Seeing that nothing useful could be extracted from Nara Tōen, Terumi Mei didn't seem to mind. She continued walking alongside him, occasionally throwing out a few casual questions.
What Tōen could answer, he did. What he couldn't, he brushed off with the same vague excuses as before.
The two of them maintained this seemingly warm atmosphere of small talk all the way to the front of the Konoha Research Bureau — rebuilt who knows how many times by now.
"This is the Konoha Research Bureau. It's the division of the Ninja Alliance responsible for analyzing the Ōtsutsuki."
Terumi Mei's curiosity was instantly piqued. She immediately asked if she could go inside for a look.
But Nara Tōen refused her request.
"I'm afraid not, Lady Terumi Mei. Entry is only allowed with Orochimaru-sama's permission."
"That's really a shame."
Terumi Mei gave the building in front of her a long look, already planning to report this to the Mizukage once she returned.
In her mind, she pictured the Mizukage — handsome features, yes, but unfortunately, Yagura's type just wasn't what she considered her ideal.
Her type leaned more toward men like the Uchiha — those cool, stoic types with sharp, handsome faces.
Well... if she really could manage to bring an Uchiha man back home, her Mizukage would probably be very pleased indeed.
Terumi Mei recalled her nth arranged date — the man had been good-looking, sure, but his hairstyle, typical of the Kaguya clan, had been... indescribable. Needless to say, that meeting had ended in failure.
"Yo, Kakashi! Back from your mission already?"
A cheerful voice called out from nearby.
Terumi Mei turned instinctively toward the sound.
"Well, more or less."
Kakashi shrugged, giving a lazy thumbs-up toward the trio of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura behind him.
The three were dragging along a burly man bound tightly with ropes, foam bubbling at his mouth.
"What did that guy do?"
The "guy" finally turned his face toward her — and revealed himself completely.
What... impossibly white teeth. Even from this distance, Terumi Mei could see them gleaming in the sunlight.
Still, it wasn't this man that captured her interest the most, but the one standing beside him — Kakashi.
Even with his black mask on, his aura screamed charming.
Terumi Mei was convinced that beneath that mask was a face that could stop hearts.
Kakashi, Kakashi...
Could this be Hatake Kakashi, son of the Fourth Hokage, Hatake Sakumo?
Her mind immediately connected the name.
"That guy? Let's see..."
Kakashi started to explain, but suddenly turned his head toward the corner of the street.
A split second later, a yellow flash streaked by. Minato paused for just a moment — smiled and nodded at Kakashi — and then vanished again.
A uniquely shaped kunai clattered to the ground near the Bureau's entrance. Terumi Mei blinked, and in that instant, another man appeared beside the kunai — one even more dazzlingly handsome than Kakashi. He pushed open the doors and rushed inside.
"That's..."
Terumi Mei completely forgot about Kakashi. Her attention was now entirely on the newcomer.
No words were needed — that signature entrance said it all. He could only be Namikaze Minato.
Why... why were the men of Konoha like this? Aside from a few exceptions like that "pufferfish" guy, any random man here was breathtakingly handsome.
Meanwhile, back in Kirigakure, all she had were the eccentric Kaguya clan members, Kisame the shark-faced freak, and Zabuza — whose half-covered face still couldn't compare to Kakashi's mysterious allure.
No matter how she counted, it seemed the only decent man their village had left was their eternally baby-faced Mizukage.
"Don't be like that, Mei-san. Mangetsu Hōzuki looks pretty good too," said Ringo Ameyuri, who had been silently trailing behind her until now.
"Mangetsu, huh..."
Terumi Mei wasn't surprised that Ameyuri could read her thoughts. She considered it for a moment, recalling Mangetsu's face.
Hmm... compared to those anthropomorphic oddballs, Mangetsu could actually hold his own among Konoha's handsome types.
Too bad he was still a bit too young. She wasn't quite ready to go for someone younger yet.
Honestly, it was all Yagura's fault — drowning her in endless piles of work so she never had time for a proper romance.
"Ameyuri, our Mizukage... he's really not a good guy."
Terumi Mei's sudden comment nearly made Nara Tōen lose his composure.
Seriously? Saying something like that in front of a foreign diplomat?
Were all Kirigakure people this... blunt?
Thinking about how he'd have to receive the other villages' envoys later, Nara Tōen suddenly felt like dying.
This kind of "laid-back despair" was apparently a Nara family specialty — one you had to experience to understand.
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