Adopted by Tsunade [243-244] (R18) (Patreon)

Chapter 243 – Tsunade’s Guilt

Using some physical persuasion, they managed to talk Karashi into going back.

Granny Sanshō was delighted and cooked everyone their favorite: Curry of Life.

This time she even increased the dose.

Naruto and Sasuke almost died on the spot.

[Because of your actions, the fates of Kurosuki Raiga, Ranmaru, and Karashi have changed. You gained 170 Fate Points.]

A hundred and seventy points wasn’t bad. At least Natsume’s last few days hadn’t been a waste.

Once Izumi arrived, the five of them said goodbye to Granny Sanshō and returned to the Hokage’s office.

Naruto set Ranmaru down and loudly asked, “When’s our next mission?”

He felt like he hadn’t done anything at all.

All the glory had been stolen by Sasuke, so he was extremely anxious.

“I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t be,”

Natsume leaned back against the Hokage’s chair and said,

“The mission just ended. Take a few days off first.”

“But I’m not tired at all!”

Naruto swung his fists to show he was full of energy.

With his personality, making him stay in the village the whole time really was forcing something against his nature.

But Natsume also didn’t want to be stuck with them every day.

He was actually quite busy.

“How about this.”

Natsume thought up a compromise. “You can temporarily join another team to go on missions.”

Naruto didn’t agree immediately.

A hesitant look appeared on his face.

To be honest, he was pretty satisfied with his two teammates.

They absolutely didn’t hold him back.

If he switched to another team, everything would be unfamiliar.

“I’ll go too.”

Sasuke spoke up.

Seeing this, Hinata lifted her eyes toward Natsume.

Clearly, she also wanted to temper herself through missions.

Good grief.

Natsume suddenly realized he was the laziest one of the bunch.

All three students were very diligent.

“Natsume-sensei!”

Naruto instantly perked up. “Look, everyone already agreed. You should come with us too!”

“I’m the Hokage. I can’t be running missions every day.”

Natsume lazily waved his hand. “I’ll find a jōnin leader for you.”

The three of them were a bit disappointed, but they understood.

The Hokage really was busy.

“Wait for me at Training Ground Four tomorrow. Someone will come find you then.”

After sending his three students away, Natsume stood up and left the Hokage building.

Not long after, he arrived at Orochimaru’s residence.

Cold, watchful gazes were cast on him from all around.

Snake eyes.

Natsume didn’t care at all and walked straight into the main hall.

“Hokage-sama.”

Uzuki Yugao immediately appeared, bowed slightly, and greeted him.

“Where’s your teacher?”

Natsume casually picked a place to sit and asked.

“Sensei is doing an experiment,”

Uzuki Yugao replied. “He’ll be here soon.”

“Mm.”

Natsume looked at the purple-haired ice beauty and asked,

“You’re already a jōnin now. I’m planning to have you temporarily lead a genin team. Do you have time?”

Uzuki Yugao froze slightly, clearly not expecting that.

She was actually willing.

After all, staying by Orochimaru’s side, she was basically just a lab subject every day.

But she couldn’t control her own freedom.

“I have to wait for Sensei’s orders,”

Uzuki Yugao said blankly.

Natsume just smiled faintly at that.

Exactly the answer he expected.

Soon, Orochimaru appeared.

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

His skin had always been pale, but now it was even paler.

And that kind of white looked very familiar.

White Zetsu?

These must be the White Zetsu cells he’d stolen when he ambushed Uchiha Obito back then.

Clearly, they’d already yielded considerable results.

White Zetsu cells were extremely special, somewhat similar to Hashirama cells, but noticeably milder.

After getting them, Orochimaru would naturally try to make use of them.

Coupled with Living Corpse Reincarnation and swapping out his body, it all seemed perfectly reasonable.

“Hokage-sama, Sensei,”

Uzuki Yugao bowed again. “I’ll take my leave.”

She was very tactful.

Although she wanted to know if Orochimaru would let her be a squad leader, she also understood that a conversation between those two was not something she could listen in on.

Sometimes the more you know, the faster you die.

“Orochimaru, long time no see.”

Natsume greeted him with a smile.

“Hokage-sama.”

Orochimaru gave him a look and asked, “What did you come to see me for?”

His attitude was still relatively mild.

First, because no one had bothered his experiments in years.

Second, because of Natsume’s rapidly growing prestige.

Orochimaru naturally knew about his recent exploits.

In terms of pure strength, Natsume was quite a troublesome existence.

Orochimaru had no desire to disrupt his current peaceful life.

“How’s the Wood Release awakening experiment going?”

Natsume asked offhandedly.

He wasn’t expecting much.

“It still needs time.”

Orochimaru had certainly tried, but it was difficult.

So he’d shifted his focus to White Zetsu instead.

As for Natsume’s original request, he honestly hadn’t taken it very seriously.

For experiments, it’s normal to go years, even over a decade, without producing results.

“Mm.”

Natsume stared at him intently and said,

“Orochimaru, you’ve taken quite a lot of funding. You should offer some returns, don’t you think?”

“…”

Orochimaru went quiet for a moment. “What do you want?”

“Your body seems different from before,”

Natsume said meaningfully. “Care to tell me why?”

“I’m afraid I cannot say.”

Orochimaru refused without a second’s thought.

But under the eaves, one has to bow their head.

He casually pulled out a scroll and tossed it to Natsume.

“This is a body-regeneration technique,”

Orochimaru explained. “By cultivating special cells, you can regrow severed limbs.”

Natsume opened it and glanced through; he couldn’t understand the technical details.

But clearly this was based on White Zetsu’s properties.

For Konoha’s medical system, this was enormous.

After all, medical ninjutsu couldn’t regenerate lost limbs.

But White Zetsu’s cells could.

“Uzuki Yugao. Do you still need her?”

Natsume put the scroll away and said, “Keeping her by your side is a waste. Hand her over to me.”

“…”

Orochimaru thought for a bit. “That’ll cost extra.”

“No problem.”

Money was the last thing Natsume lacked right now.

Orochimaru’s condition was reasonable enough.

In his hands, Uzuki Yugao was just a Cursed Seal test subject.

But the Cursed Seal had basically stabilized now; he didn’t need her anymore.

Might as well trade her for some cash.

Research was extremely expensive.

And most importantly, Orochimaru didn’t want to offend Natsume.

So he simply went with the flow and gave away a subordinate.

Once the deal was struck, Orochimaru called Uzuki Yugao back in.

“From today on, you’ll be working under Hokage-sama.”

“Yes.”

Uzuki Yugao was shocked at first, then delighted.

She and Orochimaru might technically be teacher and student, but there was no real bond there.

She’d originally come as retainer and later had just become a test subject.

Orochimaru had never shown her the slightest warmth.

Compared to Anko Mitarashi, her situation was downright miserable.

Under those circumstances, there was no way she could have any deep affection for Orochimaru.

“See you next time, then.”

Natsume gave a small wave and left under Orochimaru’s emotionless gaze.

[Because of your actions, Uzuki Yugao’s fate has changed. You gained 80 Fate Points.]

A decent haul.

The Fate Points were secondary.

The main thing was that gaining Uzuki Yugao meant one more capable ninja.

When Natsume returned to the Hokage building, he picked up a file and handed it to her.

“These are the three students you’ll be leading.”

“Yes.”

Uzuki Yugao replied.

She opened the file and scanned it, then froze in surprise.

Because everyone knew that Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Hinata Hyūga were the Hokage’s direct disciples.

She hadn’t expected him to hand them to her.

Even if only temporarily, it clearly showed Natsume’s trust.

That made her feel genuinely grateful.

With Orochimaru, she wasn’t just ignored; her life was in constant danger.

Now she actually felt like she’d returned to the human world.

After Uzuki Yugao left, Ranmaru had already woken up.

When he saw Natsume, he blinked in surprise, then quickly asked,

“Where’s Raiga? Where is he?”

Because he’d lost consciousness before Kurosuki Raiga died, he didn’t know what had happened.

Natsume couldn’t be bothered to talk in circles with him. He directly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and wiped Ranmaru’s memories.

When Ranmaru woke up again, his eyes were clear as water.

“How old are you?”

Natsume looked at his delicate face and asked.

“Seven.”

Ranmaru answered immediately.

Natsume nodded.

Seven fit.

In the original, he looked several years younger than Naruto.

The best option was to send him to the Ninja Academy.

Natsume called in Kurenai Yūhi and had her make the arrangements.

Besides classes, there was the question of where he’d live.

At only seven, it wasn’t really appropriate to leave him on his own.

Natsume thought of the orphanage.

And his red eyes would give Kabuto a chance to explore more applications.

Kurenai accepted the task and left.

Natsume welcomed a stretch of leisure time.

He could peacefully keep Tsunade company and help her through her pregnancy.

….

When winter came, the snow arrived as expected.

Everything was white once more.

Tsunade’s belly was now quite obvious.

To avoid being discovered, she stopped going out entirely, becoming a complete shut-in.

“Ah, open up.”

Natsume peeled a grape and held it to Tsunade’s lips.

She was busy at the moment, eyes glued to the TV.

They were replaying the drama Natsume had arranged for Kazahana Koyuki to film last time.

It was Tsunade’s favorite pastime these days.

After eating a few grapes, she said, “I’m done.”

Natsume nodded, draped his right arm over her shoulder, and watched with her.

How to put it?

It was… pretty average.

Natsume debated whether to bring some dramas from his previous life into this world.

But ninja-world actors weren’t nearly as professional.

Having them reshoot would never match this level of performance.

Might as well just… exchange for them directly?

When one episode ended, Tsunade’s tense body finally relaxed.

She glanced at Natsume, some unreadable mix in her eyes, a pensive look on her face.

Then she leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth.

Natsume snapped back to himself and teased,

“What’s this, you couldn’t help yourself? Too bad you can’t do anything in your current condition.”

“…”

Tsunade rolled her eyes. “You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine,”

Natsume said with righteous seriousness. “In your heart, am I really that improper?”

In truth, he had been sneaking off elsewhere.

Tsunade didn’t know that, and assumed he was holding himself back. For a moment she felt both moved and guilty.

Right then, Shizune opened the door.

“I’m home.”

Chapter 244 – You Came at the Perfect Time

“I’m home.”

Shizune called out the way she always did.

“Was the hospital busy today?”

Tsunade asked, still not looking away from the TV.

“About the same as usual,”

Shizune replied casually.

Only during wartime was Konoha’s hospital packed with patients.

These days, they didn’t need that many hands.

But since Shizune had nothing much to do at home, she could at least kill time at the hospital.

Even if she wasn’t treating patients, she could teach the new medical-nin.

With her skill level, that was more than enough.

“I’ll go make dinner.”

Shizune changed shoes and went into the kitchen.

The living room was once again filled only with the sound of the television.

“I’ll go see what we’re having tonight.”

Tsunade patted Natsume’s hand and spoke.

“I’ll go.”

Natsume immediately said, “You’re not very convenient right now.”

“What’s inconvenient?”

Tsunade’s brows knitted. “I can still run and jump. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with me.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Even pregnant, with her constitution, she really could.

Natsume was just over-worrying.

“All right, you go.”

“Now that’s more like it.”

Tsunade poked his forehead with a smile and headed into the kitchen.

“Tsunade-sama?”

Hearing movement, Shizune instinctively turned her head. When she saw Tsunade, she quickly put down the knife and hurried forward to support her.

 “Why are you just like Natsume?”

 Tsunade brushed off her hand. “I’m pregnant, not paralyzed.”

 “Does Tsunade-sama need something?”

 Shizune quickly shifted the subject.

 “I do, actually.”

 Tsunade met her gaze and asked,

 “You’re not that young anymore. Do you have someone you like?”

 “Huh?”

 Shizune froze, not registering the question at all.

 It was an awfully abrupt topic.

 “Well? Do you?”

 Tsunade pressed.

 “No…”

 Shizune suddenly thought of Natsume and frantically shook her head.

 “Then why are you panicking?”

 Tsunade put on a stern face. “You’re not good at lying.”

 Shizune had followed her for so many years that there was no way to hide her thoughts.

 “…”

 Hearing that only made Shizune more flustered, a blush creeping over her face.

 “Go on, tell me. What are you thinking?”

 A smile returned to Tsunade’s lips.

 “I’m not.”

 Shizune was dazed for a moment. “I’ve never thought about getting married. I planned to stay by Tsunade-sama’s side and learn from you my whole life.”

 In canon, that’s basically what happened.

 Just like Terumi Mei, she never got married.

 Of course, with their strength and status, finding someone wouldn’t be hard.

 They just never met someone that truly moved them.

 Especially Terumi Mei.

 “Is that really how you think?”

 Tsunade was taken aback, a bit regretful. “Then forget it. I was just going to say that if you like Natsume, I could help.”

 Natsume?

 “Wait!”

 Shizune blurted.

 Tsunade paused and sighed inwardly.

 As expected.

 But thinking about it, it made perfect sense.

 The man she’d chosen to love had too much charm.

 …

 Natsume waited in the living room for half an hour before Tsunade finally came out.

 He looked at her in confusion. “What took so long?”

 “I was talking with Shizune.”

 Tsunade sat next to him. “Do you really want to listen to girls’ talk?”

 “No.”

 Natsume took her hand. “I was just asking.”

 After dinner, Tsunade went to the study to read novels.

 If TV dramas were her first pastime, novels had become the second.

 Her previous favorites—gambling and drinking—were off the table for now.

 With a bit of free time, Natsume swung by the Hyūga compound.

 He brought Hinata a late-night snack.

 After he was done there, he went to the Land of Waves to pet cats.

 It had become part of his daily routine.

 When he came home, Tsunade was still reading, so he said, “I’m going to take a bath.”

 They used to bathe together, but now they did so separately.

 As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.

 Natsume stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water.

 But a moment later, he heard the door open.

 Tsunade walked in.

 “How come—”

 Natsume’s expression suddenly hardened. “You’re not Tsunade.”

 He didn’t have the Byakugan, but with his level of strength, seeing through a Transformation Technique was trivial.

 With a puff, smoke rose.

 The transformation dispelled.

 It was Shizune.

 Before Natsume could say anything, her face already flushed scarlet, she launched a desperate charge, going all-in.

Shizune's heart pounded like a war drum as she closed the distance, her body trembling with a mix of nerves and long-suppressed desire.

She'd never done anything like this before—never even kissed a man, let alone bared herself so completely.

But Tsunade's words had ignited something fierce in her, a permission she hadn't known she needed.

Natsume stood there, water cascading over his toned, muscular frame, his broad shoulders and chiseled abs glistening under the steam.

His cock, already half-hard from the surprise, hung thick and heavy between his powerful thighs, veins pulsing along its length.

"Shizune... what are you—"

Natsume started, but she silenced him by pressing her lips to his, her hands fumbling with the ties of her robe.

It fell open, revealing her naked body beneath—no undergarments, just her pale, smooth skin flushed pink with arousal.

Her breasts were full and perky, nipples hardening into stiff peaks as the cool air hit them, dark areolas contrasting against her creamy flesh.

Lower down, her untouched pussy was a neat slit framed by soft black curls, already slick with anticipation, her labia swollen and glistening.

Natsume's eyes widened, but he didn't pull away.

Instead, his hands instinctively gripped her waist, pulling her under the warm spray of the shower.

"Tsunade put you up to this?" he murmured against her mouth, his voice husky.

"She... she said it was okay," Shizune whispered, her breath hitching as his fingers traced the curve of her hips. "Natsume. Please... be my first."

That admission broke something in him.

With a low growl, Natsume deepened the kiss, his tongue invading her mouth, tasting her sweetness while his hands explored her body.

He cupped one of her breasts, thumbing the nipple until she moaned, the sound echoing off the tiled walls.

Shizune arched into his touch, her own hands roaming over his chest, feeling the hard ridges of muscle before dipping lower to wrap around his now fully erect cock.

It was massive in her grip—thick as her wrist, the shaft hot and throbbing, the bulbous head leaking pre-cum that mixed with the water.

"You're sure?"

Natsume asked, pulling back to look into her eyes, his own dark with lust.

Shizune nodded frantically, her pussy clenching at the thought. "Yes... take me."

He didn't need more encouragement.

Lifting her effortlessly, Natsume pinned her against the shower wall, the cool tiles a stark contrast to the heat building between them.

He positioned himself at her entrance, the tip of his cock nudging her virgin folds.

Shizune gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders as he slowly pushed in. Her hymen resisted for a moment, a sharp sting making her cry out, but then it gave way with a wet pop, blood mixing with her arousal and the water swirling down the drain.

The pain was brief, overshadowed by the overwhelming fullness as inch after inch of his girthy length stretched her tight, untouched walls.

"Oh gods... it's so big," Shizune whimpered, her pussy clamping down around him like a vice, every ridge and vein of his cock dragging against her sensitive inner flesh.

Natsume groaned, burying his face in her neck. "You're so tight... Shizune."

He started thrusting slowly at first, giving her time to adjust, but soon the rhythm built—deep, powerful strokes that had her breasts bouncing with each impact.

Water splashed around them, soaking her hair and running in rivulets down her body, highlighting the way her clit peeked out from its hood, swollen and begging for attention.

Shizune's first orgasm hit her like a tidal wave.

As Natsume's fingers found her clit, rubbing circles around the sensitive nub while he pounded into her, the pressure built until it shattered. "Natsume! I'm... ahh!"

Her body convulsed, pussy spasming around his cock, milking him as waves of pleasure radiated from her core.

Juices squirted from her, mixing with the shower water, her inner walls fluttering wildly.

But Natsume wasn't done.

He pulled out briefly, his cock slick with her blood-tinged arousal, and turned her around, bending her over so her hands braced against the wall. Her ass was round and firm, cheeks parting to reveal her dripping pussy and the tight pucker of her asshole above it.

He slid back in from behind, this angle allowing him to go even deeper, his balls slapping against her clit with each thrust.

"Your body feels amazing," he grunted, one hand reaching around to pinch her nipples while the other gripped her hip.

Shizune moaned incoherently, pushing back against him, her body on fire. The pain of her defloration had faded into pure ecstasy, every thrust hitting that sweet spot inside her that made stars burst behind her eyes.

Her second orgasm built quickly, triggered when Natsume's hand slipped down to rub her clit again, his fingers slick with her wetness. "Come for me again, Shizune," he commanded, his voice rough.

She did—harder this time, her whole body shaking as she screamed his name, pussy gushing around his cock, clenching so tight it nearly pushed him over the edge.

Natsume flipped her back around, lifting one of her legs to hook over his hip for better access.

He drove into her relentlessly now, his cock pistoning in and out of her sopping wet cunt, the sounds of flesh slapping flesh filling the bathroom. Shizune's breasts heaved, nipples erect and red from his earlier attentions, her labia stretched wide around his thickness.

She reached down, feeling where they were joined, her fingers brushing his shaft as it disappeared into her.

"I'm close," Natsume warned, his thrusts growing erratic.

"Me too... inside me, please," Shizune begged, her voice breathless.

That sent him over. With a final, deep thrust, he buried himself to the hilt, his cock pulsing as he came, hot ropes of cum flooding her deflowered pussy, filling her until it leaked out around him.

The sensation triggered her third orgasm—a shattering climax that left her limp and trembling, her clit throbbing, pussy contracting in rhythmic waves that milked every last drop from him.

They stayed like that for a moment, panting under the cooling water, Natsume's cock softening inside her as cum and her juices dripped down her thighs.

Shizune finally understood why Tsunade so often ran out of stamina—Natsume's endurance and intensity were overwhelming, leaving her body spent and satisfied in a way she'd never imagined.

As they caught their breath, Natsume gently lowered her, kissing her forehead.

"That was... incredible. But we should talk to Tsunade about this."

Shizune nodded weakly, a shy smile on her lips despite the ache between her legs.

For the first time, she felt truly alive.

…

The next morning, Natsume prepared breakfast for the two women who’d overslept, then headed to the Hokage’s office.

To his surprise, two people were already waiting there.

Kurenai Yūhi and Kurama Yakumo.

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

Right now, Kurama Yakumo gave him a distinctly gloomy feeling.

Almost like Orochimaru.

But in her case it was innate. For him, it wasn’t.

Which meant the monster Ido, born from Kurama Yakumo’s kekkei genkai, had already manifested?

“Hokage-sama,”

Kurenai spoke up first. “Yakumo’s mental state has been a little off lately.”

She then described all of Yakumo’s abnormal signs.

Natsume nodded. It was obviously Ido’s doing.

Ido was a pure Yin-Release monster.

Yin Release was rooted in spiritual power and easily produced extreme emotions.

The prime example was the Uchiha clan.

But they had their eyes as a container.

That made things somewhat controllable.

Kurama Yakumo had no such container, so Ido had turned into a malevolent creature.

It bore hatred toward everyone.

In the original, it even planned to manipulate Kurama Yakumo, completely devouring her sense of self.

Natsume’s initial plan had been to use his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to enter her mental world and defeat Ido.

But the more he thought about it, the more troublesome that seemed.

He wasn’t absolutely sure that, after defeating Ido, he could make it usable for Yakumo.

So he had no choice but to call out the main villainess of his household: Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

“Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

Natsume smiled at the two of them. “Kurenai, could you help me handle the office work today? I’ll take Yakumo to see someone.”

“No problem.”

Kurenai agreed immediately.

She didn’t ask who.

But she guessed it might be Tsunade.

Natsume used Flying Thunder God.

He and Kurama Yakumo arrived in a room in the Land of Snow.

He didn’t go straight to Kaguya.

Explaining things to Yakumo would be a hassle.

“Yakumo, get a good sleep. When you wake up, you’ll finally be a normal ninja.”

If anyone else said that, Yakumo would never have believed them.

She’d suspect they had some ulterior motive.

But Natsume was the Hokage.

She nodded, lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes.

“I can’t fall asleep,”

Yakumo said, too excited at the thought of finally being cured.

Natsume formed a short series of hand seals and gave her a little help.

Once her breathing grew soft and even, he opened the door and headed for Kaguya’s room.

He hadn’t reached it yet when she appeared in front of him.

Without a word, she grabbed him and started dragging him toward the room.

“Wait.”

Natsume hurriedly put on the brakes. “There’s something we need to do.”

“What?”

Kaguya stopped and held him close, her face expressionless.

She might not show it on her face, but Natsume could clearly feel her emotions.

Thinking about it, he really had left her here alone for quite a while.

In the past, with a steady income of chakra, Kaguya wouldn’t have felt anything about it.

But now she had a new hobby.

Sometimes, she really did miss it.

“Come with me.”

Natsume let her hold him for a bit, then took her hand and led her back to Yakumo’s room.

Kaguya glanced at Kurama Yakumo, and a flicker of emotion flashed in her eyes.

She’d already understood what Natsume wanted.

“The reward?”

Kaguya tilted her head slightly.

Once you open that door once, there’s no going back.

But Kaguya didn’t feel she was wrong.

It was a fair trade.

Natsume grimaced.

Time to sell his body again.

He thought for a second and held up one finger tentatively.

Kaguya fell into a very serious contemplation.

Ridiculous as the topic might sound, for her, it was not.

This was the second most important thing after chakra, after all.

A few seconds later, Kaguya shook her head.

Too little.

Natsume raised two fingers.

“How do you want to handle her?”

Kaguya asked softly.

That was as good as agreeing.

“Turn the monster inside her into a clone she can control.”

Natsume thought aloud.

In the original, Ido’s abilities were absurdly impressive.

If Kurama Yakumo could perfectly control her, her power wouldn’t be inferior to an Uchiha who’d awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

A kekkei genkai that turned illusions into reality was outrageous.

But dual personalities were out of the question. Natsume worried Yakumo wouldn’t be able to handle that.

If it was a separate, controllable body, though, it would be just right.

In a sense, it’d be the same type of setup as the Uchiha’s Mangekyō.

Kaguya nodded slightly and grabbed Natsume’s shoulder.

The next instant, his vision changed.

Natsume opened his eyes in a bleak, chaotic world.

Only the surrounding paintings looked relatively normal.

Which meant he was in Kurama Yakumo’s mental—or illusionary—world.

“What incredibly dense Yin-Release power.”

Natsume couldn’t help but marvel.

The entire world was saturated with terrifying strength.

Considering Yakumo’s age, it was unbelievable.

This sort of cheat was almost on Sasuke’s level.

He could understand why the Kurama clan had declined.

Too strong, too brittle.

“How did you get in here?”

A young but familiar voice sounded.

Kurama Yakumo.

But unlike the real Yakumo outside, this version had a dark expression and a twisted aura.

“How we got here isn’t your concern.”

Natsume narrowed his eyes. “Did you get her permission before you decided to use someone else’s body?”

“This is my body!”

Ido roared, a torrent of chaotic emotion bursting out.

In an instant, it turned into billowing flames.

But when the flames got close to Kaguya, they simply vanished.

Ido froze.

What?

Kaguya gave her no time to think. She waved her hand.

An ocean of spiritual power surged, like a roaring sea, waves crashing sky-high.

The space around them began to collapse under the destructive force.

Even the paintings splintered apart.

Fear twisted Ido’s features.

The Yakumo-like form she’d been wearing shattered, revealing her true form: a grotesque, white-haired, horned monster.

This was what she really looked like.

“Impossible!”

Ido howled in fury. “I won’t die!”

Her voice cut off.

The viciousness in her eyes cleared, turning blank.

She looked dazed, puppet-like, all trace of her former vitality gone.

Kaguya had erased her consciousness completely; what remained was a hollow doll.

As expected of the final boss.

She’d done easily what no one else could.

…

Natsume returned to the room.

Kurama Yakumo was still fast asleep, not reacting in the slightest.

But her body would no longer be tormented by Ido.

In other words, she could finally become a real ninja.

And if nothing went wrong, she’d become the strongest genjutsu-type ninja.

Well, aside from the Uchiha.

They all ended up piloting mecha later anyway. Who needed genjutsu at that point?

Honestly, even including the Uchiha, Yakumo could very well end up as the strongest illusionist.

Natsume already had plans for her ridiculously overpowered bloodline.

First, help Sasuke awaken his eyes.

Once his ocular power reached the right level, he could give him a gentle push.

Natsume’s eyes narrowed as another thought came to him: Uchiha Mikoto.

Maybe there was more leverage there too.

“Natsume.”

Kaguya reached out and caressed his face. “Anything else?”

“No.”

Natsume knew exactly what she wanted and didn’t refuse.

Yakumo wouldn’t wake up for several hours.

With Kaguya’s control over time, they could spend several days together inside.

…

[Because of your actions, Kurama Yakumo and Ido’s fates have changed. You gained 100 Fate Points.]

When Natsume stepped out of the Amenominaka, the Fate Ring’s prompt chimed in his ears.

He ignored it and looked at Kurama Yakumo, who had just woken up.

Her face was full of excitement.

She’d already noticed how different her body felt.

Compared to her previous frail state, she now felt completely normal.

For her, just being normal was a colossal blessing.

“Hokage-sama!”

Yakumo quickly got out of bed and bowed deeply. “Thank you!”

“No need to thank me.”

Natsume said bluntly, “Your kekkei genkai is very useful. So work hard, get stronger, and make contributions to the village.”

“Yes!”

Yakumo answered without hesitation.

Flying Thunder God flared.

The two of them returned to the Hokage’s office.

“How is she?”

Kurenai immediately looked up and asked.

“Sensei, I’m completely cured!”

Yakumo’s smile was bright and open.

A world apart from before.

Kurenai let out a long breath of relief.

As a genjutsu user herself, she’d taken Yakumo under her wing as soon as they met—someone to inherit her art.

She was the Hokage’s secretary now.

She probably wouldn’t have a second disciple.

Any future children would be a different matter altogether.

But that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.

Kurenai glanced at Natsume, then quickly dropped her eyes and said,

“Yakumo, let me take you home.”

After the two of them left, Natsume leaned back in the Hokage’s chair and let his head loll, fatigue flickering across his face.

Doing it with Kaguya were always so intense.

But he’d made progress too; he could now launch proper counterattacks.

Before, Kaguya had always maintained a cool composure.

Now… not so much. She’d even slip up occasionally.

The arrival of winter meant the New Year Festival was near.

So it was the liveliest holiday of the year.

In past years, Natsume had gone out wandering with Tsunade.

This time, they couldn’t.

Tsunade was pregnant; she really shouldn’t be running around.

At the Hokage’s office, a knock sounded.

In came Hatake Kakashi with his three students:

Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari.

“Hokage-sama, here are the mission reports for our squad.”

After greeting him, Kakashi produced a scroll.

“Just say what you came to say.”

Natsume glanced at it and smiled.

In today’s Konoha, he didn’t need to personally review every mission report.

“They’d like to request two weeks’ leave to return to the Sand.”

Kakashi’s expression was still the same dead-fish stare.

The three behind him, especially Kankurō and Temari, both looked tense and hopeful at once.

“That’s fine.”

Natsume didn’t think very long before agreeing.

“Thank you, Hokage-sama!”

Kankurō and Temari shouted, thrilled.

Only Gaara remained calm.

For him, there wasn’t much waiting for him back there.

After sending the four of them off, Natsume suddenly thought of the Akatsuki.

He’d joined them a while ago but still hadn’t been given a single mission.

Not because Nagato had forgotten him, but because he himself had been too busy.

After getting twenty billion, Nagato had a lot to do, and hadn’t gotten around to Natsume yet.

…

The New Year Festival arrived.

Natsume grew busy as well.

Not with decorating Konoha—that had its own staff.

He was busy because he had to run to several different places.

Uzumaki Hinae, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Uchiha Mikoto, Terumi Mei, and finally back to Tsunade.