"Ahem… alright, Anko, you take my bowl."
Evan pushed the one piled high with meat over to her.
Mitarashi Anko's anger vanished on the spot.
Then she very naturally used her chopsticks to shovel all that meat right back into Evan's bowl.
"Big brother worked so hard last night," she said, eyes curved in a smile. "You need to replenish your energy."
Evan's mouth twitched.
Hard? Handling a weak little rookie like you? What exactly am I supposed to be replenishing…
Still, both of them had burned a lot of stamina, and with the rich aroma of tonkotsu broth streaming up around them, their appetites flared.
"I'm digging in!"
Anko pressed her palms together in front of her chest, then happily started slurping noodles.
Evan wasn't so formal.
He just lowered his head and ate.
Before long, his bowl was empty. He took his time, sipping the last of the soup while waiting for Anko to finish.
—Whoosh.—
A shadow flickered outside.
Evan resisted the urge to just slap these dramatic Anbu out of midair.
Somewhere along the line, "appearing with random shoom-shoom body flickers" had turned into a fashion trend.
"E-Evan… Lord Hokage requests your presence."
The voice was clear and pleasant—but thick with resentment.
Evan turned his head.
"Oh? Isn't that Yugao?"
The figure was in full Anbu gear, strange mask and all, but the long, flowing violet hair gave her away instantly. Through the eyeholes, a pair of eyes stared at him, full of deep, simmering hate.
Uzuki Yugao.
"And the Hokage wants me, huh?" Evan arched a brow.
He barely needed to think about it.
If Minato wanted him, he normally sent Kakashi.
If Yugao had been dispatched, then the one calling for him could only be the Third Hokage.
"The Hokage is waiting," Anko urged. "Hurry up, don't worry about me."
"Alright."
Evan nodded.
Yugao's cool gaze swept over the two of them.
Relying on pure female intuition, she could feel something off between Evan and Anko—but couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"Catch you later, Ayame."
Evan waved at Ayame, whose eyes were practically shining hearts at him, then followed Yugao out.
They headed toward the Hokage Tower, one in front, one behind.
Yugao deliberately kept a safe distance, body posture broadcasting "do not approach" as loudly as possible.
Evan found it amusing.
"Yugao, you're being a bit heartless, you know. Eat and wipe your mouth clean, is that it?"
Yugao frowned. She didn't fully understand the phrase, but her instincts told her it wasn't a compliment.
She planned to ignore him.
Until a hand slid around her waist.
"What are you doing?"
Yugao's heart lurched.
The familiar, numbing sensation spread through her body again, making her tense up.
Unpleasant memories slammed into her mind.
"Little Yugao, did you already forget me?"
Evan pulled her back against his chest, resting his chin on her shoulder.
Yugao tried to struggle, but her strength dissolved like mist. Her limbs felt weak and heavy, just like that night in his secret base—once again a lamb pinned under the butcher's hand.
"L-let go…" Yugao said through clenched teeth.
Evan inhaled the faint fragrance of her hair, then turned her face toward him, lifted off her mask, and pressed his lips down over hers.
"Mmph—!"
Yugao's eyes flew wide.
She resisted at first.
Then her resistance faltered…
And in the end, she could only grip his shoulders, clinging on as the world tilted.
Damn it, his hands— don't move them around…
A chill ran across her chest, and Yugao shivered involuntarily.
Why are his hands so cold…?
When he finally let her go, Yugao's cheeks were burning. She hurriedly wiped the faint moisture at the corner of her mouth.
Evan studied the dazed, red-eyed woman in front of him and nodded, satisfied.
"That's more like my good girl."
Yugao wanted to die.
She clearly despised this man. The last time, he had forced her, taken her first time like it meant nothing. And yet just one kiss and her body reacted like this…
There's definitely something wrong with me…
"Yugao," Evan's tone softened, "now you can tell me what that old monkey, the Third, wants with me, right?"
Old… monkey?
Yugao's lip twitched.
This man really feared no one.
But she was Anbu. That meant she answered to the Hokage.
She absolutely could not leak any information about him.
She turned her head away and refused to answer.
Evan chuckled.
Still stubborn?
He caught her chin and kissed her again, slower this time, deliberately.
"No— stop…"
"I'll bite your tongue…"
"D-don't move your hand—"
"…Fine! I'll talk!"
When he finally pulled back, he licked his lips like someone savoring dessert.
"That's better."
Yugao's face was bright red, her head spinning. The high collar of her Anbu uniform had been tugged askew, exposing a slice of smooth shoulder. She bit her lip, eyes flickering with conflicted shame.
"Alright," Evan said lightly. "Let's hear it."
Yugao exhaled slowly.
"…The Hokage wants you to release Pakura as soon as possible," she muttered. "And… he found out you're planning to teach Uchiha Itachi swordsmanship."
"That so."
Evan nodded. "Anything else?"
"No. That's it."
"You sure?"
"R-really, that's all…"
Yugao clamped both hands over his wandering one, eyes brimming with tears again.
T-too much… he's bullying me again…
"What are you crying for?" Evan wiped away a tear with his thumb. "Come on. Let's not keep the Hokage waiting."
He strode ahead toward the tower entrance.
Yugao let out a long breath.
Finally… he'd stopped. Finally she could—
"Oh, and one more thing," Evan added casually, glancing back over his shoulder.
"From now on, if anything stirs on the Third's side, you tell me immediately."
"Huh?"
"You don't understand what that means?"
"I… I can't. I'm Anbu. I answer to the Hokage."
"You sure about that answer?"
"I… I… I get it."
Once again, Uzuki Yugao bowed to pure pressure and gave in.
By the time she'd been forced to agree to a whole string of unequal "terms," they had arrived at the Hokage Tower.
Yugao finally felt a weight lift off her chest. It was over.
Until Evan's voice slid over her shoulders like ice water.
"By the way, Yugao… once I'm done in there, come find me."
"I'll take you for a ride in an automatic rocking car. Once you're on it, you won't want to get off."
Yugao's whole body went rigid.
Her pale face took on a look of complete despair.
I'm doomed…
Evan pushed open the office door.
A wall of smoke smashed into his face.
Inside, the room was already fogged over. The air was thick with secondhand smoke. And the culprit, Hiruzen Sarutobi, showed absolutely no shame, calmly puffing away on his pipe.
Minato Namikaze stood off to one side like a well-trained dog, face expressionless, silently tanking the poison.
Evan glanced at him and had to admit—
His endurance stat is impressive.
Oh? Danzo was here too.
Great.
Konoha's "Four Elders" were all present today.
What, were they missing a fourth player for mahjong and decided to drag him in as the tiles?
Evan swallowed the joke and walked in without a word.
He didn't respond to Minato's polite nod. He ignored the stares from everyone present. Instead, he went straight to the window and shoved it open.
Fresh air rushed in, sweeping out a wave of stale smoke.
He could finally breathe again.
"Third Hokage," Evan said conversationally, "did Asuma pick up smoking from you?"
Hiruzen's lips twitched.
This brat…
Minato, Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado all turned to stare at him at the same time, their expressions… complicated.
They had apparently been holding that particular grudge in for a while now.
"Uh…"
The old chain-smoker suddenly became the center of attention.
He coughed awkwardly, put out the pipe, and forced a serious expression onto his face.
"Ahem… since Evan is here, let's begin."
"Evan, Konoha and the Hidden Sand have already come to an agreement. We'll be releasing Pakura…"
"I don't mind," Evan said, shrugging. "Once I'm done here, I'll let her go."
"There's another matter," Danzo Shimura cut in abruptly.
"Evan, why are you associating with the Uchiha?"
Evan didn't answer right away.
He turned slowly toward Danzo, as if he'd only just noticed him.
"Oh? Isn't this Danzo?"
His brows shot up in mock surprise.
"Seeing you in the Hokage's office like this… how rare."
He wore the perfect picture of exaggerated astonishment.
Danzo: "…"
He felt, inexplicably, like someone had just slapped him and called it a greeting.
What do you mean rare?
He was a village elder, damn it.
A surge of anger lodged in his chest.
[Danzo Hatred +5000]
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