"How does it taste?"
Hanekawa noticed her expression and asked with a smile.
"It's... passable."
Terumi Mei replied, though her words didn't match her thoughts.
"Seems like your cooking skills have improved. I'll have to try your dishes next time."
Hanekawa took a sip of lemon juice and said.
Upon hearing this, Terumi Mei's expression froze.
Her cooking skills were as far from Hanekawa's as her strength was. The thought of Hanekawa tasting her cooking made her toes curl in embarrassment. It would be utterly humiliating.
"Little maid."
Hanekawa put down the lemon juice and called out.
"What?"
Terumi Mei instinctively looked up and asked.
"When are you going to cook for me? How about tomorrow?"
Hanekawa asked with a teasing smile.
"I'm busy!"
Terumi Mei glared at him and said, "And don't call me 'little maid'!"
"You owe me so much maid service time. Aren't you going to pay it back soon?"
Hanekawa picked up a piece of fried shrimp and asked.
"I..."
Terumi Mei hesitated, then bit her lip and said, "Fine, call me that."
"Did you forget something?"
Hanekawa looked at her and asked, "You haven't told me how long your maid service has been extended."
"I... I haven't decided yet..."
Terumi Mei panicked a little and said, "I'll tell you when I've made up my mind!"
"Alright."
Hanekawa smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to it."
"Don't look forward to it!"
Terumi Mei blurted out loudly.
After realizing what she had said, her face turned red.
"Given the current state of Kirigakure, you should be able to become the Mizukage soon."
Hanekawa stared at her, making her lower her head before changing the subject.
"I don't know."
Terumi Mei shook her head and said, "It depends on the arrangements of Elder Genji and the current Mizukage."
Suddenly, she thought of something and looked at Hanekawa.
"Why are you so eager for me to become the Mizukage?"
Terumi Mei asked, puzzled.
In her memory, Hanekawa had mentioned several times that he wanted to help her become the Mizukage.
"Don't you think it would be interesting to have a Mizukage who's also a little maid?"
Hanekawa countered.
"You're such a pervert!"
Terumi Mei rolled her eyes and said fiercely, "I won't let you have your way!"
"Oh? You don't want to be the Mizukage?"
Hanekawa asked, unfazed.
"Of course, I do!"
Terumi Mei pursed her lips and said, "But when I'm the Mizukage, I won't be your little maid!"
"Ah, I see."
Hanekawa nodded and said, "I get it now."
"What do you get?"
Terumi Mei was a bit confused.
"The Mizukage in public, the maid in private."
Hanekawa casually explained.
"That's not what I meant!"
Terumi Mei's face turned bright red, and she angrily retorted, "Go die, you pervert!"
"Even when you're angry, you look beautiful."
Hanekawa glanced at her fair skin and said with a smile.
"Don't... don't think that complimenting me will make me forgive you!"
Terumi Mei's tone softened as she spoke.
"Where am I staying tonight?"
Hanekawa looked around and asked, "Your place?"
"My place only has one room."
Terumi Mei snorted and said, "I've already arranged a place for you to stay."
"I'm too lazy to move."
Hanekawa shook his head and said, "I'll just stay at your place."
"My... my place isn't big enough..."
Terumi Mei's voice trembled slightly.
"You take the couch, I'll take the bed."
Hanekawa spread his hands and said.
"You!"
Terumi Mei instinctively clenched her fists.
"Don't worry, I won't shortchange you. The whole night will count toward your maid service time."
Hanekawa said with an air of generosity.
"You said it yourself!"
Terumi Mei tried to maintain her composure and said, "Then you can sleep in my room!"
"Thanks for the hospitality."
Hanekawa suddenly thought of something and said, "Since it's maid service time, you'll have to wear a maid dress."
"Fine, I'll wear it!"
Terumi Mei glared at him, gritting her teeth.
"Now, do the dishes."
Hanekawa finished his meal, put down his chopsticks, and said.
Terumi Mei didn't refuse. She picked up the dishes and went to the kitchen.
Hanekawa stood up and looked around her apartment.
It was a typical one-bedroom, one-living-room, and one-kitchen setup, suitable for a single person.
In the original story, Terumi Mei's family background wasn't mentioned.
Usually, if someone had parents or relatives, it would have been mentioned.
Terumi Mei was likely an orphan.
The ninja world was constantly at war, and going on missions was dangerous. Orphans were all too common.
Hanekawa thought about this as he entered Terumi Mei's room.
He pushed open the door and was greeted by a faint, pleasant scent.
The room was neat and tidy, which matched Terumi Mei's personality.
Hanekawa's gaze fell on the balcony, and his eyes narrowed.
Several pieces of intimate clothing were hanging on the balcony.
"What are you doing?"
Terumi Mei appeared at the doorway.
She instinctively glanced at the balcony, and her face turned red. Her body felt strangely weak.
A few seconds later, she quickly walked over and pushed Hanekawa out of the room.
*Bang!*
The door slammed shut.
Terumi Mei took a few steps back and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling parched.
What was going on?
Something was off, very off!
Terumi Mei covered her face with her hands, her cheeks burning.
Hanekawa chuckled but didn't continue teasing her.
Although teasing a beautiful woman was fun, he decided to let it go.
Hanekawa went to the bathroom to take a shower.
...
Land of Rain.
An underground base.
Black Zetsu sat on a chair, frowning.
Ever since he and Obito Uchiha had assisted the Akatsuki, he had noticed a problem.
Nagato was too obedient to Yahiko.
This was detrimental to both his and Madara Uchiha's plans.
In their plan, Nagato was supposed to help collect the nine tailed beasts and resurrect Madara Uchiha.
Given the current situation, that seemed impossible.
"Should I kill Yahiko?"
Black Zetsu muttered to himself.
Yahiko was undoubtedly the core of the Akatsuki.
If he were killed by Konoha ninja, Nagato would be furious and agree to the Eye of the Moon Plan.
"Bad news! Something's happened!"
At that moment, a White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"Who's in trouble? Obito?"
Black Zetsu couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Obito Uchiha now had dual Mangekyō Sharingan, Susanoo, and Wood Release.
In the entire ninja world, only a handful of ninjas could match him.
Even if he couldn't win, his dual Mangekyō would allow him to escape.
That's why Black Zetsu had been so confident in sending Obito to Kirigakure alone.
"Obito is dead!"
White Zetsu said directly.
"What did you say?"
Black Zetsu stood up, his heart racing. "How could he die?!"
"It was Hanekawa!"
White Zetsu replied, "Hanekawa appeared in Kirigakure and killed Obito!"
"Damn it!"
Upon hearing Hanekawa's name, Black Zetsu understood and asked angrily, "Why didn't he run away?"
"He couldn't escape."
White Zetsu said gravely, "Hanekawa has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"..."
Black Zetsu took a step back, feeling dizzy.
It's over! Everything's ruined!
Madara Uchiha had spent over a decade finding a suitable successor, only for him to die in a matter of days.
And Black Zetsu's thousand-year plan had been destroyed in an instant.
What about the Eye of the Moon Plan?
Black Zetsu's expression turned grim.
Both of his pawns, Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha, were dead. Now, he only had half a pawn left in Nagato.
The current situation was dire for him.
Black Zetsu's only option was to control Nagato and use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect Madara Uchiha.
Neither Nagato nor Obito Uchiha could compare to Madara Uchiha.
His plan could only be realized through Madara.
And most importantly, even if Obito were resurrected, could he defeat Hanekawa?
If not, it would be meaningless.
After all, the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique required Nagato's life to use.
The more troublesome issue was that Nagato's mastery of the Rinnegan was less than ten percent.
Let alone using the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.
But that wasn't a big problem.
Black Zetsu could teach him in Madara's name.
It would just take time.
"Hanekawa! I will kill you!"
Black Zetsu trembled with rage.
It had the ability to kill Hanekawa instantly.
But it only had one chance, and it would need to get close to him.
Given Hanekawa's current strength and the Flying Thunder God Technique, getting close to him would be difficult, let alone delivering a fatal blow.
What was going on with this guy?
If Madara hadn't just died, Black Zetsu would have thought Hanekawa was the reincarnation of Asura's chakra.
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to be so strong.
Black Zetsu let out a sigh.
If it truly came to the worst, it would have to find the next reincarnation of Indra's chakra.
But that would mean waiting many more years.
...
Hanekawa finished his shower and returned to the living room.
Terumi Mei was still in her room and hadn't come out.
Hanekawa shook his head and lay down on the couch.
As a gentleman, it was a bit too much to make Terumi Mei sleep on the couch.
He closed his eyes and began to recover his chakra.
The battles with Obito Uchiha and the Three-Tails had drained a significant amount of his chakra.
Especially the Wood Release: Wood Human Technique.
Hanekawa refined his chakra while channeling it into the Yin Seal on his forehead.
Time passed slowly.
After an unknown amount of time, Terumi Mei calmed down.
She stood up and was about to leave the room when she suddenly thought of something. Gritting her teeth, she changed into a maid dress.
Terumi Mei pushed open the door and entered the living room.
She was startled to see Hanekawa lying on the couch.
His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady, as if he had already fallen asleep.
Would this pervert really be so kind?
Terumi Mei stood in front of him, feeling conflicted.
"What are you standing there for?"
Hanekawa suddenly reached out his hand.
Terumi Mei instinctively raised her left hand.
Hanekawa didn't grab her hand but instead caught her black-stockinged thigh.
Terumi Mei's body trembled, and a tingling sensation spread from her thigh to her entire body.
But she quickly became furious.
"Stop touching me!"
Terumi Mei said, her face red.
"Your legs are soft and have a nice feel to them."
Hanekawa let go and said.
"Pervert!"
Terumi Mei quickly stepped back, covering her maid dress with her hands, and glared at him.
"Did you need something?"
Hanekawa glanced at her and said, "If not, don't disturb my sleep."
"You... weren't you going to sleep in the bed?"
Terumi Mei was slightly stunned and asked.
"Too lazy to move."
Hanekawa yawned and said, "If you want to sleep on the couch, you can sleep with me."
"Pervert!"
Without another word, Terumi Mei turned and went back to her room.
She closed the door and let out a sigh.
"Don't think such a small gesture will change my opinion of you!"
Terumi Mei took off the maid dress and got into bed.
She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.
She had been fighting for most of the day and was busy rebuilding Kirigakure. She was utterly exhausted.
If it weren't for Hanekawa, she wouldn't have had the energy to stay up.
The night passed without incident.
Terumi Mei's eyelashes fluttered as she woke from her sleep.
She sat up and stretched, showcasing her graceful figure.
Terumi Mei changed her clothes and left the room.
She suddenly caught a whiff of a rich aroma.
It was coming from the kitchen.
Hanekawa?
Terumi Mei looked toward the kitchen and was momentarily stunned.
"Go wash up, then eat."
Hanekawa glanced at her and said.
"Okay."
Terumi Mei turned and walked to the bathroom before realizing something.
Was this some kind of cohabitation?
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly shook her head.
Breakfast was tonkotsu ramen.
Terumi Mei took a bite, and her eyes lit up.
Even his ramen was this good?
If only his personality were a bit better, he'd be almost perfect.
"I need a favor from you."
Hanekawa got straight to the point. "I want Ice Release techniques."
"Kirigakure used to have Ice Release users, but I haven't heard of any recently."
Terumi Mei thought for a moment and said.
The Blood Mist Village had made life extremely difficult for those with Kekkei Genkai.
Even if someone had a Kekkei Genkai, they would hide it.
In the original story, Haku and his mother were examples.
Unfortunately, they had an unreliable father.
Upon discovering their Kekkei Genkai, he first killed Haku's mother and then tried to kill Haku, but Haku killed him instead.
After killing his father, Haku fled the village and eventually became Zabuza's subordinate.
"Maybe in a snowy village."
Hanekawa said casually.
"I'll look into it."
Terumi Mei thought for a moment and agreed.
If they could find an Ice Release user, it would be good for Kirigakure.
After all, the Blood Mist era was over, and with the heavy losses from last night, they needed new ninjas.
Besides, Hanekawa only wanted Ice Release techniques.
"I'll go see Elder Genji now."
Terumi Mei finished her ramen and said, "If you need anything, you can come find me."
"Here, take this."
Hanekawa casually tossed her a Flying Thunder God kunai and said, "Keep it safe."
"What kind of kunai is this?"
Terumi Mei looked at the complex seals on the kunai and asked.
"A Flying Thunder God kunai."
Hanekawa didn't hide it and said directly.
"You know the Flying Thunder God Technique?!"
Terumi Mei's eyes widened in shock.
"Why is that so surprising?"
Hanekawa asked with a smile.
"..."
Terumi Mei was speechless.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was a rare space-time ninjutsu.
Hanekawa was already incredibly strong, and now with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he was practically invincible.
How did Konoha produce such a monstrous genius?
Terumi Mei put away the Flying Thunder God kunai and headed to the Kirigakure hospital.
Since Yagura and Genji were hospitalized, today's Jonin meeting would be held at the hospital.
But to her surprise, the first order of business was to announce her as the acting Mizukage.
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