"Mm."
"Sarutobi..."
Yakushi Nonō seemed just as unfamiliar with this sort of situation. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Although she had been prepared when she agreed to become Sarutobi Hiruzen's secretary, she hadn't expected things to move this quickly.
She was at a loss.
As for Sarutobi Hiruzen, Yakushi Nonō didn't have a bad impression of him. He was a charming man, both physically and emotionally.
Seeing her reaction, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled.
They had spent the night together, but pretending they'd built a deep emotional bond would have been self-deception.
Power was authority. When someone in power wanted something, it was difficult for a subordinate to resist. That was what people meant by "half-hearted resistance."
Yakushi Nonō was gentle and kind by nature. Faced with Sarutobi Hiruzen's forceful invitation, she had been at a loss and found it hard to refuse.
More importantly, although Yakushi Nonō was mature and alluring, she had always been busy working for Konoha and had never been with a man.
That blend of innocence and maturity... Sarutobi Hiruzen had to admit,
it was delicious.
"Three... Sarutobi..."
Yakushi Nonō suddenly spoke.
"There's something I..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
"Go ahead, Nonō. You don't have to be so formal..."
Yakushi Nonō looked a little nervous.
"Back when I was at the orphanage..."
"I had an adopted son. Danzo sent him out as a spy..."
Before Yakushi Nonō could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew who she meant.
Yakushi Kabuto...
I'd forgotten there was another talent here.
Now that he had missed out on top scientists like Orochimaru and Sasori, Yakushi Kabuto, a researcher of the next tier down, would make a decent replacement.
Besides, Yakushi Kabuto could learn Sage Mode. He might not be all that far behind Orochimaru.
It would just take time to train