Chapter 234: Hiruzen Sarutobi's Ambition, Makoto's Prestige
So they're wary of the people around me!
Akiyama Makoto thought about it carefully, and it was indeed the case.
If he died or disappeared, the people around him would definitely go on a rampage.
Kurenai Yūhi was currently in a passionate romance with him. Although her strength wasn't the strongest among the Jōnin, her influence was by no means small. It was enough to easily mobilize Sarutobi Asuma. And behind Asuma was the Hokage and the entire Sarutobi clan.
Furthermore, Anko Mitarashi, the Yamanaka clan, and the Hyūga clan had all clearly shown their support for him. They certainly wouldn't just sit by and watch if he disappeared.
On top of that, if Tenten also dragged Guy into it, and Sakura could pull in Kakashi, then his network of connections would practically cover more than half of Konoha's powerful ninja and clans.
If something were to happen to him, Konoha would definitely be turned upside down.
At this thought, he couldn't help but sigh. All his hard work in building this network had not been in vain.
It was just that Uzuki Yūgao, who was standing next to him, was not having a good time.
Her face was pale, and she was clearly unable to accept this resolute blow. Although she had already given up on Gekkō Hayate in her heart, she had never thought of becoming his mortal enemy.
He also had no intention of exposing Kabuto.
He had been worried that Hayate's death would be a huge blow to her, but now, with Kabuto playing this part, it was equivalent to giving her a safe harbor to buffer her emotions. When she accepted the "current situation," the blow of Hayate's "death" or "disappearance" would not be as great.
So, he said, "I will guarantee this. The people by my side will all receive my purest love."
Kabuto, disguised as Hayate, nodded on the surface, but inwardly, he found it absurdly amusing.
To think that such a guy has appeared in Konoha, constantly pulling young and outstanding kunoichi into his arms. Perhaps this is another sign of Konoha's decay!
As for him saying he wanted to build a new clan comparable to the Senju, Kabuto didn't believe a word of it.
At most, he has awakened a little talent. But to become a powerhouse like the First Hokage, he still needs to rely on me and Lord Orochimaru to continuously research and advance the modification of his body.
In the future, when I have the chance to transplant the genes of various powerhouses into my own body, then I will have the chance to aim for the true 'God of Shinobi'.
"In that case, let's part ways here."
After speaking, Kabuto left with a Body Flicker.
Yūgao still wanted to say something, but it was too late.
Her eyes filled with tears, and she buried her head in his shoulder, her whole body limp and strengthless.
He held her, gently patting her back to comfort her. His senses, however, followed Kabuto and found him and Baki again.
"Just letting them go like that?" Baki was full of dissatisfaction.
Kabuto said calmly, "That guy who's not even a ninja has three Jōnin behind him, plus the Yamanaka and Hyūga clans. That female ninja was originally Anbu, and is now under the Hokage's orders to get close to him, protect him, and even find a chance to offer herself to him. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Baki was stunned, his face full of disbelief. "Then what's his status? Is he your Hokage's illegitimate son, or the Daimyō's?"
"Even the Hokage's own son doesn't get this kind of treatment. I can only say that although he's not a ninja, he has a monstrous talent for writing and pleasing women."
"But if we just let them go, what about our business? That woman will definitely report to the Hokage. Are you sure you can hide your identity?"
Kabuto shrugged. "They don't know the reason for our meeting. At worst, I'll just find a chance to escape from Konoha. As for you, just say I came to assassinate you, but you killed me instead."
Hearing this, Baki relaxed. As long as Kabuto was willing to take all the blame and could ensure the Konoha Crush plot proceeded smoothly, he could accept the current situation.
He then said, "If you need to contact me again, use your snakes. Meeting in person is too dangerous."
"No problem. I hope that the next time we meet, we can be celebrating on the Hokage's corpse."
Afterward, the two of them left in different directions.
On Makoto's side, seeing that Yūgao was still unable to calm down, he simply took her back to his home.
At this time, the girls had already left. Only Kurenai, Anko, and Karin remained.
Seeing him bring Yūgao back again, they all looked at him strangely. Anko even teased, "We were just betting on whether you would be staying out all night."
Kurenai looked at her distraught appearance. "What did you do to her? Don't tell me you bullied her?"
He rolled his eyes. "What kind of person do you think I am? As for this, it's a long story."
He had nothing to hide. Apart from the fact that he had sensed and witnessed Hayate's death, he told them everything, beat by beat.
At this time, Yūgao was drinking the hot milk that Karin had brought her, and her emotions had calmed a little.
"Can we be honest?" Anko said, winking at him.
"Speak your mind," he said.
"Alright. It's obvious that Hayate guy has his own difficulties. It looks like he's on some kind of secret mission and wanted you two to get lost quickly."
Kurenai also nodded. "He didn't even want you to bother him, to the point of cutting off his friendship with you. Yūgao, why don't you wait a while and see?"
Yūgao's spirits lifted, and her mood improved considerably.
He took her hand and patted the back of it reassuringly, which made her smile.
"I didn't expect you to be so calm and composed. Aren't you afraid of her being snatched away?" Anko poked his cheek, her voice tinged with a bit of sourness.
He said matter-of-factly, "Of course I'm worried about her being snatched away. After all, she has already confessed to me. I've even thought of a name for our future child."
"But I am also confident that I can make her fall for me. I'm not afraid of any challenge."
Kurenai glared at him. "That's a very spirited speech. It would be even better if you weren't also telling us that you're about to get a new girlfriend."
At this time, Yūgao, having recovered her senses, became awkward. Thinking of what she had done earlier, she was filled with shame. She simply bowed to Kurenai and Anko. "I'm sorry. At that time... I don't know what came over me. I just rushed out in a moment of excitement."
"Ahem, it's nothing, it's nothing! People always make mistakes when they're emotional. I can understand!" Anko quickly replied in agreement.
This left Kurenai, who had been about to criticize her, with a mouthful of words she couldn't spit out.
Anko stuck out her tongue. Her "mistake-making" camp was about to gain a new general. She was overjoyed. With Yūgao, didn't it mean that what she had done in the past wasn't so... out of the ordinary?
"Forget it. Since it's already happened, we can only accept it."
"And we heard from Ino that you knew him just after Tenten did, but you chose to endure the loneliness because of your Anbu mission. So, what do you plan to do next?"
Yūgao had originally had some intention of continuing as an Anbu. But after this whole mess with Kabuto, she also felt that she should rest and recuperate for a while.
So, she said, "I will report what happened to Lord Hokage, and then ask for leave—of course, if he is willing, I will continue to be responsible for protecting Makoto-kun."
"Great! Now I don't have to be on watch every night!" Anko exclaimed.
Kurenai, seeing this, also nodded. Konoha was in a turbulent state. Having another strong fighter in his house was a good thing. As for her and his... she was too lazy to say any more. In any case, right now, she and Anko couldn't handle his 'brute strength' alone. It was good to have one more person to share the burden.
"In that case, you should rest early. Anko and I have prepared a room for you. You can decorate it yourself tomorrow."
"Huh? My... room?"
Only then did she come to her senses. She was back in his house.
Her face flushed slightly. "I... I should just go home—"
But this time, he wasn't going to let her leave. "I don't want to have to save you again after you've been frightened. It's better to rest early. Come with me."
He took her by the hand and led her upstairs. At first, she was hesitant, but she slowly gripped his hand back. Right now, she really did need comfort.
When he opened the door to the room and sat her down on the warm bed, she was still holding his hand, unwilling to let go.
"You're... asking me to stay?"
He whispered in her ear. She nodded.
The next second, her face immediately flushed red. "I... I mean, for you to stay with me! Not... not to do that kind of thing! Can you accept that?"
"Of course!"
A beauty had invited him. He naturally wouldn't refuse, nor would he betray her trust.
He slipped into the covers with her, the two of them holding each other tightly. The heat quickly made them start to sweat. After all, it was already July.
Seeing the sweat dampening their clothes, he said, "It seems we need to cool down a bit if we want to sleep. What do you think?"
She replied with a "Mm" as soft as a mosquito. A few seconds later, she was left in her underwear.
The beautiful woman had a look of shock on her face, but she quickly calmed down. She could feel his strong and warm chest, and he really wasn't doing anything else.
"Sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, everything will be better."
He sighed softly. She closed her eyes.
That night, she slept soundly and peacefully. This was, of course, thanks to the Yang chakra he had infused into her.
When she woke up in the morning, her underwear was long gone. She was clinging tightly to him like a pillow, her soft, long hair fanned out, covering both of them.
Her heart was pounding, so nervous she couldn't control herself. But as she listened to his calm breathing, she also slowly revealed a smile. She looked at his sleeping face up close, feeling a sense of peace and happiness.
After she had looked her fill, she tiptoed out of bed, got dressed, and went downstairs.
As an Anbu member, besides Anko, who was on watch with a shadow clone, she was the first to wake up.
She said good morning to Anko, tidied herself up, and then went to the Hokage's Office, having decided to report what had happened yesterday.
Soon, she was granted an audience with Hiruzen.
At first, he didn't have a good expression on his face. But after hearing her report that she had confessed to Makoto and been accepted, a smile appeared on his lips.
"This is the best news I've heard in days. Your life's great matter has been resolved. I suppose I, as an elder, haven't watched you grow up in vain."
He had a benevolent smile on his face. "As for the details of your future... you don't need to report them to me. After all, it's your private life. I can also grant you a long leave, so you can cultivate your relationship with him."
"But I need you to remember: you are still a ninja of Konoha. You must keep the Will of Fire in your heart. I look forward to you and him having children soon, and raising a new generation of ninja for Konoha."
She blushed slightly but nodded calmly.
Hiruzen also seemed to see a future where his children had become a part of Konoha, and he... would have no choice but to serve the village.
This... is what you call "bonds."
"Lord Hokage, there is one more thing. It concerns Gekkō Hayate—"
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