"Mei-senpai, I heard you and Sora-sama arechildhood sweethearts who grew up together, inseparable since the Ninja Academy. Such an experience is truly something to be immensely envious of!"
"Hmph~ What's so enviable about that?"
"Sora-sama, relying on his own power, successively suppressed a Konoha's Sannin, the Yellow Flash, and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. This battle record can truly be called peerless in the world, unprecedented in history. It also makes my admiration for Sora-sama continuous like an endless river, flowing ceaselessly…"
"Say those things to him, why are you telling me?"
"Tsk tsk, Mei-san, I really envy you. With Sora-sama's talent, he will surely sit in the Mizukage's seat one day. Given your relationship, people might just call you the Mizukage's wife, hahaha…"
"What Mizukage's wife? I am a woman destined to become the Mizukage myself. Don't talk nonsense. My relationship with Sora is very pure."
"Mei-kun, don't blame your Senpai for speaking out of turn. Right now, Yuki-sama is the village's most sought-after golden bachelor. Many scheming women have their eyes on him. I heard that woman from the Hozuki Clan was always sticking close to him before. You have to be careful, don't let your spot get taken!"
"Also, listen to your Senpai. Sometimes women can be a bit proactive too. You're beautiful, and your figure is so good. Yuki-sama definitely wouldn't be able to resist. When dry wood meets a fierce fire, it ignites instantly. If you really have a child, wouldn't your position be secure?"
"Besides, with both of your talents, any child born would surely be a genius among geniuses. In another twenty or thirty years, they might just become the village's Fifth Mizukage!"
"All of this is also for the future of Kirigakure... So you need to put in the effort, try to get pregnant within the next two years. Otherwise…"
Mei's pretty little face grew redder the more she listened. Despite her shyness, she quickly reached out to cover her senior sister's mouth, exclaiming coyly: "Alright, alright, Senpai, stop talking nonsense. If you keep going, I won't speak to you for the rest of the day."
"Okay, okay…"
"Whatever you say, I'll stop, I'll stop."
The senior sister also held Mei's slender waist, laughing half-jokingly: "Yuki-sama is so handsome. If you don't hurry up, even I might want to have a taste."
Mei glared, exchanged a few more huffy words, and finally managed to send away this already-married senior sister of hers.
But just as she stepped out of the tent, she saw Yagura approaching.
From afar, she could see the excited, thrilled, and expectant smile on Yagura's face. Clearly, he was in an extremely good mood.
"Mei…"
"I think Narumi was absolutely right. You and Sora are the same age, and you both have feelings for each other. Spending more time together is only natural."
"A top-tier powerhouse like Sora must possess the strongest genes. Any child born from his genes would surely inherit the excellence of the paternal bloodline. With branches spreading and leaves scattering, it would also be of great benefit to enhancing the village's overall strength."
Yagura said chuckling: "It's really… the more I talk about it, the more sense it makes. I think in the next few years, you shouldn't always be obsessed with training. Find time to spend more time with Sora. It's best to have eight or ten children. Don't worry about not being able to handle them. When the time comes, I, as your Senpai, definitely won't stand by idly. Finding time to help you look after the kids is also my bounden duty."
"If Sora is willing, I can even be the children's godfather. Then my relationship with Sora would be even closer, Mei…"
Yagura grew more and more beaming the more he spoke, seemingly immersed in his beautiful depiction of the future.
'Will you just shut up already!'
'What kind of outrageous talk is this!'
Mei ferociously glared at Yagura, wishing she could tear this wretched senior brother's mouth off.
'Have children?'
'And eight or ten of them?'
'Do you think I'm a breeding sow?'
'A two-row fastener?'
"Hmph!"
"You can keep dreaming by yourself, Senpai!!!!"
Mei tsunderely lifted her fair, small face. She turned around and slammed the tent flap shut, giving Yagura the cold shoulder.
'Nagging on and on…'
'And having children!'
'So annoying!'
The tent only contained a small bed and some daily necessities.
This was the VIP single room Fuguki specially arranged for Mei after the news of Sora's promotion to Jonin Commander- reached the camp.
She had refused at first.
But ultimately agreed.
Mei entered the tent, her face stern as she took off her blue kimono, then lay down directly on the small bed.
She covered her head with the blanket, trying to calm her trembling body.
The clean blanket carried a sweet, milky scent.
In the darkness, Mei's slender, long fingers measured bit by bit.
Slowly, slowly…
Mei suddenly let out a long sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted.
"Eight or ten…"
"Seems like it might not be enough to feed after all!"
Amidst rustling sounds, Mei suddenly poked her head out. She wrapped the blanket around her body, turning herself into a caterpillar-like shape.
Wriggling, wriggling, the wire bed creaked and groaned.
…
The front line also underwent a strange change.
Konoha, which had originally assembled its main forces, suddenly abandoned several forward positions and began retreating towards the interior of the Land of Fire.
This move came suddenly, yet was unexpectedly resolute.
Overnight.
The Konoha's Ninjas vanished.
Therefore, the area from the Tenfu Gorge to Mount Fukyu instantly became a blank zone and was quickly occupied by Kirigakure's Ninjas.
Anyone with a clear eye could see this was a signal that Konoha was shifting from strategic offense to strategic defense. It also meant Kirigakure was finally beginning to seize the initiative in this war.
"All of this…"
"Is Sora-sama's achievement!"
Countless Kirigakure's Ninjas praised Sora's greatness. Everyone understood the fundamental reason for Konoha's concession was that their top-tier Ninjas had been suppressed by Sora.
1 vs 3!
Wheel battle!
Bold suppression!
This was an achievement with solid credibility. For Konoha, it was also a disgrace they could never forget.
Of course,
After advancing their front line forward by over 50 kilometers, Kirigakure's forces did not continue their advance recklessly.
After all, advancing further would lengthen their supply lines. Plus, the deeper they went into the Land of Fire, the more the enemy's situation would reverse. A single misstep could lead to them being encircled by Konoha.
Compared to Kirigakure's caution, Konoha's side seemed much more depressed. The successive setbacks of Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina greatly affected Konoha's morale. Some Ninjas were even losing confidence in the war's future.
This also forced the Konoha's side to temporarily rest, find ways to boost morale, and temporarily lacked the strength to launch large-scale positional warfare against Kirigakure.
The attackers didn't dare advance recklessly, the defenders didn't dare counterattack. This caused the Kirigakure vs Konoha war to suddenly enter a period of eerie calm.
For over twenty consecutive days, both sides maintained extreme restraint and did not reignite hostilities.
Of course, beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were stirring.
Both Kirigakure and Konoha were gathering strength, wanting to find the best opportunity to deliver the most fatal blow to the other.
…
Land of Water, Kirigakure.
Inside the Yuki Clan's main residence.
Sora looked up at the sky, the system prompt tone suddenly ringing in his ears.