A brand-new day had come.
When Shinho entered the Hokage's office, he stretched lazily.
Along the way, the villagers and ninja he met were all incredibly enthusiastic, which made him feel somewhat uneasy.
But everyone was congratulating him on his wedding, so it would've been rude just to brush them off.
"Lord Hokage," Konan said, looking at him. She paused for a moment, then asked with concern, "Didn't sleep well last night?"
"No, I didn't sleep at all," Shinho replied, implying something unsaid.
Konan froze briefly, then caught on.
She knew now that Shinho and Tsunade were very close, living together and doing who-knows-what every day.
But she had already grown used to it, because now and then she noticed Samui returning to the Hokage's secretary office in a somewhat odd state, especially with that faint fragrance Samui gave off, clearly from having just taken a bath.
Shinho took a moment to appraise Konan's cool, striking appearance. She was wearing her usual form-fitting black outfit, her long legs showing a sleek and mesmerizing curve.
"I'm a bit tired," Shinho said with a soft cough, hinting.
"Do you need a massage?" Konan snapped back to attention and asked.
"Yes, that would be lovely."
Shinho took her small hand and guided her to the sofa. Before long, he was resting his head on Konan's lap. It was soft, but not without firmness.
Instinctively, Shinho looked upward, past the snowy peaks obscuring his view, and met Konan's gaze.
She leaned forward slightly, her blazer appearing as though it might slip off at any moment. She placed her hand on Shinho's temples, massaging gently on both sides with just the right amount of pressure.
Shinho let out a contented breath, feeling wonderfully relaxed.
"Lord Hokage," Konan said after a short while. "Turn your head to the side, please."
Shinho turned toward her without hesitation.
His eyes fell on her slim waist beneath the snug suit. Farther out on each side, her hips were accentuated by her posture, giving her figure a sumptuous outline.
A thought flashed through Shinho's mind, and he reached out, placing a hand on Konan's stocking-covered thigh.
Konan pressed her lips together, but she did not refuse him.
She soon felt his warm hand slide under the hem of her skirt, right to the top of her black stockings.
Konan's body tensed, enduring the gentle kneading of the soft flesh of her legs.
"Has Sasuke arrived yet?"
Shinho suddenly remembered something important and asked.
"He got here an hour ago," Konan replied matter-of-factly. "Following your instructions, I sent him out to bring the Nine Tailed Beasts."
"That's good," Shinho nodded. "He has the Rinnegan, so he can get them to sit down and talk."
I'm really not trying to trick them.
Once we deal with the Sage of the Six Paths and Kaguya Otsutsuki, I'll grant them their freedom again. Of course, I doubt they'd believe me outright. Still, they won't have much choice after facing the Rinnegan.
He had considered going himself, but in the end, he was too lazy.
Just then, he raised his eyebrows slightly. At his fingertips, he felt a different texture, it was neither her stockings nor her skirt.
Konan's body stiffened, a blush spreading across her face. She bit her lip, hesitating for a few seconds before deciding not to stop him.
Luckily for her, Shinho didn't push it further. Otherwise, her last line of defense might have been completely overrun.
"Thank you, Konan," Shinho said, sitting up.
That little test had told him enough about her thoughts. It probably wouldn't be long before she invited him to her quarters, just like Samui.
"I'm only doing my job," Konan answered, quietly exhaling in relief.
Seeing the flush on her face, Shinho leaned in again.
Konan paused, half-heartedly resisting at first, then gave in, returning his kiss.
After a while, their lips parted.
Konan was breathing hard, her cheeks glowing pink, her eyes faintly dazed. It was a stark contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.
At that moment, they both sensed a familiar, powerful surge of chakra from afar.
It was the Nine Tails.
"Have you already notified the citizens?" Shinho asked, gently stroking Konan's cheek.
"Yes," Konan replied, taking a steadying breath.
"That's my secretary, thorough in every small matter." Shinho smiled in praise.
Konan was about to say something, but Shinho cut her off with another kiss.
She froze briefly, then relaxed once more, giving in to the moment.
"Alright, go handle your work," Shinho said, looking at her as she tried to catch her breath.
"Mm."
Konan glanced down at Shinho and said, "I'll go get Samui."
She still hadn't fully made up her mind, but she had accepted his nature by now.
"Alright."
Shinho was momentarily taken aback but quickly smiled.
Konan stood and left. Shortly after, Samui pushed the door open and came inside.
Seeing Shinho seated in that particular way, she immediately had a clue what was going on.
Had Konan joined in?
Samui walked over to him, bent down, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before half-squatting.
She reached out, unbuttoned her white shirt, then parted her lips slightly.
"You've worked hard, Samui," Shinho said, letting out a long breath.
Samui puffed up her cheeks and shot him a glance before lowering her head again.
Shinho watched the slightly twisted expression on her face.
Her flawless, pale curves were now faintly marked with lipstick.
It was a scene of exquisite beauty.
"When my wedding is over, you can move into my quarters," Shinho said, leaning back against the sofa, body fully relaxed.
Samui's eyes lit up, a surge of excitement welling inside her. This meant she would receive official status.
It would mean a lot.
She would no longer be a captured ninja from Kumogakure, she'd become a true member of Konoha, second only to one.
Samui took a deep breath, her eyes rolling back for a moment, veins showing slightly at her neck.
Shinho unconsciously clenched a fist.
He couldn't help but marvel. Ninja really could do things an ordinary person never could.
It was straight to the point, so to speak.
Time slipped by.
Apart from occasional coughing, the Hokage's office grew very quiet.
Outside City of Fire, however, it was bustling.
The Nine Tailed Beasts had gathered again after many years. The last time they were all in one place was during the era when Hashirama and Madara swept across the ninja world to bring the wars to an end.
In the distance, a huge cloud of smoke exploded.
Had Jiraiya been here, he would have been utterly shocked, because the Great Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku, who had never before left Mt. Myoboku in his memory, had actually come to the ninja world.
Besides the Great Toad Sage, the Sage of Six Paths was there as well.
Sasuke's action of gathering the nine Tailed Beasts naturally drew the attention of Mt. Myoboku.
Upon hearing the news, the Great Toad Sage had contacted the Sage of Six Paths, and they both came here together.
"It's been a long time," the Sage of Six Paths said, looking at the massive forms of the nine Tailed Beasts. He couldn't help feeling nostalgic.
They had been separated from the Ten-Tails by his hand. At the time, each beast had only been slightly bigger than a human. Now, each one was dozens, or even hundreds, of meters tall.
"What are you planning to do?" the Great Toad Sage asked.
"Let's see what Sasuke intends," the Sage of Six Paths said after some thought.
To be honest, he didn't want to destroy this relative peace of the present world. But if Shinho and Sasuke were truly aiming to release Kaguya Otsutsuki, that would leave him little choice.
"The real key is Shinho," said the Great Toad Sage with a pause. "If things do reach that point, please don't go easy."
Because of the prophecy involving Mt. Myoboku's destruction, and coupled with the so-called Insect Sage Mode, the Great Toad Sage preferred to be overly cautious, opting to strike rather than risk being destroyed.
And with the help of the Sage of Six Paths, it wanted to seize the opportunity.
"Do you have some personal grudge against him?" The Sage of Six Paths glanced over.
"No," the Great Toad Sage replied calmly. "I simply don't want the peace of the ninja world disrupted. Besides, he's not the Child of Prophecy."
"What he's already done doesn't count?" The Sage of Six Paths raised an eyebrow. "By any standard, he seems like he very well could be."
"No," the Great Toad Sage said firmly, shaking its head. "A true Child of Prophecy wouldn't aim to rule the ninja world alone, nor would he take multiple wives."
Gamamaru and the Sage of Six Paths had been observing Shinho for some time, and the news of his wedding to Tsunade had become the talk of the town.
In the Great Toad Sage's view, if a person was so focused on romance, how could they possibly bring peace to the ninja world?
The Sage of Six Paths looked pensive.
Although the Great Toad Sage made a point, it also seemed like it was targeting Shinho specifically.
Not wanting to linger on the thought, he returned his focus to the main issue: preventing Kaguya Otsutsuki's return.
He cast his gaze on Sasuke, silently hoping it wouldn't come to that.
"Do you think you can handle him if he becomes the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki?" the Great Toad Sage suddenly asked.
"Just absorbing the Ten-Tails might not be that big of a problem," the Sage of Six Paths replied after a moment. "And I can stop him early if I must."
What gave him no guarantee was if the Ten-Tails ended up absorbing the God Tree and then used Infinite Tsukuyomi to gather a tremendous amount of chakra, effectively resurrecting Kaguya's body.
"Looks like it's starting. I just saw Mabui leaving her office," said the Great Toad Sage, eyes sharp.
The Sage of Six Paths nodded, staying silent.
Back in the Hokage's office…
Mabui had arrived at the door. Just as she was about to knock, the door opened on its own.
She recognized the familiar voice of Samui coming from inside.
Before Mabui could think more about it, an unseen force pulled her into the room, and the door shut behind her.
She steadied herself and looked up, eyes widening at the sight.
Samui was kneeling on the sofa, her upper body resting against the back rest, fingers clenched, her face flushed red.
A light sheen of sweat covered her pale skin, and her figure was arched provocatively.
She gritted her teeth, eyes unfocused, as though she might pass out at any second.
On the floor, a woman's blazer and skirt were tossed aside, leaving only black stockings still in place.
But with Shinho's grasp, even those seemed about to tear.
Mabui instinctively took two steps back, overwhelmed by the sounds echoing in her ears, leaving her mouth dry and her heart pounding.
"What is it?" Shinho asked, sliding his hands up to hold Samui by the waist. He turned his head, giving Mabui a quick glance.
"Uh…um…the Nine Tailed Beasts have all arrived," Mabui managed to say after collecting herself with great effort.
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