What on earth did he mean by that sentence? Could it be that he wants to pursue me?
But he clearly already has several girlfriends, and yet he's still eyeing me?
As expected, he's a real playboy!
Pakura, you absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot fall for his tricks!
After calming herself slightly, Pakura glanced at Aoshi, who had already caught up with her, and subconsciously increased the distance between them.
She looked as though she were deliberately avoiding something dangerous.
"I'm only acting as a host, simply taking you around to appreciate the scenery of Sunagakure."
"It's not like I'm on a date with you!"
"Don't get any ideas!"
Pakura's words left Aoshi completely speechless. Which one of us is actually getting ideas here?
---
One month later.
The joint Chunin Exams concluded successfully.
During this period, no further accidents occurred.
"Great! I've finally become a Chunin!" In the crowd, Might Duy shouted with overwhelming excitement, practically jumping in place.
It was only natural for him to react this way. As a perpetual Genin, successfully advancing to Chunin meant that he could finally accept higher-ranked missions.
With that, his family's financial situation would finally improve.
"Congratulations, Uncle Duy." Yukimura Tomoki and Sasaki Ayame also stepped forward to congratulate him.
As teammates, they understood better than anyone how difficult the road had been for Might Duy.
"Congratulations to all of us! This is the blazing youth shared by the three of us!"
With passion burning in his veins, Might Duy immediately struck a classic pose—thumb raised, teeth flashing brilliantly.
Seeing this, the surrounding people subconsciously stepped back.
Only Yukimura and Sasaki Ayame, who were already accustomed to his behavior, showed no particular reaction.
"It's all thanks to Uncle Duy. Otherwise, we would have been eliminated in the second exam."
"That's right, that's right."
This was the truth.
If it hadn't been for Might Duy's explosive performance in the second stage, the two of them would have been eliminated long ago.
They wouldn't have made it to the third exam, much less successfully advanced to Chunin.
"Brother Aoshi, all three of us have successfully become Chunin!"
Yahiko ran over with pride written all over his face. He looked like a child who had just achieved excellent grades and was eagerly seeking praise from his parents.
Naturally, Aoshi indulged him with a smile.
Then he turned his gaze to Konan, who looked somewhat downcast.
The end of the Chunin Exams meant that he would have to part with the Three Little Ones once again. That was the reason behind Konan's mood.
Smiling, Aoshi stepped forward, pulled her gently into his arms, and raised a hand to rub her small head.
"Alright, Konan. It's not like we'll never see each other again. You're always welcome to come to Konoha to find me."
Leaning against Aoshi's chest, Konan took a deep breath. It was as though she wanted to engrave his scent deep into her memory.
"Brother Aoshi, goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Konan. Yahiko. Nagato!"
As he bid them farewell, Aoshi watched the three of them head back toward the Land of Rain.
On the other side, Honoka was celebrating together with Mai and Yoshino.
All three of them had also successfully advanced to Chunin.
At this moment, seeing Aoshi standing alone, Honoka quickly trotted over and excitedly hugged his arm with both hands.
"Aoshi, I'm a Chunin now too!"
Looking at the cute, red-haired, barefoot girl in front of him, Aoshi smiled and reached out to rub her head.
"Very impressive. You're the fastest Genin in Konoha's history to be promoted to Chunin."
That's right.
Honoka had created history in Konoha.
In just one short month after becoming a Genin, she had successfully advanced to Chunin. This speed would make even Kakashi feel inferior.
"Hehe." Receiving Aoshi's praise, Honoka looked incredibly happy.
Watching this scene, Mai couldn't help but feel a little envious. She wanted to share this joy with Minato as soon as possible.
"Alright, it's time for us to return to Konoha."
At Aoshi's command, the Konoha ninja who had come to Sunagakure began their journey home.
"See you next time, Pakura." Before leaving, Aoshi didn't forget to bid farewell to Pakura, who had come to see them off.
Pakura, who had been watching Aoshi just moments earlier, couldn't help but curl her lips.
You should have left long ago, you damn playboy.
---
Four days later.
The group returned to Konoha.
On the return trip, since there was no longer any rush like before, they did not travel at full speed.
After submitting the mission report to Sarutobi Hiruzen, Aoshi immediately returned to his apartment, planning to enjoy a long, comfortable bath.
In a place like Sunagakure, water was an extremely precious resource. Bathing there was incredibly inconvenient.
However, to Aoshi's surprise, there was an unexpected delight waiting for him at home.
The house was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food. And standing there was Mikoto, her face lit up with joy.
At this moment, Mikoto wasn't wearing the ninja gear she used for missions. Instead, she was dressed in casual home clothes, with a purple apron tied around her waist.
Her gentle, charming smile made it difficult to look away.
"Aoshi, welcome home!"
Clearly, Mikoto had already received news that the Chunin Exams were over and that Aoshi was returning.
And so, she had prepared everything in advance.
Looking at such a considerate and virtuous Mikoto, a warm current welled up in Aoshi's heart, and he was deeply moved.
He immediately stepped forward, pulled her into his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her soft lips.
Mikoto responded just as passionately.
After a while, the two finally separated.
"Aoshi, do you want to eat first, or take a bath first? I've already prepared the hot water."
"Let's take a bath first."
More than eating, he wanted to wash away the fatigue that had built up throughout his entire body.
As he spoke, Aoshi led Mikoto toward the bathroom.
Today, Mikoto seemed exceptionally passionate and unusually cooperative with Aoshi.
However, her strength was ultimately inferior to his. She soon admitted defeat.
"Mikoto, I—"
Aoshi wanted to say something, but Mikoto reached out and interrupted him. Then she gave him a charming smile, and her body slowly descended.
Watching Mikoto's swaying hair, Aoshi found himself enjoying the moment immensely.
After a good while, Mikoto leaned back into Aoshi's embrace. Looking at her, Aoshi kissed her forehead and said with deep affection—
"You're so good, Mikoto."
"Hmph, you bad guy."
Seeing Mikoto like this, Aoshi merely chuckled. He held her in his arms as they bathed together, but his right hand restlessly traced along her slender waist.
After a short rest, Mikoto stood up.
"Let me scrub your back." As she spoke, she picked up a white bath towel.
But Aoshi, who had also stood up, suddenly hugged her from behind and leaned close to whisper in her ear.
"Mikoto, I want to experience another way." As he spoke, he gently kissed her earlobe.
"What way?" Mikoto looked dazed, clearly unaware of what bad idea Aoshi had come up with this time.
It wasn't until she heard his explanation that she turned around, her face flushed with shyness, and lightly punched Aoshi's chest with her small fists.
That bit of strength was practically nonexistent. Rather than punching him, it was more like she was acting spoiled.
"Come on, Mikoto, I haven't enjoyed it yet." This opportunity was truly rare, and Aoshi didn't want to miss it.
"Hmph, you're just full of bad ideas."
Despite saying that, Mikoto still agreed to Aoshi's request. She put down the bath towel and began to serve him.
Feeling the softness and smoothness coming from behind… Aoshi had only one thought.
Great. Really great.
Suddenly, Mikoto shouted in panic. "Why is it coming again?!"
---
When the bathroom door finally opened, a puff of steam drifted out.
Then, Aoshi carried Mikoto to the dining table in a princess carry.
Because he had to use both arms to hold Mikoto and prevent her from accidentally falling…Mikoto had no choice but to feed him.
Aoshi naturally enjoyed it very much.
Mikoto, too, took great pleasure in it. This kind of life had always been her dream.
After finishing the meal, Aoshi first let Mikoto return to the bedroom to rest. He stayed behind to clear the dishes himself.
Mikoto had worked very hard today and had also agreed to many of his requests. Aoshi felt tender toward her and didn't want her to be exhausted any further.
After tidying everything up, he returned to the room and lay down beside Mikoto, holding her with one arm.
Naturally, Mikoto leaned against Aoshi's body. He could feel her softness and clearly smell the faint fragrance lingering in her hair and on her skin.
"Aoshi, when do you plan to actually marry me?"
Although the two had been together for two years and had already truly consummated their relationship…they had never officially held a wedding.
And given their ages, it was indeed time to talk about marriage.
Hearing this, Aoshi fell silent for a moment.
It wasn't that he didn't want to take responsibility. He wasn't that kind of man.
As long as she was his woman, he would treat her sincerely.
The reason he didn't want to marry too early was mainly that he wanted to wait until after the war.
Yes—the war.
In the original course of history… only a few short years separated the Second Great Ninja War and the Third Great Ninja War.
Even now, with Aoshi's influence causing massive changes in the ninja world…some things were still unavoidable.
Originally, Sasori's assassination of the Third Kazekage left the Hidden Sand leaderless and became the fuse that ignited the war.
But even without that incident, war would still break out.
After several years of recovery, once the Five Great Shinobi Villages regained their strength, they would inevitably launch a great war to seize benefits from Konoha.
It was only a matter of time.
Unless another top-tier powerhouse like Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara emerged—someone capable of suppressing all ambition in the ninja world through sheer strength alone.
Aoshi naturally hadn't reached that level yet.
Moreover, even if he did one day reach that level, he would still need a war to prove it.
Otherwise, how could the Five Great Shinobi Villages—and even the smaller ones—truly be subdued?
After carefully weighing his words, Aoshi finally gave his promise. "Wait a few more years. Then I'll arrange the grandest wedding for you."
"I'll wait for you!" Simple words, yet they carried Mikoto's most sincere and unwavering love for Aoshi.
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