"My little kitten is awake already~"
Kyusei scooped up the girl who was clearly trying to flee and carried her straight back to the bed.
"Ji—Kyusei…"
"Li-listen… listen to me first…"
kaoru struggled weakly in his arms, but for some reason, after last night, her body seemed to go soft the moment she faced him. Even her words came out with an unconscious hint of coquettishness.
That strange change made her want to die of embarrassment.
"Hm?"
"kaoru… don't tell me you don't want me to take responsibility?"
Kyusei tilted his head slightly, looking down at the girl pinned beneath him.
"Y-you bastard!"
kaoru clenched her teeth, glaring at the boy teasing her so shamelessly.
"kaoru is mine now."
"Don't even think about running away."
Kyusei poked her tender, dewy cheek with a grin.
Seeing that escape was impossible, kaoru simply turned her head away and refused to look at him.
Kyusei watched the girl pretending to be angry, smiling softly as a certain phrase surfaced in his mind—
Don't betray someone who treats you with sincerity.
So that's the First Hokage for you…
Usually foolish, yet unexpectedly reliable when it mattered.
No—
There was probably no one in this world more reliable than Senju Hashirama.
After lying there for a long time without feeling any movement, kaoru cautiously opened her eyes—only to find the space in front of her empty.
A faint sense of disappointment welled up in her heart. Pouting slightly, she slipped on her slippers and stepped outside.
Sounds from the kitchen drew her attention.
She walked forward, though the faint soreness below made her frown.
She was a shinobi—this level of pain should have been nothing.
And yet, right now, she desperately wanted that man's shoulder to lean on, wanted to bury herself against his solid chest, wanted to hear him speak to her gently.
The thought startled her.
She wasn't weak.
She wasn't clingy.
She liked him—but she had always believed herself to be strong.
So why was she thinking like this?
Suppressing the discomfort, kaoru entered the kitchen.
The person she wanted to rely on was there, cooking something.
"Why did you get up? Go lie back down."
Kyusei frowned when he saw how difficult it was for her to walk, a flash of pain crossing his eyes.
kaoru caught it instantly.
Her heart melted.
"It's okay… I just wanted to see what you were doing."
Even she didn't realize that her voice now sounded exactly like a girl deeply in love—sweet, soft, and clingy.
Like a needy kitten, she instinctively slipped into Kyusei's arms, her azure eyes blinking up at him.
Holding the kaoru who was openly acting spoiled, Kyusei breathed in the faint scent of her hair—and nearly lost control.
Noticing something pressing against her, kaoru blushed and shot him a reproachful glance.
This bad guy—
After everything last night, he still wanted more?!
She had no idea how devastating that single glance was to Kyusei.
In the end, he restrained himself. kaoru could barely walk—she was pretending to be fine, but he saw through it immediately.
"Hungry?"
Kyusei gently brushed her messy hair behind her ear.
"Mmm~ hungry~~"
kaoru clung to him, clearly having no intention of letting go.
"Go wait in the living room. Food will be ready soon."
Kyusei pressed a light kiss to her smooth forehead.
The sky was clear, the breeze gentle. After a night of heavy rain, Konoha's air felt especially fresh.
As usual, Sarutobi Hiruzen was handling official matters when hurried footsteps echoed outside his office door.
The Third Hokage frowned.
This was the core of the Land of Fire's military command. Even urgent matters were never handled so recklessly.
The next moment, there was a knock.
"Enter."
A shinobi in a Konoha flak jacket rushed in and dropped to one knee, presenting a sealed letter.
Hiruzen took it immediately.
For messengers like this, speed alone signified the gravity of the situation—
and this kind of urgency meant something was very wrong.
He scanned the contents at high speed.
His expression darkened.
Last night—
just last night—a group of Rain Village envoys had departed for Konoha. After passing inspection at the Land of Fire's border defenses, they continued toward the village.
And yet—
They were ambushed and slaughtered by a group of Konoha shinobi that appeared out of nowhere.
The attackers had even left the bodies behind—bold and blatant.
If not for the presence of Hyūga and Yamanaka personnel at the border, Konoha might still be completely in the dark.
After dismissing the messenger, Hiruzen sank back into his chair, eyes deep in thought.
Hanzō of the Salamander was no fool. He had clearly seen the current state of affairs.
Wind, Earth, Lightning.
Water and Fire.
He had chosen the latter.
But now… everything hung by a thread.
Hiruzen's first instinct was that Wind, Earth, or Lightning had orchestrated this.
Yet the method was far too crude.
After dealing with the other four great nations for a lifetime, Hiruzen knew their tactics all too well.
If they were truly this sloppy, he'd be laughing in his sleep.
And if Hanzō had even half a brain, he would immediately realize there was a hidden conspiracy at play.
Hiruzen closed his eyes.
If not them… then who?
The Fourth Mizukage—Yagura Karatachi?
He did have the time window to do something like this.
But it made no sense.
Yagura had already sacrificed so much to preserve Kirigakure, practically tearing flesh from his own body to appease Konoha.
Why would he sabotage himself now?
That would leave him with nothing—rendering all previous sacrifices meaningless.
"Guards!"
At Hiruzen's shout, an ANBU appeared instantly.
"Where is Yagura Karatachi right now?"
"At his current pace, he's about to leave the Land of Fire."
"Immediately send word—have him return to Konoha at once!"
"And notify the front lines. Bring me the bodies of those Rain Village shinobi!"
A storm was coming.
And this time—
it was far from natural.
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