"Sister Kurenai."
Natsume pointed to his back and asked, "Could you create a small room inside?"
"..."
Kurenai Yuhi's massaging movements came to an immediate halt. She was momentarily speechless.
You're really pushing it!
Didn't you hear me? The Hokage Office is for official work—not napping!
You didn't hear a single thing I said!
And yet you're getting even more outrageous.
"Sister Kurenai?"
When she didn't reply, Natsume asked again, "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean what's wrong?!"
Kurenai's expression darkened slightly as she pinched his waist in mild frustration.
Here we go again—another one of those classic girl moves.
Natsume coughed lightly and explained, "It'd be more convenient to have a room. Always crashing on the couch feels inappropriate."
Kurenai kept her lips tightly sealed and remained silent.
She wasn't a kid anymore; she saw right through his excuse.
He clearly wanted to do something inappropriate.
And maybe even her.
But if it did happen… would she really say no?
A flicker of hesitation crossed Kurenai's mind.
"Sister Kurenai?"
Natsume reached out, waving a hand in front of her face. "Suddenly spaced out. What were you thinking about?"
"N-nothing."
Kurenai lifted her hand to block his view, hiding the faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
Natsume hesitated slightly but didn't pull away.
He studied the delicate, pale hand so close to him. It was actually pretty cute.
Not that he had a thing for hands or anything.
"Then promise me it'll only be used for resting."
After a while, Kurenai murmured.
"Besides resting, what else could it possibly be used for?"
Natsume captured her wrist and kissed her palm gently before asking.
Like a startled young animal, Kurenai yanked her hand away and instinctively wiped it on her pencil skirt.
"Who knows?" she let out a soft snort. "Just make sure nobody catches you, or else your reputation as Hokage will be completely ruined."
"Sister Kurenai, are you worried about me?"
Natsume grinned.
"I'm just trying to keep my job," Kurenai immediately shot him a glare and stubbornly retorted.
Well, truthfully, she was worried—not just his reputation was on the line, but hers too.
"Don't worry, I won't let you lose your position."
Natsume leaned back against her chest and asked, "So, Sister Kurenai... does that mean you agree?"
"You're the Hokage and I'm the secretary. How could I possibly disagree?" Kurenai replied with a slight tone of resentment.
"If you want, you can have one too." Natsume arched a brow suggestively.
"I already have my own office," Kurenai responded coolly without missing a beat, though a subtle tremble stirred within her heart.
"How unfortunate," Natsume sighed, then added, "Then please, Sister Kurenai, arrange for someone to renovate the Hokage Office."
"Hmm."
Kurenai simply acknowledged.
Natsume didn't respond, continuing to enjoy the massage.
About half an hour later, he opened his eyes once more.
"Thanks, Sister Kurenai," Natsume spoke up. "Go take care of your own things now."
Massage duty was surprisingly exhausting.
Even ninja are no different.
"I'll have someone come by tomorrow to renovate this place," said Kurenai Yuhi, picking up the papers from the table and holding them tightly. "You can come to work in the afternoon."
Her body trembled slightly as she looked down and saw her right hand clasped in Natsume's.
"What a capable secretary. Do you want a reward for your work?"
"That's just my job."
Kurenai shook her head and asked, "Hokage-sama, when do you plan to let go of my hand?"
Natsume chuckled and playfully pinched her black stocking-clad thigh.
Kurenai glared at him before clicking out of the Hokage's office in her high heels.
[Because of your actions, the fates of Shizune, Kabuto Yakushi, Ino Yamanaka, and Sakura Haruno have already changed. You have gained a total of 130 Destiny Points.]
Not a huge amount, really.
After all, gaining multiple teachers or students doesn't drastically change fate.
Especially since among these two classes of students, only Sakura Haruno is a civilian-born ninja.
Even so, Contribution Points are better than nothing.
Kurenai was remarkably efficient.
Shortly afterward, she reported everything had been arranged properly.
Thanks to ninja efficiency and the small scale of the project, it was entirely feasible to finish in a single morning.
Dusk.
Natsume finished work for the day.
He opened the door and found Shizune kneeling there.
"Welcome home."
Shizune knelt like a traditional Japanese woman, helping him slip off his sandals.
"Why are you home so early today?"
Natsume pulled her up, holding her hand as they entered the hall.
"Not much," Shizune replied. "I just talked with my three students and had dinner with them."
"Oh."
Natsume sat down on the sofa, pulling Shizune into his lap. "How did it go?"
Shizune shifted uncomfortably, glancing at his wandering hand resting on her thigh.
"All three students are pretty good. However, Aburame Shino and Kiba Inuzuka both have clan techniques—I couldn't teach them much."
Clan techniques...
How should one put it?
They ensure a baseline level of ability, but their potential ceiling might not be as high as one might expect.
Still, they're significantly stronger than average ninja.
Yet compared to powerful kekkei genkai, there's definitely a gap.
Clans like the Aburame, Inuzuka, and Yamanaka rarely produce top-tier fighters.
Most of those who stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world possess kekkei genkai.
This mini chapter isn't over yet—more excitement to come!
Indeed, it's a world fixated on bloodlines.
"Sakura Haruno's talent turned out to be unexpectedly impressive," Shizune paused briefly before continuing. "Her chakra control is very strong. She'd make an excellent medical ninja."
"Then keep training her," Natsume instinctively gave her black stocking a slight tug, ripping a tear in it.
"You jerk!"
Shizune slapped his hand lightly. "You ruined another pair of my stockings again."
The word "Again," carries the key nuance.
Compared to Tsunade, Shizune listens to Natsume more willingly.
Besides, she naturally prefers wearing stockings regularly.
As such, the casualty rate of her stockings remains quite high.
"Sorry," Natsume smirked faintly. "I'll get you a new pair later."
Noticing his expression, Shizune immediately realized he had mischief in mind.
She blushed slightly and stood up. "I'll go prepare dinner."
Natsume couldn't help shaking his head.
Actually, Shizune was quite fun too.
And she was also a beautiful girl who wouldn't age.
"Natsume!"
Tsunade's voice came from the courtyard, clearly filled with joy.
Natsume paused briefly before heading to the courtyard.
"Look!"
Tsunade pointed at Senka—more precisely, at the small sapling in front of her.
It was Wood Release.
Natsume immediately understood.
No wonder Tsunade was so delighted.
It turned out she'd discovered her daughter's Wood Release talent.
But since Senka was still young, her control over it was far from sufficient.
This must have been an unintentional leakage.
Natsume secretly thought he should properly thank Mikoto Uchiha later.
How unfortunate though—she was pregnant now.
Too much excitement could harm her health.
"Senka will definitely become a great ninja someday."
Tsunade said with a smile.
"Obviously,"
Natsume replied immediately. "Even without Wood Release, if she learns your techniques, she can easily make a name for herself as a ninja."
Tsunade shot him a glare. "Just making a name isn't enough! No one should even think about messing with her!"
"You don't need to worry about that,"
Natsume reassured, stepping closer to wrap an arm around her waist. "As long as we're here, nothing like that will happen."
"Daughter's watching."
Tsunade caught his hand and gently pushed him away.
"I don't have work tomorrow morning. I'll spend the whole time with you then."
Natsume whispered softly by her ear.
His warm breath gave Tsunade a shiver down her spine.
And his words made her feel weak in the knees, nearly making it hard to stand straight.
"W-Where's Shizune?"
Tsunade asked somewhat nervously.
"She started her new role as a team leader today. She'll probably be busy for a while."
A slight smirk appeared on Natsume's lips. "We've got the whole night and morning to ourselves."
"Hmph! As if I'd ever be scared of you!"
Seeing his smug expression, Tsunade immediately fired back.
"I'll be interested to see what you try."
Natsume shrugged indifferently.
In the end, she'd always be the one begging him to stop.
"Daughter, let's not play with this annoying guy."
Tsunade glared at him and picked up Senka, heading toward their room.
"Hey! That's playing dirty!"
Natsume quickly protested.
"Why drag our daughter into this?"
He quickly chased after them.
The next day,
Natsume didn't wear Tsunade out too much.
After all, they had to take care of their daughter.
Natsume took them both to the remote Metropolis of the Land of Demons for the morning.
There, where nobody recognized them, they could relax without drawing attention.
With Moryo eliminated, the Land of Demons had entered into an alliance with the Land of Snow and was now developing very well.
Tsunade couldn't help but be impressed.
Having lived in the Land of Fire for so long, she hadn't expected a place outside the Five Great Nations to be so prosperous.
In the afternoon,
Natsume skipped the Hokage's office and instead headed toward the Uchiha clan's residence.
He knocked on the door. Mikoto Uchiha answered and whispered, "Sasuke's inside."
Natsume immediately understood her meaning, but he had come here today to pick her up for the Land of Fire's Metropolis—not to stir up any trouble.
"Natsume-sensei."
Sasuke Uchiha greeted him as soon as he saw him and stood up right away.
"Sasuke, what have you been up to lately?"
Natsume gave a slight nod and asked.
Mikoto Uchiha sat beside him, but this time, she kept her distance.
Looking at the two of them, Sasuke was momentarily dazed.
It felt just like those days when they were a happy family again.
[Training.]
Sasuke answered.
That figures.
Natsume didn't seem surprised.
The battle with the Third Raikage had clearly left a mark on him.
"You're not training all day, are you?"
Natsume shook his head with a smile and said. "After all, nonstop training doesn't necessarily make you stronger."
Hearing this, Sasuke stiffened slightly.
He had definitely felt his progress slowing lately.
"Sensei, do you have a mission for me?"
...
Natsume twitched his lip.
You sure are diligent.
But if I told you to go out and play, you'd never go for it.
"Why don't you find Kakashi?"
Natsume thought for a moment and continued, "Go on missions with him."
Kakashi Hatake is currently leading Gaara and his team.
Their missions are all pretty advanced.
Besides, he already knows you well.
There won't be any problems.
"Okay."
As soon as Sasuke heard Kakashi's name, he agreed.
This chapter isn't over yet—more excitement ahead!
As for his teacher, he still felt grateful toward him.
And if he remembered correctly, Gaara was the One-Tailed Jinchuriki. He could have a little fun sparring with him.
"I'll take your mom to the Land of Fire's Metropolis."
Natsume stood up and said, "If you want to visit her, just have Kakashi accept nearby missions."
Sasuke gave a slight nod.
The Flying Thunder God Technique activated.
Natsume took Mikoto Uchiha's hand and disappeared before his eyes.
Sasuke's tense body relaxed against the sofa.
He stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.
In six months, would he gain a younger sister or a younger brother?
At the Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Fire's Metropolis.
Compared to places like the Land of Waves, this mansion was truly a palace in every sense.
The current Daimyo, Enichi, had become a mere puppet.
Real power now lay with Yukie Kazahana and Ena Uzumaki.
Natsume knocked and entered the study.
"Mioko?"
Ena Uzumaki saw the two people and immediately stood up, walking straight toward Mikoto Uchiha.
Even Natsume was ignored for now.
"Sister, long time no see."
Mikoto Uchiha smiled.
Actually, Ena was younger.
The reason behind this went back a long time ago.
When Mikoto Uchiha and Ena Uzumaki worked together to beg Natsume to allow the Uchiha clan to return to Konoha,
They disguised themselves as maids—a uniquely unforgettable experience for Natsume.
Now watching the two beautiful women chatting, each radiating her own unique charm, he instinctively arched a brow.
It seemed another opportunity had just fallen into place.
"I've already picked out your room. Let's go take a look now."
Ena Uzumaki took Mikoto Uchiha's hand and headed out.
Natsume shrugged and followed behind them.
"It's right next to my room. Don't hesitate to come find me if you need anything."
Ena knew Mikoto was pregnant, so she was going out of her way to be thoughtful.
"Thank you," Mikoto said with a slight hesitation. "But there's no need to be overly attentive. Just treat me normally."
"That won't do at all," Ena quickly shook her head. She glanced at Natsume and added, "If something goes wrong, I'll get scolded."
"Hey, that's basically slander," Natsume frowned. "When have I ever scolded you?"
Ena hesitated for a moment, then gave a smirk knowingly. "That's actually true."
Seeing this, Mikoto couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
But on second thought, though, her current situation wasn't so bad either.
"What do you think of this room?" Ena opened the door and asked.
Mikoto glanced around.
The room was massive.
Luxurious and magnificent.
Calling it a palace wouldn't be an overstatement.
Despite being the clan leader's wife, Mikoto had never truly experienced treatment fit for a daimyo's consort.
"It's... pretty big, isn't it?" she said hesitantly. "It might feel kind of lonely being here alone."
"No problem. You won't be alone." With a smile, Ena continued, "Then we'd appreciate it if you could teach Karin and Tayuya."
"I think that's great," Natsume spoke up. "Especially the bed."
Mikoto instinctively looked over.
At the heart of the room sat a wide, plush bed.
A canopy draped down from above, partially veiling the mattress.
Yet it remained clearly visible.
Three people sleeping there wouldn't even feel cramped.
Realizing this, Mikoto couldn't help blushing.
After all, they were exactly three.
Close contact in the future would be inevitable.
Just then, Natsume locked the door from the inside.
He pulled both women into his arms and said, "We still have time. Why don't we test just how soundproof this room is?"
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