"Aunt Mikoto," Aoba left the Hokage's office, but he didn't leave the Hokage building.
Instead, he went to another office. The one that belonged to the Hokage's secretary.
"Aoba, you're back!", Uchiha Mikoto looked very happy when she saw Aoba.
"Mm, Aunt Mikoto."
"Did something happen?"
"No, I just came to submit the mission, and thought I'd stop by to say hello."
"So it's just by the way?", Uchiha Mikoto's expression looked a little resentful.
"I still have some things to do later," Aoba scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
"Then are you free tonight?"
"Uh…"
"Yugao and the others have gone out of the village on a mission. Do you want to come eat at my place tonight?"
Uchiha Mikoto added, "You promised Auntie before, remember."
Aoba froze for a moment. He remembered that when leaving Konoha, he really had promised to visit Mikoto's house.
"Alright."
After agreeing to go to Uchiha Mikoto's house for dinner that evening, he left the Hokage building.
———
"Aoba, why do you always spend so long in Tsunade-sama's office every time?", The moment he stepped outside, he heard Yakumo's complaint.
They had already waited a while. Last time was the same.
"Some things got delayed."
"Really? Don't tell me you were doing something bad with Shizune-oneechan in there?", Yakumo's face was suspicious. Shizune wasn't like her, just a little girl. She was a grown woman.
Maybe they were even doing things way more excessive.
Mainly, Aoba's techniques were too skillful. It was obvious he'd honed them with someone else.
"What nonsense are you saying? That's the Hokage's office, a very serious place!", Aoba put on a very serious face.
Yakumo had almost guessed the truth. Just not with Shizune, but with Tsunade instead.
"Hehe, maybe that makes it even more exciting," Yakumo clearly didn't believe it. Aoba might act all proper with his mouth, but hadn't they been fooling around happily enough on the ship even with Hinata right beside them?
Hinata was already blushing red from listening.
Kurenai felt like her disciple was turning out like Anko, full of shameless words.
'Did Anko spoil her?'
"Alright, since the mission report's already submitted, it's still early now. You guys can have some free time. Let's meet later at the yakiniku place, my treat."
Kurenai cut off Yakumo before she could go any further.
She worried Yakumo might say something even wilder, so after speaking, she planned to leave.
"Red-oneechan, wait a sec," Aoba stopped Kurenai.
"What is it?", She paused.
"Can you give this to Anko-oneechan for me?", Aoba pulled out the photo signed by Kazahana Koyuki.
"An autograph photo?", Kurenai remembered Anko asking Aoba to get one.
She reached her hand out to take it, but then suddenly stopped halfway, sighing impatiently, "You give it to her yourself."
If she passed it along, Anko would definitely nag her to death, "She'd probably drive me crazy."
"But… I don't even know where Anko-oneechan lives."
"She lives at…"
To make sure Aoba could find the place, Kurenai gave very detailed directions.
"I'm heading home to shower and change. Don't forget, we're meeting at noon."
After that, Kurenai left.
Leaving Aoba, Yakumo, and Hinata standing there.
"I'm going to find Anko-oneechan. Do you two want to come with me?", Aoba asked Yakumo and Hinata.
Yakumo hesitated. She knew Anko wasn't a good person either, but in the end she bit her lip and shook her head, "I need to go home and wash too."
After exercising last night, she still hadn't had a chance to properly clean up.
She still felt a little sticky.
Hinata glanced at Yakumo, thinking she wanted to go home to dress up and then come back out again.
Naturally, Hinata couldn't fall behind, "I'll go home too, to let Father know I'm back."
"Alright then."
So Aoba went to Anko's house alone.
———
Following the directions Kurenai gave him, he knocked on the door.
"Who is it?", Still half-asleep, Anko came to open the door in pajamas, a coat thrown over.
"The sun's already halfway up the sky, Anko-oneechan, and you still haven't gotten up?", Aoba looked at her just-woke-up appearance.
Really didn't seem like a ninja.
"Aoba?", Anko blinked, thinking she was seeing things. She rubbed her eyes, then reached out to pinch his cheek. Only when he swatted her hand away did she realize it was real.
She stepped aside and let him in.
"Mission finished?"
Anko poured him a glass of water and placed it in front of him.
"Mm, just got back today."
Aoba took a sip.
He was a little surprised. Anko's place was tidier than Kurenai's.
Probably because she didn't have a drinking habit.
Anko tossed her coat onto the sofa and, still in her nightgown, sat down casually next to Aoba, a smile appearing on her face, "Coming to me right after getting back, don't tell me you…"
Bam!
Before she could finish, Aoba slapped a photo onto the table.
"I came to give you this."
"What's this?", Anko picked it up.
Aoba: "The autograph of Princess Gale you wanted."
Anko quickly noticed the signature, "And it's a signed photo, this could probably sell for a good price."
"You wanted the autograph just to sell it?"
Aoba was shocked, already wanting to snatch it back.
"Just kidding, just kidding," Anko chuckled awkwardly and tucked the photo away, "I'm not that kind of person who needs money."
Aoba stared at her. He was sure she hadn't been joking just now.
"How long's it been since you last took a commission?"
Anko glared at him, "I just finished one two days ago, okay? That's why I'm resting today."
"Really?", Aoba said suspiciously.
Anko felt like her dignity as a special jonin had been provoked. She angrily rubbed Aoba's face.
"Of course it's true! Don't underestimate a jonin, you little chunin!"
Aoba wanted to say, 'I could pin you to the ground with one hand', but instead, he noticed something else.
"The results of the chunin exam came out?"
"Mm," Anko didn't stop, still rubbing.
"So who got promoted this time?"
Expressionless, Aoba batted her hand away.
Seeing she hadn't gotten any advantage, Anko flopped onto the sofa like a lazy dog.
"Seems like everyone who made it to the third round got promoted. I only noticed your name, didn't pay attention to the others."
"I see."
Aoba fell silent.
'So that means Naruto and Sasuke are also chunin now. For them, does that count as strengthening, or weakening?'
'They just lost the positive buff of being 'Konoha's genin.''
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