Adopted by Tsunade [237-238] (Patreon)

Chapter 237 – Konan's Creditor

Mei Terumi liked him—or rather, she had a pretty good impression of Natsume.

But before anything else, she was the Mizukage, bearing the future of Kirigakure on her shoulders.

She couldn't possibly act as unrestrained as Kaguya.

So when she said she wasn't ready, it came from a faint, hard-to-describe sense of panic.

Of course, it also had to do with Natsume's identity.

If he were a Kirigakure ninja, Mei Terumi wouldn't have so many concerns.

Natsume understood what she was thinking and reined himself in a bit after that.

That, in turn, moved Mei Terumi.

Out of guilt, it was as if she really had taken herself to be his maid.

…

Weekend.

Natsume once again arrived in Kirigakure.

But his main objective this time wasn't Mei Terumi, it was Konan.

It was already time for the meeting the two of them had agreed on.

Hinae had specially come to Kirigakure as well.

Aside from that, there was another matter: replacing the jinchuriki.

Last time Konan and the others came to Kirigakure, it had been to take away Yagura Karatachi.

Because of Natsume's interference, they'd had to give up.

But to the Akatsuki, the Three-Tails wasn't necessary at the moment; they could postpone it for a few more years.

Konan's readiness to give up back then was exactly for this reason.

Yagura Karatachi was already at death's door.

To avoid a repeat of the previous incident, he had personally requested to have the Three-Tails extracted.

Although Natsume was the Hokage, using his Sealing Squad would still be rather troublesome.

Hinae was, without a doubt, the best candidate.

"You may all go down."

Mei Terumi's gaze sharpened slightly as she said, "Zabuza, be prepared."

"Yes."

Momochi Zabuza answered calmly.

Being chosen as the Three-Tails' jinchuriki didn't strike him as anything special.

If anything, he admired Mei Terumi's broad-mindedness a little.

After all, once he had the Three-Tails, Zabuza's strength would rise another level. Given time, he might grow ambitions for the Mizukage's seat himself.

The group turned and left.

Mei Terumi looked at Natsume lounging on the windowsill and asked, "Aren't you afraid they'll find out?"

"Why should I be afraid?"

Natsume hopped down onto the floor. "It's not like I've done anything guilty."

"…"

Mei Terumi was speechless.

Put that way, it sounded perfectly reasonable.

It just made her seem a bit… improper.

She had to admit, she really was worried about the people of Kirigakure discovering her relationship with Natsume.

Falling in love was normal enough, but it could damage her dignity as Mizukage.

"Do you need me to put on the maid outfit?"

Mei Terumi asked with a calm expression.

After a few days of interacting like this, she had gotten somewhat used to it.

This also had to do with her personality.

If it were Hinata in her place, it would probably take years to even begin to adapt.

"You slipped into the maid role this quickly. Not bad."

Natsume smiled, giving her some praise.

"…"

Mei Terumi immediately lost her composure, glared at him, and said, "I don't need that kind of compliment!"

"Alright, alright."

Natsume shrugged, teasing, "No need to change into the maid outfit. Besides, being a maid isn't just about the clothes."

"…"

Mei Terumi was silent for a few seconds, then helplessly lifted the hem of her skirt a little and called out, "Master."

Her heart trembled slightly. Somehow, it felt completely different from when she was wearing the actual maid outfit.

To the point that a faint flush appeared on her face.

"Good girl."

Natsume stepped closer and stroked her hair.

"Please give your orders freely, Master."

Mei Terumi lowered her face, speaking in an indifferent tone.

If she didn't talk like this, she would feel embarrassed and self-conscious.

And this was the Mizukage's office. Someone might come by at any moment.

It was both exciting and nerve-racking.

Natsume glanced around, then lifted her chin. "There's nothing much to do today."

Mei Terumi was slightly taken aback.

Just as she relaxed in relief, her lips were bitten.

Her eyes flew wide open on reflex, then quickly grew moist as she wrapped her arms around him.

A long while later.

"Mizukage is getting more and more skilled."

Natsume wiped the strand of saliva from the corner of her lips with his fingers.

Only to be rewarded with her fierce glare.

Perhaps feeling it wasn't enough, she directly bit down on his finger.

"Are you a dog?"

Natsume couldn't help laughing at her reaction.

Mei Terumi instantly realized the problem.

This didn't feel like punishment—it felt like a reward.

She spat out his finger and quickly stepped back. "You really are a pervert!"

"You're the one who started biting me."

Natsume blinked. "Now you're blaming me? Mizukage, aren't you being a little unreasonable?"

"There's no need to be reasonable with you."

Mei Terumi snorted, sounding a bit guilty.

"Fine, fine. As your master, I'll be magnanimous."

Natsume snapped his fingers. "Anyway, I've got serious business to take care of, so I'll see you later."

Watching him leave, Mei Terumi shuddered from head to toe as she suddenly realized what she'd just done.

She covered her face.

Not only had she failed to refuse him, she had responded enthusiastically.

And she was getting more and more practiced at it.

Leaning back against the Mizukage's chair, Mei Terumi felt both shy and secretly delighted.

…

At the Kirigakure branch of the Sunny Miles Trading Company.

A fairly large compound.

Seeing Konan, Hinae immediately understood why Natsume had taken a liking to her.

She was indeed very beautiful.

And her cool, aloof temperament was uniquely striking.

"You're the general manager?" Konan instinctively glanced at Hinae's red hair.

It made her think of Nagato.

Although, red hair wasn't exactly a unique trait.

Sasori of the Red Sand had red hair as well.

Hinae had used sealing techniques to hide her chakra.

In Konan's eyes, she was just an ordinary person.

What surprised Konan was that someone with such assets turned out to be a woman.

The ninja world was, after all, not like the modern world.

It was effectively a pre-modern society, where the status of women tended to be weaker.

In the hidden villages it was better—if you were strong, you were respected.

But outside the villages, the old norms were more widespread.

"Just call me Hinae."

Hinae smiled gently. "Takashi-sama will be here in a little while."

Sensing Hinae's warmth, Konan's expression also relaxed.

Given Hinae's looks and status, this level of respect was already quite rare.

"Mm."

Konan sat down opposite her.

Soon, there was a knock at the door.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late."

Natsume pushed the door open and walked in.

"It's fine, your timing is perfect."

Hinae forced herself to sound calm.

She was doing her best to suppress her emotions so Konan wouldn't notice anything.

"Let's begin, then."

Hinae drew back her gaze. "How much does the Akatsuki intend to borrow?"

"Two billion."

Konan immediately gave a number.

She'd already decided in advance, so there was no pause or hesitation.

And it was twice the one billion Natsume had mentioned.

"Two billion is no small amount."

Hinae didn't show any particular shock at the huge loan.

After all these years of training, she was more than qualified to be a capable lady president.

Natsume watched her, a little stirred.

In front of him, Hinae was always a gently obedient, soft-spoken beauty.

She rarely displayed this particular aura.

He had to admit—it was quite appealing.

"What collateral does the Akatsuki have that would justify a two-billion loan from our company?"

Sensing Natsume's gaze, Hinae wanted to respond, but now was clearly not the time; she could only endure it for the moment.

"The Akatsuki possesses enough power to destroy Kirigakure."

Konan thought for a bit. "We can provide sufficient protection for the Sunny Miles Trading Company."

Destroy Kirigakure?

Hinae was a little taken aback.

Kirigakure was one of the Five Great Hidden Villages, and in terms of overall strength, among the top five powers in the entire ninja world.

Konan had tossed out the claim so casually, as if Kirigakure were just some small village.

Natsume hadn't told Hinae too many details beforehand.

Mainly because she wouldn't be directly involved with the Akatsuki.

"By itself, that's not quite enough."

Hinae shook her head. "Since your Akatsuki has such terrifying power, what if you simply don't repay the money? What then?"

"…"

Konan frowned slightly.

That was indeed something they couldn't prove.

It could only rest on the Akatsuki's credibility.

But clearly, Hinae didn't trust that.

"What do you suggest, then?"

After a moment of thought, Konan couldn't come up with a good answer and tossed the question back.

"Sunny Miles is only a trading company, not a nation or hidden village. Under normal circumstances, we'd never draw on such frightening power."

Hinae studied her carefully. "What is your position within the Akatsuki?"

"…?"

Konan was a little puzzled, but still replied, "You could say I'm the vice leader."

The Akatsuki had originally been founded by Yahiko, Nagato, and herself.

All three could have been called leaders.

But now, with only Pain as the official leader, vice leader was accurate enough for her.

"There are no serious issues with that, then. How about you serve as my bodyguard?"

Hinae smiled.

Bodyguard?

Konan raised an eyebrow. "Does it have to be me? Other members of the Akatsuki are no weaker than I am."

She'd rather stay at Nagato's side to protect him.

Even if he didn't need protection, someone had to be on guard against members like Uchiha Madara.

After all, she knew Nagato was currently in a state of excessive confidence.

There was no telling when things might suddenly go wrong.

"I'm a woman."

Hinae explained, "If there are female members in the Akatsuki, I'd accept them instead as well."

"…"

Konan fell silent.

The Akatsuki really didn't have any other female members.

If she'd known this would happen, she would've recruited two more women.

Still, Hinae's point made sense.

Men and women were different.

Besides, the other members of Akatsuki were a bunch who knew nothing of pitying the fairer sex.

It really would be inconvenient.

But refusing wasn't really an option.

In truth, Hinae already trusted her quite a bit.

Without this bodyguard condition, it would basically be like getting something for nothing.

They could walk off with two billion without lifting a finger.

Honestly, if it were that easy, Konan would have to suspect Hinae's ulterior motives.

Thinking of this, she nodded.

"Being your bodyguard is fine, but I need to be allowed to return to the Akatsuki when necessary."

"Naturally."

Hinae smiled when she saw Konan agree. "Serving as my bodyguard won't actually involve that much work; there's no need for you to be too stiff about it."

Konan wasn't particularly reserved to begin with.

She already had a good impression of Hinae.

Staying by her side as a bodyguard didn't sound too bad.

The only real downside was that she'd have to be away from Amegakure for long stretches of time.

But thinking about it, that wasn't such a big issue.

With a ninja's speed, going back once in a while didn't take that much time.

"Then let's sign the contract."

Hinae took out two copies.

Strictly speaking, given the Akatsuki's strength, it was just a piece of waste paper.

But with Natsume involved, that scrap of paper became genuine proof.

Once both sides had signed,

The loan was officially complete.

Natsume had successfully become the Akatsuki's creditor.

[Because of your actions, Konan's fate has changed. You have obtained 100 Fate Points.]

A hundred, huh?

Natsume hadn't expected that.

Chapter 238 – Mei Terumi's Exhaustion

With the contract signed, Konan would naturally carry it out.

 At least for now, she had no intention of going back on it.

 Since she needed to return and report to Nagato, she didn't start immediately, but instead requested a few days off.

 Hinae generously agreed.

 After Konan left, Hinae let out a breath, turned to Natsume, and asked, "How was that?"

 "Perfect."

 Natsume smiled, lifting the teacup to her lips. "You worked hard."

 Hinae leaned forward to take a sip, then asked, "So what about my reward?"

 Her voice was gentle and lazy, carrying a faint hint of seduction.

 Natsume could tell she wanted him to tease her.

 He set the cup down and cupped her soft cheek. "I've still got something here. Want a drink?"

 Hinae's face visibly turned red.

 She rose and swung a leg over his lap, sitting astride him, and nodded. "I want to drink."

With a knowing smile, Natsume gently guided her hands to the fastenings of his robe, encouraging her to part the fabric.

Hinae complied, her fingers trembling slightly as she unveiled his firm manhood, already swelling with anticipation.

She leaned down, her breath warm against his skin, and took him into her mouth with slow, deliberate care.

Her lips enveloped him softly at first, then with increasing rhythm, her tongue tracing delicate patterns along his length.

Natsume's hand wove into her hair, guiding her gently as waves of pleasure built within him.

As she continued, Natsume reached for the ties of her own garments, loosening them to reveal her full, rounded breasts, their peaks hardening in the cool air.

He cupped one gently, his thumb brushing over the sensitive tip, eliciting a soft moan from Hinae that vibrated against him.

She paused only to shrug off the rest of her robe, exposing the smooth curves of her hips and the intimate folds between her thighs, glistening with her growing arousal.

"I also have something I need to talk to you about."

 Natsume wrapped an arm around her slim waist, his voice steady despite the building tension.

"You know about the Tailed Beasts, right?"

 "Mm."

 Hinae frowned a little, lifting her head briefly, her lips glistening. "But I don't know much about them."

 "You really don't."

 Natsume chuckled, pulling her closer so that her bare breasts pressed against his chest.

"That's on me. I haven't told you much."

 "So what?"

 Hinae rolled her eyes, resting against his chest as she resumed her attentions, her mouth working him with renewed fervor.

"You can just tell me now."

 "The Tailed Beasts, put simply, are the nine most powerful monsters in this world."

 Natsume stroked her flushed skin as he spoke, his fingers trailing down to caress the soft swell of her backside.

"To better use their power, people created jinchuriki—using sealing techniques to seal them into human bodies."

 Hinae sucked in a sharp breath, her body trembling as she felt him pulse within her mouth.

She quickened her pace, drawing him deeper, until Natsume's breaths grew ragged.

With a low groan, he reached his peak, his essence spilling forth in warm pulses that she accepted eagerly, her own body quivering with shared excitement.

She swallowed and lifted her gaze to him, her cheeks flushed and eyes hazy with desire.

Natsume, still catching his breath, drew her up fully onto his lap, positioning her so that her intimate folds aligned with his still-hard manhood.

He entered her slowly, filling her completely, their bodies joining in a deep, intimate rhythm. Hinae's hands gripped his shoulders, her nails digging in lightly as she moved with him, her breasts bouncing gently with each thrust.

Natsume's hands roamed her undressed form, one cupping her breast while the other supported her hips, guiding their union.

She gasped as pleasure built within her, her inner walls clenching around him. "I called you here, aside from dealing with the Akatsuki, because I want you to handle a Tailed Beast sealing."

 Natsume moved on to business, his voice husky as he thrust deeper. "The previous Three-Tails jinchuriki of Kirigakure is on the verge of death, so they need a replacement."

 "Can I really do it?"

 Hinae bit her lower lip, looking uneasy, even as her body arched in ecstasy, her climax approaching.

 "Of course you can."

 Natsume lifted her up by her firm backside and kissed her cheek, driving into her with purposeful strokes that sent her over the edge.

Hinae cried out softly, her body shuddering as waves of orgasm washed through her, her intimate depths pulsing around him in release.

Moments later, Natsume followed, his own peak surging forth once more, filling her with warmth as they clung together in shared bliss.

"Mm."

 Hinae nodded vigorously, her body still trembling in the afterglow as she collapsed against him, their bare skin pressed close.

…

An hour later.

The two of them headed for the Mizukage's building.

"Just one person?"

Mei Terumi eyed Hinae skeptically. "If I remember right, doesn't Konoha have a Sealing Squad?"

It wasn't that she didn't trust Natsume, but the Tailed Beasts were a major matter; she wanted as many safeguards as possible.

If something went wrong, Momochi Zabuza might very well die.

Kirigakure couldn't afford that loss.

"It's fine."

Natsume leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Let you in on a secret, but you can't tell anyone. She's a member of the Uzumaki clan. In terms of sealing arts, there are only a handful in the entire ninja world who can surpass her."

Mei Terumi froze for a moment.

Although Hinae's red hair was eye-catching, she hadn't thought much of it.

After all, not every redhead was an Uzumaki.

Now that Natsume pointed it out, she relaxed considerably.

Hinae's eyes moved slightly.

Even with Natsume speaking that close, Mei Terumi didn't react much.

Either it was in her nature not to care, or she'd long since gotten used to it.

Hinae leaned toward the latter.

She knew Natsume's charm all too well.

But she didn't feel anything negative.

No jealousy, no hurt.

She could go along with Uchiha Mikoto and join Natsume in his antics.

That alone said plenty about her personality—or rather, her attitude.

"In that case, let's begin."

Mei Terumi came back to herself and said solemnly, "Come with me."

She turned and walked out.

This time, Yagura had been moved to yet another location.

It was still not far from Kirigakure.

The three of them walked for a few minutes and soon arrived.

"Mizukage-sama."

Zabuza and Haku stepped forward to greet her.

Their gazes, in unison, landed on Natsume.

Their calm expressions immediately changed.

The Hokage.

They were reminded of that time they'd ambushed Natsume and Team 9.

The defeat had been utterly miserable.

They never expected Natsume to show up here.

"I believe you both recognize this person. The Hokage, Natsume."

Mei Terumi spoke evenly. "To ensure the smooth transfer of the jinchuriki, I contacted Konoha."

Zabuza blinked, then accepted this explanation.

Konoha had inherited the Uzumaki's sealing techniques; if they could suppress even the Nine-Tails, the Three-Tails would hardly be a problem.

With their help, it was indeed safer.

"Mizukage-sama, you've worked hard."

Zabuza glanced at Hinae.

Her red hair stood out strikingly.

It was hard not to suspect something.

Even though the Uzumaki clan had perished, if Konoha had gained their sealing techniques, saving a few of them wasn't impossible.

But suspicion was one thing; voicing it was another.

Strength ruled all.

Konoha was not a village to provoke lightly.

"Is everyone else here?"

Mei Terumi continued.

"They're all inside. Nine in total—five sealing-type shinobi and four medical-nin."

Zabuza replied.

Mei Terumi nodded, then looked at Natsume again.

She hesitated before speaking. "Hokage-sama, you don't mind having some additional people involved, do you?"

Kirigakure did have sealing shinobi.

After all, the previous jinchuriki hadn't needed Konoha's involvement.

However, the techniques they knew were all fairly basic.

Mei Terumi had called them here as backup.

If anything went wrong, they might at least have a chance to salvage things.

"I don't mind."

Natsume shook his head.

This was perfectly reasonable.

"You can go in, then."

Mei Terumi let out a quiet breath. "Be careful, all of you."

Zabuza and the others nodded and filed into the building.

Hinae gave Natsume a look and followed them in.

"You're not going to take a look?"

Natsume asked when he saw Mei Terumi remain outside.

"I'd just get in the way."

Her eyes stayed fixed on the building. "It's better if I stand guard out here, in case enemies show up."

"If you're nervous, you can use my shoulder."

Noticing her expression, Natsume smiled.

"…"

Mei Terumi was speechless.

If it were just the two of them fooling around with the master-and-maid thing, she might actually agree.

But now?

Impossible.

There were a bunch of people just a short distance away.

If they were discovered… Several scenes flashed rapidly through Mei Terumi's mind.

She curled her lip. "Don't think I don't know what you're really after."

"What I'm after?"

Natsume gave her a sidelong glance. "This is a reward from your master. Don't get the wrong idea."

"Shut up!"

Mei Terumi jumped a little and lowered her voice. "You promised—you're not allowed to mention master and servant in public."

"I said not in front of outsiders."

Natsume corrected her. "They can't hear us. Don't be so shy."

"I… I'm not shy at all."

Mei Terumi glared at him. "And we're this close. How could they not hear us?"

"If you talk any louder, then yeah, they'll definitely hear you."

Natsume pointed at the building.

Mei Terumi clapped a hand over her mouth and fell silent.

Her eyes, however, still glared daggers at him.

The corners of Natsume's lips curled up. He reached out and gave her thigh a little smack.

Mei Terumi's eyes flew wide, pupils quivering.

She hissed under her breath, "What are you doing?"

"What's the big deal?"

Natsume blinked. "Haven't we done worse before?"

"…"

Mei Terumi ground her teeth, threatening in a whisper, "If you mess around out here, I… I'll get really mad!"

As she spoke, she shuffled sideways to increase the distance between them.

Hearing how empty her threat sounded, Natsume could only chuckle.

Still, he didn't tease her further.

Everything needed moderation.

Even lovers' roughhousing couldn't go too far.

…

After half an hour, Hinae opened the door.

"How did it go?"

Mei Terumi immediately stepped forward, tense.

To Natsume, the scene gave him a powerful sense of déjà-vu—

As if Hinae were about to say, "Both mother and child are safe."

"The operation was a success."

"Thank you."

Mei Terumi exhaled in relief and gave a sincere thanks.

"If you're thanking someone, thank the Hokage."

Hinae looked at Natsume. "I was only following orders."

Beautifully done.

As expected of the ever-understanding Hinae.

Natsume shot her a look.

Hinae smiled.

Mei Terumi was briefly stunned.

Thank Natsume?

If she kept thanking him, she might not be able to keep things under wraps.

Her thoughts drifted off.

"Mizukage-sama."

The shinobi of Kirigakure began filing out of the room.

"You all worked hard."

Mei Terumi came back to herself. "Go rest for now."

In the end, only Haku remained.

He bowed slightly. "Mizukage-sama, Yagura-sama wishes to see you one last time."

Mei Terumi nodded in silence.

"We'll get going."

Seeing this, Natsume didn't continue to intrude.

"Mm."

Mei Terumi gave him a glance, then turned and entered the room.

Natsume and Hinae returned to Kirigakure, after which he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to send Hinae back to the Land of Waves.

He, however, did not leave.

…

Half an hour later, Mei Terumi opened the door, her expression grave.

Her entire body radiated a foul mood.

"What are you doing in my house?"

Seeing Natsume, she paused in surprise, then said, "I'm not in the mood to play any master-and-servant games right now. Go."

"Is that what I am to you, in your heart? Just that awful a person?"

Natsume patted the sofa. "Come sit."

Mei Terumi looked at him, then walked over anyway.

As soon as she sat down, Natsume pulled her into his arms.

She struggled on reflex, then heard him speak.

"If you're upset, just cry. Don't bottle it up."

"…"

Mei Terumi lowered her head. "I'm not upset."

"If you say so."

Natsume reached out to straighten her disheveled hair.

Mei Terumi said nothing more, shifting her body and curling herself into the cradle of his arm and chest.

The unprecedented sense of security made the pressure that had been building in her for so long finally lift.

By the time Natsume came back to his senses, she had already fallen fast asleep.

She really was exhausted.

Mei Terumi had been raised by the elder Genji. Yagura's death, in itself, didn't affect her that deeply.

But it had become a fuse, detonating all the emotions that had built up for so long.

Even so, she was still the Mizukage. She hadn't broken down sobbing or screaming, which was admirable in its own way.