Konoha Hot Spring.
Natsume had booked the place exclusively and set up a barrier.
"Why are you being so cautious?" Tsunade leaned against the partition, unable to suppress a laugh. "People might think we're in a foreign village."
The mist thickened.
Faintly visible, some spherical objects floated on the water's surface.
"There are always peeping toms around Konoha Hot Spring. Better safe than sorry."
Natsume sank into the hot spring, waves of heat rippling outward.
"I feel like you're talking about Jiraiya again."
Tsunade exhaled and closed her eyes. "He came to visit me yesterday."
"What did he want?"
Natsume leaned closer, settling at her right side.
He wasn't up to anything inappropriate.
After all, their purpose here was just to enjoy the hot spring—not for anything else.
Though he could make his move any time, there was no need to rush it now.
But why would Jiraiya seek out Tsunade?
Was he still trying to figure out what he could do for Mount Myoboku?
Natsume had assumed he'd given up on himself, considering Jiraiya hadn't taken any action during his stay in Konoha Village.
Because anything he did now would be pointless anyway—and could even cost him dearly.
"He said he won't be traveling for a while and wanted to train Naruto."
Tsunade looked slightly puzzled as she spoke. "That really doesn't sound like him. Before, his top priority was always that prophecy from Mount Myoboku."
So Jiraiya hadn't mentioned the destruction of Mount Myoboku.
Natsume fell into thought.
Most likely, he simply didn't want to start a conflict yet.
After all, if Jiraiya wanted to train Naruto Uzumaki, he needed the Hokage's approval.
"Did you agree to it?"
Natsume casually asked.
"No."
Tsunade glanced at him. "You're the Hokage. Besides, Naruto is your apprentice. Whether I agree or not makes no difference."
"It definitely does matter."
A smile spread across Natsume's face. "If you agreed, then naturally, I wouldn't object either."
"I'm not some spoiled, arrogant woman!"
Tsunade gave him a light kick.
"If you're going to flirt, I'm happy to play along."
Natsume reached out, trying to grab her hand.
"I'm not some naïve girl anymore."
Tsunade slapped his hand away before he could catch it. "Not until after we're done bathing."
"Sister," Natsume replied seriously, catching her meaning, "I think you've misunderstood me. I'm not someone who behaves recklessly."
Tsunade stared at him skeptically, clearly unconvinced.
"Besides, most of the time it's actually you who—"
Before Natsume could finish, Tsunade, flushed with embarrassment and anger, shoved him into her chest.
Her right fist came down hard on his head multiple times.
Water splashed around them.
Natsume took the relentless blows like he was sinking into a deep abyss.
"Shut up!"
After venting her anger, Tsunade pushed him away.
"..."
Natsume looked quite disheveled.
His face was drenched in hot spring water.
Rather than showing sympathy, she burst out laughing.
Natsume twitched his lip.
You laugh now… later tonight, I'll have the last laugh.
But would Jiraiya even allow him to teach Naruto Uzumaki?
After some thought, he started laughing too.
Honestly speaking, what could Jiraiya possibly teach now?
In the original story, it was mostly [Rasengan], [Sage Mode], and control of the Nine-Tailed Fox chakra.
But Naruto had already learned them all.
"What are you thinking about?"
Seeing his sudden grin, Tsunade felt slightly uneasy.
"In what I should have for dinner tonight."
Natsume said with a smirk.
Tsunade stiffened slightly.
Something about that sentence just felt off.
She turned her head away and said, "It's way too early for dinner."
"Eating is a big deal."
Natsume tilted his head slightly.
Taking advantage of Tsunade's distraction, he opened the bottle cap. Then, he took a sip of the chilled milk.
"Have a good soak in the hot spring!"
Tsunade shivered slightly and glared at him.
"It's way too hot."
Natsume licked the corner of his mouth.
"Hmph, definitely a careless guy."
Crossing her arms, Tsunade muttered.
"That's not true!"
To prove himself, Natsume became a diligent backscrubber.
An hour passed.
The two finally left the hot spring.
They had soaked for too long and felt a bit dizzy.
Their skin had turned a deep shade of red.
Natsume, having the Sage Body, was fine.
But Tsunade clearly wasn't.
She stumbled as she walked.
"Actually, soaking once in a while isn't bad."
Stretching lazily, Natsume said.
"Yeah, it's not bad."
Tsunade replied, grabbing her outfit and putting it on. "But next time I'm coming with Shizune."
"Huh?"
Scratching his head, Natsume looked confused.
"You ruined most of the experience."
Tsunade said discontentedly.
Natsume could only smile apologetically.
Well, under such circumstances, no normal man could possibly remain unshaken.
Looks like from now on, he should find Kaguya Otsutsuki before heading to the hot spring.
As the saying goes,
When you're full, you stop thinking about food.
The two returned home.
Back inside the house, Shizune and Mikoto Uchiha were discussing Senka.
More accurately, Mikoto was sharing her parenting experience.
Having raised two children herself, Mikoto naturally knew more than Shizune.
And Shizune listened carefully too.
One reason was to better care for Senka.
The second, of course, was preparation for the future.
Oh… Who knows? Her own child might come any day now.
"Hokage-sama, Lady Tsunade."
Noticing their arrival, Mikoto Uchiha stood up to greet them.
"Mikoto, thank you for helping today," Tsunade smiled. "Stay for dinner, how about that?"
"No thanks."
Mikoto considered briefly. "Perhaps another time. Sasuke is waiting for me at home. Maybe next time."
"Alright then."
Tsunade didn't insist.
"I'll walk Aunt Mikoto back."
Stepping forward, Natsume volunteered. "Using Flying Thunder God Technique. Saves the trouble of walking."
"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama."
At once, Mikoto's tone softened.
Glancing at Tsunade, Natsume activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In an instant, the two appeared at the Uchiha clan residence.
It was Yugito Nii's quarters.
She saw Natsume and Mikoto Uchiha, and her wary expression softened.
"Hokage-sama."
Yugito Nii greeted.
She didn't yet know the relationship between Natsume and Mikoto, so erring on the side of caution—with outsiders present—she addressed the Hokage formally.
"Hmm."
Natsume didn't bother explaining and instead turned to Mikoto Uchiha.
"Auntie Mikoto, could you help me talk some sense into my stubborn black cat?"
With that, he left the room.
Mikoto Uchiha and Yugito Nii exchanged glances.
But both understood what Natsume meant.
Yugito Nii couldn't help but once again realize just how much of a pervert her master was.
As for Mikoto Uchiha's identity,
She already knew it.
She never imagined he'd added a widow to his collection as well.
Mikoto Uchiha's thoughts, however, took a different direction.
Earlier, when she first saw Yugito Nii, she had been puzzled as to why a Cloud ninja from a neighboring village had gone out of her way to join the Hokage's personal guard in Konoha.
Now, she finally understood the reason.
A black cat?
So that's the type of girl Natsume prefers?
Mikoto fell into deep thought.
Natsume had originally expected Jiraiya to find him soon enough, but that hadn't happened.
Instead, an unexpected visitor showed up.
Hinata Hyuga.
"Would you like some water?"
Natsume poured a glass and handed it to her.
"Thank you, Natsume-niisan."
Hinata took the cup with both hands and took a small sip.
Her movements were both graceful and endearing.
"You came to see me about something?"
Natsume sat beside her and asked.
"Why didn't you tell me last night?"
He still brought her late-night snacks every evening.
"That's because… today's visit is about official business."
Hinata replied shyly.
"Well then, tell me what it is."
Natsume couldn't resist the urge to pinch her cheek at the sight of her adorable expression.
"It's about the Caged Bird Seal matter."
Hinata lowered her head slightly. The touch on her face made her feel shy.
But she was used to it by now, so she didn't blush. Instead, she felt a quiet happiness within.
Natsume arched a brow.
For a moment, he almost believed Hiashi Hyuga had no intention of ever changing the Caged Bird Seal.
Didn't expect him to bring this up only now.
Truly, such an indecisive man.
"I've already spoken with Father."
Hinata softly said.
"The Hyuga clan has decided not to maintain the distinction between the main family and the branch family anymore."
Natsume's eyes lit up slightly.
In that moment, she radiated quiet authority.
She truly carried the air of the Hyuga heiress.
"What do you plan to do?"
Natsume ruffled her hair a bit.
That authoritative presence vanished in an instant.
"First, improve the Caged Bird Seal, then win over the branch family members, and finally go meet the elders of the main house."
Hinata explained in one breath.
Clearly, she had rehearsed every word.
"Just follow through with your plan."
Natsume immediately replied.
"Thank you, Natsume-niisan!"
Hinata brightened visibly.
Though she had expected his support, his immediate agreement still touched her deeply.
"And as for improving the Caged Bird Seal—do you have any ideas yet?"
At that moment, Natsume once again thought of the all-powerful Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"We don't."
Hinata Hyuga shook her head, took out a scroll, and asked, "Natsume-nii, can we ask the Sealing Team for help?"
Natsume opened the scroll and glanced at it. It contained information about the Caged Bird Seal (a cursed seal used by the Hyuga clan to control branch members).
The Caged Bird Seal was a type of cursed seal and fell within the scope of sealing techniques.
Indeed, seeking the Sealing Team's help wasn't a bad idea.
That Hiashi Hyuga had brought it out also showed his determination—he was truly serious this time.
"I'll let you know once I have results."
Natsume put away the scroll.
He planned to visit Kaguya Otsutsuki again later.
After all, he had just inconvenienced her recently, so contacting her too frequently wouldn't be good.
It also wasn't healthy for her body.
A month quickly passed.
The Research Division was successfully set up.
Kurenai Yuhi recruited many computer experts from various great nations.
Natsume shared some knowledge from his past life with them.
This helped them accelerate their development of the internet.
In reality, even without his intervention, this world would eventually develop these technologies on its own.
After all, in *Boruto*, the saying "the era of ninja is coming to an end" had already become widespread.
What dominated now were so-called scientific ninja tools—high-tech devices fueled by chakra.
The new Hokage bodyguard team entered a stable phase.
The earlier commotion quietly disappeared.
Well, what could they do?
The Hokage was simply too powerful—no one dared voice their doubts, no matter how dissatisfied they were.
Especially since neither major clans like the Hyuga nor Sarutobi raised objections.
Others naturally kept quiet.
This mini-chapter isn't over yet—more excitement coming!
Konoha Village remained relatively peaceful.
However, something significant occurred in the Land of Fire.
Previously, Natsume had considered directly replacing Daimyo Enichi.
But that might provoke controversy.
So he chose a more moderate approach.
He allowed Yukie Kazahana and Ena Uzumaki to manage the Land of Fire.
It gave off a "Prime Minister Cao commanding the vassal lords by holding the Tianzi hostage" kind of vibe.
And so, the Land of Fire entered a new age.
The two worked closely together, rolling out numerous new policies.
They established modern schools and introduced an imperial examination system.
They eliminated parasitic aristocrats.
They focused more on the economy.
In short, things were starting to mirror his past life more and more.
Of course, noticeable effects wouldn't happen overnight.
But fortunately, in the ninja world where power ruled everything, no resistance would make a real difference.
All Natsume needed to do was wait for results while staying in Konoha.
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Kurenai Yuhi knocked, then entered.
She hesitated for a moment.
Natsume was lying on the Hokage chair, seemingly asleep.
Thinking for a moment, she walked forward and softly called out, "Natsume."
No response.
She felt slightly surprised.
Given Natsume's strength, he should wake up immediately at the slightest movement.
Was he actually tired?
Considering this, Kurenai walked behind him and began giving him a gentle massage.
Actually, at this moment, Natsume was deeply immersed within the Heavenly Network.
The Heavenly Network revolved around Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Of course, fundamentally speaking, it was chakra.
Chakra was the fusion of spiritual and physical energy.
Kaguya possessed sufficient power to enable long-range chakra transmission.
Natsume had a sudden idea last time.
Kaguya Otsutsuki used her chakra to project a virtual illusion.
They managed to enter an online match.
Indeed—Natsume was locked in a game session with Kaguya Otsutsuki.
A game based on his past-life's *Naruto: Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf*.
Of course, all the pay-to-win mechanics were stripped out—only the versus mode remained.
Under normal conditions, Natsume wouldn't stand a chance against Kaguya Otsutsuki.
But within the Heavenly Network (a digital realm connecting users across dimensions), certain limitations could be applied.
For example, banning chakra usage entirely.
They were evenly matched.
As a result, Natsume had no chance to respond to Kurenai Yuhi.
The battle ended.
Kaguya Otsutsuki came out slightly defeated.
Primarily because of her low skill level.
Actually, in terms of reaction speed and hand movements, she was faster than Natsume.
But she'd only started playing a few days ago.
"I have something to do. Let's play again later."
Natsume opened his eyes.
Standing before him was Kurenai.
She was staring at him.
Originally, she had been giving him a massage.
But after receiving no response for a while, she looked at him, gradually lost in thought.
Natsume paused briefly, then leaned forward.
Only when she couldn't catch her breath anymore did he let go.
Her face flushed red, her lipstick already much faded.
"I... I..."
Kurenai struggled to speak for a while.
Because that sudden kiss had completely thrown off her thoughts.
Take your time, Sister Kurenai. Just speak calmly.
Seeing this, Natsume pulled her into his arms and said with a smile.
Kurenai stiffened, her thoughts went completely blank.
Until she felt a hand roam under her stockings.
She abruptly stood up.
Leaving behind only a strong fragrance of her presence.
To be honest, his actions were a textbook example of hooligan behavior.
But surprisingly, Kurenai didn't seem angry.
She turned away and reported hesitantly, "Naruto has returned from Ryuchi Cave."
"He learned Sage Mode?"
Natsume asked, watching the shy mature woman before him.
"Yeah."
His gaze made her feel even more flustered.
But as the Hokage's secretary, she couldn't just run away now.
After a deep breath, she continued, "Master Jiraiya says he wants to meet you."
"Oh?"
Natsume was somewhat surprised.
Since when had Jiraiya ever been this polite?
He was genuinely approaching this as a favor.
"Let him come see me then."
Natsume muttered thoughtfully.
"Okay."
Kurenai tidied her outfit, glanced down at her stockings to ensure they were intact, then left the office.
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