Terumi Mei's expression almost made Namikaze Kirito laugh.
A woman who was usually so confident and strong suddenly showing a softer, almost irritated side like this… it was the kind of contrast that would catch any man's attention.
Still, Kirito was not naïve enough to take it at face value.
A lot had happened between them, yes, but not enough for Terumi Mei to suddenly act as though she had become hopelessly devoted to him.
So there was only one real explanation.
She wanted something.
Of course, that did not mean Mei felt nothing for him. If she truly had no interest in Namikaze Kirito at all, then with her pride and standards, she would never bother acting like this just for political gain.
Kirito understood that much.
That was exactly why he had come to her room.
Otherwise, did she really think he would come running just because she called for him?
"The great elder of the Land of Fantasy," Kirito said with a faint smirk, "and this is the look you're giving me?"
The moment she heard the amusement in his voice, a flicker of embarrassment crossed Terumi Mei's face.
It vanished quickly, but not before he noticed.
"You make it sound like I have a choice," Mei replied, folding her arms as she looked at him. "Our lord is busy, hard to approach, and apparently blind when a woman is standing right in front of him. So yes, if I want something, I have to make my move myself."
Kirito's interest deepened.
"Oh? Is that what this is?" he asked lazily. "You making your move?"
Mei's eye twitched.
She had clearly caught the teasing in his tone, but after a brief pause, she swallowed down the irritation threatening to rise again.
"Then tell me," she said, narrowing her eyes, "what exactly would satisfy you?"
Kirito looked at her for a moment, then let out a quiet cough and said with deliberate calm,
"That depends on how serious you are."
"Namikaze Kirito."
Mei's voice dropped a notch.
"Don't push your luck."
The air in the room instantly grew warmer.
It was subtle at first, but unmistakable.
Kirito only looked more amused.
"What?" he said. "A second ago, you were the one trying to win me over."
"And now you're losing your temper already?"
That hit directly where it needed to.
Mei let out a frustrated breath and dropped back into her chair, one hand pressing against her forehead.
"You really enjoy this, don't you?"
"More than I should," Kirito admitted.
She shot him a glare, but by now she had already figured it out.
Getting angry with him was pointless.
That would only make him enjoy himself even more.
So after a long breath, Mei forced herself to calm down, and when she spoke again, her tone was far more serious.
"The ninja world is already under your control," she said. "So what now?"
Kirito studied her for a second, then inwardly smiled.
There it was.
That was the real reason for tonight's conversation.
The earlier attitude, the softer tone, the deliberate effort to pull him in—it had all been part of the approach.
Still, he did not dislike it.
Kirito had always preferred intelligent people. Even if someone stood beside him, he wanted them to think for themselves. He had no interest in mindless dolls.
At her question, he answered casually,
"Next? I deal with Akatsuki."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"They took Yagura from Kirigakure, didn't they?"
The moment Yagura's name came up, the softness vanished from Terumi Mei's face.
Her eyes turned cold.
She had only left Kirigakure to come to Konoha for talks, and while she was gone, Akatsuki had struck the village.
The damage they left behind had not been small.
And worst of all, Yagura had been taken.
Akatsuki was gathering Tailed Beasts.
Everyone knew what that meant for a jinchūriki once the beast was extracted.
Death.
Kirigakure had already lost too much. The village was still rebuilding, still trying to secure its place in this new world. If it wanted influence in the future, it needed strength.
But now?
Among the people from Kirigakure who could truly stand at the highest level, Mei was almost the only one left.
If things continued like this, then when the time came to compete for power among the upper ranks, Kirigakure would have no weight at all.
So yes, she hated Akatsuki.
Fiercely.
"Do you know where they are?" Mei asked, her voice carrying open killing intent.
Kirito gave a dismissive snort.
"They're rats. Once things go wrong, they hide."
His tone was openly contemptuous.
If Uchiha Madara could still be called dangerous, then Obito was something else entirely.
A broken man chasing a dead dream.
The Eye of the Moon Plan.
A fantasy built around Rin.
To Kirito, it was pathetic.
A man willing to drag the entire ninja world into madness because he could not let go of the past.
And yet, thinking of what waited ahead, Namikaze Kirito smiled.
A dark, unreadable smile.
Mei felt a chill run down her spine.
She had no idea what he was thinking, but one thing was obvious.
Someone was about to suffer for it.
Then her expression changed again, turning colder for an entirely different reason.
"Namikaze Kirito," she said, locking eyes with him. "I want to ask you something."
Kirito raised a brow.
"What?"
Mei's gaze sharpened.
"What exactly is going on between you and Tsunade-hime?"
So that was it.
During the meeting earlier, she had seen it clearly.
Under the table, Kirito and Tsunade had been holding hands.
And Kirito had noticed her noticing.
He simply had not cared.
In fact, thinking back on it now, he had probably done it on purpose.
Kirito leaned back slightly and looked at her with a half-smile.
"What do you think is going on?"
Mei's chest tightened.
That answer was as good as confirmation.
And what unsettled her most was not the answer itself.
It was the sharp ache she felt the moment she heard it.
That was what confused her.
She had told herself from the beginning that her decision was practical. Political. Something that would benefit both her and Kirito.
So why did it feel like this?
Why did it bother her?
Why did Tsunade's place at his side irritate her this much?
Could she have really fallen... for this man before her?
The realization made Mei's expression stiffen.
Since childhood, she had always talked about marriage, about finding the right man, about wanting something real.
But never once had she truly set her heart on anyone.
Until now.
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