Mei Terumi discreetly withdrew her gaze.
She forced a gentle smile.
"The Hokage is thoughtful. It's likely just fatigue from traveling these past few days. Nothing serious."
"I see… Mizukage, shall I arrange for someone to escort you to rest first?" Tsunade offered.
"There's no need to trouble yourself, Hokage-dono. It's only a slight exhaustion. I'll recover shortly."
Then, as if casually noticing someone, Mei turned her attention toward Hyūga Hiashi.
"I assume… this must be Hyūga Hiashi-dono, clan head of one of Konoha's two great dōjutsu clans?"
At the mention of the Hyūga clan, Chōjūrō—the Third wielder of the twin blades Hiramekarei and Mei's current bodyguard—instinctively glanced at the middle-aged man with those distinctive pale eyes.
So this is the Hyūga clan head, he thought.
Chōjūrō's attention was understandable.
His fellow Mizukage guard, Ao—known as the "Byakugan Killer"—possessed a transplanted Byakugan in his right eye.
Once, Chōjūrō had asked how Ao obtained it.
Ao had replied calmly:
"It wasn't born with me. I acquired it as a trophy during battle with the Hyūga."
This time, Mei had deliberately left Ao behind in Kirigakure and brought Chōjūrō instead.
She had her reasons.
If Ao came to Konoha, his presence would undoubtedly provoke hostility from the Hyūga clan.
And the Hyūga were staunch Hokage loyalists.
Offending them would indirectly offend the Hokage—and Konoha itself.
That would complicate Mei's true purpose in coming here.
Bringing Ao would have been the wrong choice—both publicly and privately.
Inside the Hokage Tower's reception hall—
Hiashi replied calmly and without arrogance.
"You flatter us, Mizukage-dono. The Hyūga clan is but one family among many in Konoha. We dare not claim the title of strongest."
Mei smiled softly.
"Hyūga-dono is too modest. The Hyūga's reputation is known throughout the shinobi world."
Then, smoothly shifting the topic, she added:
"However… since the Hyūga are one of the two great dōjutsu clans of Konoha…"
"I don't seem to see the head of the other—the Uchiha clan."
She paused briefly.
"I believe his name is Uchiha Yusuke. Has he not come?"
Her tone was perfectly natural.
Her expression flawless.
To anyone watching, it was nothing more than polite curiosity.
Mei Terumi believed her performance seamless.
But what she could never have anticipated—
Was that the Fifth Hokage before her, Senju Tsunade—
Was the woman of the very man she had just mentioned.
The instant Yusuke's name was spoken—
Tsunade's expression sharpened almost imperceptibly.
A subtle shift.
Why is the Mizukage suddenly bringing up that bastard? Tsunade thought.
Coincidence? Or intentional?
Ever since Tsunade realized Yusuke's true intentions behind moving into the Uchiha Clan Head estate—
She had known he was greedy.
Letting her and Kurenai move in wasn't enough.
Eating what was in his bowl, yet still eyeing the pot.
Now here was another woman asking after him.
The thought irritated her instantly.
Of course—
She conveniently forgot that in terms of "battle endurance," she herself was utterly outmatched.
Even joining forces with Kurenai, they had still been thoroughly defeated.
After all—
Yusuke had now reached the divine tier.
No one could match him.
Let alone Tsunade and Kurenai.
In truth—
Tsunade's issue wasn't strength.
It was jealousy.
From her perspective, Mei's behavior grew more suspicious by the second.
To test her theory, Tsunade responded lightly:
"The Uchiha clan head? Why do you ask, Mizukage? Do you know him?"
Mei shook her head with a composed smile.
"No. I've only heard of him."
"It's said the Uchiha clan possesses the most powerful bloodline limit in the shinobi world."
"And during the Third Great Ninja War, Clan Head Uchiha Yusuke single-handedly defeated the Fourth Raikage A and captured the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki."
"In a battle of overwhelming odds, he turned the tide against Kumogakure."
"A legendary hero of Konoha."
"I admire him."
"And… I am curious."
"I'd like to see Konoha's strongest Uchiha for myself."
The more calmly Mei spoke—
The deeper Tsunade's suspicion grew.
"I see," Tsunade replied with a faint smile. "I thought perhaps you were acquainted with Clan Head Yusuke."
She deliberately avoided directly answering the question.
That evasiveness made Mei slightly uneasy.
So she pressed gently.
"Hokage-dono… is Clan Head Yusuke present? I would very much like the opportunity to make his acquaintance."
That did it.
Earlier, Tsunade had been about fifty to sixty percent suspicious.
Now?
One hundred percent.
This Mizukage absolutely knew Yusuke.
Perhaps they had known each other for a long time.
Perhaps—
Their relationship wasn't simple at all.
And perhaps—
They had already been entangled long ago.
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