Tsunade was nearing her due date; she could give birth any day now. Having their location discovered at this timing couldn't be helped.
But even though they had to abandon this "base," there was no need to rush. They still had time to pack. After all, Jiraiya's injuries—severed chakra pathways—meant he wouldn't be leaving Mount Myōboku anytime soon.
Even accounting for Mount Myōboku's treasure—the Sage's Talisman, an artifact imbued with vast senjutsu chakra capable of reviving someone from the brink of death—and even if the toads used it to heal Jiraiya, his next movements would still be predictable.
He had only two options.
One: cancel the lingering effects of the reverse summoning and return to Konoha from Mount Myōboku.
Two: use the reverse summoning's return effect to reappear at his original location, gamble that Hii Kōri wasn't waiting to ambush him, then travel from this coastal town back to Konoha.
If he still had his wits about him and maintained a ninja's rationality, he would never choose the latter. Either way, he couldn't move faster than Hii Kōri.
So, the night passed without incident.
By the time the sun was high, Tsunade finally woke up.
Rubbing her messy hair, she stumbled into the living room, half-consciously nibbling on a piece of toast. She asked Hii Kōri, who was sitting on the sofa reading a book, in a muffled voice: "Where… are we going?"
"One of my guild's main branches in the Land of Fire. I already made arrangements when I ordered the furniture earlier. After all, with your current state of mind and situation, you couldn't exactly go to Sunagakure. That would make everyone uncomfortable. I'm not so inconsiderate as to lack even that much thoughtfulness."
Hii Kōri turned a page leisurely, skimmed it quickly, then grabbed the pen clipped to his ear and scribbled several lines of notes. He didn't forget to tease Tsunade: "Although originally I planned to kidnap you after you gave birth, this works out too."
"Ugh, you really are a bastard."
Tsunade grunted, cursing him out of habit. She pulled a small notebook from her pajama pocket and tossed it at the back of Hii Kōri's head.
Without turning, the red-and-white-haired man caught it. Before he could open it to see what was inside, Tsunade—apparently awakened by the warm milk she was drinking—explained: "I made that list of things to take last night. We've lived in this house for a while. I'm used to a lot of the things in here. Just throwing them away… would be a bit of a waste."
Hii Kōri raised an eyebrow, pinched the notebook shut with two fingers.
"From a gambler to a thrifty, homemaking woman, Princess Tsunade~"
He leaned back over the sofa, a mischievous smile on his face as he remarked lightly.
"What?! Did I say something—"
Tsunade was so irritated by his tone that she slammed her milk glass on the table, ready to retort.
But before she could finish, the shadow beneath Hii Kōri's feet rippled and expanded, in an instant covering the entire foundation of the house.
A moment's shift in perspective, and Tsunade saw the view outside the window change from familiar streets to an endless sea of maple red.
Stepping outside, she was met with a tranquil, resplendent maple forest. Autumn was in full bloom; layers of red and orange blazed like fire, casting a warm glow across the sky.
The stone-and-wood house from the coastal town now sat intact within this sea of crimson, as if it had always been there.
"This...?"
Tsunade looked around at the completely unfamiliar surroundings, then back at the house.
"You should be familiar with this. Rashōmon's shadow world."
Hii Kōri pulled a strip of bacon—still bearing teeth marks—from the sandwich Tsunade had been eating, chewing on it as he explained casually.
"After its consciousness formed, its control over the interior became much more refined. Pretty impressive, isn't it? My Rashōmon."
He put an arm around Tsunade's waist, proudly raising his other hand. Rashōmon's form rose from his shadow, rubbing against his palm before giving Tsunade a slight "nod" as a greeting.
This sea of maple was woven from Hii Kōri's memories during his travels through the Land of Fire. Compared to the snow-covered Land of Hot Water, he preferred this vibrant burst of color.
Tsunade looked at the surreal scene before her, then thought of the careful packing list she had made the night before. She couldn't help but pout, a mix of embarrassment and frustration rising: "…Then what was the point of me thinking about packing all that?"
Hii Kōri couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and pinched her puffed cheek: "Sorry to break it to you, but you've been diagnosed with dumbness. They say pregnancy makes you dumb for three years—turns out it's true."
"You!"
Tsunade raised her hand to hit him, but he caught it easily, interlacing their fingers.
She glared at him, then finally sighed in resignation, turning her attention back to this magical space, though her voice still held a hint of stubbornness: "How was I supposed to know your shadow technique would grow this much in less than a year?"
She was, of course, referring to when she had been captured and he had taken her to retrieve his three students.
Back then, he had had to burn down the whole building.
"I'm not even twenty yet. I'm still in my prime—obviously I'm going to improve noticeably."
"Oh? So what you're saying is, I'm just a useless old woman?"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and jabbed him in the side with her elbow.
"Wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare."
Hii Kōri raised his hands in surrender, then added with mock seriousness: "If we factor in the physical aging from all that overconsumption, our biological ages aren't that far apart anyway."
Tsunade couldn't think of a comeback and just shot him a dirty look.
Just then, Shizune—who had been packing her things in her room after hearing they were moving—came out. The little girl looked around curiously, then looked up and asked in a small voice: "Uncle Kōri, is this something ninjutsu can do too?"
"Ha… It's less ninjutsu than the manifestation of this monster's talent."
Tsunade answered first, ruffling Shizune's hair with a squint.
During their time living together, Hii Kōri had never hidden his research from her. She had seen all of it.
Even factoring in the extra time from not sleeping, anyone who could generate so many ideas and then realize them was nothing short of a monster.
His constant talk of being a "mediocre talent" almost made Tsunade laugh. If he was mediocre, then there were no geniuses in the world.
Shizune blinked her big eyes, looking at Hii Kōri with curiosity: "Is Uncle Kōri a monster?"
Hii Kōri crouched down with a smile, meeting Shizune's eyes: "That's right. I'm exactly that kind of monster—the kind that's never satisfied, always wanting to explore more of the unknown."
As if to accompany his words, the shadow of Rashōmon at his feet rippled, swelling into a vaguely rigid, indeed "menacing" black shape that spoke in a completely flat, deadpan tone: "I'm going to eat a child~"
"Ah!"
Shizune yelped at the sudden "threat," instinctively stepping back behind Tsunade.
But when she saw the bright, mischievous smile on Hii Kōri's face, her courage returned. She cautiously peeked out and reached out a small hand to tentatively touch Rashōmon's raised "body."
The texture was strange—like jelly, but tougher.
"Alright, you two rest for now. I'm heading out."
Hii Kōri stood, gave the instruction casually, then melted into the shadow beneath his feet, disappearing from this sea of maple.
Thanks to Rashōmon, once Tsunade and Shizune were contained within the Otherworld: Shadow Space, they felt no motion. Hii Kōri, unimpeded, could go all out with his speed techniques.
Within two days, he had crossed the southern Land of Fire.
When he finally stopped, he was at a town near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers. But instead of entering the town, he turned in another direction—toward the main branch of the Red Hot Sand Guild in the Land of Fire.
Whether willingly or not, trade between Fire and Wind had resumed after the war, making this town the main route into the Land of Wind. The guild branch here had grown in importance accordingly, transforming into the main branch for the entire Land of Fire.
Like the headquarters in the Land of Wind, this was a massive facility complex—encompassing production, storage, commerce, and other functions. In scale, it rivaled the town itself.
After verifying his identity at a hidden access point with a special privilege card, Hii Kōri found an unused warehouse.
The shadow rippled, and the two-story house grew steadily from the "ground." Tsunade and Shizune emerged alongside it.
With that done, he took a curious Tsunade and a drowsy Shizune to the guild's most upscale hotel, booking the finest luxury suite.
After all, they needed to entertain business partners from other merchants, so such amenities were well provided for.
"Consider this a temporary base for now."
Opening the door, Hii Kōri guided Tsunade to the soft sofa and had her sit. "At least here, calling a doctor is convenient. Though we're both medical ninja, childbirth and postnatal care are better handled by obstetricians and nurses. It's safer, and it saves us the trouble."
Tsunade sank into the sofa, feeling the heaviness in her belly, and snorted: "You sure know how to delegate."
Hii Kōri retorted without guilt: "I'm paying them. Getting paid to work is only fair. That's not just a ninja rule."
"Ha. Right."
Just then, a crisp female voice tinged with exhaustion came from the doorway: "But you don't seem to be paying me, boss."
Turning, they saw Akane leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking at him with displeasure.
She put extra emphasis on "boss," almost grinding her teeth.
Unlike the regal attire she had worn in the Rōran court, Akane now wore a sharper, more professional outfit. The dark jacket and skirt accentuated her mature figure, exuding a different kind of charm from her former queenly bearing.
Yet even with makeup, the fatigue in her features was clear to Hii Kōri. The aura of a corporate slave—ground down by work, neither male nor female, good nor bad, alive nor dead—overwhelmed her charm.
No wonder her words carried such palpable resentment.
It was from working.
Normally, as someone who had handled Rōran's "shit mountain code," she shouldn't be this drained. But she had inherited Sakaki Tatsuma's workload—wanting to die was perfectly normal.
"Then go talk to accounting. If it's you, fill in whatever salary you want."
This complaint was expected. Hii Kōri waved it off, then changed the subject: "How's Rōran?"
At the mention of her homeland, Akane's expression softened slightly, her tone easing: "Everything's on track. The first batch of trade goods for the outside has been successfully exchanged. The people's reception has been better than expected."
But when her gaze fell on Tsunade—who had been unable to find a moment to interject—and specifically on her swollen belly, her tone grew complicated. In short, a little sour.
"So this is… the boss's wife?"
Hii Kōri glanced at Tsunade, who looked like she wanted to say something, then nodded without hesitation: "That's right. One of the boss's wives."
Just as Akane's composure seemed about to crack, a little girl with dark red hair peeked out from behind her, blinking curiously at the strangers in the room.
That was Akane's daughter, Sara.
Her hair, red in a shade very similar to Hii Kōri's, made Tsunade's eye twitch.
Feeling the subtle shift in the room's atmosphere, Hii Kōri pretended not to notice. He crouched down, gently patted little Sara's head, and teased Akane: "I didn't see your daughter when I was in Rōran. She's adorable."
Akane's aura flickered, half-irritated, half-amused: "How could I have let Sara meet someone as dangerous and unknown as you back then?"
"What, am I really such a bad person?"
"What do you think? Have a little self-awareness, will you?"
Akane rolled her eyes at him, then let out a breath of relief as she watched Sara and Shizune start chatting and run off to play together. She added: "I just snuck out for some air during my lunch break. I have a ton of work this afternoon. I'll come find you tonight—have a drink with me then."
"…Ha. You're really turning into a corporate drone, huh."
"Whose fault is that, you bastard!"
Akane couldn't help raising her voice, then deflated. "Oh, and watch Sara for me. I'm swamped at work. You've got a kid her age here—should be more fun for her."
"Also, these are things you need to review. Bring them back tonight."
With that, she turned and left in a whirlwind without waiting for his response, leaving behind a stack of documents needing Hii Kōri's attention and a child to watch.
After Akane left, a brief silence settled between Hii Kōri and Tsunade.
Tsunade pressed her lips together, then suddenly grabbed Hii Kōri's hand and bit down on the fleshy part of his palm, leaving a clear mark. Her voice was muffled: "Who is that woman? Here to show off?"
"Pregnancy really has made you dumb. When I mentioned Kao before, didn't I say she was the queen of Rōran? Sure, she calls me 'boss' now, but she's more like a business partner."
Tsunade squinted, her amber eyes gleaming with something strange: "Business partner? Really? She didn't seem like—"
Before she could finish, Hii Kōri leaned down and captured her lips, swallowing the rest of her words.
After a moment, he pulled back slightly, looking at her flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes from close range.
"Jealous?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!