Aoba tried his best to stay calm, avoiding waking up Hinata who was sleeping beside him.
After a while, Yakumo hurriedly ran toward the bathroom.
It took quite a while before she came out again, her face full of shyness.
Yakumo pressed her red lips together, glanced at Aoba who still hadn't fully recovered, her eyes a little hazy.
"Aoba."
Her voice carried expectation.
Aoba froze, looking at the girl in the night light, her shoulder strap slipping down.
Then he glanced at the other side, where Hinata was still sound asleep.
His mind had never been this clear before, nor this chaotic.
Aoba didn't know what to say. When he breathed in, there seemed to be a faint burning heat.
He first kissed Hinata lightly on the lips, then closed his eyes.
"You come over first."
"...", Yakumo pressed her lips again, swallowed, her eyes visibly lighting up.
But a cold wind blew through, making her sober.
Even so, when she looked at Hinata in Aoba's arms, the corners of her mouth still couldn't help but lift faintly.
"I'll go shut the window first."
As her words fell, Yakumo pulled up her strap.
She walked over toward the window, moonlight spilling down, and on her slender white hands there seemed to be a layer of frost.
When she slipped back under the covers, Yakumo still first checked a little.
———
"Why does it smell kind of strange?", Half-asleep, Hinata seemed to catch a faintly odd scent.
"Good morning, Hinata," Aoba's voice suddenly sounded.
Hinata lifted her head, just in time to meet Aoba's gaze.
"Good morning, Aoba-kun."
Aoba leaned down slightly and gave Hinata a peck.
Hinata's pretty face blushed. Even though she still minded the strange smell lingering in the air, right now, there was something more important.
"Yakumo, time to get up," After Aoba and Hinata finished washing up, even though he knew why Yakumo wanted to sleep in, in order to avoid Hinata noticing anything, Aoba still made a token effort to call out.
Yakumo only rolled over in bed, mumbling drowsily, "No, let me sleep a little more."
"Hehe, Aoba…"
Seeing her hugging the blanket, nearly drooling, Aoba couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth.
He wanted to call again, but Hinata tugged at his sleeve.
"Hinata?"
Hinata's face was already flushed red, "Let's just go out first."
She understood Yakumo's mood very well. She herself hated being disturbed when she dreamed. Because once interrupted, she couldn't pick up where she left off.
"This… alright then," Since Hinata said so, Aoba didn't press further.
He decided he would be especially good to Hinata today, agreeing to whatever she wanted.
'Poor Hinata, still unaware of what she has lost.'
———
[A Week Later, Konoha Village]
In the Hokage's office, Aoba was giving a brief report on the mission.
"That's everything that happened this time."
After listening, Tsunade frowned. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
"You didn't settle things with Kazahana Koyuki?"
"..."
Aoba was speechless. But when he recalled that kiss Koyuki gave him at parting, he scratched awkwardly at his face. The exact spot she had kissed.
"I guess… it counts as settled?"
Only then did Tsunade nod. She added a few strokes to Aoba's mission report, stamped it, and slipped it into a file folder.
Handing it to Shizune, who was eyeing Aoba like a hawk, "Go put this in the file, and remember to place it under the 'top secret' category."
"Got it."
Shizune took the folder and headed out.
As she passed Aoba, she deliberately stepped on his foot, muttering as she left, "Womanizing scumbag."
Aoba could only sweatdrop, feeling tonight would be a trial.
"Sensei, what did you write that turned it into a secret file?"
Leaning back in her chair, Tsunade gave him a half-smiling look, "Of course, 'Successfully won over the Land of Snow's daimyo, the plan to unify the shinobi world takes another step forward.'"
"...", Aoba's head throbbed. His face looked like he'd just swallowed a fly.
Seeing his expression, Tsunade couldn't hold back her laughter, "Just kidding. Since it involves the internal affairs of another country, I marked it as confidential."
Watching Tsunade laugh, her chest heaving, Aoba felt he couldn't take it anymore.
He walked up to her and earnestly poured out his longing.
By the time Shizune returned, the two were already back to normal.
Tsunade had tidied her clothing neatly, though Aoba still carried some lingering traces.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but this time it seemed like Tsunade was the one who had been a bit...
"Brat!", sunade's voice snapped Aoba back to reality.
"If you've got nothing else, you can leave now."
Seeing him looking so absentminded, Tsunade, worried Shizune might notice something, hurried to send him away.
"I also have a letter for you, from one of the Land of Snow's ministers," Aoba took out the letter Sandayu Asame had entrusted to him before parting.
Tsunade received it, casually opened it, and after reading, nodded in satisfaction.
"Sensei, what does it say?", Aoba asked curiously.
"You didn't read it yourself?", Tsunade looked surprised.
Aoba was left speechless.
"It's for you. Why would I read it?"
Tsunade directly tossed the letter back to him, "From now on, any letters addressed to the Hokage, you can read them too."
"Oh," Aoba opened it and skimmed. Nothing special was inside.
It only said that once the Land of Snow's situation had fully stabilized, Sandayu Asame would come to Konoha to discuss fostering friendly relations between the two sides.
To deepen ties between the Land of Snow and Konoha.
Aoba set the letter down. Having resolved his curiosity, he instead felt a little bored.
"By the way, how's the interrogation of Kazahana Doto going?"
"As for the chakra armor, the research division has already started work. Shouldn't be long before we see a finished product."
"Anything else?", Tsunade asked.
"Sensei, are you really that eager to get rid of me?", Aoba put on a look of deep hurt.
Tsunade rolled her eyes, 'This brat is still acting.'
"Then why don't you stay and help me with paperwork?"
"On second thought, I'll pass."
Aoba had just arrived, but immediately chose to bolt.
"That brat!"
"Tsunade-sama, are you jealous?", Watching him leave, Shizune couldn't help asking.
Tsunade's expression froze, "Jealous of who?"
"Of course, of that Princess Koyuki. After all, she's a princess like you… no, wait, she's even a daimyo now."
"..."
Tsunade stared at Shizune for a moment, "No."
Shizune: "That's true. Actually, I'm the one who should be jealous."
The corner of Tsunade's mouth twitched.
Then she kicked Shizune out as well.
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