Natsume hadn't expected Mei Terumi to suddenly make a move.
With his strength he could easily evade, but did he need to in a situation like this?
Their noses touched, carrying a faint fragrance.
After a brief softness came a hint of pain.
Natsume could clearly feel the trace left by her teeth.
Mei Terumi quickly sat back in the Mizukage's seat. A blush raced up her cheeks and soon spread to her fair, delicate neck.
She was very clear-headed in that moment.
Precisely because she was clear-headed, she could sense her inner feelings.
A surprising, quiet joy.
Mei Terumi felt a little dazed. She turned her head so Natsume wouldn't see the affection in her eyes, and asked, "Any other conditions?"
"A kiss and a bite are different. Just now you bit me, you didn't kiss me."
Natsume admired her rare, adorable expression.
Doing her utmost to hide her shyness—undoubtedly a first for the dignified Mizukage.
"Bastard!"
Mei Terumi flushed with anger at his words, her chest heaving. "If I could beat you, you'd have died who knows how many times already!"
"Many thanks to the Mizukage for sparing my life."
Natsume grinned.
"You're insufferable!"
Mei Terumi took a deep breath and barely calmed herself. "If there are no more conditions, then let's form an alliance."
"No problem."
Natsume leaned in, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. He cupped her face with both hands, his fingers warm and firm against her skin, tilting her chin up slightly.
Before she could protest, he closed the distance, pressing his lips to hers in a deep, insistent kiss.
His mouth was soft yet demanding, moving against hers with a rhythm that sent a jolt through her body.
She could taste a faint hint of salt and something sweeter as his tongue gently parted her lips, exploring with a teasing flick that made her pulse race.
Mei Terumi struggled on instinct, her hands pushing weakly against his chest, but the heat of the moment overwhelmed her resistance. Ultimately, she went limp, leaning back against the Mizukage's chair, her body melting into the sensation as the kiss deepened, their breaths mingling in a warm, humid exchange.
After a long moment, they parted, a thin strand of saliva briefly connecting their lips before breaking.
"I'm very satisfied with your terms. Send people to Konoha."
Natsume pinched her soft cheek as he spoke, a playful smirk on his face.
By the time Mei Terumi reacted, he had already disappeared.
"That bastard…"
She subconsciously licked her lips, as if she could still feel that warm, humid breath lingering on her skin, the ghost of his touch making her cheeks flush.
Outside, the mist hung heavy as ever.
But inside, a flower bloomed soundlessly, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere.
…
At Konoha's gate—
Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyuga Hinata were stopped by the two "gate gods."
"Please present the Hokage's writ."
Izumo Kamizuki said by the book, "Without it, you can't leave the village."
"Hey, mister!"
Naruto thumped his chest. "We're the Hokage's apprentices!"
"Hokage's apprentices are no exception."
Kotetsu Hagane smiled. "Naruto, you can't sneak out."
"I'm not sneaking out!"
Naruto squawked, "It was really Natsume-sensei who told us to go out!"
"You three just graduated—how could you be leaving the village on a mission?"
Kotetsu clearly didn't believe him.
Not to mention the kid's many priors.
Even if they weren't as bad as in the original story, there were still plenty of antics.
"It was indeed my order."
Natsume coughed lightly and appeared in front of them.
"Lord Hokage!"
Izumo and Kotetsu shouted at once.
"Natsume-sensei, you're late again!"
Naruto groused.
The three of them had waited and waited with no sign of him, so he'd wanted to head out early.
"Mm… the Hokage's very busy. I was just discussing something big."
Natsume stroked his chin, savoring the memory.
"Fine then."
Naruto waved his arms impatiently. "Let's get moving!"
"Sorry, Lord Hokage—because they didn't have the writ, we stopped them."
Kotetsu hurried to explain.
"No need to apologize. You did well."
Natsume waved a hand. "That's how it should be. No writ, no leaving, no matter who it is."
Izumo and Kotetsu both breathed out in relief.
The four of them bid farewell to the two legendary figures even Pain wouldn't dare pass openly (Joke), and headed for the Land of Fire's capital.
Naruto had never traveled far.
Leaving the Forest of Death, he was as excited as a bird freed from its cage, chirping nonstop the whole way.
Sasuke kept a calm face and ignored him.
Hinata, oddly enough, was the most experienced of the three.
She often visited the Hyuga's distant relatives—the Kaguya clan—in Kirigakure of the Land of Water.
Speaking of that, the Kaguya's sole survivor, Kaguya Kimimaro, was still lying in Yakushi Kabuto's lab.
The bloodline disease was too intractable.
No good news yet.
There had been some progress with Otsutsuki chakra, though.
Maybe a crude version would be ready soon for Hinata to try.
Even if it couldn't open the Tenseigan, it could still enhance the Byakugan.
By rights, both the Byakugan and Sharingan should have stepwise evolution paths.
But the original never mentioned them.
Only two shortcut-like routes existed.
"We've left Konoha's bounds—enemies could appear at any time."
Natsume warned them. "Even though Hinata's a scout-type, you two can't relax."
All three nodded.
Even Naruto restrained himself a lot during missions.
Besides, he had the human plug-ins Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
"So boring."
Naruto yawned. From noon till dusk, he'd kept his guard high.
But the expected ambush never came.
He started getting restless.
Not just him—Sasuke too.
He was itching to test himself, craving a worthy opponent.
Only Hinata stayed steady.
How to put it?
As long as she was with Natsume, she could endure even the dullest moments.
Natsume smiled.
He'd already sensed they were being tailed.
Two people.
And familiar faces.
Momochi Zabuza and Haku.
Thinking about it, this wasn't coincidence—it was the lure of money.
After failing to assassinate Yagura Karatachi, Zabuza became a rogue ninja.
To survive, he took black-market jobs and bounties.
He became Gatō's bodyguard in the original for the money too.
Now, with a 100-million-ryo Hokage walking around, of course Zabuza wouldn't pass that up.
If he dared to assassinate a Mizukage, why not add a Hokage?
And a young man, at that.
Whatever the rumors, in his eyes that was far less trouble than Yagura.
Who was, at the very least, the Three-Tails' jinchuriki.
"Let's eat first."
Natsume glanced at the sky. He had to create an opening for Zabuza and Haku.
When you eat, your guard drops unconsciously.
And nightfall made good cover.
"Alright!"
Naruto brightened immediately.
Since they were on a mission, they didn't light a fire to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Natsume was prepared—he took out bento boxes and handed them over.
"Thanks, sensei!"
Naruto opened his bento and his eyes lit up.
Beautifully made, with a faint aroma that made him swallow.
"Wow, so good!"
Naruto bit into a rice ball and praised it without restraint.
Sasuke nodded reflexively. It was indeed good.
It reminded him of his mother, Uchiha Mikoto.
Her cooking was excellent too.
And he felt, inexplicably, that this bento had her style.
Impossible, of course—maybe he just missed her too much.
It had been three or four years.
"Natsume-sensei, did you make this?"
Sasuke finished his onigiri in a few bites.
"Most of it."
Natsume smiled. "I bought a bit more when I thought the portions weren't enough."
In truth, Mikoto had made it.
Especially for Sasuke's.
She'd worked hard in the kitchen.
As for him recognizing it?
Natsume felt it was unlikely.
Sasuke wasn't some super-taster who could detect it in a bite.
Just then, a faint mist drifted in under the night.
But Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata didn't notice.
In a sense, the delicious bento had helped Zabuza and Haku.
"Coming for me first?"
Natsume thought.
Reasonable enough.
His three students looked like fresh graduates—no need to worry.
Kill him, and the rest would be easy.
"Why is there mist?"
Hinata noticed the fog gathering.
In a sunny daytime turning to evening, mist shouldn't appear.
She opened her Byakugan at once.
Byakugan!
In her vision, a figure saturated with chakra lunged toward Natsume.
Her heart clenched, but it was too late.
Closing the distance, Zabuza gripped the Executioner's Blade with both hands, murderous aura pouring off him, and swung down.
Natsume calmly drew a kunai and blocked.
Clang.
Zabuza's face tightened. No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't advance an inch.
Even stranger, his massive sword hadn't cut that ordinary kunai.
Something was wrong.
He instantly retreated.
"Natsume-sensei!"
Only then did Naruto's voice ring out.
Sasuke set down his bento and stood, scanning the area.
"Over there!"
Hinata pointed.
Sasuke's two-tomoe Sharingan spun as he entered the fog.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto hurried after him.
Natsume shook his head.
Reckless.
"Hinata."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go deal with the other ninja behind us."
In the original, Haku debuted around special-jonin level.
But this was two years earlier; he shouldn't be that strong yet.
Besides, Hinata trained daily under Natsume, fighting constantly within Mangekyo Sharingan illusions.
In experience, she was no less than Haku.
What she lacked was ruthlessness.
"Okay."
Hinata nodded.
Fog could hinder the Sharingan, but not the Byakugan; she quickly spotted Haku.
"Sharingan?"
Zabuza noticed Sasuke and was surprised, then dismissive.
Two tomoe, so what?
And wielded by a kid not even ten.
Two Konoha genin—what was there to fear?
"You two brats who haven't even grown hair!"
Zabuza stopped, murderous intent rolling off him.
He didn't know why Natsume wasn't chasing, but dealing with his students first was fine too.
Sasuke and Naruto's bodies stiffened as chill ran to their hands and feet.
Zabuza snorted and raised his sword—no frills, just a straight chop.