Adopted by Tsunade [151-152] (R18) (Patreon)

Chapter 153: The Fierce Battle in the Hokage's Office

Unlike Kiba and the others who were chatting, Hyuga Hinata activated her Byakugan, carefully observing the two combatants.

After a moment, she felt something was off.

Uzumaki Naruto seemed a little too experienced.

Normally, with a two-tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Sasuke should be able to read Naruto's movements completely and reach a state of preemption.

But that wasn't the case—Sasuke instead fought as if his hands were tied.

Their roles had been reversed.

It felt as if the one who had awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan wasn't Uchiha Sasuke, but Uzumaki Naruto.

Undoubtedly, this was thanks to Namikaze Minato.

Forget two tomoe—even against the Mangekyo Sharingan's Uchiha Obito, he could seize the upper hand.

Sasuke was still too green, toyed with by three people in the palm of their hands.

Hinata suddenly startled.

She turned and found that the one who had just patted her shoulder was Natsume.

Natsume raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to keep quiet.

Hinata nodded, slipped out of the crowd, and stood with him at the edge of the field.

"How does it look? Could you beat them?"

Watching Sasuke's flashy shuriken manipulation, Natsume thought of Uchiha Itachi.

He wondered if Itachi had joined the Akatsuki yet.

After awakening the Sharingan, Sasuke's vision had greatly improved, allowing him to fully display his prowess with thrown tools.

Plus, it barely consumed chakra—definitely a must-have for genin and chunin.

"It would be hard."

Hinata thought carefully and said, "If I could get in close and strike their tenketsu, I might be able to win."

The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist was actually very strong.

Combined with the Byakugan, injecting chakra into the enemy's body could damage their chakra nodes and internal organs, thus securing victory.

In the shinobi world, internal organs are very hard to train.

In theory, letting a Hyuga get close is extremely dangerous.

A slight mistake, and you lose fighting capability.

But there are too many endgame monsters.

There's simply no chance to get close.

"Why not try hitting their tenketsu from range?"

Natsume asked with a smile.

"Range?"

Hinata answered as if it were obvious, "Because Gentle Fist is a close-quarters taijutsu."

"But don't you think long-range would be more convenient?"

Natsume reached out and patted her hair. "If there were a long-range Gentle Fist, combined with the Byakugan's range, you could subdue enemies very safely."

"That… does make sense."

Hinata was a little convinced—it did seem right.

But why doesn't the Hyuga clan have a long-range offensive method?
With the Byakugan's absurd sight distance and scope, if they used ninjutsu or the like, they should be able to strike first, right?
The Hyuga can learn ninjutsu.

But because mastering Gentle Fist is already extremely difficult, no one wastes time learning ninjutsu outside of it.

"Hinata, you could try developing a new Gentle Fist in the future."

Natsume could help her too, say, with a bit of Fate Points.

But there was no rush—wait until she grew up.

"Eh?"

Hinata shook her head quickly. "I… I don't have that talent."

Developing ninjutsu is far harder than learning it.

Counting up Konoha's shinobi, very few have created multiple new techniques.

The most classic example is the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

If there was some unknown forbidden jutsu, just toss it to him.

Like making Shimura Danzō take the blame—it became a habit.

Natsume crouched down, looked at her; only after making Hinata's face flush to the roots did he say, "I believe in you."

"I… I…"

Hinata's brain went into a boil, steam practically rising as she started babbling nonsense.

After pinching her soft, warm cheeks, Natsume stopped teasing her lest she faint.

He turned to look at the fight in the field—it had reached a crucial moment.

Sasuke had planned to rely on his two-tomoe Sharingan to easily defeat Naruto and win back the Uchiha clan's honor.

But he found the situation was far beyond his expectations—he couldn't land a hit at all.

After a few probes, he began forming hand seals.

His first ninjutsu was the Uchiha's most representative: Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

In the past, Naruto would counter with Wind Style, but not today.

The fireball burned away Naruto's clones.

The original appeared behind Sasuke and swung a punch.

Thanks to the Sharingan, even though the punch was fast, he still sensed it.

Sasuke reflexively raised his arm to block.

A dull thunderous thud sounded.

His expression changed.

Such terrifying strength.

Sasuke hurriedly retreated.

Naruto formed seals.

Shadow Clone Technique!
Three Narutos rushed at Sasuke.

"All real?"

Sasuke's pupils constricted.

He didn't dare be careless; he raised a hand to his mouth, chakra turning into flame that blossomed like a flower.

Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
The three Narutos were immediately struck by fire bullets and set ablaze.

Seeing this, Sasuke felt a surge of joy.

I finally beat this guy!

But the next instant, a vicious wind struck.

Leaf Whirlwind!

Naruto descended from above, smashing a high-speed whirlwind kick at Sasuke.

A miserable cry.

Sasuke was sent flying, crashed to the ground, and kicked up a cloud of dust.

Naruto quickly stepped forward and reached out to help him up.

"Don't touch me!"

Sasuke, a bit pale and displeased, brushed off his hand and struggled to stand.

"Sasuke, you were awesome today!"

Naruto gave a thumbs up, sincerely praising him.

If not for Minato's guidance, he really might not have won.

Unless he used Kurama.

But that would be bullying.

Both Kushina and Minato had told him: unless absolutely necessary, don't use Kurama's power to avoid forming dependence.

"Just wait. Next time I'll win."

Sasuke snorted, expressionless as he turned to leave.

But he had noticed changes in Naruto and learned something too.

Three words: use your brain.

Today's Naruto clearly fought smart.

Sasuke took a deep breath—he had to be smarter than him.

In fact, he realized this had been his easiest fight yet.

Though he lost to Naruto in the end, the pressure truly wasn't that great.

The Sharingan is indeed the best eyes.

With that thought, Sasuke went home.

He didn't even notice Haruno Sakura chasing behind him.

Natsume withdrew his gaze.

Hinata had returned to normal.

"I'll walk you home."

Natsume had barely reached the school gate with Hinata when they were intercepted by Hyuga Rinka.

"Natsume, sorry to trouble you again."

With gentle warmth, Rinka extended an invitation. "Come eat at our place?"

Her attitude almost made Natsume think he'd already married into the Hyuga ahead of schedule.

But he chose to decline.

He needed to go home to be with Tsunade.

They hadn't seen each other all day—they needed to pour their hearts out.

Rinka didn't mind; she tugged the reluctant Hinata away from the academy.

…

Hokage Building.

Standing before the Hokage's office, Natsume knocked.

He knocked because there was more than one person inside.

Otherwise, he'd have slipped right in.

After Tsunade responded, Natsume opened the door and saw Yamanaka Ino.

She had both hands on a dying rooster, performing resuscitation, trying to save it.

Natsume blinked—why not a fish?
He remembered in the original that Haruno Sakura used a fish to practice medical ninjutsu basics.

Why was it a rooster?

Good grief—did the chicken foot show?

Hearing the sound, Ino instinctively turned her head and slipped up.

The rooster spasmed twice and died completely.

"Sensei, I'm sorry…"

Ino's cheeks flushed as she hurriedly apologized.

"It's fine."

Tsunade waved a hand. "You're just starting. It's normal to be unskilled."

Ino let out a breath.

She didn't really know Tsunade's personality, so she acted overly polite.

After all, this was the Hokage.

Offend her and it would be a huge problem.

"That's it for today."

Tsunade glanced at the time. "It's already late. Continue tomorrow."

"Yes."

After a slight bow, Ino turned to leave and gave Natsume a greeting in passing.

Once she'd gone, Tsunade snorted softly. "You're good at charming little girls, huh."

Ino's mistake just now was clearly because she saw Natsume.

"Slander!"

Natsume smiled and closed in to hug her. "I haven't charmed anyone. Except you."

"Sweet talker!"

Tsunade flipped her grip and stuffed him against her chest, as if to smother him.

Fragrance filled his nose—Natsume almost passed out.

This is one torture I'd gladly endure every day.

"You!"

Tsunade pushed him away and rapped his head.

"Behave!"

Natsume knew when to stop.

Flirting was nice, but there had to be a limit.

"You're the Hokage's aide now. How do you plan to handle Root?"

Tsunade shifted to business. "We recently caught those Root members and removed their Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, but it'll take them some time to walk out from under Shimura Danzō's shadow."

"It's fine—transfer them to regular shinobi."

Natsume didn't want shinobi trained by Danzō—who knew when they might stab him in the back.

"That's what I was thinking too."

Tsunade smiled. "Root is equivalent to ANBU. It requires absolute loyalty."

She was more concerned for Natsume's safety than her own.

Past tragedies would never happen again.

Not unless they stepped over her corpse.

"I don't need Root."

Natsume thought for a moment and shook his head. "For many clans and shinobi, Root is a thorn. No need to rebuild it."

Danzō chose Root members by two standards: geniuses, and those with a certain darkness in their hearts.

Leaving the latter aside, the former already offended many clans.

Like the Aburame, Yamanaka, etc.

No clan wants its prodigies used by another.

"No. You need protection."

Tsunade frowned. "The shinobi world isn't safe. You're the Hokage's aide—high-ranking, and nominally my disciple. Many will come after you."

The simplest being black market bounties.

Every named Konoha shinobi was listed.

Classic example: Sarutobi Asuma—35 million ryo.

Natsume hadn't checked the black market, but he figured once his post as aide was public, his bounty would be even higher.

"I—"

"Don't say you don't need it."

Tsunade cut him off preemptively. "If not, then pick two from these Wood Release shinobi."

"Wood Release shinobi?"

Natsume instinctively took the file and saw they were all Sarutobi clan members.

With Sarutobi Hiruzen merely retired, their loyalty wasn't much of a concern.

Plus Wood Release—indeed suitable candidates.

"I'm not used to having bodyguards."

Seeing her expression shift, Natsume quickly added, "I want to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique."

"The Flying Thunder God?"

Tsunade was taken aback—of course she knew it.

If Natsume could learn it, he really wouldn't need guards.

In the past, Namikaze Minato relied on that jutsu to flit across battlefields like no one else was there.

It's just extremely difficult.

"Since you're Hokage now, I should have permission to read the Scroll of Seals, right?"

Natsume grinned.

He could use this chance to stop hiding the Flying Thunder God and make things easier later.

And he could take a peek at the Scroll of Seals.

That scroll that stored all of Konoha's forbidden jutsu.

"Mm."

Tsunade nodded. "Try training it first. If it doesn't work, I'll assign two guards."

"By the way, Sis, have you considered getting Wood Release?"

Natsume waved the file. "Transplant techniques are quite safe now."

Tsunade fell silent for a moment, then shook her head.

She couldn't accept implanting her grandfather's cells.

Natsume thought, as expected.

Dropping his own Hashirama-cell transplant had been the right call.

The Wood Release serum didn't count—it was processed into a kind of medicine and wouldn't alter her own cells.

"But I think it's worth researching."

Natsume said half-idly, "Wood Release is a kekkei genkai. In theory, all of the Senju clan could awaken it—it's just dormant now. If we can stimulate it, maybe you could awaken it too, Sis."

He couldn't be sure if that was true.

But in the original, there was a shinobi called Moegi Kazamatsuri. If Wood Release purely came from the God Tree, her existence would be odd.

Maybe it really is the Senju clan's bloodline limit.

For Natsume, it was just a pretext.

If research could help Tsunade awaken Wood Release, great.

If not, he'd wait a few years and exchange Fate Points for it.

Tsunade was indeed tempted.

Wood Release was too special to her.

"Are you looking down on me?"

Tsunade suddenly smiled and kneaded his cheeks. "Think I'm weaker than you?"

"The stronger you are, the better you can protect me."

Natsume said righteously. "Then I can laze around with a clear conscience!"

In other words: rich lady, I'm hungry—feed me.

"Ha! Still dare to slack off?!"

Tsunade increased the pressure, kneading his face into various shapes, then couldn't help kissing him.

The flames of war were lit.

Natsume counterattacked immediately.

The Hokage's office, which should have been off duty, continued to serve its function, echoing with a heavenly melody.

Their kiss deepened, tongues wrestling in a heated battle as Natsume's hands roamed freely over Tsunade's voluptuous body. He cupped her massive breasts through her robe, squeezing them firmly, feeling her nipples harden under his palms.

Tsunade moaned into his mouth, her own hands yanking at his clothes, tearing them open with impatient strength. She pushed him back against the Hokage's desk, scattering scrolls and papers in a chaotic flurry.

Natsume's erection strained against his pants, and Tsunade wasted no time grinding her hips against it, her arousal evident in the wet heat he could feel through the fabric.

"You little tease," she growled, nipping at his neck as she stripped him bare. Her fingers wrapped around his thick cock, stroking it slowly at first, then faster, her thumb circling the sensitive head smeared with precum.

Not one to be outdone, Natsume flipped their positions, lifting Tsunade onto the desk with ease. He hiked up her robe, exposing her glistening pussy, shaved and dripping with need. He dove in without hesitation, his tongue lapping at her folds, sucking on her clit while his fingers plunged deep inside her, curling to hit that sweet spot that made her arch and cry out.

"Natsume~!" Tsunade gasped, her hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer as she rode his face, her juices coating his chin.

When she was trembling on the edge, Natsume stood, aligning his throbbing cock with her entrance. He thrust in hard, burying himself to the hilt in one smooth motion.

Tsunade's walls clenched around him like a vice, hot and slick. He pounded into her relentlessly, the desk creaking under the force of their coupling. Her legs wrapped around his waist, heels digging into his back as she met every thrust with her own, her breasts bouncing wildly.

"Harder... give it to me," she demanded, her nails raking down his back, leaving red trails.

Natsume obliged, flipping her over so she was bent over the desk, ass up. He slapped her firm cheeks, watching them jiggle, before slamming back inside from behind. One hand reached around to rub her clit in furious circles, while the other pulled her hair, arching her back for deeper penetration.

Their rhythm built to a frenzy, sweat-slicked bodies slapping together.

Tsunade came first, her pussy spasming around his cock, a guttural moan escaping her lips as waves of pleasure crashed over her. Natsume followed soon after, groaning as he emptied himself deep inside her, pulse after pulse of hot cum filling her up until it leaked out around his shaft.

They collapsed together on the desk, panting and spent, the office filled with the musky scent of their passion. Tsunade chuckled breathlessly, pulling him in for a lazy kiss. "Now that's how you end a workday."

Chapter 154: Beneath the Hokage, Above Ten Thousand

Hokage Building, conference room.

Hyuga Hiashi pushed the door open and found it already half full.

A glance showed only familiar faces.

Shinobi familiar to him were basically jonin.

And today was a jonin meeting.

Usually, only very important matters warranted a jonin meeting.

Reason was simple.

Jonin are very busy—many are on missions outside.

Calling one required notice several days in advance.

Even so, some would still be absent.

After all, jonin missions usually start at A-rank, and can take months.

Hiashi scanned the room and locked onto Hyuga Hizashi.

Because he was the Hokage's secretary, his seat was in the second row.

Compared to before, his status had clearly risen.

But as clan head, Hiashi sat in the front row.

A few seats were taken.

For instance, the newly appointed Konoha Police Department Chief, Maruboshi Kosuke.

When Tsunade dug him up from who-knows-where, it shocked many.

But they couldn't deny it was a brilliant move.

The direct result was the police department's power returned to Konoha proper.

Besides Maruboshi Kosuke, there were the four Hokage guards:

Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, Yūhi Kurenai, and Shizune.

Strictly speaking, they weren't qualified to sit here.

But being Hokage guards was a bit different.

They were de facto Hokage candidates, carrying significant symbolic weight.

There was one more today: Natsume.

Hiashi suddenly noticed he was seated dead center—clearly against protocol.

That seat had always been Shimura Danzō's.

He paused, a guess forming.

But it seemed unlikely.

Natsume was too young.

If he revealed his full strength, that would be another matter.

Hiashi sat in silence.

If Natsume became Hokage's aide, he'd be one beneath the Hokage and above ten thousand—his authority second only to Tsunade.

Perhaps it was time to consider him and Hinata.

Hiashi was a smart man; he knew what was best for the Hyuga.

"Clan Head."

Hizashi greeted him.

"Mm."

Hiashi snapped back and said calmly, "You've done well lately. Keep it up. If you become a Hokage advisor, that will be your greatest contribution."

Hizashi sighed inwardly but could only nod.

When will the branch family stand tall?

Nearby, Kakashi suddenly noticed Sarutobi Asuma.

He thought of the favor he'd agreed to recently.

Troublesome.

"Kurenai, I haven't seen you and Asuma together lately. Did something happen?"

Kakashi chose his words and asked.

He and Asuma had graduated the same year—they were on good terms, so he could only help.

"No."

Kurenai shook her head. "I just feel we're not quite compatible."

"Not compatible?"

Kakashi blinked. "Could you say why?"

"The documents from a few days ago."

After reminding him, Kurenai fell silent.

An expression of dawning appeared on Kakashi's face.

So that's it.

After a comprehensive investigation of Danzō, many past events surfaced.

Quite a few involved Hiruzen and Orochimaru and other high-level figures.

Tsunade had delayed action out of concern for village stability—and old ties.

But for people like Kakashi and Kurenai, who had followed and admired Hiruzen, it was very hard to accept.

Like an idol collapsing—you thought he was immaculate, then he turned around and got caught at a sewing machine.

For a time, Kurenai even grew suspicious of Hiruzen's son, Asuma.

Even if he was innocent—if she married into the Sarutobi clan, would she face Hiruzen daily?
Kurenai felt she couldn't.

And since they had just started dating, with shallow feelings, she'd already decided to let go.

[Because of your actions, the fates of Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, and Sarutobi Mirai have changed. You gain a total of 150 Fate Points.]

Natsume, who had been zoning out, suddenly jolted.

Good grief!
What's going on?
How did I accidentally break up Asuma and Kurenai?

Natsume truly felt wronged.

He hadn't done anything.

Even though Kurenai was the Hokage's secretary, there'd been no advantage—he hadn't touched her at all.

Still, points were points.

Natsume wasn't the god of matchmaking—he didn't care about others' happiness.

And he didn't much care for Asuma anyway.

If it were Uzumaki Naruto, he'd feel he was pitiful and lend a hand.

In short, his principle was: do as he pleased.

Soon, Tsunade arrived and the meeting began.

"First matter: Root."

No wasted words—decisive as ever, she went straight to business.

At the mention of Root, many faces shifted.

Especially Aburame Shibi.

Root had taken two of the Aburame clan's geniuses—or rather, top-level fighters:

Aburame Tatsuma and Aburame Torune.

Worst of all, once they joined Root, they basically ignored their clan and became Danzō's hounds.

"Since Root has been disbanded, there's no need to rebuild it."

Tsunade's voice was steady. "Former Root members will be reassigned as regular shinobi."

At that, the previously gloomy Shibi brightened visibly.

That meant Tatsuma and Torune would return to the Aburame.

And it meant their prodigies wouldn't be snatched again.

Many others were all smiles as well.

"Second matter: division of Konoha Police Department duties."

Tsunade raised a second finger.

Because of the Uchiha, the police department's authority had been scattered.

Even after rebuilding, it felt like a chicken rib.

For the clans whose shinobi joined the police, it wasn't very fair.

Or rather, demotivating.

"From now on, Konoha's public security is handled solely by the police department. ANBU will no longer interfere."

As her words fell, the shinobi below collectively drew cold breaths, contributing to global warming.

It sounded like a bland restoration of original powers, but for them, it was a massive boon.

Because now they were the beneficiaries.

Tsunade swept a glance around, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

The first two matters were paving the way for the next.

Of course, she wasn't losing out.

It seemed to favor the clans and shinobi, but there was no single biggest winner.

They would share the benefits.

Konoha would be the one laughing last.

The first matter needed no elaboration.

The second—ANBU had indeed overreached.

Returning it to the police would save costs and let ANBU focus on intel and the Hokage.

And with Maruboshi Kosuke in place, the police wouldn't stir trouble.

"Third matter: appoint Natsume as Hokage's aide. He made great contributions regarding Danzō, is quite capable, and as a Senju shinobi, is fully qualified."

She raised a third finger, tone solemn. "I'm done. Who approves? Who opposes?"

Silence settled briefly.

Many instinctively opposed him as too young and too green.

But the shrewd saw the issue.

Like Nara Shikaku, head of the Nara clan.

He immediately read Tsunade's tactic.

Two sweets first, then the main point.

It meant her stance was very firm.

With that in mind, Shikaku murmured, "Don't oppose."

On his left and right were his allies: Akimichi Chōza and Yamanaka Inoichi.

The Nara were always the external brain of the Ino–Shika–Cho.

Even if they didn't fully get it, they'd comply.

"So that's how it is."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes. Perhaps he should be the first to voice support.

Not the Hyuga's usual style, but he was the only one who knew Natsume's true strength.

With that, he rose without hesitation.

"I approve."

Ignoring the surprised looks, Hiashi said, "I've heard some inside info: the Hokage's secretariat and the police restructuring were Natsume's ideas. Combined with his strength, I think he merits a special appointment."

Tsunade nodded calmly.

But she was somewhat surprised.

The Hyuga had been very supportive lately.

Or had Hiashi already considered Natsume his son-in-law?
With the village's largest clan, Hyuga, backing him, many shelved their opposition.

"I see no problem."

Maruboshi Kosuke stood. "This is a young person's era. Electing another Danzō would only harm Konoha. Natsume is outstanding among the younger generation—let him try. Konoha might find new vitality."

After him, Shikaku spoke as well.

Though only one man, everyone knew he represented three clans.

Naturally, there was opposition—like from the Sarutobi and Shimura.

Tsunade ignored them.

Most jonin ultimately agreed, making Natsume officially the Hokage's aide.

Unlike Danzō, though, with Root gone, his authority wasn't that vast.

That was why so many agreed.

Plus, Tsunade had already given out benefits—opposing now would seem ungrateful.

Being Hokage wasn't just about fighting—it was about people and politics.

The jonin meeting ended.

As Hokage's secretary, Hizashi quickly announced the three decisions.

The most sensational was Natsume's appointment.

He was now the youngest Konoha executive in history.

Even younger than Namikaze Minato had been.

As gossip swirled, Natsume was escorted by ANBU to a sealed chamber deep within the Hokage building.

Where the Scroll of Seals was kept.

…

"Lord Natsume, please enter."

The ANBU was respectful.

"Thanks."

Natsume entered alone.

There were many nice-looking treasures inside, but he took none.

After all, the Hokage was Tsunade.

Why steal from his own house?
He looked to the central Scroll of Seals and opened it.

The first forbidden jutsu: Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.

When Naruto was tricked by Mizuki into stealing the scroll, he learned this.

Thinking back, it was clearly Hiruzen's arrangement.

Otherwise, with Naruto's strength then, how could he enter such a well-guarded vault?

And stealing the precious Scroll of Seals without punishment?

Anyone sharper would have smelled something off.

Only a carefree Naruto thought it normal.

Natsume already knew Multi-Shadow Clone, so he flipped to the next.

Reverse Four Symbols Seal.

Danzo's specialty.

Natsume shook his head—he had Uzumaki Hinae, no need to waste time on sealing.

He turned more pages.

Impure World Reincarnation—the original version, not that useful, too limited.

He already had Orochimaru's improved version.

Eight Gates Released Formation—great power, but a torturous path.

He didn't think he had it in him to learn it.

And it depended on the person.

With the same Eight Gates open, Might Guy would far outstrip Might Duy.

Dead Demon Consuming Seal—one-for-one. Not on his list.

Spirit Transformation Technique—now this was interesting.

An S-rank soul technique that lets the spirit leave the body.

Turning yourself into a living spirit that can traverse distance to kill, possess, and enter others' mental worlds.

There were barely any soul techniques in the shinobi world—rare like space-time ninjutsu.

In layman's terms: out-of-body.

Natsume noted it; he'd find time to learn it—it might come in handy.

Soon, he'd gone through the entire scroll.

Well…

There were many forbidden techniques not seen in the original.

But either the cost was too great or the effect was middling.

No big surprises.

Leaving the vault, he returned to his office.

Though Danzō had been Hokage's aide, he was confined to Root and had no dedicated office.

Natsume didn't care about offices.

But Tsunade was proper about it, so one had been set up.

Right next door to the Hokage Guard office.

"Ino? Why are you here?"

Natsume opened the door, a little surprised.

"Natsume-kun."

In an apron, Ino said excitedly, "Shizune asked me to help tidy up your office."

Natsume didn't get why she was so happy.

Silly child—you've been duped.

He could guarantee Tsunade had told Shizune to clean, and Shizune outsourced it to Ino.

Natsume picked up a broom. "Let's do it together—save time."

Ino's eyes lit up; she nodded.

She already treated it as a rehearsal for the future.

"By the way, Ino."

While sweeping, Natsume asked, "Shouldn't you be calling me senior?"

"Eh?"

Ino looked up. "Um… does Natsume-kun prefer being called senior?"

"Not really."

He thought for a moment. "Let's stick with what you've been calling me. Feels friendlier."

"Mm!"

Ino's cheeks reddened as she smiled brightly.

He said our relationship is friendly.