"Um..."
Namikaze Kirito fell silent for a moment. He genuinely didn't know how Uzumaki Kushina had figured it out.
"Son."
Kushina sat down beside him, her expression unusually serious.
"Being exceptional doesn't give you a free pass. Tsunade-sama and Kurenai—what exactly are you planning with them?"
"..."
Kirito froze slightly at those words.
Tsunade.
Kurenai Yūhi.
And Terumi Mei of Kirigakure.
When he thought about it carefully, the relationship between him and those three women really wasn't… normal.
There was no need to even mention Terumi Mei now. He had already acknowledged his relationship with Kurenai outright. And when it came to Tsunade… he couldn't deny that either.
"I know what you're worried about," Kushina said solemnly, "but you have to remember this—Tsunade-sama and Kurenai are both outstanding kunoichi. You are absolutely not allowed to hurt them."
Kurenai had been close to Kushina since she was young, and Tsunade had once been her idol.
From that perspective… her son really was outstanding. There didn't seem to be much reason to worry about her future daughters-in-law.
But Naruto…
Thinking about Naruto made Kushina's head ache again.
As a mother—and with Naruto's straightforward personality—it was obvious at a glance that he cared deeply about Haruno Sakura.
Unfortunately, Sakura clearly liked Mikoto's second son instead.
That was… troublesome.
"I understand," Kirito replied quietly.
There was no point overthinking it.
He'd let things take their natural course.
"Then let's go."
Seeing that her eldest son had made up his mind, Kushina didn't press the issue any further and left it for him to handle.
Inside the Minister of Health's office.
Tsunade was sprawled across her desk, her face filled with misery.
"Ahhh—Shizune! Where are you?! Come help me, I'm dying here!"
Having taken on the title of Konoha elder while simultaneously serving as head of the medical department was far more exhausting than she'd imagined.
She'd been stuck in the office for three straight days, and problems were popping up everywhere.
Shizune wasn't even around—she was busy coordinating and resolving issues outside.
Which meant that towering stack of documents could only be handled by Tsunade herself.
She suddenly missed the days she'd spent in the Land of Hot Water.
And with that thought, a certain handsome figure naturally surfaced in her mind.
"Damn brat… dumping all this on me while you go enjoy a family reunion!"
Tsunade puffed out her cheeks in frustration, clearly sulking.
Just then, the door opened.
With a soft laugh, Namikaze Kirito walked in.
"Who dumped you here?" he said lightly. "Didn't I come myself?"
At the sight of him, Tsunade's eyes lit up—then immediately cooled.
"You little brat! You still know how to show your face?! You tricked me back to Konoha just to bury me in work!"
Kirito said nothing. He simply stepped closer and leaned down.
"H-Hey—what are you doing?!"
Her flustered protest was cut short.
The snow-white cheeks that had been full of anger were instantly dyed with a sunset blush, making her look strikingly charming.
A large, warm hand moved without restraint—until Tsunade grabbed it tightly.
How much time passed, neither of them knew.
Eventually, amid Tsunade's struggling, they separated.
"Haa… you brat! Are you trying to suffocate me?!"
She took a deep breath and glared at him angrily.
"And who gave you permission to move your hands like that?!"
Kirito smacked his lips thoughtfully, then smiled teasingly.
"Then don't wear clothes like that."
Tsunade's outfit had always been revealing. With no one else in the office, she'd casually tossed her coat aside earlier.
That only made things worse.
Hearing his words, she straightened her clothes and lifted her head, fixing him with a calm, steady gaze.
"…What?"
Kirito stiffened under her gaze.
"You're getting bolder by the minute, you little brat," Tsunade said coldly. "Who do you think I am?"
"Who are you?" Kirito leaned closer again.
"Do you want me to prove it… again?"
"Move!"
Tsunade shoved him away, flustered yet oddly cute.
But when she remembered who he was, a bitter smile surfaced.
"How do we face Minato and Kushina like this… I'm your sensei."
"My mother asked me to bring you home."
Kirito said it with an unmistakable hint of mischief.
"Dream on."
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"I saw it that day. Several little girls were staring at you with hearts in their eyes. Tell me—how many girlfriends did you pick up after coming back to Konoha?"
Kirito didn't answer.
Instead, he sniffed the air exaggeratedly.
"What are you smelling?" Tsunade asked, confused.
"That's odd," he said seriously. "Why does it suddenly feel so sour in here?"
She froze.
Then her face turned redder and redder, steam practically rising as her fists clenched.
"Looks like you haven't trained in a while. Your skin's itching for a beating!"
"I was kicked out by my mother," Kirito said casually. "I'll stay at your place tonight."
Those words made Tsunade's body stiffen instantly.
"I don't care! Don't come near me! Go wherever you want!"
"Then I'm leaving?"
Kirito turned as if to go.
"Go! Go quickly! Out of sight, out of mind!"
He immediately walked toward the door.
Once he reached the door, Tsunade muttered under her breath, "You leave the moment I tell you to… are you dense?"
Almost as if in sync, Kirito suddenly turned around.
"If you can't sleep at night, call me. I'm a responsible man—"
"Get lost!"
Tsunade interrupted him instantly.
Kirito turned and left the Minister of Health's office, disappearing down the hallway.
After he was gone, Tsunade burst into laughter.
She laughed softly, the warmth in her smile making her already stunning face even more radiant.
Kirito didn't head home immediately after leaving the medical department.
Instead, he wandered through the streets of Konoha.
By now, everyone knew who Namikaze Kirito was.
With his unmistakable presence, every villager who saw him carried respect in their eyes—along with a trace of fear.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō had both fallen.
And those two had been completely played in the palm of Kirito's hand.
He didn't mind that people feared him.
In fact, he enjoyed it.
Respect alone could turn into betrayal one day.
Fear, on the other hand, kept people obedient.
As he walked, he gradually arrived near one of the training grounds.
Inside, many young ninja were training.
And among them...
Team Eight, led by Yūhi Kurenai, was also present.
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 300 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.