Chapter 23: There's a Girl Around!
"No, Third Hokage-sama, believe me! That person really said it!"
Kakashi immediately panicked.
What did this have to do with reading the "Icha Icha" series? Besides, there were no stories like that in the "Icha Icha" series!
"Jiraiya's novels are all about men and women. So, you're making this up, are youn't Kakashi?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
"Uh, so you've read it too, Third Hokage-sama?" Kakashi's lips twitched beneath his mask. How could he be so sure that "it's all about men and women"?
"Don't worry about these meaningless details, Kakashi," Hiruzen waved his hand, "Since that's the case, Orochimaru's traitorous disciple probably came up with some research results. Anyway, this method won't hurt Naruto, and trying it won't hurt him… Kakashi, I'll leave this to you. But remember, keep a close eye on things. If anything unusual happens, stop immediately."
"Huh? Me? Okay." Kakashi reluctantly agreed. He thought telling the Third Hokage would get rid of the trouble, but it seemed he still had to handle it.
---
That evening, at a barbecue restaurant, after the four of them finished their delicious meal, Kakashi handed Sasuke a thermos and a piece of white paper with writing on it.
"This is a recipe I found: 'Photinia flower and lotus root powder.' This cup contains a sample I made myself. Sasuke, if you really want to use that method, you can drink a cup of this every day. Once you get used to it, it'll make you feel much better psychologically."
Kakashi's expression was awkward. He really wanted to suggest, maybe they should just hurt Naruto instead.
Sasuke, however, didn't have such concerns. He simply said, "Thanks, Kakashi," and took the items home.
Kakashi also returned home to rest, preparing to start training the next day. He wasn't sure whether to believe Shiromo's words or the Third Hokage's analysis, but improving his strength was never a bad thing. He'd try to develop the Mangekyou Sharingan's abilities first.
---
The Land of Water, Kirigakure Village.
After regaining consciousness, Yagura resigned as Mizukage, taking responsibility for his actions. He was placed in a secluded and quiet place to recuperate. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't live much longer. Having been controlled by genjutsu for years and then forcibly freed, he woke to find his beloved village ruined by his own actions, pushing his physical, mental, and spiritual limits to the breaking point.
Terumi Mei, influenced by Shiromo, directly proposed to Genji her desire to become the Fifth Mizukage and reform Kirigakure.
Genji was surprised. He knew Terumi Mei well. She seemed extroverted, but in truth, she was introverted and passive when it came to things she cared about deeply. Genji hadn't expected Terumi Mei to take the initiative, but of course, he didn't refuse. On the contrary, he happily agreed and promised to inform the Daimyo the next day.
It wasn't surprising, Terumi Mei was only a few years away from becoming Mizukage. The Elder Genji had claimed that he was "too old and unable to move around easily," making her the natural choice for Mizukage. This was a smooth and natural progression.
It's clear that he had been grooming Terumi Mei as the Mizukage for the past few years.
Now, Terumi Mei had volunteered, which was different from Uzumaki Naruto's insistence on becoming Hokage. It showed Terumi Mei had the confidence and maturity to shoulder the responsibilities of Mizukage.
Back at home.
Terumi Mei took out a cassette tape and started playing it. She wanted to listen again to some of the future descriptions, trying to deduce some information.
Hearing herself say she was an "older single woman" again still made Terumi Mei feel awkward.
"Hm?"
She was listening and writing down what was said. It became clearer in writing.
She listened until the end, and was about to turn it off, only to find that it wasn't over, there was more.
Had Shiromo not let her hear the whole thing before?
Terumi Mei listened curiously.
"Didn't I just tell you?" The voice on the tape continued. "Back then, Madara used Infinite Tsukuyomi, and everyone in the ninja world entered a beautiful dream with genjutsu, dreaming of what they desired most. I dreamed I got married… And my marriage partner looked exactly like you…"
Click.
Terumi Mei abruptly paused the playback.
What was that?
She felt a chill run down her spine.
She wasn't sure if her future self had genuinely dreamt the same thing, or if future self had just wanted to flirt with Shiromo. Or maybe it was just drunken rambling?
The phrase "Didn't I just tell you that?" meant she had said this to Shiromo before the recording started.
Now, Terumi Mei understood why Shiromo had recorded it as evidence, fearing he'd be unable to defend himself if something happened.
Was she really that desperate?
She scratched her head, trying to calm herself down. After a few moments, Terumi Mei pressed play.
What followed was even more nerve-wracking.
Shiromo's voice asked her future self, "Did you have a birthday party in the dream?"
Her future self answered honestly, "People can't imagine things they haven't seen."
The main content of the Infinite Tsukuyomi dream that followed revealed that all the other female ninjas in the ninja world were single. Terumi Mei mocked Tsunade for being an older single woman, a sentiment that was shared by other female ninjas like Kurotsuchi, Samui, and Temari.
What she thought would be a romance drama turned into a face slapping drama.
"This Infinite Tsukuyomi sounds pretty good," Terumi Mei muttered, now accustomed to the strange narrative. She chuckled softly.
Of course, she was just saying it casually. A beautiful dream was enough if you had it once in a while.
What was the point of being forever immersed in a false dream?
After listening to the rest of the recording, Terumi Mei took the tape out, placed it on her cabinet, turned off the light, and went to sleep.
Tomorrow, she'd forget all about this and focus entirely on the reform of Kirigakure!
---
The Land of Rain, Amegakure Village.
Shiromo had returned.
Konan, Sasori, Black and White Zetsu, and Shiromo were discussing matters. Deidara had returned to Iwagakure alone without a word, a fact Sasori had been unaware of. However, since Deidara was still his teammate, Sasori decided to come and see if he could help.
To say that Sasori had completely lost his emotions after transforming into a human puppet wouldn't be entirely true. He still possessed a "heart."
Black and White Zetsu came to tell Shiromo that they had collected quite a few "items" from various ninja villages. They had even collected Onoki's.
"If we want to rescue Deidara, we could try using the 'items' we brought back to allow Hidan to shine," Black Zetsu said in his hoarse voice.
"Is it really a good idea to expose yourself so proactively?" White Zetsu questioned.
"Black Zetsu is right," Shiromo chimed in. "Do you know why people's feet are whiter than their faces and hands? Because they're always hidden."
Shiromo agreed with Black Zetsu, adding a mysterious metaphor.
"Then why is the dragon in the scabbard so black?" White Zetsu retorted.
Hidan, who had just arrived after receiving the news, was stunned by White Zetsu's question.
"What are you guys talking about? There are girls here!" Hidan shrieked.
Anyone who didn't know better would think Hidan was the "girl" he was talking about.
"Pfft, girl."
"Strategist, what's your opinion on the word 'girl'?" Konan asked, looking at Shiromo, who couldn't help but laugh.
"No, I was just thinking, I prefer older sisters to young girls," Shiromo said, regaining his composure.
Meanwhile, the argument continued.
White Zetsu told Hidan the backstory of Shiromo's earlier comment about "feet being whiter than hands," asking him to judge.
That statement was wrong.
What do you mean by hiding something makes you whiter?
Upon hearing this explanation, Hidan stroked his chin and nodded, "That's true."
"Right? And if hiding something makes you as white as me, why is Black Zetsu so black?" White Zetsu said smugly.
"Because he's a stepfather," Hidan answered instinctively.
Black Zetsu stood beside him, his already black face turning even blacker.
Hidan was an idiot, but how dare White Zetsu mock him?
And what about the rule of being careful with your words when there were girls around?
(End of this chapter)