Hatake Sakumo felt that the word "intimate" shouldn't be used lightly. The fact that she used it indicated a very close relationship, but how could SenseiFumori Masaki be involved with a woman—presumably—from the Hidden Cloud Village? Leaving that aside, she said it in front of SenseiFumori Masaki's wife. He wondered what her expression was like.
Tsunade, Hatake Sakumo, and Hattori Heizo's gazes involuntarily focused on Satomi. To their surprise, Satomi looked very calm, without a hint of anger. Instead, she gently asked, "Who is your sensei?"
"Sora. I don't know if you know her," the brown-skinned boy replied.
Hatake Sakumo and the others, of course, didn't know who Sora was, but Satomi did. It wasFumori Masaki himself who had captured Sora back then. When Konoha and the Hidden Cloud exchanged prisoners,Fumori Masaki mentioned that Sora was the representative from the Hidden Cloud Village. She still remembered Sora's appearance: a beautiful girl with blonde hair and fair skin.
If there was some kind of relationship betweenFumori Masaki and Sora, it seemed plausible. During the Shinobi World War, they had channels of contact. However, after the Shinobi World War,Fumori Masaki should not have maintained contact with Sora. Neither the boundaries of nations nor ninja villages would permit it.
Therefore, Satomi felt there might be some misunderstanding. Perhaps Sora developed feelings forFumori Masaki during the Shinobi World War, leading to a misunderstanding by the three children in front of her. As forFumori Masaki actively seducing Sora, she didn't believe it. They were husband and wife, and aside from missions, she was generally aware ofFumori Masaki's other activities. There was no way he could have been in contact with Sora.
Instead of worrying about Sora, who was far away in the Hidden Cloud Village, Satomi was more concerned about Miss Kana from her own clan. Kana was very close toFumori Masaki, which made Satomi somewhat suspicious of Kana's underlying feelings. However, Kana hadn't done anything out of line, and she was Lord Hashirama's daughter, so Satomi didn't say anything, at least not without evidence.
"There must be some misunderstanding, right?" Tsunade, being a girl, was more sensitive in this regard. She looked at Satomi's expression, then seemed to mediate, saying to Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizo, "Right?"
"Yeah, yeah, something might have been mistaken," Hatake Sakumo quickly said.
"Impossible! When we went to the inn, Sensei Sora even asked aboutFumori Masaki. The Konoha ninja who was guiding us told her about him, and Sensei listened very attentively," the brown-skinned boy retorted.
"Is that so?" Satomi smiled and nodded.
"Do you think Satomi-nee is angry or what?" Tsunade whispered to her two companions.
"I don't know," Hatake Sakumo observed. "I don't think she's really angry, but why?"
"Let's not get involved in adult matters," Hattori Heizo shook his head and casually said to the brown-skinned boy, "Let's just drop it. There must be some misunderstanding. Your sensei and SenseiFumori Masaki can't possibly have a relationship."
"Why do you sayFumori Masaki has no relationship with our sensei?" the brown-skinned boy asked.
"Sensei Fumori Masaki isn't the type to have a close relationship with women from other villages," Hattori Heizo said coldly. "And how can you address SenseiFumori Masaki directly by his name? Do you know what politeness is, kid?"
The brown-skinned boy seemed to be angered and said, "'Kid'? Do you, a little squirt, have the right to say that?"
—Ah, here it comes.
Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade both had this thought. Over the years, although Hattori Heizo had been growing taller, his speed couldn't compare to others. Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade were both taller than him. Coupled with Hattori Heizo's youthful face, he looked quite young, and people often misunderstood his age. Who would have thought that Hattori Heizo was the oldest of the three?
"How old are you?" Hattori Heizo asked.
"Huh, twelve years old. Why?" The brown-skinned boy was a bit puzzled but still answered.
"Then I can indeed call you 'kid,' because I am already fourteen years old." Hattori Heizo gave a slight smile. Because his expression was cold, this smile gave off a strange sense of mockery.
"Uh—" The brown-skinned boy didn't expect this little squirt in front of him to be so old. He felt a surge of shame and annoyance, and Hattori Heizo's smile was so mocking that it further inflamed his already impulsive temper. He shouted, "So what if you're fourteen? Who told you to be so short?"
Hattori Heizo sneered, "Someone once spoke to me like that before. Do you know what happened to him afterward?"
"What else could happen? Was he covered in broken bones and severed tendons? Do you think I'm easily scared?" The brown-skinned boy stuck out his tongue, his expression extremely mocking.
"Can I beat this guy up?" Hattori Heizo's tone remained calm, but the meaning conveyed in his words subtly carried killing intent.
"Who's afraid of whom!" The brown-skinned boy pulled up his sleeves, ready for a fight with Hattori Heizo.
Tsunade, Hatake Sakumo, and the other two Hidden Cloud ninja all stood up to stop their companions from fighting. One side didn't want to cause trouble in Konoha Village, while the other was due to the rules of Konoha Village, where ninja duels were not allowed in areas where civilians lived.
"I apologize, he's rather sensitive about his height." Satomi, as an elder, stepped in at this moment. She first smiled at the brown-skinned boy, then said, "However, dwelling on someone else's shortcomings is not a good thing. The Sage of Six Paths taught us to treat others with humility and not to judge people with prejudice because of their flaws."
"Huh, did the Sage of Six Paths say that?" The brown-skinned boy was momentarily stunned.
The blonde girl among the Hidden Cloud ninja couldn't stand it anymore. With an expression of disappointment, she said to the brown-skinned boy, "Isn't there a story like that in the Shinobi Sect Classics? You really haven't read it properly, have you? Sensei Sora even told us to read the Shinobi Sect Classics."
"I forgot," the brown-skinned boy scratched his head.
"So, you should apologize to Heizo, okay?" Satomi said gently. "Heizo, you too, don't hold hostility towards him, okay?"
"If this guy can sincerely apologize, then I will forgive him," Hattori Heizo replied.
Then, everyone else's gazes focused on the brown-skinned boy. The brown-skinned boy vigorously scratched his hair. The blonde girl touched his shoulder and whispered, "This is Konoha Village. Don't cause trouble with people here."
"Alright, I'm sorry." Although somewhat reluctant, the brown-skinned boy still apologized.
"I forgive you," Hattori Heizo's voice was neither warm nor cold.
"Although I was indeed wrong, your voice really is unpleasant," the brown-skinned boy's cheeks trembled slightly. "Hey, is your name Heizo?"
"It's Hattori Heizo."
"Alright, Hattori Heizo, do you dare to spar with me?" the brown-skinned boy shouted.
"If it's a match-style duel, I accept. However, I think it's best not to do it here, but on the Chunin Exams battle stage." Hattori Heizo, fearing the other party might misunderstand, explained, "It's not because I'm afraid of you. It's just that our village's rules are quite strict. If we cause trouble in this civilian area, we'll be confined by the Security Force."
"Confined?" The brown-skinned boy hadn't expected Konoha Village to have such a rule and was momentarily stunned.
"Yeah, you wouldn't want to be confined at this time, would you? That would be an embarrassment to your village," Hatake Sakumo kindly said.
At this moment, a voice from outside the door came in: "He's right. Everyone in our village must abide by this, let alone you outsiders. It's better to be honest. If you want to save face, go to the Chunin Exams, not in private." Immediately after, the person who spoke walked in.