Cicadas Chirping and the Girl

"Ah, so comfortable."

Tsunade, having just finished soaking in the hot springs and dressed in a loose kimono, sat down in front of the young man. "It's all this constant rain here, makes me feel damp and uncomfortable all the time."

Her white, delicate skin was flushed with a healthy glow, and her light golden hair was tied into a ponytail that cascaded down. Her exquisite face still held a hint of moisture, and her slender fingers brushed aside strands of hair at her temples, exuding an unintentional allure that further enhanced her mature womanly charm.

The warmth made her involuntarily stretch languidly.

The already loose, creamy yellow kimono was pulled slightly askew by her large movement, revealing a deep cleavage between her full breasts.

On the tatami mat, her rounded, plump, and slender thighs were crossed. Through the rather snug kimono, one could even catch a glimpse of lace and the tightly wrapped snow-white scenery. Perhaps from her recent bath, she exuded a special, rich fragrance that was incredibly enticing.

This woman. She truly has no self-awareness!

Uchiha Sōgetsu, sitting directly opposite her, felt the corners of his eyebrows twitch. He was almost forced into spectator mode.

No wonder Tsunade has held the title of the Hokage's Harem King for several terms. She really has something going on!

"Hey, brat, is it good to look at?"

At this moment, Tsunade rested her elbow on the table, her head in her palm, her eyes like flowing autumn water, full of charm.

"Lady Tsunade, could you please be mindful?"

Uchiha Sōgetsu re-entered spectator mode, pushing up his glasses expressionlessly.

As if. I'm a professional at holding back!

Just then, Hikari, also having finished her bath, walked in. Her soft, long hair was draped behind her head, and her delicate, cute face was flushed with a rosy hue on her cheeks. The girl's kimono was short, revealing two long legs that were as smooth as jade, slender, and straight. Especially her five toes, which were crystal clear and round like beans.

The only imperfection was that she was too flat.

Tsunade was voluptuous and mature, while Little Hikari was young and cute. Both had their own charm and a unique flavor.

Even Uchiha Sōgetsu, already at Sequence 6, felt his breathing briefly quicken, but he quickly regained his composure.

The girl sat obediently to the side, her eyes occasionally stealing glances at the astonishingly magnificent creation next to her, then looking at her own, a hint of loneliness and unwillingness appearing on her face.

"Hahaha, it's okay, you'll grow more later!"

Tsunade, who couldn't miss the girl's thoughts, reached out and ruffled her hair, comforting her. "You're still young, don't worry."

Young?

Uchiha Sōgetsu thought, She could be your great-grandmother.

"R-really?" Little Hikari clenched the sleeves of her kimono, hope rekindled in her eyes.

"Of course, Little Hikari is so cute, you'll definitely grow." Tsunade affectionately pulled the girl into her arms and smirked, "Let me see? Oh, you have great potential!"

"N-no..."

Little Hikari shyly lowered her head, her cheeks blushing like a cooked shrimp.

No. There's no hope, give up, accept reality, you're almost a hundred years old!

Uchiha Sōgetsu's mouth twitched. He wanted to shatter the girl's fantasy, but after some thought, he held back.

The girl bit her lip lightly, shyly 'stealing glances' at the young man opposite her, her small hands twisting together, fully displaying the girlish crush in her heart.

"Could this child like the brat?" Tsunade noticed this and frowned subtly.

It wasn't that she had any objections to Uchiha Sōgetsu, but rather that within Konoha, ever since Hatake Sakumo's suicide and with the Fourth Hokage election drawing nearer, the atmosphere was filled with intrigue and danger.

However, she soon let go of the thought.

Forget it, why worry about so much?

Anyway, after this mission, she would be leaving Konoha. When Little Hikari returned, she hoped she would correctly understand her own feelings.

"Oh, right, Hanzo replied to me," Tsunade said after taking a few bites of food. "He said he needs some time to prepare. It should be the day after tomorrow morning, and he'll assist us with the sealing process again."

"The day after tomorrow..."

Uchiha Sōgetsu narrowed his eyes. "Could he have some other plans?"

"Probably not." Tsunade shook her head, saying confidently, "With the old man keeping him in check, he wouldn't dare play any tricks, unless he wants to start a war."

Uchiha Sōgetsu said no more, nodded, and then focused on enjoying his dinner.

It's rare for Tsunade to splurge. Even if it's to compensate for the previous psychological therapy fees, I have to eat more!

"Ah--!"

Konan's eyes snapped open in terror as she jolted awake in bed.

Just now, she had another nightmare, and it was the same one again!

But this time, the information in the dream wasn't as blurry as last time after waking up. Instead, it felt branded into her soul, something she could never forget.

It turned out that she was the cause of all the tragedy!

It was she who was carelessly captured by the enemy and used as a hostage to threaten Yahiko, which led to Yahiko's death at Nagato's hands.

"What's wrong, Konan!" Hearing her cry, Yahiko and Nagato immediately pushed the door open and entered.

Seeing Konan on the bed, her face pale, her eyes seemingly unfocused and hollow, they immediately guessed the reason. "Still... that nightmare?"

"It's me." Tears streamed down Konan's cheeks. "It's all my fault. I killed you, Yahiko."

"Uh, Konan, that was just a dream!" Yahiko covered his face and said speechlessly, "Didn't you say it yourself? You don't remember anything from the dream, so..."

"No! It wasn't a dream!"

Konan, on the verge of a mental breakdown, interrupted him with a hoarse cry, "I remember! I remember it clearly! It wasn't a dream, it definitely wasn't a dream!"

Although she couldn't explain why, she just had that intuition.

Everything demonstrated to her in the dream was a revelation from fate!

"Konan, calm down, don't get so worked up." Yahiko waved his hands in a panic, completely unsure how to comfort her, and could only look to his friend for help.

"Then, tell us, Konan,"

Nagato asked calmly, "What exactly happened in your dream?"

Feeling the concern of her two loved ones, Konan gradually calmed down. She wiped the tears from her face and, in a sobbing voice, recounted everything she remembered from her dream, one by one.

"That does sound like something you'd do."

After listening completely, Nagato sat on the ground and glanced at Yahiko, who was fidgeting beside him. "If something like that really happened, this idiot would probably do it."

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you calling me an idiot!" Yahiko retorted indignantly, puffing out his chest. "Dare you say you wouldn't do it?"

"I would."

Nagato said without hesitation.

In Konan and Yahiko's eyes, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a smile that was hard to detect.

"And this time, did you see clearly who the enemy was, Konan?" Yahiko asked seriously.

"It was Hanzo!"

Konan, usually gentle, was now filled with murderous intent in her eyes. "He colluded with Konoha ninjas, set a trap in advance, and then deliberately deceived us with the excuse of peace talks!"

"Hanzo."

A hint of killing intent flickered in the depths of Nagato's Rinnegan.

December 16th, cloudy, so cold.

Yesterday someone called me a gambler, and I object! I just want to get rich! What's wrong with that?! ORZ I'm going on recommendation tomorrow, so nervous. Please, esteemed sirs, support Jian Dan. I'll work hard to stockpile manuscripts and strive to reach the shelves with a big bang for you all, okay! Thank you!