Mei's domineering declaration immediately displeased Kurenai.
Toward this slightly unhinged Mizukage of Kirigakure, Kurenai surprisingly adopted the same attitude as Uchiha Yusuke—
She chose to ignore her completely.
Walking up to Yusuke, Kurenai gently wrapped herself around his other arm.
"Yusuke-kun, was this older sister the intruder tonight? The commotion outside was quite loud."
Her voice was soft—
But laced with hidden barbs.
Mei's overbearing, nest-seizing behavior meant Kurenai would no longer respond with simple warmth.
The enemy had already marched into the main base attempting to steal the prize—
Remaining passive would be unreasonable.
Yusuke understood the atmosphere perfectly.
"Yes, it got a little noisy. But it's handled," he replied calmly.
When women engaged in silent warfare, it was best not to interfere.
Self-preservation was wisdom.
Hearing that everything was resolved, Kurenai nodded lightly.
"In that case, Yusuke-kun, let's go rest. I'm still very sleepy—I didn't get enough sleep earlier…"
Then she turned toward Mei with an overly gentle smile.
"It's very late. This older sister traveled such a long way to Konoha. You must be exhausted. Please head to the guest room and rest early."
Without giving Mei a chance to react, Kurenai pried Mei's hands off Yusuke's arm and pulled him toward the master bedroom.
Mei stood there, momentarily stunned.
Bang!
The heavy sound of the door closing snapped her back to reality.
Staring at the shut door, irritation flashed across her fair face.
How dare she treat me like that!
For a moment, she almost marched over to knock the door down—
But she stopped.
Complex emotions flickered in her eyes.
After standing there silently for a while, she sighed and turned toward the guest room.
Master Bedroom
After hearing the footsteps outside fade away, a faint victorious smile curved Kurenai's lips.
Looking at Yusuke—who had already closed his eyes to sleep—her expression softened.
She felt it necessary to declare something to the Mizukage next door:
I, Yūhi Kurenai, am the mistress of this home.
Terumi Mei, you are merely an outsider.
Did she really think she could bully her so easily?
No.
Kurenai had decided—
It was time to counterattack.
Guest Room
The night grew deeper.
After traveling across seas and thousands of miles to reach Konoha, the Mizukage found herself completely unable to sleep.
In the darkness, her bright emerald eyes remained wide open.
She tossed and turned restlessly.
She had finally seen the man she had longed for over ten years—
Yet before she could savor the joy—
A woman appeared in his house.
Not only living under the same roof—
But openly entering the same room with him, without the slightest hesitation.
Their relationship required no explanation.
The thought made her chest feel tight.
"Damn it…" she muttered in the darkness.
Though unwilling to accept it, she could do nothing.
After much reflection, she attributed it to long-distance separation.
After all—
The moon closest to the water reflects first.
She had always been at a fatal disadvantage.
"Yusuke-kun is mine. Only he can propose to me. Only I can become his wife…"
For the first time, the usually confident Mei felt frantic.
After a long while, she forced herself to calm down.
"No. I need to change the situation."
"I have to find a way to take Yusuke-kun back from that woman."
Just as she racked her brain for solutions—
Rain began to fall outside.
At first, a gentle drizzle.
Rhythmic.
Clear.
But still irritating.
The rain showed no intention of stopping.
Gradually—
It intensified.
Soon it became a torrential downpour.
Rain hammered against the banana tree in the courtyard, producing loud, constant splashing sounds.
Inside the guest room—
Listening to the increasingly violent rain, Mei's eyes widened in disbelief.
The rain poured all night.
Unable to sleep because of the relentless noise, she lay there listening to the sound of rain striking the leaves until she finally drifted into a half-conscious sleep at dawn.
The Next Morning
After an entire night of rain, the air was fresh and the sunlight bright.
The courtyard flowers glistened.
Especially the beautiful banana tree—
Now washed clean and radiant under the morning sun.
Yusuke and Kurenai were already awake.
The guest room remained silent.
Clearly, the Mizukage was still asleep.
Perhaps the rain had truly been too loud.
Or perhaps staying in Yusuke's home for the first time had left her unsettled.
After washing up, Kurenai hummed lightly as she entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Despite the heavy rain, she had slept soundly with Yusuke beside her.
Now dressed in comfortable domestic attire, her complexion glowed warmly, her spirit refreshed.
Like the flowers in the courtyard—
Nourished overnight by rain, blooming beautifully under the sunlight.
In the living room—
Yusuke sat on the sofa waiting for breakfast.
Ever since Tsunade and Kurenai had moved in, most household chores—cooking, laundry, cleaning—were handled by Kurenai alone.
For someone with natural homemaker qualities, she found joy in it.
Yusuke occasionally helped.
As for Tsunade—
Neither he nor Kurenai had ever expected her assistance.
It was already good enough if she didn't make things worse.
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