"Is it really not possible?"
Terumi Mei glanced at Kamizuki Hikari, who was quietly lowering his presence on the side, and her interest in him grew stronger.
What kind of man could make Tsunade willingly give up on "Hatake Kakashi" but refuse to part with him? Did he perhaps possess some hidden treasure?
"If the Mizukage feels Kakashi is not enough, I can add a Hyūga branch member. At that time, the Mizukage can let this Hyūga branch member take root and grow in Kirigakure. What do you think?"
Terumi Mei was stunned.
She was so shocked she could hardly believe it.
Just Kamizuki Hikari alone... how could he be worth as much as Hatake Kakashi and a Hyūga clan member?
Could it be that he harbored some enormous secret?
With that thought, Mei's suspicious gaze shifted back and forth over Kamizuki Hikari.
"Hikari, Shizune has some files I need. Go fetch them for me!" Tsunade, noticing the increasingly strange look in Terumi Mei's eyes, hurriedly sent him away.
"Oh!"
Hikari, who had long wanted to leave, immediately jumped out of the window upon hearing Tsunade's words. He was so eager that he didn't even want to bother with the front door.
"What an interesting man." Terumi Mei said with a smile.
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and also a top-class womanizer. Right now there are at least three young girls surrounding him. If he went to Kirigakure, I'd honestly be worried whether all the girls there would fall for him, leaving the other shinobi unable to find wives!"
"Is he that impressive?" Terumi Mei blinked, her eyes shifting appraisingly toward Tsunade.
"Mizukage, let me give you some advice," Tsunade said in the tone of a big sister offering heartfelt counsel. "When you find yourself curious about a man, that's the start of falling into his trap. And that—being mysterious and enticing—is exactly the routine of a womanizer. You're still young. That handsome boy standing behind you isn't bad at all. The way he looks at you, the affection practically spills out of his eyes!"
But Mei wasn't buying it.
Growing up in the Bloody Mist, how could she possibly be some naive, well-behaved girl?
When it came to tactics, she was no less skilled than Tsunade.
"If the Hokage thinks Chōjūrō is that good, why don't we make a trade? After all, our Chōjūrō is obedient and sensible. He should be to the Hokage's liking."
'Old hag, you're only fit to admire these well-behaved youngsters. A man like Hikari isn't someone you can handle. Better leave him to me!'
Their eyes met, sharp as clashing blades, before both retreated to their seats.
"I heard the Fifth Hokage defeated the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and the Fourth Raikage, A. Ōnoki is a seasoned veteran with unparalleled mastery of Dust Release. And A possesses the greatest speed and the most ferocious attacks in the shinobi world today. Though still a bit short of the Third Raikage's strongest shield and spear, as the saying goes, 'like father, like son.' His strength was enough to suppress Kumogakure for more than a decade—proof that his reputation was well-deserved."
"And yet, the Hokage who could subdue these two men... your strength truly earns my admiration."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly, studying the relaxed Terumi Mei and trying to discern her intentions.
'Is she fishing for intel on Wood Release? Or is there more beneath the surface?'
'Political talks are exhausting... Maybe I should just punch her?'
'Come to think of it, is that why my grandfather, with his outstanding power, never bothered with overthinking?'
'If someone acted up, he just knocked some sense into them.'
The thought was oddly satisfying.
Meanwhile, Terumi Mei suddenly felt a chill sweep through her body. A shinobi's instincts made her scan her surroundings.
'This is the Hokage's building. The ANBU wouldn't dare attack me here... which means it must be... this old hag!'
'Speaking of which, how does she stay so youthful at her age? If I asked for her secrets, would she even share them?'
"Mizukage, you flatter me," Tsunade said modestly. "That battle had plenty of circumstances at play. Ōnoki let up because he saw me as a junior. And Raikage, being a man, naturally wouldn't go all out against a fragile woman like me. That's the only reason I was able to scrape a narrow victory!"
She said it with the utmost sincerity.
If Ōnoki and A ever heard it, they might start wondering if they really had gone easy on her.
A woman's mouth, full of lies.
As a woman herself, Terumi Mei knew all too well that women never needed a draft when lying.
"The Hokage is impressive nonetheless. Honestly, our Mist Village is in a tough spot. The only reason I was able to serve as Acting Fifth Mizukage was that I happened to be a little pretty. Those foolish men pushed me into this position. It has already given me gray hairs. If I had my choice, I'd prefer just a steady, reliable man, to settle down, raise children and grandchildren. That's the life I want. Fighting and killing... it really doesn't suit me!"
Since Tsunade was pretending, Mei decided to put on a show as well.
"Exactly!" Tsunade agreed.
Having roamed the shinobi world for years, Tsunade had seen every kind of woman.
Mei's performance? Classic green tea behavior—she saw right through it.
"My position as Hokage was originally meant for Jiraiya. But Jiraiya didn't want it, and others admitted their strength couldn't match mine. They sent countless people to persuade me, and finally, when Jiraiya himself spoke, I agreed to become Hokage, mostly because I carry the Senju name."
"I once lived freely in the shinobi world. But after coming to Konoha, every day has been endless work (though the sake bars here are decent. One cup is never enough...). I miss those days..."
Listening carefully, Terumi Mei had to admit—when it came to this kind of act, she still lagged a little behind Tsunade.
At least, she couldn't be as shameless as Tsunade.
But trading pretense back and forth wasn't all that meaningful anyway.
"About Hikari... would the Hokage reconsider?"
The more Tsunade treasured Kamizuki Hikari, the more Mei wanted to claim him for herself.
"It's not completely impossible."
Seeing Terumi Mei's genuine interest in Hikari, Tsunade knew she had to change her strategy. If she let Hikari continue drawing Terumi Mei's attention, sooner or later, she might end up wearing a very unwanted color on her head.
Although Tsunade claimed not to care about Hikari's future escapades, the two had just been intimate. If Hikari dared to make a move on another woman—especially a kunoichi from another village (men were out of the question too)—how could she possibly be happy?
"I heard Kirigakure has a Jinchūriki named Utakata, who roams the shinobi world. How about we send someone to bring him to Konoha? What do you think, Mizukage?"
At that, Terumi Mei's eyes widened.
'Exchanging a jinchūriki for a chūnin? Have you gone mad, or have I?'
'Hokage, I've never seen anyone as shameless as you!'
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