The room Ena Uzumaki had prepared for Mikoto Uchiha was excellently soundproofed. The two of them made plenty of noise, yet nobody else noticed. Unfortunately, this peace only lasted two hours before Yukie Kazahana discovered the noise. So Natsume invited her to join in as well, to put the room's soundproofing to the test again. Ena and Mikoto had no objections to her joining them. After all, both of them were quite traditional in personality and mindset. Had Tsunade or Mei Terumī been there instead, they probably wouldn't have agreed.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Natsume left the palace while Ena Uzumaki, Mikoto Uchiha, and Yukie Kazahana stayed behind to further test the room's comfort level.
The Hokage's office had already been renovated. Surprisingly, the space itself hadn't changed much. The only difference was a small partition built behind the Hokage's desk. It contained only a bed and a small bathroom. Small though it was, it was enough. Natsume immediately took a shower, washing off the three mingled scents clinging to his skin.
As he wiped his hair dry, Kurenai Yuhi stepped into the room.
"When did you get here?"
She hesitated for a moment, saying, "I thought you wouldn't come to the office today."
Kurenai had visited several times before. Since it was already past four, she hadn't knocked. She hadn't expected Natsume to actually be inside. Thankfully, she hadn't walked in on anything awkward.
"Just now."
Leaning against the sofa, Natsume shook the dry towel in his hand and asked, "Red Sister, would you mind helping me out with something?"
Kurenai understood what he meant. She pursed her crimson lips. Was this guy seriously treating her like his personal maid? Still thinking that, she walked behind him, snatched up the dry towel, and started drying his hair.
"Thanks."
Natsume relaxed, feeling oddly nostalgic. This was exactly how a Hokage should live. The previous Hokages might've been diligent, but ultimately weren't that effective. You still needed the right approach after all. Of course, being sufficiently powerful was also a necessary prerequisite.
"There, done."
Kurenai rubbed his head gently—it was already quite dry. Hesitating slightly, she picked up the towel and walked into the bathroom. When she saw the clothes he had taken off, her cheeks turned bright red. Putting down the towel, she hurriedly left the room.
Glancing at Natsume, who was reviewing documents, Kurenai suddenly blurted out without thinking, "Should I take those clothes home and wash them for you?"
There was no washing machine in the office, so naturally, laundry couldn't be done there. Natsume originally planned on taking the dirty clothes home after work. But this sudden offer from Kurenai surprised him a little. This had practically gone beyond the duties of a secretary.
Under Natsume's unusual gaze, Kurenai instinctively lowered her head, although a light pink blush had already spread across her earlobes. A bit flustered, she said, "I-If you d-don't need—"
"Then I'll leave it to you, Red Sister," Natsume interrupted, saying.
Kurenai paused momentarily before realizing what he meant. Giving a slight nod, she rushed back into the room, picked up the pile of Natsume's old clothes, then turned around and left.
"Is it time to clock out yet?"
Natsume couldn't help but chuckle.
The mature woman was so flustered she'd forgotten her purpose.
Of course, he wouldn't hold it against her.
Natsume picked up the documents on the table again.
Konoha Village had truly become a peaceful place these days.
Every incoming report required no real decision from Natsume—he just needed to skim through them to acknowledge their contents.
Therefore, his role as Hokage turned out to be surprisingly laid-back.
Whenever he had free time, he'd chat with his secretary or hang out with cats.
A knock sounded at the door.
Natsume arched a brow.
It wasn't Kurenai Yuhi, because the person outside possessed Sage Chakra.
"Come in."
Natsume lifted his head and replied.
The one who entered was Kabuto Yakushi.
After a brief bow, he said, "The cursed seal you requested has been successfully modified."
"Oh?"
Natsume's eyes lit up. He smiled faintly. "Bring it over here for me to see."
Kabuto placed a scroll in front of him.
Natsume opened it.
Orochimaru's Cursed Seals were categorized into two types—Heaven and Earth—each with unique effects and varying levels of power.
But their only commonality was their low success rate.
In the original story, even combining both Heaven and Earth Cursed Seals, there wouldn't be more than ten users in total.
And those individuals were all survivors of Orochimaru's brutal experiments.
In other words, countless ninjas perished in the process.
Successfully implanting his Cursed Seal required immense talent and strong willpower.
Moreover, its side effects were very severe.
Kabuto's version, however, wasn't nearly as demanding.
Only mid-to-upper aptitude was needed.
Though correspondingly, the power boost wasn't as dramatic.
Overall, it was slightly inferior to the Cursed Seal of Earth.
But that wasn't an issue.
They could make up for it with the enhanced talent from the Immortal Lineage.
Orochimaru's cursed seals mainly boosted the user's physical strength, but couldn't grant access to special Sage Arts.
Or rather, there were no compatible Sage Arts to pair with it.
In the ninja world, only the three great holy places had complete Sage Mode techniques with matching Sage Arts.
"Let's name it the [Sage Cursed Seal]."
Natsume closed the scroll.
This new Cursed Seal would let Konoha build a specialized ninja unit.
It would prove highly effective during wartime.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to assign it to Yugao Uzuki.
First things first, though—they had to remove the existing Cursed Seal from her body.
That one was left behind by Orochimaru.
Replacing it with the new Sage Cursed Seal would put Natsume at ease.
"Kimimaro wants to see you."
Kabuto brought up a name both familiar and surprising.
"Kimimaro?"
Natsume hesitated, surprised. "Has his illness improved?"
"No."
Kabuto shook his head. "But his body can already move freely."
This was due to the Otsutsuki Clan's chakra that Natsume had provided.
Combined with cells from both the Uzumaki and Senju Clans, Kimimaro Kaguya's blood-disease had been partially suppressed.
"That's actually good news."
Natsume rubbed his chin, a smile forming on his face.
Without the bloodline disease, Kimimaro Kaguya's potential power level could be extremely high.
After all, his Kekkei Genkai originated from the Otsutsuki Clan.
Even if it couldn't rival the Sharingan or Byakugan, it would still be close.
Or rather, surpassed most Kekkei Genkai bloodlines.
His performance in the original story was decent enough.
Thinking back, when Natsume was watching anime in his past life, he always thought the Shikotsumyaku looked really cool.
"Have Kimimaro come see me."
Changing the subject, Natsume asked, "How's being a team-leading teacher?"
"Not bad."
Kabuto said casually.
Seeing this, Natsume didn't ask further questions.
After Kabuto left, there was another knock at the door.
It was Kaguya Kimimaro and Suinako.
"Hokage-sama."
They both bowed in unison.
Natsume examined them carefully.
Although still slightly pale, Kaguya Kimimaro seemed much healthier now—nowhere near as frail as before.
"Congratulations."
Natsume chuckled lightly.
"It's all thanks to Kabuto Yakushi."
Kimimaro responded in a calm tone.
His personality hadn't changed much.
In the original story, Kimimaro wasn't exactly a villain.
He just deeply understood the value of gratitude.
Because Orochimaru had appreciated him, he was willing to give his life for him.
Now, however, due to Natsume's interference, Kaguya Kimimaro never met Orochimaru, but instead encountered Kabuto Yakushi.
After years of treatment, he became deeply grateful.
Meanwhile, Suinako had also adapted well to life in Konoha Village.
Studying under Kabuto, she'd already become deputy head of the Research Division.
"Do you have any particular matter today?"
Natsume gave a slight nod before asking again.
"I wish to become a ninja of Konoha Village."
Kimimaro stated.
"No problem."
Natsume naturally saw no reason to refuse.
However, considering that Kaguya Kimimaro had been bedridden for so long, his progress hadn't been significant. Still, with his talent and bloodline limit, catching up shouldn't take too long.
After thinking briefly, Natsume said, "For now, join Team Three—led by Might Guy."
Kimimaro nodded without objection.
Watching from the side, Suinako exhaled in relief.
She hadn't come here for anything specific—just accompanying Kimimaro.
Now seeing things settled, she relaxed.
Natsume handed Kaguya Kimimaro a Mission Bracelet, then informed Gai about it.
Knowing Gai's personality, he naturally agreed enthusiastically.
Kimimaro died at fifteen.
In other words, he should be about the same age as Neji Hyuga and others.
Joining Team Three wouldn't be an issue.
After they left, Natsume finished work smoothly.
Returning home, only Tsunade and Senka were there.
Shizune had taken her three apprentices on missions.
They probably wouldn't return until two days later.
Unlike in the original story, she didn't waste time on small tasks, directly choosing a C-rank mission instead.
But given her strength, there shouldn't be any serious problems.
Natsume closed the door and walked toward the sofa, smiling involuntarily.
Senka was sleeping peacefully in Tsunade's arms, expression relaxed and peaceful.
Tsunade noticed him and raised one finger to her lips, signaling him to keep quiet.
Natsume gave a slight nod, leaned closer, and gently kissed her lips.
Tsunade gave him the Byakugan side-eye.
But instead of pushing him away, she personally opened the city gates to welcome him.
Several minutes later, Natsume headed toward the kitchen.
With Shizune out, cooking was left to him.
Before Senka was born, Tsunade would sometimes cook for Natsume, giving him a taste of her affection.
Now, though, she put her daughter first—and left the cooking to others.
As for this change, all Natsume could think was: this kid was worth every sleepless night.
Cough cough.
Senka was still growing; if the food was too bad, she'd become picky.
Can't be helped—motherhood changes a person.
Even Tsunade had mellowed out.
After dinner,
The three of them sat on the sofa watching TV.
Two hours later, they turned off the lights and went to sleep.
A new day began.
In the Hokage's Office,
"Natsume, regarding what you said about the Tsuchigumo clan earlier—we've found some clues."
Kurenai Yuhi said while handing over a file.
Natsume accepted and opened it.
The Tsuchigumo clan possessed a special kinjutsu.
This forbidden technique was implanted in their clansmen, capable of absorbing massive amounts of sage chakra.
Then, using oneself as the center, it unleashed an explosion outward—capable of destroying an area hundreds of kilometers in radius.
The longer they stored the energy, the larger the radius of destruction.
At full capacity, it could wipe out everything within a million-kilometer radius.
Its only drawback? It could only be used once in a lifetime.
Because the blast reduced the user to ashes as well.
The Tsuchigumo clan had once cooperated with Konoha Village.
They played a key role during wartime.
But due to this forbidden jutsu, their numbers dwindled.
Now, they were just normal villagers.
Only two remained eligible to use the technique:
The clan leader, Yakushi Harima, and his granddaughter Hotaru.
In the original timeline, Shiranami killed Yakushi Harima. Before dying, he carved the forbidden jutsu onto Hotaru's back.
Hotaru fled and encountered Hoshigaki Kisame—the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails—and became his apprentice.
Shiranami, a Tsuchigumo prodigy, aimed to awaken the forbidden technique sealed in Hotaru's body and take over the world.
Hmm. The world was getting targeted again.
Natsume had come to realize something—he noticed that in every side arc outside the main Naruto storyline, each villain always wanted to rule the world.
If even Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha had those ambitions, half these disasters might never have happened.
From there, the plot became obvious.
Shiranami's dream was ruined by Naruto Uzumaki.
Hoshigaki Kisame used the tailed beast's power to suppress and remove the forbidden jutsu sealed on Hotaru.
Unfortunately, he ran into Deva Path Pain, lost his tailed beast, and died soon after.
The reason Natsume sought out the Tsuchigumo clan was precisely to find Hoshigaki Kisame, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, and also to chat with Mei Terumī.
Come to think of it, it *had* been a long time since he last visited Kirigakure.
Right now, Mei Terumī was probably so mad she'd melt him into a puddle with a Boil Release blast.
"Thanks, Sister Kurenai."
Natsume closed the file and smiled. "Leave the rest to me."
Kurenai was curious but kept her mouth shut.
As she turned to leave, she paused at the door.
"You haven't returned my outfit from yesterday yet. I'll return it later."
Before Natsume could respond, Kurenai Yuhi closed the door and left the Hokage's office.
"Tch, she's getting cuter every day."
Natsume smirked, stood up, and activated the [Flying Thunder God Technique].
Mist Village.
Mizukage's Office.
As a sudden gust of wind blew through, Mei Terumī's heart fluttered slightly, but she quickly hid it behind a frown.
"Morning, Lord Mizukage," Natsume greeted casually as he sat atop the Mizukage's desk, looking down at her.
"It's not morning anymore. Unlike the Hokage, I don't have time to waste," Mei replied with a sharp glance. "And please get off. You're interrupting my work."
Natsume arched a brow.
So she was still upset after all.
He reached out and tilted her chin up. "Since when did a maid talk to her master like that?"
Mei looked away, muttering under her breath, "I thought you forgot."
She instantly regretted it the moment she said it.
Hadn't she just revealed exactly how she felt?
She glanced back at Natsume, fully expecting to see his smug grin.
"You're absolutely right, Lord Mizukage," he admitted with a small nod. "I admit I was wrong before. That's why I came here to make amends today."
With a magician's flourish, he produced a bouquet of roses.
Mei huffed, "I'm not some little girl. Flattery won't work on me."
"Should I throw them away then?" Natsume asked, tilting his head.
...
Mei snatched the flowers from his hands and scolded, "Can't you be sincere about your apology?"
"There's a card hidden in the bouquet," Natsume pointed out.
Mei paused briefly, furrowing her brows until she found the small note.
There was only one sentence written on it:
The Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails, Ephemeral, is being held within the fortress on Mount Gantoku.
Mei shot her head up, surprised at what she read.
At the same time, Natsume leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.
Four thousand words.
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