It was a bit of a pity that she could only be a concubine, as Hiruko had already made it clear that he intended to marry Tsunade.
Then again, it didn't really matter. For a man of such heavenly talent, having multiple wives was only natural. As for Temari, Rasa had already arranged for specialists to oversee her education.
A kunoichi who knew how to charm—if she could influence Hiruko's decisions even a fraction, it would be a massive win for the Hidden Sand.
During her time in Konoha, Lady Chiyo had realized that the source of the village's transformation was none other than Hiruko. It was a shame they had provided so little of "that kind" of education to Maki in the past. As for Pakura... better not to mention her. Rasa had climbed to power by stepping over Pakura; she could no longer be relied upon.
War was imminent, and Rasa had already placed the village on high alert.
"It's good that you've returned, Lady Chiyo. Before we depart, go see Gaara one last time."
Chiyo was instantly startled. "You're taking Gaara to the battlefield? No, absolutely not. He's far too young! If he loses control of the Tailed Beast's power, he'll surely die."
"Everyone dies, but the Hidden Sand must not perish!" Rasa said with chilling indifference.
Chiyo remained silent, her fingers idly tracing the patterns on her headscarf as if it held a thousand unspoken words. She opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately, no sound came out.
In this war, they couldn't afford to lose. They didn't dare to lose.
The Fourth Kazekage sat in his office, his gaze sweeping across the faces of those before him, as if trying to glean some truth from their expressions.
A number of nobles in the Land of Fire had been assassinated. While the casualties weren't catastrophic, rumors were flying that the Akatsuki was responsible, and word was that Konoha had obtained proof.
However, that kind of talk only fooled amateurs. Neither the Fourth Kazekage nor the Fourth Raikage believed a word of it. Everyone secretly suspected that this was the handiwork of the Hidden Cloud or the Hidden Stone.
Under the shrewd, calculating leadership of Onoki, would the Hidden Stone stoop to such rule-breaking acts as murdering nobility? Then again, that kind of ruthless efficiency seemed more like something those brutes in the Hidden Cloud would pull.
Inside the Raikage's office in the Hidden Cloud.
The Raikage's gaze was like a torch, so sharp it felt as if he could pierce through one's very soul. Everyone he looked at instinctively lowered their heads.
"Start talking. Who did it!" The Raikage barked, arms crossed as he suppressed his fury.
"Big Bro, you know me inside and out. If I had made a move, there wouldn't be a single tile left standing in the Land of Fire's palace. The ruins would've been ground to dust by the Eight-Tails long ago."
"Lord Raikage, you know my capabilities. If I had gotten serious, those nobles wouldn't have stood a ghost of a chance."
"Lord Raikage, there's no way I'd kill Fire Country nobles! My eighteenth concubine was just sent over as a gift from them!"
"They sent her, so you just took her?" The Raikage's face darkened instantly. "Hmph! I see how it is. You all fancy yourselves geniuses, don't you? Think you can just fly off the handle?"
The Fourth Raikage stood with imposing majesty, his expression grim. "So, tell me then—which power is behind this? Or has Konoha finally lost its mind and started a bloody internal purge?"
The Raikage's brow furrowed, his heart full of irritation. He grumbled under his breath, "Ugh, so annoying. Why do we have to overthink all this convoluted crap? Can't we just settle things with our fists?"
While the Raikage was racking his brains over these thorny issues, his subordinates were already beginning to grow restless.
Elsewhere, Mei Terumi, who had successfully infiltrated Konoha to gather intelligence, had returned to the Hidden Mist. Even as someone accustomed to the immense pressure of foreign missions, the weight of operating within Konoha had been double her usual load.
Fortunately, she had lived up to expectations, completing the mission perfectly and returning safely. After steadying her breath, she immediately headed for her destination: a meeting with the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
On the outside, Yagura looked like a young boy, but in reality, he was quite old. He was a Mizukage worthy of trust.
Mei gave a detailed report on the mission to harass and attack the Land of Fire's nobility. Clearly, the previous recommendations from others had been proven right by her performance, making the debriefing quite smooth.
"You've worked hard," Yagura said.
"No, it was nothing. Just dealing with some ordinary guards," Mei replied. She handed over the intelligence she had gathered along the way, then added:
"Lord Yagura, there is something I must tell you. The mission went smoothly—perhaps too smoothly. The first time could be brushed off, but after several subsequent attacks, no Konoha elites ever came to intercept me. Success is good, but after so many years of war, it's impossible for Konoha to be that slow to react."
Mei had confidence in her skills, but she wasn't arrogant enough to believe she was invincible.
Yagura thought for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively. "I am aware."
It wasn't the answer Mei wanted, but out of professional etiquette, she didn't press her Kage further. She knew that a Kage considered things from a completely different perspective than a regular shinobi. Neither side had the inclination to discuss the matter further.
As Mei turned to leave, Yagura's voice rang out again. "I know how hard it was for you to operate alone in the Land of Fire. However, the situation is growing more dire. Take a few days to rest. There will likely be a major move soon. Be careful once you're on the battlefield."
Mei was startled. The Hidden Mist was geographically isolated, far from the conflicts of the mainland, and their internal situation was relatively stable. For the village to deploy a large-scale force was exceedingly rare.
Keeping the shinobi code in mind, she asked, "Lord Yagura, the current situation is incredibly complex. Are we truly going to intervene in a war between the Four Great Nations?"
"No. We could never fight all four at once," Yagura said slowly. "What we must do is find the opportunity to profit from the war between them."
Mei sighed inwardly. As I thought.
Back in Hiruko's room, Tsunade had stayed the night.
At six in the morning, the alarm clock rang punctually. Hiruko reached out to turn it off, only to find the person beside him was faster—and much more violent.
Still half-asleep, Tsunade instinctively threw a punch, smashing Hiruko's meticulously crafted, "cute" alarm clock into fine powder.
To care for Kushina after the birth, Tsunade hadn't dragged her exhausted body home until the middle of the night. She had then engaged in a fierce "battle" with Hiruko that had left the room "flooded," leaving her with only a few hours of sleep. Drowsiness naturally hit her like a tidal wave.
Hiruko merely glanced at the shattered clock, unbothered. He gently stroked Tsunade's golden hair and leaned down, tenderly kissing her on the cheek.
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