Just as Hoshiyomi had quickly adjusted his mindset, Tsunade also snapped out of her initial daze. Though her heart was overflowing with curiosity, her mouth didn't spare Hoshiyomi at all:
"So you're the little… the guy who dared to spread rumors about me?"
The words should have been overflowing with Tsunade's trademark domineering aura.
Yet for some reason, when she looked into Hoshiyomi's eyes, her tone softened unexpectedly, and her words came out… different.
What should've been an interrogation instead sounded faintly—almost shy.
Naruto, standing to the side, was utterly stunned.
He had known Grandma Tsunade for nearly twenty years, and never—not once—had he heard her speak in such a soft, affectionate tone.
Not even with Jiraiya-sensei.
Thinking of that, Naruto suddenly looked at Hoshiyomi with a very strange expression.
Earlier, this guy had said his world was different from theirs… Combined with the way he was staring at Tsunade just now…
Could it be that in that world, this guy… was Tsunade's husband?
And thinking of his nearly seventy-year-old master Jiraiya, still a lifelong bachelor…
Naruto's mind filled with one thought: Jiraiya's been cuckolded! The pervy sage has been cuckolded!
Hoshiyomi massaged his temples, already developing a headache.
"There are… complicated circumstances behind this. It's not what you think. If you're willing to listen, I can explain it slowly."
Hearing Hoshiyomi's unhurried tone, Tsunade felt unbearably itchy inside, like a cat scratching at her heart.
It was like the man she'd met countless times in her dreams had suddenly appeared in the real world.
Just one look into those eyes, and she couldn't summon even a flicker of anger.
Tsunade, what are you doing? You're being ridiculous. It's not like he's even that hand…
…Oh.
Okay, he is pretty handsome.
But even if he's handsome, she couldn't just lose her composure like this!
She was almost seventy, not seventeen—how could she be acting like…
The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became.
She wanted to force herself into a rage, to cause a big scene just to hide the embarrassment—
but every time she looked at his face, all the fire evaporated.
After holding it in for so long her entire face turned scarlet, Tsunade finally squeezed out:
"I… I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother arguing with you. But if I ever hear you spreading rumors about me again—I'll beat you every time I see you."
With that she spun around and ran out.
The hurriedness of her movement could only be described as… fleeing in panic.
After Tsunade's dramatic entrance and exit, the Hokage's office suddenly felt very quiet again—just two men and one kid remaining.
Reiichi glanced at the still-stunned Naruto, then at Hoshiyomi, whose expression was unreadable.
Realizing he'd just caused some serious trouble, he shrank his neck and muttered:
"Well… that whole thing was kind of an accident. Uncle Naruto, Uncle Hoshiyomi, you two go ahead and talk.
When you're done, I'll take you to see my dad."
With that, he slipped out of the office once more.
Naruto finally snapped out of it, staring at Hoshiyomi for a long time before sighing in his heart:
Jiraiya-sensei never stood a chance.
Thanks to Tsunade's chaos, Naruto had already lost any attempt to maintain Hokage-like dignity. His tone relaxed noticeably, and he even seemed friendlier as he spoke to Hoshiyomi:
"I wasn't too sure about what you told me earlier…
But after seeing Grandma Tsunade's reaction, I believe you now."
Hoshiyomi had no idea how to respond to that and could only offer a polite yet awkward smile.
Once Naruto accepted that Hoshiyomi really came from another world—and that he might actually have been Tsunade's husband there—his curiosity exploded.
In their conversation, he gradually returned to that familiar Naruto Hoshiyomi remembered.
He had dozens more questions he wanted to ask, but as Hokage he still had work to do.
And he figured anything important about this "interdimensional visitor" would eventually be reported to Big Brother Kimimaro anyway.
He could listen to Kimimaro's explanation later.
With that in mind, Naruto didn't keep Hoshiyomi any longer and signaled him to go with Reiichi to meet Kimimaro.
When Hoshiyomi stepped out, Reiichi hesitated for a moment but then quickly walked up to him.
"Uncle Hoshiyomi… did I cause trouble for you?"
Hoshiyomi rubbed his head and said,
"You're overthinking it. There was a misunderstanding, but once it clears up, everything will be fine.
Come on—take me to meet your father."
"Mm!"
Reiichi nodded and led Hoshiyomi toward his home.
Reiichi's family lived near the Yamanaka clan compound Hoshiyomi remembered, but after learning that Kimimaro and Ino were a couple in this world, he no longer found anything strange about it.
Arriving in front of a rather impressive-looking house, Reiichi took out his key. As he unlocked the door, he called into the house:
"Mom, Dad, I'm home!"
Then he turned back to Hoshiyomi and said,
"Uncle Hoshiyomi, come in! My dad should be home at this time."
Just as Reiichi and Hoshiyomi stepped through the front door of the Kaguya residence, a couple came out to greet them.
The man had silver hair and blue eyes; the woman had blonde hair and green eyes. Both were stunning—one glance and anyone could see they were a perfect match.
From their faces, Hoshiyomi quickly recognized them as Kimimaro and Ino.
Although their appearances differed somewhat from the manga he knew in his previous life, their features made their identities unmistakable.
Ino's attention was clearly focused on Reiichi. After giving Hoshiyomi a polite smile, she immediately hugged her son—clearly their mother-son relationship was very close.
Kimimaro's attention, however, was fully on Hoshiyomi.
And Hoshiyomi, on the other side, was doing the same.
The two men stared at each other, each harboring their own guesses.
In this world—thanks to Kimimaro's existence—the shinobi world was even more advanced than in Boruto's time. Telephones were nothing special. Reiichi had already called his father earlier, and Kimimaro had long known about Hoshiyomi's arrival.
So the two continued staring straight at each other, while Ino—still holding her son—looked at them with confusion.
If she didn't know for certain that her husband's "preferences" were normal, she might have suspected the two men shared some strange bit of… chemistry.
After a long moment of silent staring, it was Kimimaro—host of this world—who finally spoke first. His expression carried a hint of excitement as he looked at Hoshiyomi:
"Odd stays, even changes."
Hoshiyomi smiled subtly and replied slowly:
"Signs depend on quadrants."
The moment those words were exchanged, both of them burst out laughing.
Under the bewildered gazes of Ino and Reiichi, the two opened their arms and hugged each other tightly, patting each other's backs enthusiastically as they exclaimed in unison:
"Nothing like meeting someone from home!"