Not long after, a table full of very rich dishes was made by Kakashi.
Since it was clear that Terumi Mei was basically a fool when it came to daily life, even though this was her home, Kakashi still took on all the household work.
He placed the dishes on the table, served two bowls of rice, then turned his head to the dazed Terumi Mei still standing not far away, "Dinner's ready."
For some reason, beautiful tears flowed uncontrollably from Terumi Mei's eyes.
Kakashi's heart trembled, 'Why is this woman crying so much lately?'
Strange, back when they were fighting, she wasn't like this.
He couldn't help asking, "What now?"
Terumi Mei just raised her hand and wiped her tears, "It's just that… it's been so long since I've had this feeling of home."
Kakashi's body stiffened.
It wasn't just Terumi Mei. He, who had lost his parents as a child and lived alone, also hadn't felt this in a long time.
Strange, it was only a simple meal, only the quiet anticipation of the food about to enter their mouths.
Yet there was this indescribable peace and happiness.
But now he was in the Land of Water, in Kirigakure, deep inside enemy territory, carrying out a dangerous mission.
His mindset now should be one of heightened vigilance,.so why was he unconsciously relaxing?
Kakashi felt this sensation was far too dangerous. Instinctively, he wanted to suppress it.
But for some reason, seeing Terumi Mei moved to tears, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh.
In the end, only a voice even he himself found gentle came out.
"Come eat."
Those words seemed to be filled with magic. Terumi immediately stopped crying and obediently ran over.
The two of them exchanged a glance, sat down together, pressed their hands together, and facing the meal said, "Itadakimasu."
Then Terumi Mei impatiently picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth.
Her eyes narrowed at once. The tenderness of the fish burst on her taste buds, and she couldn't help saying, "So delicious! Even better than my mother's cooking."
"If I could come home every day to fish this good, I'd definitely return every day…"
Kakashi only gave a small "hmph", "Want me to cook for you every day? Keep dreaming."
Terumi Mei rolled her eyes at him, "You really are the same unromantic little man I knew."
After saying that, she spitefully picked up another piece of fish and stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes turning from disdain to satisfaction again.
The two of them ate a peaceful, harmonious meal, not stopping until every dish on the table was cleared.
Terumi Mei rubbed her now-round belly, suddenly remembered something, stood up and said, "I need to go report back to the Mizukage. After all, this was his mission, I have to give a briefing."
Kakashi put his mask back on, which he had removed to eat, and suddenly realized something very serious.
He spoke, "Actually… I only wanted you to find me a hiding place. But you brought me directly home, and people know about it now…"
"If my identity is exposed, you won't be able to avoid being implicated."
Terumi Mei only smiled, "So can you try to stay home as much as possible and not go out? That way, the risk of exposure is reduced, and I won't be dragged down either."
Kakashi didn't want to lie to Terumi Mei.
After all, he came here with a mission, to contact Konoha's embedded spies in Kirigakure and obtain enough intelligence about the village.
He was silent for a moment before finally saying, "Sorry, I still need to go out."
Terumi Mei, seeing this, could only say, "Kakashi, if your mission is only to gather information on Kirigakure to confirm whether we intend to launch war against Konoha, I can tell you: as long as we have the upper hand, such a thing won't happen."
"The elder faction I belong to, Lord Genshi, is a member of the moderate faction. The last time we jointly hosted the Chunin Exams with Konoha, it was by his opinion."
"Compared to the cruel Blood Mist era, we lean toward peace. Toward Konoha, we want to maintain friendship."
But Kakashi shook his head, "Saying 'as long as you have the upper hand' means you don't have it yet. And you also don't have confidence that you will. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be thinking of seeking help from Konoha, right?"
Terumi Mei fell silent. How hard was it to oppose the Mizukage's tyranny?
Among their faction, the only one who could reach the Kage level was the already aged Genshi. He hadn't acted in a long time, and might not be able to handle the still-strong Third Mizukage.
As for the rest, the jonin and elite jonin, even counting herself, they didn't match the numbers of the Third Mizukage's side. In truth, they were at a disadvantage.
And even if Kakashi believed her words, this wasn't just something between two people, but between two great ninja villages. Kakashi would inevitably need to confirm things himself…
Realizing this, Terumi Mei could only say, "Go out if you must, Kakashi. But I want you to promise me, no matter what you do, you must not harm the interests of the majority of the people of the Land of Water and Kirigakure."
"I will repeat my vow: if you break this promise, I will fight you to the death!"
Kakashi saw the seriousness and determination in Terumi Mei's eyes, knowing she wasn't joking.
He said, "Don't worry. Konoha is a peaceful village. Even without you, I'd never want to drag innocent civilians into this…"
After a pause, inexplicably, a sudden impulse rose in his heart, "As for the matter of promises, you still have two left… save them for later."
Terumi Mei glanced sidelong at Kakashi.
"Didn't expect you to actually be a decent guy. Just don't stir up too much trouble. Otherwise, once your identity is exposed, you won't even have a chance to use those promises."
Kakashi said, "Relax. I know my limits. Besides, I don't want to drag you into this."
The corner of Terumi Mei's mouth curved into a faint smile, "Handsome boy, I'm leaving."
With that, she quickly walked out of the house.
Kakashi helplessly looked at the dishes left on the table and muttered, "Doesn't even clean up after herself. Sigh, I'd better tidy up before I go out."
Saying so, he started busying himself with the housework.
———
[Kirigakure, Elders' Hall]
Genshi sat in a tea room drinking tea. A short, small-framed, brown-haired man with a baby face walked in.
He reported.
"Elder Genshi, I've received news. A foreign shinobi has infiltrated the Land of Water. His whereabouts are unknown now. He used Earth Release, and even fought Terumi Mei. Terumi Mei was defeated…"
Genshi's hand holding the teacup froze, his tone carrying a trace of concern, "Terumi Mei… is she alright?"
Yagura replied, "She was caught by Decapitation in the Earth, but luckily she's fine. Only… afterward she encountered three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. They didn't save her, but went on chasing the spy by themselves, and in the end still didn't find him…"
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