Chapter 213: Men All Like Those Really Round, Really Big Ones
"Ritsu-nii, you really scared us to death! So much time without any news."
"Did your training finish?"
"Hurry up and treat Aika and me to food. Our stomachs are practically starving flat!"
Akiba chattered incessantly. Her talkative problem seemed increasingly severe. Ever since Hyuga Ritsu returned, she'd talked nonstop, throwing questions one after another. This left Hyuga Ritsu's head spinning—he didn't even know which to answer first.
However, the food request posed no problems.
Hyuga Ritsu rubbed his brow, glancing at the horizon's sunset glow. His gaze returned to the two young women. Forcibly interrupting Akiba's nagging, he asked, "Alright, Akiba, what do you and Aika want to eat?"
"Eel rice."
"Eh?"
"What? Aika, don't you want that?"
"Too oily, right? Eating eel rice at night—weight will definitely increase tomorrow."
"Aika, you eat too lightly. That's why you're so thin. Not eating properly to supplement nutrition won't do. You should know men really like those especially voluptuous types. Like this, you won't find a boyfriend in the future!"
Aika rolled her eyes, glaring at her loose-tongued friend. "Akiba, what are you talking about?"
Not receiving her good friend's agreement, Akiba said very indignantly, "Don't believe me? Takuma—that guy who loves loitering in bookstores' adult sections—all the manga he lent Arima are those really round, really big types. Men all like those kinds. If you don't believe me, ask Ritsu-nii!"
"Ritsu-nii, I'm right, aren't I?"
Akiba looked toward Hyuga Ritsu.
Aika simultaneously cast her gaze over quietly.
Hyuga Ritsu's heart tightened. His face showed a helpless smile. He extended his hand with some force, knocking his cousin's empty head.
His voice lowered. Without answering Akiba's inquiry, he instead asked, "Akiba, why would you know what type of manga Takuma lent Arima?"
"This..."
As if struck at a death point, Akiba's body stiffened. Her eyes shook violently. Several breaths later, she performed a spectacular face-changing act. Forcibly squeezing out a flattering smile, she said, "Ritsu-nii, I saw it accidentally. Really! I absolutely didn't coerce Arima into lending me those manga!"
Hyuga Ritsu's mouth corner twitched.
Coerce?
What exactly had this Akiba girl done?
"Ritsu-nii, you definitely won't mention such boring small matters to Mom, right?" Akiba grabbed Hyuga Ritsu's arm, shaking it vigorously like when acting spoiled as a child. Her face's smile resembled flattery's concrete manifestation.
Hyuga Ritsu remained unmoved. Allowing his arm to be shaken, his body stood steady as stone without moving an inch. He merely asked, "Not telling is fine. But what's in it for me?"
Akiba immediately widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Ritsu-nii, you've changed! I'm your precious little sister!"
"Hmph!"
Hyuga Ritsu emitted a disdainful cold snort. "Even brothers settle accounts clearly. Same for siblings. Wanting me to act ignorant before Aunt Midoriko—no benefits won't work. Otherwise, when this scandal of yours gets exposed later, saying I knew but didn't report, I'll definitely get implicated and scolded together."
"What scandal? Ritsu-nii, can you even speak properly?"
Akiba felt very dissatisfied. But momentarily careless, having her weakness seized was also fact. She absolutely didn't hope her appreciation of those adult-category manga would be discovered by Mom.
Therefore—she had to find ways to seal Ritsu-nii's mouth!
Her eyes rolled around. Her brain, put out to pasture since overthrowing the Main Family, finally operated at full speed again. Her gaze inadvertently caught her good friend standing beside, staring intently at Ritsu-nii.
Her heart stirred. Inspiration flashed.
"Ritsu-nii, speaking of which, you still haven't answered my question!"
Akiba stared at Hyuga Ritsu suspiciously.
Clearly just now she'd asked Ritsu-nii a question. But Ritsu-nii hadn't answered, even inversely attempting to muddle through with questions—as if covering something up.
"What question? That's called nonsense."
"Could it be... you like Aika's slender, graceful type?" Akiba's words proved shocking.
Hyuga Ritsu was caught off-guard by his cousin, momentarily not knowing how to answer—thus falling into silence.
But this silence—
Itself also represented an answer.
"Actually..."
Akiba's eyes widened to perfect circles.
She looked at Hyuga Ritsu in disbelief, then toward her close friend beside. But Aika also gently turned her head, avoiding that questioning gaze. One could only see the young woman's cheeks faintly rising with rosy clouds—whether sunset reflections remained unclear.
"Ahem!"
Hyuga Ritsu coughed forcefully twice, clearing his throat. "Alright, Akiba, stop talking nonsense. Didn't you say you wanted me to treat you to food? What do you want to eat? Let's hurry and eat. The sun's almost setting."
Horizon's fire-burning sunset glow gradually dimmed. Night slowly tinged the firmament.
"Hmph, don't think you can muddle through. This isn't over."
Akiba didn't insist on forcing out an answer right now. But she also made clear she wouldn't give up. Determined to get to the bottom of this, she absolutely had to figure out when Ritsu-nii and Aika had gotten together.
Actually, actually hiding such interesting things from her all along!
Because Akiba held leverage, dinner ultimately went according to Akiba's wishes—eating eel rice. This meal left Hyuga Ritsu uncomfortable all over. Akiba threw questions one after another, practically wishing to ask clearly about every single detail from each time Hyuga Ritsu and Aika met during this past period.
Finally finishing this tasteless dinner, Akiba mercifully let Hyuga Ritsu off. Taking pocket money Hyuga Ritsu gave her, dragging Aika—whose head also ached but couldn't refuse—together to go shopping—Konoha Village's nights remained quite prosperous.
Though only months had passed since signing peace treaties with Cloud ninja, before that they'd always been in confrontational states. Only small-scale friction occurred without large-scale warfare erupting. The only major battle was Hyuga Ritsu penetrating Cloud ninja's defensive lines.
So for Konoha villagers, war had actually already ended for roughly half a year. After Minato took office, various policies all accelerated the village's vitality and vigor recovery. By now, Konoha's nights had become exceptionally prosperous—naturally, only along several main thoroughfares. More remote areas remained dimly lit with sparse human figures.
Watching the young women's backs vanish into street lights, Hyuga Ritsu prepared going home. Considerable time remained before sleeping—perfect for pondering and researching sage technique power.
However—
Just then, a figure jumped down from a high rooftop, precisely appearing before him.
"Clan Head."
"Takuma?"
Hyuga Ritsu looked carefully. Standing before him was unmistakably Hyuga Takuma who'd accompanied Fourth Hokage to attend the Five Kage Summit. He immediately asked, "The Five Kage Summit ended?"
"Ended."
"How did negotiations at the Five Kage Summit go? Did Fourth Hokage send you to find me?"
"That's right. Hokage-sama brought Shisui and me back just now. He asked me to come invite you to the Hokage Building. This Five Kage Summit... should count as satisfactorily concluded?"
"What do you mean 'should count as'?"
"Because I feel conditions negotiated probably can't be fulfilled. Most likely will directly tear up the treaty and fight."
"Sounds very interesting. However, I feel currently Rock ninja and Cloud ninja probably lack courage to make war with us?"
"No. I mean we'll most likely proactively tear up the treaty."
Hyuga Ritsu froze momentarily. Immediately, his face showed interested expression. "Somewhat interesting. Sounds like our Hokage-sama agreed to conditions not very favorable to us?"
Hyuga Takuma didn't speak.
As one of the Kage Guard Platoon, his moral sense didn't allow criticizing Hokage-sama whatsoever. Though he truly felt Hokage-sama needn't show those four fellows any tolerance.
"Let's go! I'll go hear what this Five Kage Summit negotiated."
Hyuga Ritsu walked toward the Hokage Building.
Naturally—
He didn't forget forming hand seals to send out a Shadow Clone returning home to train sage techniques. Training was persistent, never-ending—especially when one's own lifespan had limits. Naturally, he should seize every segment of time available for striving to grow stronger.
When Hyuga Ritsu's Shadow Clone returned home beginning sage technique comprehension, Hyuga Ritsu's true body simultaneously arrived at the Hokage Building. Here he met an entire leadership team headed by Fourth Hokage.
Naturally, he himself was also one member of this group.
"Looks like I'm the last to arrive."
Hyuga Ritsu swept a glance around everyone in the office, saying with a smile, "Hokage-sama, I hope I didn't make everyone wait too long. Otherwise, I'd feel guilty."
Minato shook his head with a smile. "Originally, this was sudden notice. Everyone's arrival speed already exceeded my expectations. Speaking of which, summoning you all for meetings this late at night represents my willfulness."
"However, the Five Kage Summit finally concluded this afternoon. I discussed with the four Kage regarding how to handle the Rinnegan possessor issue. Cloud ninja, Rock ninja, Sand ninja, and Mist ninja will all dispatch personnel participating in operations, forming a joint action force. In the name of the five great ninja villages jointly, we'll conduct searches of Amegakure, Kusagakure, and Takigakure."
Everyone listened seriously.
"Also, we've agreed—if we truly smoothly resolve the Rinnegan's possessor, the Rinnegan will be jointly possessed by us five villages."
"Jointly possessed?"
Hiruko frowned. "How can this thing be jointly possessed? Can one pair of eyes be divided into five portions?"
Minato explained, "Tsuchikage proposed possessing during different time periods. Each village's Rinnegan possession time won't exceed two months. During possession periods, no destructive research may be conducted. Simultaneously, all five villages can dispatch research personnel following the Rinnegan's sides—this also counts as disguised surveillance."
Hearing this explanation, everyone looked at each other, frowning in thought.
This sounded quite fair. But the problem lay in their own Konoha being the ninja world's strongest. During the past Third Shinobi World War, they'd beaten each of the other four great ninja villages individually. Though their own losses also proved considerable, simultaneously they'd tempered a batch of top-tier ninja through warfires. No reason to maintain so-called fairness with the other four villages.
For powerful Konoha, fairness instead proved unacceptable. Because their side needed occupying more benefits.
At this moment, Hyuga Ritsu also understood why Hyuga Takuma had spoken thus. These seemingly fair conditions completely represented compromise and appeasement for their own Konoha. If their own Konoha's position proved weak, so be it. But currently, truly no need eating such losses.
"Hokage-sama, won't this prove too advantageous for them?"
Akimichi Torikaze couldn't help asking. "That Ōnoki old bastard is famously old, treacherous, and cunning. These conditions completely benefit them. Unsurprisingly, during operations against the Rinnegan possessor, we'll definitely serve as main force. They'll at most just beat drums on the sidelines."
Speaking thus, he additionally proposed, "I feel the best method actually is—the Rinnegan belongs to us Konoha, but we allow them participating in Rinnegan research. At that time, how to handle the Rinnegan—naturally all our decisions."
Nara Shikaku's face flashed helpless coloring.
Torikaze-senpai remained so poor at speaking.
Minato's expression remained unchanged. "So to ensure true fairness, we'll determine Rinnegan possession order based on each village's contribution size during operations against the Rinnegan possessor. Barring accidents, the Rinnegan will first fall into our hands."
At these words, Akimichi Torikaze's face immediately showed a smile. "This works too. As long as the Rinnegan initially falls into our hands, then we needn't transfer it to them afterward."
But Minato shook his head. "No. We Konoha can't do such untrustworthy things."
"Eh?"
Akimichi Torikaze froze, looking at Minato with some disbelief.
However, the next second, Minato's words made his face again show a brilliant smile blooming like chrysanthemums.
"Among conditions we agreed upon, it stated the five great ninja villages all must ensure the Rinnegan won't be destroyed by people outside the five great ninja villages. If Cloud ninja, Rock ninja cannot ensure the Rinnegan's safety, then naturally we can't hand the Rinnegan to them."
Minato spoke extremely openly.
"Good idea."
Hyuga Ritsu smiled. "Make them prove they possess capability protecting the Rinnegan's safety. If they cannot prove it, the Rinnegan can only temporarily remain stored with us Konoha."
Others also wore smiles. This outcome proved acceptable to everyone. Both superficially maintained fairness and justice while simultaneously ensuring their own benefits wouldn't suffer harm.
This proved far more clever than directly establishing domineering clauses.
However, Minato himself showed no pride. Regarding this negotiation outcome, he actually truly felt it held no meaning. Not even started yet—discussing so much completely wasted time.
Could they find the Rinnegan possessor?
Could they smoothly eliminate the Rinnegan possessor?
Could they seize the Rinnegan intact?
This process held far too many uncertainties. Yet before beginning operations, they'd first determined benefit distribution methods for final gains uncertain whether obtainable.
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