Over the next few days, Konoha was unusually lively.
On the surface, everything looked calm.
But underneath, currents were already colliding.
Everyone knew Iwagakure had sent people back to retrieve the money.
And everyone also understood…
there were plenty of people who had no intention of letting Iwagakure get what it wanted.
So clashes between shinobi were inevitable.
By the fourth day, Konoha's streets were still as busy as ever.
The teahouses were full of idle chatter, shinobi trained on the practice fields as usual, and children raced laughing from one street to the next…
At a glance, everything seemed no different from normal.
But in the places people couldn't see, the undercurrent was growing fiercer.
In the forests beyond Konoha's outer perimeter,
no fewer than ten small-scale clashes had already broken out over the past few days.
Iwagakure's messengers had been intercepted.
Kumogakure's ambushes had been counter-ambushed.
Kirigakure's people had been stirring the muddy water from the shadows…
Konoha's ANBU kept watch over all of it from the dark,
ready at any moment to stamp out any spark that might spread toward the village.
Everyone was waiting.
Waiting for tomorrow… the fifth day.
Would Iwagakure's money arrive?
Who would the Four-Tails ultimately belong to?
No one knew the answer.
That afternoon, Teizawa was leaning by the window, drinking tea.
A soft knock came from outside the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a graceful figure stepped inside.
Mei was wearing a light purple dress today.
A darker sash cinched her waist, making that slender curve stand out all the more.
Her auburn hair spilled over her shoulders.
A few loose strands hung by her ears, swaying gently with each step.
When she entered, her head was slightly lowered.
Those green eyes looked up at him from beneath her lashes.
Like a lazy cat.
"Kazekage-dono…" Her voice was soft and languid, carrying that same effortless, intoxicating charm. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
Teizawa leaned back in his chair, his gaze slowly sliding over her face.
This woman changed masks every time she came.
The first time, she had been probing him.
The second time, she had come to watch the show.
And today?
What was this supposed to be?
He smiled and set down his teacup.
"Sit."
Mei sat across from him with elegant poise.
Her legs were together, angled slightly to one side.
Her fingers rested lightly against her knee.
She glanced at him once, then lowered her eyes again.
As if choosing her words carefully.
"Kazekage-dono…" She paused. "Tomorrow is the fifth day."
Teizawa nodded, waiting for her to go on.
"I was thinking…"
Mei raised her head, and there was just the right amount of curiosity in those green eyes.
"If Iwagakure doesn't get the money back… what happens to the Four-Tails?"
Teizawa looked at her.
That was a very direct question.
Then he smiled, leaned forward a little, and met her gaze head-on.
"You know, you're so pretty…"
His voice was slow and lazy, as though he were saying something perfectly serious.
"Maybe I should just give it to Kirigakure."
Mei's eyes lit up at once.
For that instant, genuine surprise flashed across her face.
Then it vanished just as quickly.
She realized he was teasing her.
A little annoyed, she hid it behind an even deeper smile.
That smile was soft and tempting enough to drip honey.
"Kazekage-dono really does know how to tease a woman."
Her voice softened further, and the corners of her eyes tilted upward.
Teizawa reclined comfortably in his chair.
He openly enjoyed the fleeting surprise on her face, along with the annoyed sweetness she was forcing into place now.
This woman's mind turned faster than anyone's.
The expressions on her face changed quicker than pages in a book.
He made no effort to hide his gaze.
He simply looked at her.
From her eyes to her lips.
From her lips to her neck.
From her neck to the pale wrist exposed beneath her sleeve…
"I'm not teasing." There was a smile in his voice. "You're beautiful. That's just a fact."
A faint flush rose in Mei's face.
She had met all kinds of men before.
Greedy ones. Timid ones. Hypocrites. Men who pretended to be proper and dignified.
But someone like him—
someone who wore I'm interested in you openly on his face and acted as if that were perfectly natural—
that was a first.
What was even more irritating was that she didn't actually dislike it.
"Kazekage-dono…"
"Just call me Teizawa."
Her words caught in her throat.
She bit her lip lightly.
A small movement, but Teizawa saw it clearly.
"Teizawa-dono," she said, putting extra weight on the -dono, "you still haven't answered my question."
Teizawa spread his hands, looking perfectly innocent.
"Didn't I already answer? I said I'd give it to Kirigakure."
Mei nearly choked on her own irritation.
"You know perfectly well that's not what I meant…"
"Then what did you mean?"
"I mean…"
Mei took a deep breath, doing her best to steady her voice.
"If Iwagakure fails to bring back the money, what exactly will happen to the Four-Tails? Will the auction restart, or do you have some other plan?"
Teizawa looked at her, his expression softening into something almost indulgent, as though he were humoring a child throwing a fit.
"You care a lot about the Four-Tails. Is that because Kirigakure wants it… or because you want it?"
Mei froze for a moment.
"What difference does that make?"
"Of course it makes a difference."
Teizawa leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice.
"If Kirigakure wants it, then we wait for the auction to reopen, and the highest bid wins."
"And if you want it…"
He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"…then that's a different matter."
Mei's heartbeat skipped.
She stared into those eyes so close to hers now.
She could see her own reflection in them.
And suddenly, for reasons she couldn't explain, she felt flustered.
"Teizawa-dono really likes joking," she said, though her voice had lost some of its balance.
Teizawa leaned back again, calm and unhurried.
"If you think it's a joke, then it's a joke."
Mei bit her lip again.
She knew she wasn't getting anything else out of him.
This man's mouth was full of sweet talk,
but when it came to anything that mattered, he wouldn't let even a single real answer slip.
She rose to her feet and looked down at him.
"Then I won't disturb your rest any longer."
Teizawa made no move to stand or see her out. He only tilted his head and looked at her.
"You're leaving already?"
Mei shot him a glare.
There was three parts annoyance in it, three parts helplessness, and four parts something she couldn't quite name.
"If I stay, are you just going to keep teasing me?"
Teizawa laughed, and the grin on his face looked maddeningly pleased with itself.
"You're welcome to come back tomorrow and keep trying to pry information out of me."
The color in Mei's face deepened another shade.
She turned and headed for the door.
Her steps were much faster than when she had entered.
Her waist still swayed gracefully, but there was no mistaking the faint air of retreat in her back now.
At the doorway, she stopped without turning around.
"Tomorrow…"
"Hm?"
"I hope Iwagakure's money never arrives."
With that, she pushed open the door and disappeared into the corridor.
Teizawa looked at the closed door for a while, the smile on his lips slowly deepening.
This woman was becoming more interesting by the day.
He picked up his teacup.
The tea had already gone cold.
He didn't care and drank it anyway.
Tomorrow, Danzō ought to finally show his fox tail.
This whole farce was due for its conclusion.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]