Fortune's pained voice rang out: "Ryou, how can you be so bad at managing the household?"
Ryou turned to look; it was Fortune and Fish Ball leading a group of Shinobi Cats over.
Fortune was decked out in gold and silver, nearly blinding Ryou.
He wore high-end designer brands, a shimmering gold necklace around his neck, and a heavy silver watch on his paw.
He exuded the aura of a nouveau riche.
He didn't even want to walk, making a cat slave carry him.
Fish Ball next to him had the same grand display, followed by three or four cat slaves dedicated to carrying various delicacies made from fresh fish.
Ryou told the Kusagakure Shinobi to set up the Victory Banquet, then rolled up his sleeves to teach Fortune and Fish Ball a lesson.
"You little rascals, your display is grander than mine. What's going to happen if this continues?"
Ryou grabbed Fish Ball, snatched away all the snacks in its paws, and then picked it up by the scruff of its neck, asking, "Fish Ball, what happened in the Village while I was away these past few days?"
Fish Ball shook its head: "Nothing, it's the same as before. However, quite a few villagers and Shinobi seem to have heard news that the Five Great Nations are going to attack Amegakure and want to defect!"
Ryou said with a cold face, "Want flat peaches? Do they think the temperature in the Land of Rain is too high because of the two suns over the sky?"
"Don't try to reason with people like that. If they're caught, beat them. Strike hard and give them a taste of the Baton."
Fish Ball nodded.
Fortune puffed on a cigar and said, "Ryou, you can't do it like this! Aren't you just tying everyone in Amegakure to your war chariot?"
"You've really overstepped!"
The smoke from Fortune's cigar made Ryou uncomfortable. He dropped Fish Ball and reached out to grab Fortune by the scruff of his neck.
But he suddenly froze, because Fortune's cat slave caught his attention.
She had long blonde hair and wore a pair of round, black-rimmed glasses. Behind the lenses, her eyes were light brown, her gaze gentle and clear.
She was wearing a black and white maid cat-girl outfit, with cat-ear hair accessories on her head.
She gave off an intellectual and warm aura, as comforting as sunlight in a forest.
This blonde beauty dressed as a maid cat-girl seemed to strike a chord in Ryou's heart, making him drool just looking at her.
She was even wearing black stockings that added a 'critical hit'—how could he resist?
He couldn't!
Ryou was instantly smitten. He tossed Fortune aside and grabbed the maid cat-girl, ready to have his way.
Fortune rushed over, bit Ryou's calf, and hissed: "Ryou, what are you doing? This is my newly recruited litterbox cleaner; she's under my protection."
"You dare rebel?"
Ryou let go of the blonde cat-girl and grabbed Fortune. He released a Water Release technique, drenching Fortune from head to toe.
Fortune immediately knelt on the ground and begged for his life.
Cats are generally afraid of water and hate taking baths.
Fish Ball egged Ryou on from the side: "Yes, drench him like that! This kid has been getting more and more arrogant lately."
The blonde cat-girl—no, Yakushi Nono—pushed up her glasses, feeling a bit sorry for Fortune as he was being tormented by Ryou.
Nono had infiltrated Amegakure two days ago.
So many villagers lived in Amegakure, and since they needed to eat, drink, and use the restroom, there had to be a supply of goods from the outside world.
White Zetsu and the Shinobi Cats couldn't Root out all the spies hiding in the Village.
Furthermore, Amegakure's secrets were concentrated in the underground base, with Madara and the Gedo Statue.
The spies couldn't find out much.
As a high-level spy, Nono didn't try to spy on Madara's secrets like the others.
She targeted Ryou's Summoned Beasts, planning to use them to get close to Ryou and learn his secrets.
She successfully approached Fortune and won him over with her superb cat-petting techniques.
Nono's outfit was specifically chosen to cater to Ryou's preferences; it was a maximum 'critical hit' that immediately made Ryou drool.
However, while staying by Fortune's side, Nono discovered that Amegakure wasn't the living hell she had imagined.
Ryou, who loved cats, wasn't that depraved either.
The atmosphere here seemed more vibrant than the cold Root, but Nono couldn't be fooled by these appearances.
Her Orphanage was controlled by Danzo; she absolutely could not let Lord Danzo down.
A blonde figure appeared; it was Tsunade. She grabbed Ryou's ear: "You rascal, why are you bullying your own Shinobi Cats as soon as you get back?"
"Tsunade, stop pulling! I'm sorry!"
...
A hotel in Amegakure.
The Kusagakure Shinobi arranged the Victory Banquet, preparing fine food and wine to celebrate the successful capture of the Tailed Beast.
Those at Ryou's table were all people close to him.
His Summoned Beasts, the High-Cloud Quintet, along with Nekomata, Sasori, Nagato, Konan, Tsunade, Kushina, and others.
The food on the table was sumptuous, featuring Amegakure's specialties: Rain-Cooked Kettle Rice, Marshland Taro Stew, Moisture-Dispelling Miso Pot...
While sipping Amegakure's signature warm wine, Raindrop Sake, Ryou recounted the mission's events to Tsunade.
Tsunade was conflicted; she still had deep bonds with Konoha, yet she was already a member of the Uchiha Clan and Ryou's wife.
Caught in the middle, she didn't know what to do about the future; she could only take it one step at a time.
Tsunade had thought Ryou would go on a killing spree in Sunagakure, but he hadn't; even Rasa hadn't been killed by him.
This made Tsunade feel relieved, and she tightly gripped Ryou's hand.
Who would want their husband to be a psychopathic killer?
Ryou didn't tell Tsunade about the events in Takigakure, fearing that involving Konoha would make things awkward for her.
A true couple means that when you are silent, I don't force you to speak; when you are fragile, I don't laugh at your weakness; and when you persevere, I support you from behind.
Understanding is the most enduring form of tenderness.
Candy ate the Amegakure specialty sweet, Yokan, listening speechlessly; in Ryou's description, he had become a saint.
He hadn't gone to Sunagakure to steal or rob; he described Shukaku as a demon that devoured souls, claiming the Sunagakure villagers lived in misery because of it.
Ryou had gone there to exorcise demons.
The killings were done by Sasori, and the bad deeds were committed by Candy and Snowy.
He was a pure and innocent white lotus.
Every good deed was his doing!
How could this guy be so crafty? If a pregnant woman's water broke, he'd insist she just wanted mutton soup.
Candy could only silently savor the sugary dishes, not exposing Ryou's lies.
After Ryou finished, even though Tsunade felt something was off, she could only dote on her husband.
She frowned as she looked at Sasori, who was eating meat.
"Sasori, I never expected that you were the one who took down the Third Kazekage!"
During the Third Shinobi World War, Tsunade had rushed to battlefields everywhere—the Kumogakure front, the Sunagakure front, the Iwagakure front...
She couldn't rest for a moment, and it had exhausted her.
Today, she finally met the culprit.
Sasori looked up, not at all intimidated by Tsunade: "Princess Tsunade, the old woman said you are the world's number one Medical Shinobi. You always made her suffer setbacks on the battlefield, neutralizing every poison she concocted."