Hinata nodded shyly.
"See you later, Brother-in-law!"
Hanabi grabbed Hinata's hand and dashed out.
Shinho watched the sisters' figures disappear into the distance before finally leaving himself.
When he arrived home, Tsunade had already bathed and fallen into a deep sleep, so he didn't disturb her.
The lively yet peaceful night came to an end.
…
Morning;
After breakfast, Shinho headed to the Hokage's office.
"Hokage-sama."
Mabui immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing him.
Shinho gave a slight nod in response.
He suddenly noticed that Mabui was wearing a pair of black stockings.
"Is there anything important going on today?"
Retracting his gaze, Shinho sat down in his chair.
"There is, actually."
Mabui let out a discreet sigh of relief.
Shinho's glance just now had made her incredibly tense.
But thankfully, he hadn't said anything.
"Envoys from the Daimyos of the Land of Lightning, Wind, Water, and Earth have arrived in Konoha."
Mabui cautiously glanced at him as she spoke. "They wish to negotiate the release of the shinobi from their land."
"Oh?"
Shinho couldn't help but chuckle. "So they've come knocking first, huh?"
In this recent war, all he had done was unify the major ninja villages.
The nations behind them hadn't been dealt with yet.
He had originally planned to handle that after the Konoha Summit.
"Hokage-sama," Mabui hesitated, pursing her lips. "How should we respond?"
"Are you hoping I'll agree to their request?"
Shinho stared directly at Mabui's dark-skinned face.
"N-No."
Mabui's heart nearly stopped, panic filling her entire being.
She had, indeed, harbored a slight hope.
"Then, why are you so nervous?"
Shinho chuckled at her.
"... "
Mabui instinctively bit her lip.
She was terrified that her actions might provoke Shinho's displeasure, which could, in turn, affect the Kumogakure.
"Kick those envoys out."
Shinho, no longer teasing her, spoke nonchalantly.
"Kick them out?"
Mabui was momentarily confused.
"Yep."
Shinho added casually.
"Understood."
Though she didn't quite understand what he was planning, Mabui could only follow his orders.
"And call Sasuke over while you're at it."
Shinho thought for a moment before giving another instruction.
Less than ten minutes after Mabui left, Sasuke pushed open the door and entered.
"Do you have any free time lately?"
Shinho got straight to the point.
"Well, there's nothing much going on."
Sasuke answered truthfully.
After the war ended, high-level missions had become rare, and he found himself lethargic all day.
"Then, take some people and visit the Daimyos of the other countries."
Shinho instructed. "Just handle it the same way we did in the Land of Fire."
Sasuke's eyes lit up slightly and he readily agreed.
After all, Daimyos were always surrounded by numerous shinobi guards.
Hopefully, someone could give him a proper challenge.
…
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
As March arrived, the grass grew lush, the warblers sang, and the climate became incredibly pleasant.
The shadow of war was gradually being erased by the anticipation of the upcoming Konoha Summit.
Everyone in the Hokage Tower was busy preparing for it.
Even Shinho felt an unusual sense of fatigue.
The sheer number of matters piled up from all the ninja villages was overwhelming.
The only satisfying thing was the achievement brought back by Sasuke Uchiha.
..
[Achievement Unlocked: "Uncrowned King" – Reward: Iron Wall Gu.]
[Iron Wall Gu: A Rank-Six Immortal Gu. Upon use, it grants the Gu Master an incredibly strong defense.]
..
Without a doubt, this was triggered after Sasuke gained control over the Daimyos of the various nations.
The reward was straightforward yet highly useful.
A defensive Gu of Immortal rank.
It was undoubtedly more formidable than Shinho's usual Rank-Five defensive Gu, Turtle Shell Wolf Skin Gu.
He even suspected it could withstand attack from the Sage of Six Paths.
As shinho was analysing the Gu, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Shinho instinctively looked up.
The door opened, and Samui walked in.
She was holding a stack of documents in both hands, and with each step, her suit shifted slightly with her movement.
At the collar of her white blouse, a hint of her fair skin peeked through.
"Hokage-sama."
Samui stopped in front of his desk, her black-stockinged legs coming together slightly.
The crisp sound of her heels vanished immediately.
"This is the compiled ninja roster."
Samui placed the documents on his desk.
"Thank you, Samui."
Shinho couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
The stack of documents was at least ten centimeters high.
But upon reflection, it made sense.
After all, it detailed information about the majority of the shinobi in the entire ninja world.
Just organizing it had taken two weeks.
"It's only my duty."
Samui responded calmly.
Shinho casually picked up the topmost document, gave it a glance, and then set it back down.
With so many to go through, he didn't plan to read them manually. He'd just let his Bookworm Gu devour the information.
That way, he could allocate missions based on each shinobi's specialties.
"Hokage-sama, there's one more thing."
Samui suddenly remembered something. "Jiraiya-sama has already looked through this roster."
"Jiraiya?"
Shinho chuckled indifferently. "It's probably because of that so-called Child of Prophecy. You don't need to worry about it."
He already knew the Child of Prophecy was Naruto.
But even if he told Jiraiya directly, he probably wouldn't believe it.
And Shinho couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Yes."
Samui nodded.
"How's the situation at the Ninja Academy?"
Shinho asked again.
"They're currently conducting the Three Basic Techniques assessment," Samui thought for a moment before replying, "It should be finished in about an hour."
"You can go now."
Shinho stood up and walked toward Shizune's office.
As Hokage, he had the authority to assign teams and choose squad leaders based on the students' performances after every Ninja Academy graduation.
But Shinho preferred to slack off and left it all to Shizune.
Truthfully, it was more appropriate for the Hokage's secretaries to handle this.
However, since Konan, Samui, and Mabui were all from other villages, they weren't familiar with the students or the teachers.
So, he'd leave it to them next time.
"Shizune-nee."
Shinho entered the office.
"I'm almost done," Shizune glanced up at him before continuing her work.
"No need to rush, there's still an hour left."
Shinho walked up to her, reaching out to pinch her thigh over her black stockings.
"Aren't the three secretaries enough to satisfy your hands?"
Shizune didn't even lift her head as she asked.
"You're wronging me here, Shizune-nee" Shinho said with righteous indignation. "I haven't even touched them."
"Who knows for certain whether you touched them or not? Certainly not me."
Shizune snorted softly.
"I think there's something wrong with your conscience that need fixing."
A smile appeared on Shinho's face.
Shizune noticed his hands inching closer, and her heart skipped a beat.
She quickly said, "I still have work to do!"
"Alright then."
Shinho shrugged. "I'll measure it properly tonight."
Shizune's face flushed slightly as she glared at him.
Moments later, she shoved a scroll into his hands. "Go to the Ninja Academy and stop bothering me!"
"Make sure to get home early tonight."
Shinho said in a soft tone, holding the scroll.
"... "
Shizune's body trembled slightly, feeling her legs weaken.
Shinho waved at her and made his way to the Ninja Academy.
…
Today was graduation day.
Besides the nervous students, there were also parents gathered in front of the school building.
Shinho scanned the crowd and spotted a familiar figure.
Hinata Hyuga.
Unlike the other parents, she was sitting alone on a bench not far from the building.
Shinho quietly approached her from behind and covered her eyes with his hands.
"Shinho-kun?"
Hinata instinctively asked.
"How did you guess? I didn't even say anything yet."
Shinho was slightly surprised.
"It's... your breath," Hinata blushed as she explained.
But the answer felt somewhat embarrassing.
"I see."
Shinho sat down beside her, noticing the slight pink on her cheeks. His heart stirred as he said, "Let's continue the training from where we left off."
"...!!!!"
Hinata tried to suppress her shyness and nodded.
"Look at me."
Shinho reached out and gently lifted her delicate chin.
Meeting his intense gaze, Hinata's heart started to race wildly.
But she didn't pull away.
"Good girl."
Shinho's thumb slowly moved upward, pressing lightly against her lips.
Hinata's pupils shrank, her fair skin flushing a deep red, and her whole body seemed to radiate heat as if she were steaming.
She stared at his thumb, and suddenly, she parted her lips slightly.
Shinho's heart trembled.
The warm, soft sensation made him subconsciously swallow.
Hinata probably had no idea just how enticing her unconscious actions were.
His thumb even touched her tongue.
"Hinata."
Shinho pulled his hand back.
Hinata stared at him blankly, confused by the sudden absence of his touch.
In the next second, her eyes widened in shock.
Shinho leaned closer, lowering his head and kissed her.
Hinata's mind went completely blank. She had no idea where she was or what was happening.
Her white eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.
Shinho shook his head helplessly.
He gently laid her down on his lap.
Shinho's eyelids twitched.
With Hinata's gentle breathing, the outline of her clothes became more pronounced, as if they were about to burst at the seams.
He took a deep breath, forcing down his restless thoughts.
…
Hanabi came running out from her classroom, her face full of excitement.
With her strength, acing the Three Basic Techniques assessment was a given.
"Sis...?"
Hanabi suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She stared blankly at Shinho and Hinata not far away.
The scene of them kissing made her face gradually turn red.
But for some reason, her heart felt a twinge of… something.
Was he really going to become her brother-in-law?
Hanabi stood there, unsure of what to do.
Shinho noticed her a bit later.
He raised an eyebrow.
Did his little sister-in-law see that?
Oh well, not that it matters.
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