Feeling the emotional energy flowing in from those marks inside the Small World, Qingwu blurted, "Holy crap~"
Qingwu was speechless. "You turned strategic supplies into little sex pills. Nobody plays these games quite like you Japanese folks~"
Void and Nirvana were happy, but Qingwu was not. The Ninja World rang with gunfire while Qingwu wept alone. His little girlfriend was too young.
Mitokado Homura remained rational. "Koharu, I understand the village and the Ninja World less and less these days. From now on, we should speak less and just do as we're told. Otherwise..." He left the rest unsaid.
Utatane Koharu understood exactly what he meant. "Homura, I'll listen to you. We were never a match for Sarutobi and Danzo before, and now that they've regained their youth, their personalities have become even more dangerous."
Mitokado Homura sighed. "Yes. Young bodies bring a greater desire for control and greater ambition. I have a feeling Sarutobi and Danzo will fight sooner or later."
"Koharu~ Remember, that isn't something we can get involved in. One wrong step, and our families will be crushed along with us~"
She thought of the ambition and malice that the rejuvenated Danzo could no longer conceal, and of Sarutobi Hiruzen's unfathomable mind, his increasingly oppressive presence and desire for control, and the terrifying killing intent he occasionally revealed.
"Ah~ We used to be so close. How did we suddenly end up like this...? Perhaps... this is who they really are..." After a long silence, Utatane Koharu sighed.
Then she added with a touch of self-mockery, "But it doesn't matter anymore. How could two useless people who were only Elite Jonin at their peak ever catch the eye of the strongest Third and the Darkness of the Ninja World~?"
Mitokado Homura comforted her. "Koharu, this isn't so bad. Getting out early might be a blessing for us~"
"Homura~ Thank goodness I have you. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do." Utatane Koharu was deeply moved. Only now did she realize that someone had quietly stayed by her side all these years.
"Koharu~" Mitokado Homura held her, wanting to give this lovely woman someone to lean on so she would no longer feel so helpless.
"Homura~" Utatane Koharu naturally leaned into him.
"Homura~ Love me..."
"Koharu, here I come..."
They were dry tinder meeting a flame. Men and women who had regained their youth always had energy to spare. Clearly, this was not their first time, either.
Afterward, the changes in Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were enormous. Everyone noticed the difference.
A clerical ninja asked curiously, "Has something good happened to Elder Homura lately? He's smiling all day, and he even greets people first now~" These higher-ups used to walk around with their noses in the air. In a good mood, they would give you a nod; in a bad mood, they wouldn't even look at you.
"Heh heh~ What else could it be? Haven't you noticed who he's always paired up with? I'd be happy too~" another said with a knowing, suggestive chuckle.
Someone else chimed in. "Who else?! Adviser Koharu, of course. She's smiling all day too. She's got me completely enchanted..."
More and more people joined the discussion. "You know, the young Adviser Koharu has this ripe, mature-woman allure, with a hint of that lofty queenly air... She smiled at me that day. Just thinking about it gets me a little excited~"
"Now that you mention it, I agree. Adviser Koharu really is smoking hot after getting her youth back... gulp..." One man swallowed as he spoke.
"Yeah, yeah. That mature charm of hers makes you fall for her before you know it. And she radiates this confidence and authority, as if everything is under her control."
"Exactly. Her smile is absolutely captivating, too, like it could melt your heart. Every time I see her smile, my heart starts pounding on its own."
"And that's not all. Her intelligence and talent are just as admirable. Whether she's handling business or talking to people, she always does it effortlessly, showing extraordinary ability."
"Yes, Adviser Koharu really is a perfect woman. Her beauty, intelligence, and bearing have everyone enchanted." A diehard simp was born.
"Her figure too, especially..." The conversation went off the rails.
"Too bad she's a little old."
"Bullshit. Looking like she does now, people would believe me if I said she was my little sister. So what if she's older? Older women know how to take care of you..."
"You'd better mean the normal kind of care..."
"Heh heh~ You know your stuff..."
"..."
And just like that, Utatane Koharu gained a whole crowd of supporters.
(Mitokado Homura: Holy shit~ What's going on? I woke up to this many rivals?)
What Mitokado Homura didn't know was that he, too, had gained a crowd of female fans thirsting after him. To be fair, the scholarly air of the young Mitokado Homura really was attractive to women, especially given his high position.
The two quietly found their reputations rehabilitated.
Once Mitokado Homura had tasted love, he no longer wanted anything to do with the village's bullshit affairs. He happily checked out without a single regret. Whatever anyone said, his response was, "Yes, yes, yes, you're right."
Utatane Koharu was the same. She had seen Sarutobi Hiruzen's dark side before and hadn't thought much of it, but only when it was turned on her did she realize she didn't know her teammate at all.
"Sarutobi, just tell us what to do. Koharu and I will listen to you."
In short, whatever Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered, the two of them would carry it out, presenting an image of complete obedience.
This left Sarutobi Hiruzen both pleased and worried. He was pleased because, with three against one, power was even more firmly in his hands. He was worried because seeing the three of them acting together had made Danzo more extreme and put him even further at odds with him.
The recent talk rehabilitating Danzo's reputation around the village, in particular, made him suspect Danzo had developed ambitions of his own.
"Danzo, what exactly are you thinking? I hope you don't do anything irrational. Otherwise..." Astonishing killing intent flashed in the young Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.
"Konoha belongs to the Sarutobi Clan..."
"Wow, wow, wow~ Lord Danzo is so handsome!" a little girl shrieked excitedly, her eyes sparkling with adoration.
"He's such an aloof dreamboat. That cold, sexy look has me completely hooked," a woman said lovestruck, her face filled with rapture.
"Lord Danzo, I want to have your babies!" another, even more fervent voice called out, brimming with Heat and anticipation.
"Lord Danzo is so handsome. Why didn't we notice before?" someone asked in confusion, seemingly regretting their earlier oversight.
"I heard Lord Danzo shouldered so much darkness for Konoha, helping the village fend off unseen enemies," someone said quietly, their voice filled with respect and gratitude.
"What?! Wouldn't that be dangerous...?" another exclaimed, their worry plain to hear.
"Lord Danzo faced death countless times for Konoha. Half his face, one arm, and one eye were once burned, so he could only cover them with bandages..." someone explained in detail, as if they had witnessed it personally.
"Lord Danzo has sacrificed so much for Konoha's development. It's so moving. Sob..." One sentimental girl actually began to cry, her tears expressing how deeply she was touched.
"Lord Danzo is so great~" everyone shouted together, their voices joining into a passionate tide of respect and praise for Danzo.
Yes, yes, yes. Praise me. Praise me all you want. That's all about me... all about me...
Danzo was secretly delighted. This praise was exactly what he craved. He enjoyed being admired and felt that his years of effort had finally been recognized. On the surface, however, he maintained his stern expression. Only the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed a barely perceptible trace of satisfaction.
From then on, Danzo enjoyed strolling through the streets even more. At Root, he even smiled at people, greeted them, and warmly asked after their health.
For a while, the Root ninja wondered whether they were under a genjutsu or Lord Danzo had been replaced. It even led to a minor misunderstanding.
The Root ninja surrounded him, radiating killing intent.
"Talk! Who sent you? Was it the Third? Lord Danzo could never be this soft..."
Danzo's face darkened. "You bastards!" he roared, then activated the Cursed Seal.
"Aaaah~"
The pain brought knowing smiles to the Root ninja's faces.
"Oh-ho-ho~ That familiar feeling."
"That's right. It's Lord Danzo."
Danzo's face turned completely black. "You bastards..."
With his handsome looks restored along with his youth, Danzo had actually attracted quite a few female fans and doting mom fans. Many ninja who heard about his exploits also became his supporters, considerably improving his reputation in the process. This made his ambition burn even stronger.
"As I thought, I alone am Konoha's destined ruler."
"Hiruzen, it's time for you to step down."
On the surface, the four remained good teammates. In reality, the rifts between them grew wider and wider.
Qingwu watched it all unfold. This was his scheme behind the scenes; even the talk rehabilitating their reputations had been pushed by him.
"Once someone has felt the warmth of the light,
who would willingly return to the dark?"
Before you continue