Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice

After seeing off Ayame, Hikari sat at the dining table, slowly savoring the dinner lovingly prepared by the young girl.

(Teuchi: You little punk, hurry up and return my ramen ingredients!)

Paired with a bottle of sake, life couldn't be more enjoyable.

So, who would be the next visitor?

Probably Tenten, right?

Though he couldn't bring himself to take advantage of such a young girl, that didn't stop Hikari from enjoying her care and affection.

Scummy? Sure—but he was still single.

As long as he didn't get married, bigamy charges couldn't touch him.

What a clever and handsome man he was!

Knock! Knock...

Two raps sounded at the door, but before the third could follow, the door swung open.

"Kurenai? What are you doing here?"

Seeing Yuhi Kurenai standing at his doorstep, Hikari was taken aback.

[Could it be that Kurenai also has feelings for me? Did she come here to throw herself into my arms? If that's the case, then it wouldn't count as me stealing her away, right?]

Kurenai glanced at Hikari's door, puzzled. "I remember your door was fine before. How did it break so suddenly?"

"You'd have to ask Anko about that. As the person responsible, she has plenty to say on the matter!" Hikari shrugged, playing the victim.

Considering Anko's personality, Kurenai gave an awkward smile and didn't press further.

"Have you heard about the rumors spreading in the village?"

"I hadn't, but then Anko dropped by and filled me in. What I'm curious about is—why are you here? Aren't you worried about getting caught up in gossip with me?"

"Don't worry!" Kurenai smiled brightly. "I used a genjutsu to disguise myself before coming. Unless someone's highly skilled in illusions, no one will recognize me."

Hikari: "..."

[And here I thought you were confessing your love for me. Turns out you're just a scheming woman. Sorry, but we're not compatible.]

"So, why did you come here?"

"For Yakumo, of course!"

Kurenai cut him off without hesitation, also crushing Hikari's delusions in the process.

"You'll be gone for at least half a month. What about Yakumo's treatment?"

[Ah, crap. I totally forgot about Yakumo. If she goes that long without treatment, she might end up breaking Kurenai!]

Naturally, Hikari would never admit he'd forgotten.

"I was just about to finish eating! Once I'm done, I'll head over. But in my current state, aren't you worried about me visiting your place and what that might do to your reputation?"

"Can't you just use stealth?" Kurenai shot him an exasperated yet oddly cute glare. "If you dare show up openly, you're dead!"

Hikari couldn't help but chuckle at her threat.

If it were Kakashi saying this, he might've been a little intimidated. But Yuuhi Kurenai? Where did she get the nerve?

"Relax, I know how to stay hidden. I'll come by after dinner, so make sure you're (bathed and) waiting for me~"

Kurenai felt there was something off about his words but couldn't quite place it.

"Fine, I'm leaving!"

Not bothering to dwell on it, she turned and left.

Watching her go, Hikari remained seated, continuing to eat and drink in peace. For now, life was good.

Halfway through his meal, however, an unexpected guest interrupted his bliss.

"Give me some sake too. Drinking alone is no fun." Tsunade plopped down across from him, casually grabbing chopsticks and digging in.

"Hey, you're the Hokage. Aren't you worried about coming to my place right now?" Hikari eyed her, both impressed and exasperated by her audacity.

"Why should I be? It's just a rumor."

Tsunade raised her head, locking eyes with him. "Unless you think you're the one at a disadvantage here?"

"Of course I am!" Hikari met her fierce gaze without flinching. "Nothing even happened between us, and now my reputation's taking a hit. How about we actually do something today? What do you say?"

"Hah!"

Tsunade scoffed. "You think I'd fall for that?"

Hikari wasn't bothered. He never expected her to be naive enough to agree.

"Anyway, I've already put Shikaku on the case. It's confirmed—someone's eyeing my position as Hokage. How amusing."

A small leak will sink a great ship.

As the Third Hokage's student, Tsunade was well-versed in his methods of manipulating public opinion—if not a master, she was at least competent.

If these rumors were left unchecked, they would slowly erode her authority.

"It is pretty funny. Who'd have thought people would fight over such a tedious job? Say, if during the upcoming summit you leave the main force with just your three elite guards... maybe the one pulling strings from the shadows will come out to strike?" Hikari grinned as he proposed his idea.

In the past, Tsunade would've suspected him of plotting against her.

But now, with her mastery of Wood Release, it was different.

She was confident.

Among Konoha's current shinobi, aside from Hikari—whose strength remained an enigma—she was certain she could defeat anyone, even Kakashi and Jiraiya.

Whoever was scheming in the shadows clearly lacked the power to challenge her openly.

"I'll consider it."

"Enough about me. Let's talk about your mission to the Land of Snow."

"Originally, this was supposed to be confidential, but now the whole village knows. Even Koyuki might've caught wind of it. Do you really think you can complete the mission smoothly under these circumstances?"

Hikari smirked lightly. "Just a rebellious little girl. After years away from home, it's time she went back. Whether she's willing or not doesn't matter. Shinobi just need to complete the mission—eliminate Kazahana Dotō and put her in charge of the Snow Country. That aligns with the interests of the five great shinobi villages. That's enough."

Compared to an ambitious Kazahana Dotō, a kind-hearted Kazahana Koyuki better served the great nations' interests.

Her personal wishes? Irrelevant.

No one cared.

"You see things clearly. Most only grasp the surface of this mission, but a select few understand the deeper truth. There's another reason behind it—want to hear it?"

Hikari snorted. "It's about improving relations with Iwa, right? The Land of Snow borders the Land of Earth. If Snow were to invade, Earth would be the first victim. Once this mission is over, the chances of peace with Iwa will probably rise by thirty percent."

"Good. Since you understand, I'll leave this matter in your hands."

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