[Check Out My P4treon For +50 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my p4treon][patreon.com/roaverse]
===
Sasame hadn't expected Terumi Mei to suddenly lunge at him.
Though he could have easily dodged, was there any need to?
Their noses brushed, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air.
A fleeting warmth was followed by a sharp sting of pain.
He could clearly feel the imprint of her teeth.
Terumi Mei swiftly retreated to her seat as the Mizukage, her cheeks flushing crimson, the blush quickly spreading down her slender, pale neck.
At this moment, she was utterly lucid.
And because she was lucid, she could keenly sense the emotions in her heart.
An unexpected joy.
Terumi Mei felt dazed. She turned her head slightly, avoiding Sasame's gaze so he wouldn't see the tenderness in her eyes.
"Any other conditions?" she asked.
"Biting and kissing are two different things," Sasame remarked, amused by her rare display of vulnerability. "What you did just now was biting, not kissing."
Seeing the dignified Mizukage desperately trying to hide her embarrassment—this was undoubtedly a first.
"Bastard!"
Terumi Mei's face burned with fury, her chest heaving. "If I weren't so outmatched, you'd have died a thousand times over by now!"
"Many thanks for the Mizukage's mercy," Sasame replied with a grin.
"You're absolutely insufferable!"
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "If there are no more conditions, let's finalize the alliance."
"Agreed."
Sasame leaned in, cupping her face in his hands, and pressed his lips to hers.
Terumi Mei stiffened at first, struggling instinctively, but soon melted into the kiss, sinking back into her chair.
A long moment later, they parted.
"I'm satisfied with your terms," Sasame said, pinching her soft cheek. "Send your envoys to Konoha."
By the time Terumi Mei regained her senses, he was already gone.
"That bastard…"
Unconsciously, she licked her lips, as if still tasting the lingering warmth.
Outside the window, the misty haze of Kirigakure persisted.
But inside, a silent bloom had begun to unfold, dispelling the suffocating atmosphere.
Konoha Village Gates
Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyūga Hinata were stopped by the two gatekeepers.
"Show us the Hokage's authorization," Izumo Kamizuki stated firmly. "Without it, you can't leave the village."
"Hey, old man!" Naruto thumped his chest. "We're the Hokage's students!"
"Even the Hokage's students must follow the rules," Kotetsu Hagane said with a chuckle. "Naruto, sneaking out isn't an option."
"I wasn't sneaking!" Naruto protested loudly. "Sasame-sensei really did give us permission!"
"You three just graduated. There's no way you'd be sent on an outside mission already," Kotetsu replied skeptically.
Naruto had a history of mischief—not as extreme as in the original timeline, but still enough to raise eyebrows.
"It was my order."
A light cough sounded as Sasame appeared beside them.
"Hokage-sama!" Izumo and Kotetsu immediately straightened.
"Sasame-sensei, you're late again!" Naruto complained.
They had waited forever, and when he didn't show, Naruto had tried to leave ahead of time.
"Well… being Hokage is busy work," Sasame mused, stroking his chin. "I just finished negotiating something important."
"Fine, whatever!" Naruto waved impatiently. "Let's just go already!"
"Hokage-sama, our apologies," Kotetsu said quickly. "We only stopped them because they didn't have authorization."
"No need to apologize. You did the right thing," Sasame assured them. "No one leaves without permission—no exceptions."
Izumo and Kotetsu exhaled in relief.
With that, the four set off toward the capital of the Land of Fire, leaving behind the legendary gatekeepers—men even Pain wouldn't dare challenge head-on.
Naruto, who had never traveled far before, was practically vibrating with excitement once they passed the Forest of Death, chattering nonstop like a freed bird.
Sasuke remained silent, his expression dark.
Hinata, surprisingly, was the most experienced of the three. She had often visited the distant Hyūga relatives in Kirigakure—the Kaguya clan.
Speaking of which, the sole survivor of the Kaguya clan, Kimimaro, was still lying in Orochimaru's lab, his kekkei genkai-induced illness remaining incurable.
Progress on harnessing Ōtsutsuki chakra, however, was advancing. Soon, a crude version might be ready for Hinata to test. Even if it didn't awaken the Tenseigan, it could still enhance her Byakugan.
Logically, both the Byakugan and Sharingan should have progressive evolution paths. But the original series never explored this—only offering shortcuts.
"We're outside Konoha's borders now. Enemies could appear at any moment," Sasame warned. "Even though Hinata is our scout, you two must stay alert."
All three nodded.
Even Naruto, usually so reckless, had dialed back his impulsiveness for the mission.
Plus, he had Minato and Kushina as backup—living cheat codes.
"This is so boring," Naruto groaned after hours of walking with no action.
Sasuke, too, was restless. He ached for a real fight, a worthy opponent.
Only Hinata remained composed.
To her, as long as she was with Sasame, even the dullest moments were bearable.
Sasame smirked.
He had already sensed their pursuers—two of them.
And they were familiar faces.
Momochi Zabuza and Haku.
This wasn't a coincidence. It was the allure of money.
After failing to assassinate Yagura, Zabuza had become a rogue ninja, forced to take bounties to survive. In the original story, he worked for Gato for the same reason.
Now, with a one-billion-ryō bounty on the Hokage's head, Zabuza wouldn't pass up the opportunity.
If he dared attack a Mizukage, why not a Hokage? Especially one who was just a kid.
No matter his reputation, Zabuza saw him as far less troublesome than Yagura—a jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.
"Let's eat first," Sasame said, glancing at the darkening sky.
He needed to give Zabuza and Haku the perfect opening.
Dinnertime meant lowered guard, and nightfall provided cover.
"Hell yeah!" Naruto cheered.
The boy was a bottomless pit when it came to food.
Since they were on a mission, they avoided lighting a fire to stay hidden.
Sasame had prepared bento boxes in advance.
"Thanks, sensei!" Naruto's eyes sparkled as he opened his.
The food was immaculate, its aroma making his mouth water.
"Whoa! This is amazing!" he mumbled through a mouthful of rice.
Sasuke nodded slightly in agreement. It was good—reminiscent of his mother's cooking.
But that was impossible.
He shook off the thought.
"Sasame-sensei, did you make this?" Sasuke asked after finishing.
"Mostly," Sasame replied. "I bought some extra portions just in case."
In truth, Mikoto Uchiha had prepared them—especially Sasuke's.
She had worked hard in the kitchen.
Would he recognize it?
Unlikely.
Sasuke wasn't some gourmet prodigy who could identify flavors at a glance.
Just then, a faint mist crept in with the night.
None of the three noticed.
In a way, the delicious meal had played right into Zabuza's hands.
"Coming for me first, huh?" Sasame mused.
Makes sense.
His students were obviously fresh graduates—no threat.
Kill the Hokage, and the rest would be easy.
"Why is there mist?" Hinata frowned.
Clear skies didn't produce nighttime fog.
Her Byakugan flared to life—
Wind!
Her vision locked onto a figure surging toward Sasame, chakra blazing.
Her heart lurched—
Too late!
Zabuza's massive blade came down in a brutal arc.
Sasame blocked it effortlessly with a single kunai.
CLANG!
Zabuza's eyes widened.
No matter how much force he applied, the blade wouldn't budge.
Worse—his executioner's sword hadn't even scratched the kunai.
Something's wrong.
He retreated instantly.
"Sasame-sensei!" Naruto finally shouted.
Sasuke was already moving, his two-tomoe Sharingan active as he charged into the mist.
"There!" Hinata pointed.
"Wait for me!" Naruto sprinted after them.
Sasame sighed.
So reckless.
"Hinata." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Handle the other one."
In the original story, Haku was around special jōnin level.
But now, two years earlier, he shouldn't be as strong.
Besides, Hinata had been training daily under Sasame, battling illusions of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Her experience wasn't inferior to Haku's.
The only thing she lacked was ruthlessness.
"Okay." She nodded and turned, her Byakugan piercing the mist.
Unlike the Sharingan, the Byakugan saw through the haze with ease.
"Sharingan?" Zabuza scoffed as Sasuke approached.
Two tomoe. A child.
Two Konoha brats—what did he have to fear?
"You're barely out of diapers!" Zabuza snarled, his killing intent crashing over them like a tidal wave.
Sasuke and Naruto froze, their limbs locking up.
Zabuza smirked and swung.
===
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 230 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 35 power stones I will publish the next chapter.
patreon.com/roaverse
(Give me all your power stones)