Naruto withdrew his hand.
Hidan had already passed out cold, eyes rolled back and frothing at the mouth.
Even so, Naruto didn't release the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Just then, several bruised and bloodied Kirigakure shinobi landed on the rooftop.
They saluted Mei Terumī, ready to report—
but froze upon spotting Naruto.
"I-It's him! Mizukage-sama, watch out!"
They instantly shifted into combat mode, positioning themselves protectively in front of Mei, bracing for a potential clash.
Mei blinked in confusion.
"Can someone tell me what's going on?"
The leader of the group, a young ninja, stepped forward and said gravely:
"He appeared in multiple places across the Land of Hot Water—didn't distinguish between us and the Jashin Cult. He fought everyone!"
"Appeared in multiple places at once?" Mei raised an eyebrow.
"It must've been Shadow Clones! And each one was ridiculously strong. None of us could land a single blow! Mizukage-sama, you need to get out of here! We'll hold him off!"
Hearing this, Mei glanced at Naruto again—and silently raised her estimate of his strength.
At the same time… her gaze softened.
Strong. Young. Handsome.
Wasn't this her ideal type?
'If I could somehow drag him back to Kirigakure and marry him…'
She wouldn't just be solving her personal life.
She'd also silence the elders who questioned her leadership because of her gender or age.
It would be a win-win—in both love and politics.
With that thought, Mei suddenly pushed aside the young shinobi shielding her and began swaying her hips toward Naruto.
Her eyes shimmered with playful intent.
"Handsome~ You really helped me out by taking care of those cultists, you know?"
"Earlier, you mentioned something about becoming Mizukage…
Does that offer still stand?"
The shinobi behind her panicked.
"Mizukage-sama! You can't let an outsider become—"
Mei waved them silent.
Ao sighed. At this point, he'd lost the right to comment.
Later, in a steam-filled hot spring room…
Naruto and Mei were each soaking at opposite ends, only their heads and shoulders visible.
Mei's long reddish-brown hair was pinned up neatly, giving her a more composed look.
Naruto leaned back slightly, enjoying the warmth.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
For Mei, it was her first time sharing a bath with a man.
Though her face remained calm, her heart pounded.
Nervous. Curious. Expectant.
A storm of emotions swirled within her.
Her gaze wandered toward Naruto's face.
When she noticed he was boldly staring at her, she flushed—but oddly felt a little proud.
'I still got it…'
Straightening her posture ever so slightly, she caused ripples to dance across the surface of the water.
"Mmm… not bad. Barely floating though," Naruto muttered, as if to himself.
That comment made Mei glance down, then chuckle with a hint of helplessness.
"You really don't hold back, do you?
I thought you looked like a proper gentleman—turns out you're just as bad as the rest."
"But I guess all men are the same."
Stretching lazily, she didn't seem angry in the slightest.
Compared to the creepy stares she got from the men in Kirigakure, Naruto's bluntness was… oddly refreshing.
Naruto shrugged.
"Call it honesty.
Unlike you—obviously curious, but still pretending to keep up appearances."
"You—! That's not true!" Mei turned away, ears reddening.
Naruto's eyebrow rose.
'Interesting… didn't expect that view from this angle.'
Mei, realizing she sounded defensive, muttered again:
"Well… it's not like I really wanted to see anything.
I'm not some kind of perv."
"Heh. Well, don't regret it. Swords are common, but the Sword of Kings? One of a kind."
Mei gulped.
Naruto's phrasing caught her off guard—it was so weird and shameless, she didn't know whether to laugh or blush.
"Who said I'm scared! I've already let you see everything—wouldn't it be unfair not to look back?"
Then she turned her gaze to Naruto.
It was supposed to be a glance.
But what she saw—a chiseled body with perfect muscle lines—especially that part, made her stare longer than intended.
'Handsome face, and now this body too…'
When she finally snapped back to reality, her cheeks were burning. Her mind flooded with images she couldn't unsee.
The next morning, in the inn's bedroom…
Mei lay against Naruto's chest, exhausted.
Despite being Kage-level, last night's "sparring" had drained her completely.
"Come back to Kirigakure with me?" she asked softly, her gaze hopeful.
Naruto gently shook his head.
"I still have a lot to do."
Her eyes dimmed, but she wasn't surprised.
A man like Naruto… was never going to settle for just one village.
She changed her request, this time with a hint of pleading:
"Then promise me you'll visit Kirigakure when you can."
This time, Naruto nodded.
'With Flying Thunder God, time management wasn't exactly difficult.'
He pulled out a special kunai and placed it in her hand.
Mei accepted it with a soft smile—like a girl experiencing her first love.
'In truth, this was probably her first love.'
"This kunai… it's unique," she said, fingers tracing the handle with care.
His simple nod meant something more—she now had someone powerful in her corner.
She no longer had to fight alone.
Naruto got out of bed and began dressing.
Mei looked up at him. This time, she didn't act coy.
"That body of yours… it really is something else."
Only now did she realize—
'Maybe I really am kinda pervy…'
She stood as well, and hugged him from behind.
After a parting kiss, Naruto gave her a nod—and left.
Watching his figure disappear, Mei closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
'Outside, I'm still the strong, unshakable Mizukage.'
After leaving the inn, Naruto deactivated the seal and dumped Hidan into a field.
Still tightly bound by the Adamantine Sealing Chains, Hidan jolted awake from the rough impact.
Groaning from the spinning headache, he immediately began shouting.
"Hey! What the hell do you want?!
You can't kill me, so just let me go already!
I swear, I'll annoy you to death if you don't!"