Samui suddenly noticed a faint red mark on the fair skin of her bosom. It felt as though Shinho had left a permanent imprint on her heart, impossible to erase.
"Anyway, back to my earlier action, it's because I discovered an enemy," Shinho said, changing the subject. "After the ceremony, you can come with me."
Enemy?
Samui was puzzled, but she didn't ask further questions. Shinho returned to the window to wave at the crowds, while Samui stood quietly behind him.
Following the circular track, the train toured every street in City of Fire before returning to the palace entrance. The entire city was now immersed in a sea of celebration.
"Tonight, there'll be a fireworks display," Shinho announced as he stepped off the train. ", make sure to join in the fun if you're free."
"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.
"Hiashi," Shinho called out after thinking for a moment. "Could I trouble you to receive the honored guests who came to watch the ceremony?"
"Of course!" Hiashi straightened his back, chest puffed with pride.
Envious looks immediately turned in his direction.
The guests he was to welcome were none other than the former daimyō and Kage. Entrusting Hiashi with that task clearly showed the Hyūga Clan enjoyed Shinho's trust.
In truth, Shinho simply wanted time to deal with White Zetsu. He could meet those dignitaries at the fireworks event later anyway.
Once everyone dispersed, Shinho took Samui's hand and slipped away. Before long, two figures emerged in the southern part of City of Fire. Shinho fixed his gaze on a nearby alley.
White Zetsu, already aware of him, bolted in terror. Shinho calmly swept out a surge of immortal essence. In the blink of an eye, a single White Zetsu was plucked from the ground.
Samui's eyes narrowed slightly.
This strange creature, entirely white yet humanoid, looked bizarre.
Shinho gave its neck a quick twist, leaving it unconscious. Then, he and Samui returned to the palace, handing White Zetsu over to the professional, Orochimaru.
"Samui, you can get back to work," Shinho said, cupping her derrière.
"Yes."
Samui glanced at him, pursed her lips, and walked away.
Just then Shinho turned his head, and his eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing?!"
A masked ANBU wearing a cat mask asked, practically seething with anger.
Upon closer look, it was Yugito Nii. Normally, she kept watch near the Hokage's office.
She had clearly witnessed Shinho getting handsy with Samui and could no longer restrain herself.
"Have you not learned how an ANBU is supposed to behave?"
Shinho reached out and took off her mask.
"I…"
Yugito Nii locked eyes with him and abruptly froze, remembering just how fearsome he could be.
Shinho studied her with interest.
Yugito was not as striking as Samui, but she was still a beauty.
Even her stern expression couldn't hide how delicate her features were. And her light brown hair was braided in a long plait that fell to her waist.
"What exactly did you see me do?" Shinho asked with a small smile.
"You…Samui…"
Yugito fumbled, her courage from moments ago evaporating.
"Was it something like this?"
Shinho took one step forward and pinched her derrière twice.
"H-hey—what are you doing?!"
Yugito practically jumped out of her skin, skittering backward.
"It's not that bad," Shinho remarked casually, tossing her cat mask back. "Remember this, your Hokage's authority is limitless."
Yugito glared at him, her cheeks burning with both embarrassment and anger.
Shinho simply walked into the Hokage's office, inhaling deeply when he entered.
He caught a familiar scent.
Following the staircase, he headed to a room on the second floor. A flash of red entered his field of vision.
Someone had tucked under his blanket, with only her bright-red hair visible, a silly little laugh escaping now and then.
"Karin?"
Shinho asked in exasperation, "When did you get here?"
"Shinho-nii!"
Karin threw off the blanket and leapt forward, wrapping her long legs around his waist.
"Careful!"
Shinho reacted instinctively, placing his hands beneath her to support her.
"I got here about half an hour ago," Karin answered, arms looped around his neck. "You were in a meeting, so I figured I'd wait in your office."
"Do you have any missions right now?"
Carrying her, Shinho headed back downstairs.
"I haven't done a mission with you in ages!" Karin pouted.
Shinho paused; she had a point. Now that Team 7 was more or less dissolved, neither Sasuke, Naruto, nor Shinho himself really went out on traditional missions anymore.
"Let me find you something to work on, then."
He thought for a moment.
"Sounds great!"
Karin settled onto his lap, eyes shining. "Can I be your secretary, Hokage?"
"Stop squirming."
Shinho placed a hand on her thigh, encased in black tights.
"Huh?"
It dawned on Karin what she was doing, and she blinked her bright red eyes mischievously.
"The Hokage secretary spots are all filled. Head over to the Finance Department and help Shizune instead," Shinho said offhandedly.
"Where's that office?"
Karin shifted her body again, moving even closer. The faint fragrance of her perfume and the softness pressed against him were hard to ignore.
Shinho shot her a sharp look. He knew she was doing it on purpose.
She really had grown up.
"It's just next door, to the right," he replied. "Very close this office."
"Perfect!"
Karin agreed immediately. "If there's anything I have trouble with understanding, I'll come find you."
"Alright," Shinho said with a nod.
"By the way…" Karin straightened up, placing her hands on his shoulders. "My birthday is next month."
"What gift do you want?"
Shinho, reminded, recalled her birthday was June twentieth.
"I'll tell you then. All I need is for you not to say no."
Karin smiled slyly, eyes half-lidded with mirth.
"Sure."
Shinho chuckled. He was quite curious what Karin had in mind.
"Thank you, Shinho-nii!"
Karin beamed, then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.
"That's your thank-you gift," she said, stepping back with a slight blush. It was adorable, she was bold but still a bit shy.
"You should go see Shizune," Shinho said, waving her off. "She'll show you the ropes."
"Alright."
She cast him a lingering glance before finally leaving with a spring in her step.
…
The coronation ceremony didn't really change much for the rest of the Shinobi World, after all, Shinho was already the undisputed leader.
The only real difference was that people stopped calling him Daimyō and started calling him Emperor.
Though not everyone grasped the meaning of "Emperor," they accepted it without fuss.
Shinho put down the files in his hand and checked the time, there was about an hour left until the workday ended. His thoughts turned to Tsunade, who hadn't attended the morning assembly.
She'd been busy overseeing the production of a film about Hashirama Senju's life. She was obviously the best person for the job as both scriptwriter and producer, as she had lived through his era and was, in fact, his granddaughter.
Standing up, Shinho decided to pay her set a visit.
"Yugito."
He stopped at the entrance and called out.
"Hokage."
Yugito Nii appeared before him, this time with a more respectful demeanor.
"I'm heading out for a bit. If anything comes up, go to Samui or Mabui," Shinho said, eyeing the cat-shaped mask she wore.
"Yes."
Yugito nodded.
Shinho lifted his hand.
As if spooked, Yugito took two steps back, on guard.
He gave a small laugh, and in the next instant,
Fixed Immortal Travel Gu.
And his body vanished without a trace.
"Ugh!"
Realizing she had been teased, Yugito ground her teeth in annoyance.
…
Konoha's Forest of Death;
Space distorted briefly, and Shinho's body appeared.
Since Tsunade was filming a movie about Hashirama Senju's life, the logical shooting location had to be Konoha.
That was why Tsunade had taken leave and skipped the morning assembly.
Shinho glanced around, quickly spotting his target. A short walk later, he came upon a bustling group of people: photographers and directors manning all sorts of gear, with actors at the center of attention.
He raised an eyebrow. In the very middle stood "Hashirama Senju" and a younger version of Tsunade. He could tell at once they were using the Transformation Jutsu. Indeed, in this era, shinobi skills had spread into every industry.
"Carry on, everyone."
Shinho waved casually, strolling toward Tsunade, who stood in front of a camera reading the script.
"Is the court session over alredy?"she asked, shooting him a sidelong glance.
"Yeah," he replied with a nod.
"This must be your first time seeing what I looked like as a kid, right?" A hint of anticipation lit up Tsunade's face. "So, what do you think?"
"You look adorable."
Shinho answered honestly. With her golden ponytails and pinkish flush on her cheeks, she truly looked cute.
"But of course."
Tsunade's smile grew more radiant.
Compliments coming from others were one thing; hearing it from Shinho was another matter entirely.
"Sensei," Shinho murmured softly, leaning toward her ear, "our future daughter will be just as cute."
Tsunade froze. She glanced around to check if anyone was watching, then exhaled in relief.
"What're you saying all of a sudden?" She shot him a fierce look.
"How is that sudden?" Shinho teased in return.
"…"
Tsunade huffed and changed the subject. "Anyway, don't distract me while I'm filming."
"Go ahead. I'll wait."
Shinho took a couple of steps back.
Despite watching the actors through the camera lens, Tsunade couldn't shake his earlier words from her mind. The thought of having a child with this "kid" left her heart quivering.
She found herself spacing out now and then.
Two hours later, the day's filming wrapped up. The crew packed their gear and headed back to Konoha.
"Let's go."
Shinho took Tsunade by the hand.
"You can skip the morning court, but you can't forget about the fireworks tonight."
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