These past few days had been the happiest of Terumi Mei's life. Anya had kept his promise to stay in Kiri without breaking it. Hand-in-hand, they explored nearly every corner of Kiri, creating memories wherever they went.
After yet another day came to an end, the two embraced each other inside that same small wooden hut.
Terumi Mei gently touched Anya's baby-soft skin, suddenly speaking with some uncertainty, "Why haven't you aged at all over all these years? In fact, you seem even younger now… Do you think I've grown old?"
"Nonsense. You're at the most beautiful age a woman can be."
Her eyes lit up. "Seriously?"
Anya smirked playfully. "Of course. Can't you feel it?"
His warm hands wandered over her body, sending shivers through Terumi Mei, whose face burned crimson.
"You tease," she whispered, grabbing his wandering hand and bringing up old grievances. "On that marriage introduction flyer of yours, your name was listed as Uchiha Anya, yet you kept lying to me and said your name was Oub. If you don't explain clearly, you won't be touching me again."
Anya winked, suddenly producing a novel from somewhere and handing it to her. "Here—read this, and everything will make sense."
"Is that right?" Terumi Mei took the book suspiciously, flipping through it at lightning speed before speaking uncertainly. "So according to this, that Ultraman character is based on you, right? His real name is Oub, and Anya is just one of his forms?"
Anya praised, "So clever! You figured it out immediately. It's just that I usually go by Anya more often."
A flicker of doubt crossed Terumi Mei's face. She acted casual as she asked, "In the story, Oub loses his powers because of one woman, becomes human, and ends up falling for someone else. Would you ever do something like that too?"
Caught off guard, Anya was momentarily speechless. How come Mei's thinking was so different from everyone else? Shouldn't her focus have been on the monster-fighting part?
Seeing that Anya didn't answer immediately, Terumi Mei's eyes dimmed slightly as suspicion grew within her heart. But she simply smiled lightly and said, "No matter what, I'm still your wife, right?"
Anya replied firmly, "Of course. You'll always be my wife, holding a very important place in my heart."
Terumi Mei deliberately placed Anya's hand on her waist, gazing lovingly at his face as she whispered, "I wish you'd always been here in Kiri since childhood."
Anya couldn't help but softly kiss her crimson lips before replying, "If I'd stayed in Kiri since childhood, I might've already died. Hear me out—I know Kiri's history well. The whole Ninja World knows about Kiri's dark past. Although things have improved a lot, the change isn't complete yet."
Hearing Anya turn serious, Terumi Mei quickly straightened her expression and asked, "What do you think needs to be done?"
Anya shared his thoughts, "Kiri is surrounded by water on all sides, blessed with excellent terrain. Externally, we should vigorously develop our economy, build ships, and establish diplomatic relations with other nations. Internally, we must abolish the old secrecy policies, eliminate isolation and distrust between ninja, and reduce brutal conflicts."
"Your vision aligns with mine, Terumi Mei," Terumi Mei said with sparkling eyes. "But these changes take time. They won't happen overnight."
"We can start developing the economy right away," Anya said, suddenly producing a map. "Look here. Mist village's land area is small, divided into many islands. If we develop these islands, whether for tourism, fishing, or ports, building bridges to connect each island would allow mutual support and rapid development."
Terumi Mei nodded enthusiastically as she listened, but soon sighed, "It's not feasible right now. Ever since the previous Mizukage took power, mission numbers have plummeted, and every year there are large numbers of ninja defecting from the village, causing continuous internal conflicts. These situations have also caused the Water Daimyo to cut the village's funding year by year. What you're suggesting depends on the village having sufficient funds in the first place."
"Don't worry about money. I'll handle it."
This statement from Anya made Terumi Mei involuntarily startled, "You handle it? Don't be ridiculous. The financial needs of a village are enormous. Where would you get so much money?"
Anya playfully slapped Terumi Mei to show disapproval, speaking with an unhappy tone, "Don't underestimate me. Just go ahead with confidence. Money isn't an issue. I'll give you more than enough—never too little."
Seeing that Terumi Mei still looked half-doubtful, Anya became angry and started mischievously touching her sensitive areas.
Unable to withstand the tickling, Terumi Mei giggled, blushing as she pleaded, "I'm sorry, Oub, don't..."
Anya didn't stop his hands, snorting coldly, "Pleading won't help. Better think carefully about how to repay me later."
Terumi Mei's gaze became hazy and seductive. Her slender figure pressed against Anya, her face brimming with allure. With a gentle smile, myriad charms gathered at her eyebrows. She hugged Anya's neck and whispered, "Tell me, how should I repay you?"
"Well, since the Mist village owes money, naturally it should be repaid by the Mizukage."
Just as he spoke those words, the candlelight in the wooden house happened to burn out. In the darkness, muffled sounds of satisfaction filled the air for a long time.
Sasori arrived at a deserted small island. Nothing worth noting about this place. Out in the open sea, there were hundreds if not thousands of such small islands. Yet this was exactly the location Dagan had locked onto through his abilities.
"You're certain this is the place? Have you gone ashore to investigate?" Sasori confirmed cautiously.
Dagan dared not neglect seriousness, kneeling on both knees as he answered firmly, "My ability tells me that this island is where the golden treasure was once hidden. I'm absolutely correct, thus I haven't entered to investigate yet."
As one of the earliest outer members who entered Zero Organization, Dagan understood Sasori far better than anyone else did. To put it bluntly, a human life in Sasori's eyes wasn't worth much more than an ant. Once defiance occurred, the pain of disobedience would be worse than death itself. There had been someone who attempted rebellion before, and later turned into a human puppet, which sent chills down people's spines.
Dagan wasn't sure how much gold Hercules had hidden here, but the amount was certainly substantial. He truly feared he wouldn't be able to resist temptation, so he simply notified Sasori immediately. That was precisely what a smart person would do.
Sasori tossed a token to Dagan and said indifferently, "Starting today, you're in charge of managing all the outer members of the Zero Organization. You have authority to manage up to ten million. Also, I'll give you a special Puppet with combat capability equivalent to an Elite Jonin."
Dagan blinked in disbelief at what he'd just heard.
Noticing Dagan didn't grab the token right away, Sasori frowned. "Hmm? Not satisfied?"
"No, no, I'm just too happy, momentarily losing my composure," Dagan hastily replied as he grabbed the token, feeling as though a huge surprise had just hit him.
Sasori waved his hand dismissively. "You may leave now. Keep this matter to yourself—don't tell anyone. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
"Yes," Dagan responded obediently.
Sasori stepped onto the island and pressed his palms into the earth, activating the Ryumyaku energy. An invisible aura enveloped the entire island. Moments later, Sasori exhaled lightly and muttered, "Kakuzu, just how much money did you end up collecting?"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>