There's a Girl Watching!

"No, Third Hokage, you have to believe me! This is really what that person said!"

Kakashi was suddenly anxious.

What did this have to do with reading the Make-Out Series?

Besides, there weren't any stories like this in the Make-Out Series!

"That's true. Jiraiya's novels are all about men and women. So, you're saying you really didn't make this up, Kakashi?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and nodded.

"Uh, so you've read them too, Third Hokage."

The corner of Kakashi's mouth twitched beneath his mask.

Being able to say with such certainty that they were "all about men and women"—what could be the reason for that?

"Don't focus on such meaningless details, Kakashi."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "Since that's the case, perhaps that rebellious student of mine, Orochimaru, has achieved some kind of result. Anyway, this method won't harm Naruto, so trying it won't cost us anything...

Kakashi, I'll leave this matter to you.

But remember, keep a constant watch. If any abnormalities occur, stop it immediately."

"Huh? Me? Alright then."

Kakashi accepted the task helplessly.

He had thought that by telling the Third Hokage about this, he could wash his hands of the trouble, but he hadn't expected that he would be the one tasked with handling it.

That evening, at the barbecue restaurant.

The four of them finished their satisfying meal. Before everyone headed home, Kakashi handed Sasuke a thermos and a piece of paper with writing on it.

"This is a recipe I had someone find: Photinia Lotus Root Starch. The cup contains a serving I tried making myself.

Sasuke, if you really want to use that method, you can drink a cup of this every day. Once you get used to it, it will be much easier to handle psychologically."

Kakashi's expression was extremely awkward.

He really wanted to say—maybe we should just let Naruto get hurt instead.

Sasuke, however, had no such concerns. He simply tossed out a "Thanks, Kakashi," and took the items home.

Kakashi also went home to rest, preparing to begin training tomorrow.

He was unsure whether he should believe what Shirozumi said or the Third Hokage's analysis.

But improving his strength was never a mistake.

He would first attempt to develop the abilities of his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Land of Water, Kirigakure.

After Yagura regained consciousness, he resigned as Mizukage to take responsibility and was moved to a remote, quiet place to recuperate.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have much time left to live.

Having been controlled by Genjutsu for years and then forcibly released from it, he woke up to find the Village he loved had been ruined by his own hands. His body, psyche, and spirit had all reached their breaking point.

As for Mei Terumi, influenced by Shirozumi, she went directly to Genji to propose her desire to become the Fifth Mizukage and change Kirigakure.

Genji was surprised.

He knew this younger generation member, Mei Terumi, very well.

She appeared extroverted but was actually introverted; whenever she encountered something she truly cared about, she would fall into a passive state.

Given Mei Terumi's past personality, she shouldn't have been this proactive.

Of course, Genji did not refuse.

On the contrary, he agreed quite happily and stated that he would send someone to inform the Daimyo of the news tomorrow.

This was actually not strange.

It was only a few years away from when Mei Terumi was originally supposed to succeed as Mizukage.

Genji's reason at the time was that he was "too old to get around," so he let Mei Terumi become the Mizukage.

It was a smooth, natural progression.

It was evident that for the past few years, he had already been grooming Mei Terumi to be the Mizukage.

Now that Mei Terumi had taken the initiative to propose it, it was different from Naruto Uzumaki shouting about wanting to become the Hokage.

This showed that Mei Terumi felt she could shoulder the responsibility of becoming the Mizukage; it was a sign of maturity and confidence.

Returning home.

Mei Terumi took out the cassette tape and began to play it.

She wanted to listen to the descriptions of the future once more, attempting to analyze some intelligence.

Hearing herself described as an "old maid" again, Mei Terumi still found it inevitably awkward.

"Hmm?"

Mei Terumi was writing down the words as she listened.

Putting it into text made it clearer.

When she heard it reach the end and was just about to turn it off and take out the cassette tape, she discovered it wasn't finished; there was more.

Had Shirozumi not let her finish listening earlier?

Mei Terumi curiously continued to listen.

"Didn't I just tell you?

Back then, Madara cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and everyone in the ninja world fell into the beautiful dreams of the Genjutsu, dreaming of the things they desired most.

I dreamed that I got married...

And the person I married looked exactly like you..."

Click.

Hearing this, Mei Terumi abruptly paused the playback.

What the hell?

Mei Terumi felt goosebumps rising on her skin.

She wasn't sure if her future self had truly dreamed of someone identical, or if she had simply been trying to flirt with Shirozumi at the time.

Or perhaps, it was just drunken babble.

That line, "Didn't I just tell you," indicated that before the recording started, she had already said this to Shirozumi.

Now Mei Terumi could understand why Shirozumi had turned on the recording as evidence; he was terrified of being unable to defend himself if something happened.

Was she really that desperate?

She scratched her head.

After calming herself down, Mei Terumi pressed play.

What followed was even harder to keep a straight face about.

Shirozumi asked her future self, "So, did you have a baby-making party in the dream?"

Her future self very candidly replied that people cannot imagine things they have never seen before.

The subsequent dream within the Infinite Tsukuyomi primarily revolved around her discovering that all the other Female Ninjas in the ninja world were single.

Mei Terumi mocked Tsunade for being an aging spinster, only to find herself envied by other Female Ninjas like Kurotsuchi, Samui, and Temari.

She had initially expected a romance drama, but it had turned into a show about posturing and slapping faces.

"This Infinite Tsukuyomi actually sounds quite nice."

Mei Terumi had gradually grown accustomed to it and let out a soft chuckle.

Of course, she was just saying that.

A beautiful dream is enough to experience once in a while.

What would be the point of being immersed in a fake dream forever?

After listening to the rest of the content, Mei Terumi took out the Cassette Tape, placed it neatly on her cabinet, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

Starting tomorrow, she would forget all of this and devote herself entirely to the reforms of Kirigakure!

Amegakure.

Shirozumi had returned.

Konan, Sasori, White Zetsu, and Shirozumi were in the middle of a discussion.

Deidara had returned to Iwagakure quietly on his own, and Sasori had not known about it at first.

But regardless, Deidara was his teammate, so he still prepared to come over and see if he could be of any help.

To say that Sasori had absolutely no emotions left after modifying himself into a Human Puppet was not entirely true; after all, he still possessed a "heart."

As for White Zetsu, he had come to tell Shirozumi that he had already collected quite a few "items" from the major ninja villages.

Among them, he had even managed to collect one from Ōnoki.

If they wanted to rescue Deidara, they could certainly try using the "items" they had brought back to let Hidan make a name for himself.

"To realize the 'Hidan Deterrent,' there is a prerequisite: you must first let others know of Hidan's abilities. This time is the perfect opportunity."

Black Zetsu spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Is it really okay to expose ourselves so proactively?"

White Zetsu voiced his doubt.

"Black Zetsu is right. Do you know why a person's feet are whiter than their face and hands? Because they are always kept hidden."

Shirozumi expressed his agreement with Black Zetsu, adding a cryptic metaphor for good measure.

"Then why is the Dragon in the Pocket so dark?"

White Zetsu retorted.

Hidan, who had just arrived after receiving the news, heard this sentence the moment he stepped in and was instantly stunned.

"What kind of stuff are you guys talking about! There are girls here!"

Hidan shrieked.

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Hidan was the "girl" he was referring to.

"Pfft, girls."

"Strategist, do you have any thoughts on the word 'girls'?"

Konan looked at Shirozumi, who hadn't been able to hold back his laughter, with a dark expression.

"Nothing, I was just thinking that compared to young girls, I prefer older sisters."

Shirozumi regained his composure.

On the other side, the argument was still ongoing.

White Zetsu explained the context of Shirozumi's earlier comment—that "Haku's feet are whiter than his hands"—to Hidan, asking him to be the judge.

That statement was just wrong.

What kind of logic was "hiding makes you white"?

Upon hearing this explanation, Hidan stroked his chin and nodded: "That's true."

"Right? And besides, if hiding could make you as white as Haku, why is Black Zetsu so dark?"

White Zetsu boasted triumphantly.

"Because he's a step-dad."

Hidan answered instinctively.

Black Zetsu stood to the side, his already pitch-black face turning even darker.

Hidan being an idiot was one thing, but how had even White Zetsu turned rebellious enough to mock him?

And what happened to the agreement about watching their language because there were girls present?