Brothers' Talk

The three of them headed out happily. Izumo Kamizuki was perceptive enough to walk off to the side, leaving space for the Shen brothers.

Unlike Kotetsu Hagane, whose face was full of worries, Hikari began shopping as soon as they came out. Cute accessories, beautifully packaged snacks—anything girls might like to eat, Hikari bought it all.

"Hikari, I'm really curious. Can you still bring a wife into the Shen Clan?" Kotetsu Hagane finally asked.

"Why bring that up? You know me, bro. I don't want to get married for now. You, on the other hand, are basically capped at Special Jonin for the rest of your life."

"You've already completed half of settling down and building a family. So when are you planning to finish the other half?"

Unable to press the issue, he was questioned instead.

That was Kotetsu Hagane's situation right now.

Once Hikari brought up his lifelong matter, Kotetsu Hagane had no mood to think about anything else. His expression turned a little awkward. "Well... I don't know what kind of woman I'm looking for either."

Hikari gave Kotetsu Hagane a disdainful look. Even though this man was his own brother, he had always believed in putting righteousness before family.

Whenever someone deserved to be looked down on, he never held back.

"Stop pretending. Let me ask you—do you like this type?" Hikari pointed at a plump woman who weighed over two hundred pounds and stood around five foot three.

Kotetsu Hagane took one look and immediately turned away.

What an eyesore.

"Well, I think... for the sake of the Shen Clan, there should still be some standards for women, right, Xiao Guang?"

Though Hikari was the younger brother, he held the real authority in the family, not Kotetsu Hagane.

Don't ask why. His elder brother was simply humble and considerate toward his little brother.

"Alright, we're brothers. There's no need to be embarrassed. Her face doesn't have to be stunning, but her figure can't be too bad. She should have a good temper too, and know how to take care of people. What do you think, bro?"

Kotetsu Hagane nodded repeatedly. "Not bad. That's exactly what I was thinking."

"Then what do you think of Shizune?"

"You mean Kato Shizune? Shizune by Lady Tsunade's side?"

"Who else could I mean?"

"Well..." Kotetsu Hagane hesitated.

Hikari reached out and patted his brother's shoulder. "Say what you want to say. Can't you see Brother Tetsu is waiting for me to help arrange something for him? Just now, I was even thinking of buying two women for you from the Daimyo's Mansion, but Lady Tsunade didn't seem too keen on it."

"Ahem!" Izumo Kamizuki slipped over.

"Hikari, Izumo and I are as close as brothers. You and Izumo are real brothers, so that makes us brothers too. Since you wanted to buy women for Izumo but Lady Tsunade wouldn't allow it, why not buy two for me instead? I'll pay you when we get back!"

The moment women became the topic, Izumo Kamizuki instantly perked up.

That alone showed just how irresistible the topic of women was to men.

"Brother Tetsu, can your body handle two women?" Hikari did not find Izumo Kamizuki joining in troublesome at all.

Izumo Kamizuki had been right just now. The two gate guards had grown up playing together. If either one of them had been a woman, they would have married long ago. Unfortunately, they were both men, so they could only become sworn brothers.

Izumo Kamizuki patted his pecs. "Who do you think I am? Asking for only two women is just me trying not to be too high-profile, got it?"

"Then go ask Lady Tsunade. As long as she agrees, I'll buy them for you!" Hikari stated his position.

Izumo Kamizuki immediately wilted.

"Forget it. Lady Tsunade is resting right now. I'd better not disturb her."

Although Tsunade seemed approachable, she was still the Fifth Hokage. Aside from an oddball like Hikari, anyone else—even Might Guy—would behave much more properly around Tsunade.

Asking Tsunade for permission to buy women to take home? Not a chance. Izumo Kamizuki did not have that kind of courage.

"Alright!"

Hikari patted Izumo Kamizuki's shoulder. He was still quite friendly toward Brother Tetsu.

"There are plenty of women in the Hidden Leaf Village too. You two can't just stare at women outside the village without considering the women here, can you? As men, you need broad minds. As long as they're pretty enough, you can't have regional prejudice."

"Seriously, I heard that the Fourth Raikage's secretary in Kumogakure has an incredible face and figure."

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki: So this brat has been kept by Lady Tsunade, yet he still has the nerve to think about other women? We're impressed.

"Once we return to the Hidden Leaf Village, I'll make a suggestion to Lady Tsunade. Every older male ninja who wants to marry should register, and then the Hokage can organize matchmaking events. If they're compatible, they should get married as soon as possible."

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki exchanged a glance. This idea sounded fairly reliable.

When choosing marriage partners, ninja generally chose fellow ninja. That way, they could ensure their children would possess ninja talent.

If they married ordinary people, there was a fifty percent chance of having children without Chakra talent.

Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, and older male ninja in every village had remained single for precisely this reason.

(PS: A real man like the Fourth Raikage, who loved lifting iron, didn't count. Other people needed women; he only needed workout equipment.)

"Hikari, being with Lady Tsunade must be pretty tough, huh?" Izumo Kamizuki said earnestly.

Hikari blinked, unable to quite keep up with Brother Tetsu's train of thought.

"It's alright. She's the Hokage, after all. Even if I get annoyed, it's not like I can beat her up to vent my anger!"

"There's no need to beat her. When two people are together, one always benefits while the other suffers. As a man, just endure it a little longer. When Lady Tsunade stops liking you one day, you can get married and find an honest girl to spend the rest of your life with."

Hikari: ???

Brother Tetsu, if a woman heard you say that, she'd beat your face into a bloody mess.

Kotetsu Hagane knew Izumo Kamizuki was about to say something even more outrageous. He immediately shoved him aside, grabbed Hikari, and hurried forward a few steps.

"Hikari, listen to your brother's advice."

"Following Lady Tsunade isn't a long-term solution."

"You're still young. Your health is important. Don't wear yourself out."

"You said it yourself—there are plenty of women in the ninja world. Maybe one day, when we fight Kumogakure again, you can snatch the Raikage's secretary and make her your wife. Wouldn't that be easy?"

"For now, just endure it. You have to hold on and try to get Lady Tsunade to let you go sooner, understand?"

"For the sake of the Shen Clan, you've suffered!"

Hikari's face darkened.

When he heard Izumo Kamizuki earlier, he had not reacted yet. But after hearing his own brother, he finally understood what these people thought was going on with him.

He, Hikari, and Tsunade were completely innocent. There was absolutely nothing beyond friendship between them.

And even if there were something between a man and a woman, with his physical condition, what could possibly happen to him?

These guys were underestimating him far too much!