Ethan was just about to push the remaining targets from eighty Affinity up to one hundred...
When a loud knocking sound echoed from above.
It immediately broke his focus.
Frowning slightly, he pushed open the stone door and started heading upstairs, thinking it through as he went.
"That's strange… I'm underground. That means the sound's coming from the front door."
"Who's knocking like that?"
The closer he got to the surface, the louder it became.
By the time he lifted the floor panel and stepped back into the house, it sounded like someone pounding on a drum.
"I'm coming...no need to knock that hard!"
The moment he called out, the knocking shifted from rapid pounding to something more restrained.
When he opened the door, though, what he saw wasn't what he expected.
He had assumed someone knocking like that would be some loud, physically imposing shinobi.
Instead...
A woman stood there.
Perfect posture. Still as a statue.
Even with the black cloak and rabbit mask, her presence was striking.
The outline beneath the cloak suggested a well-built, balanced physique.
The small glimpse of skin at her neck, along with her exposed feet, hinted at clear, well-kept skin.
Ethan quickly pieced it together from Rasa's memories.
Guard Platoon.
And not just any member...someone high-ranking.
Before he could say anything...
She bowed deeply.
A full, formal bow.
Ethan blinked.
What is going on?
The Guard Platoon answered only to the Kazekage.
Even regular members only gave a slight bow to elders like Chiyo.
And from the way she moved just now…
It looked like she had almost dropped to her knees before stopping herself.
Even if he might become Kazekage in the future...
That was far from certain.
And even then, this level of formality would be excessive.
What made it worse...
She didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Just stayed there in that deep bow.
Completely still.
Ethan felt a headache coming on.
As more people began to gather nearby...
And a few windows quietly cracked open just enough for curious eyes to peek through...
He suddenly felt like he was on display.
Like a street performer drawing a crowd.
He exhaled sharply.
Then stepped forward, grabbed her arm, pulled her inside, and shut the door behind them.
Outside, whispers immediately started spreading.
And before long, one idea began circulating among the onlookers
Ethan… might really be the next Kazekage.
Inside...
Ethan had just turned around when he heard a dull thud.
He froze for a split second.
Then slowly turned back.
As expected...
She was kneeling.
Both knees on the ground.
Head lowered.
Hands placed flat before her.
A full, formal prostration.
Her voice followed...calm, steady, but carrying an intensity just beneath the surface.
"Guard Platoon Deputy Commander, Masami… reporting to Lord Rasa."
Ethan's step halted mid-motion.
Masami.
He had just seen that name on the system list earlier.
Now it all made sense.
She must have seen him before...just not the other way around.
For a brief moment, conflicting thoughts crossed his mind.
Surprise.
Confusion.
And, if he was being honest…
A certain sense of satisfaction.
Not something he was proud of...but not something he could deny either.
The thought passed in an instant.
Ethan stepped forward quickly, bending down to help her up.
"Please, there's no need for that. I'm just a Jonin."
As he helped her up, he noticed the softness of her arm even through the layers of fabric.
This time, he didn't let go immediately.
.
.
.
Masami, however, wasn't thinking about that at all.
As she looked at him...
Something in her expression shifted.
Her usual composure softened.
A faint warmth stirred beneath her calm exterior.
Ethan straightened, then paused.
She was just… staring at him.
Not speaking.
Not moving.
This wasn't how this was supposed to go.
He had expected some kind of formal exchange.
Instead...
Silence.
Even with the mask hiding her face, her eyes gave it away.
There was emotion there.
Clear and unmistakable.
Ethan forced a small smile.
Eighty-plus Affinity… really does this?
He gestured toward a chair.
"Please, have a seat."
She immediately shook her head, flustered.
"No, no...please don't address me so formally. I don't deserve that."
"Just call me Masami."
Ethan adjusted quickly.
"Alright. Masami, then."
She sat down neatly.
Back straight.
Hands resting properly on her lap.
Every movement precise.
Ethan poured a glass of water and handed it to her.
She immediately stood, bowed slightly, and accepted it with both hands.
He hesitated.
"Uh… you don't need to keep the mask on, do you?"
Her reaction was instant.
"My apologies!"
Without hesitation, she reached up...
Then, it paused halfway.
Realizing she was still holding the glass, she quickly set it down before continuing.
She removed the mask.
Then the cloak.
Then the gloves.
Carefully, methodically.
Ethan watched.
At first, casually.
Then more closely.
As the layers came off, her presence became clearer.
What had been hidden before was now impossible to ignore.
It was like uncovering something long buried beneath the desert.
Something that had gone unseen for years...
Not because it lacked value.
But because no one had ever truly looked.
And once revealed...
It was impossible to overlook.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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