shino and Yakumo operated at jōnin (elite ninja) level; the rest were chūnin. Maintaining village security shouldn't be an issue.
And for someone like Lee, who ended up "solo" because his teammates had other arrangements, placing him in the Security Force—especially under Neji—was a great fit.
Kakashi commented, "Neji aside, Sasuke's especially motivated."
Natsuki tilted his head. "Why? He usually hates this kind of hassle."
"It is a hassle," Kakashi said, "but he's an Uchiha. The Security Force used to be the Uchiha's charge. Now he's the only one left. He probably wants to run the Security Force well—so people won't forget the Uchiha name."
Natsuki nodded. "So that's it. He's taken his revenge, and now he's working to revive the Uchiha."
"Exactly," Kakashi agreed. "He stands on his own now—in strength and everything else. A worthy Uchiha clan head. If his parents and his brother could see him, they'd be proud."
…"A worthy Uchiha clan head," huh?
Arms folded, Natsuki didn't quite nod along.
Kakashi grew curious. "You know him well. You disagree?"
Natsuki hesitated, but didn't hide it. "Sasuke is outstanding, sure. But as a clan head, there's another crucial mission he must fulfill."
"A crucial mission? What is it?"
"You can't think of it, senpai? To revitalize a clan, you need people. What's a 'clan of one'? So Sasuke's mission is to get married and have kids—to extend the Uchiha line."
…Uh.
Kakashi hadn't expected that answer. For a moment he didn't know what to say.
Thinking it over, it was true. No matter how brilliant and famous Sasuke became, as long as he was alone, "revival" was just a word. To truly revive the clan, you had to increase its numbers—add branches to the tree.
Bang!
The office door burst open.
Sasuke clung to the handle in a rather undignified pose, his face full of embarrassment—he'd obviously heard what Natsuki just said. Nothing else could explain this entrance.
"Yo! Sasuke, you're here."
Natsuki pretended nothing had happened and waved. "About the Security Force rosters you and Neji submitted—looks fine to me. Once Tsunade-dono stamps them, they're approved. If you're in a hurry, you can start gathering people now and speed things up."
Sasuke's expression tangled. Finally, he gritted his teeth, walked to Natsuki's desk, and stammered, "Natsuki… how did you chase Tenten back then? Share your… experience."
Well, well—miracles do happen.
The "Second Pillar" was opening up!
Kidding aside, Sasuke asked because Natsuki's words had hit home. He wasn't an idiot. Before, he'd ignored romance for revenge. Now the revenge was done, the Security Force would be his career—and it was time to add people to the Uchiha.
(End of Chapter)
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