"I'll go deal with those two. You wait here for me. Don't wander off, but don't let your guard down either."
Natsume pointed to himself, smiled, and said, "This Hokage is worth a hundred million ryō. Your fight is far from over."
"Natsume-sensei, don't worry about us!"
Naruto said, brimming with fighting spirit, "If it happens again, we definitely won't be that miserable! Right, Sasuke?"
"Mm."
Sasuke nodded, his tone notably firm.
Natsume sensed a shift in his attitude and couldn't help thinking that the Uchiha clan really only bowed to the strong.
Of course, the fact that Mikoto was still alive also kept him from being as cold as in the original story.
Natsume's gaze fell on Hinata.
Unlike the other two, her little face carried a faint worry and reluctance.
Mm, very much like a little wife.
Natsume couldn't resist ruffling her hair, then disappeared from before them.
…
Kirigakure.
It was nighttime, so Terumi Mei wasn't in the Mizukage's office—she was at home.
While she was taking a bath, her expression suddenly sharpened with vigilance. She hurriedly wrapped a towel around herself and quietly stepped out.
"Couldn't you pick a better time?"
Terumi Mei frowned as she looked at Natsume on the sofa.
She'd almost thought she had a burglar.
If she hadn't seen who it was, she'd have spat one mouthful of acid and not even left bones behind.
"Sorry."
Seeing her look, Natsume immediately apologized. "I didn't know you were bathing."
He had to admit, though—quite the sight.
Her reddish-brown hair hung wet down to her waist.
She wore a white bath towel, revealing smooth, pale arms and long legs.
Altogether, she had a more seductive charm than usual.
"What do you want?"
Terumi Mei pinched the towel with one hand to keep it from slipping. "Say it and go."
She sounded impatient.
Anyone would be grumpy if their bath got interrupted.
"How about I wait till you're done?"
Natsume smiled. "Though I don't mind such a beautiful view."
Terumi Mei shot him a glare and turned straight back into the bathroom.
…
A few minutes later, she came out wearing a loose light-blue nightgown.
"Need me to dry your hair?"
Natsume said shamelessly, "I can help style it too."
Terumi Mei suddenly remembered something from long ago.
After he rescued her in Uzushio Village, he'd changed her hairstyle while she'd been unconscious.
She'd actually liked it and kept it ever since.
Terumi Mei sat on the sofa, tossed him a dry towel, and asked with a straight face, "What do you want with me?"
Standing behind her, Natsume helped dry her hair. "To sell you two people."
"What do you mean?"
Terumi Mei's lips curved. "A dignified Hokage doing human trafficking?"
"Momochi Zabuza and Haku."
Natsume grinned. "Interested?"
"You captured them?"
Terumi Mei's expression changed, her breath quickening.
What Kirigakure lacked most right now was strong shinobi.
Momochi Zabuza was once one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, formidable in strength.
Most importantly, he defected because he couldn't stand Yagura's bloody rule.
In other words, he was truly a Mist shinobi at heart.
"They tried to assassinate me and got caught."
Natsume put down the towel and began to style her hair. "Since they're Mist defectors, I came to you."
"Thank you."
Warmth rose in Terumi Mei's heart. "What do you want in return?"
She suddenly thought of the kiss in the daytime, and her cheeks flushed.
If he asked for that again, should she say yes… or yes?
"Be my little maid for seven days."
Natsume thought for a moment.
"…?"
Terumi Mei blinked, rejecting him without thinking. "Impossible!"
She was the Mizukage. If word got out, how would she show her face in the village?
"Really don't want to?"
Natsume's devilish whisper brushed her ear. "Seven days for two top combatants for your village. What a bargain."
Terumi Mei fell silent.
Thinking it over, it didn't seem like a bad deal.
Provided she could accept playing that role.
She pondered for a moment, then decided.
It wasn't like being a little maid would lead to anything. In exchange for two people, it was worth it.
"When?"
Terumi Mei asked with difficulty.
"Next time."
A smile flickered at Natsume's lips.
As expected, she agreed.
Shame it wasn't the right time, or he could've played master-servant games now.
Leaving Zabuza and Haku behind, Natsume returned to the tent.
His three students hadn't rested and were waiting for him.
"Sleep."
After setting a barrier outside the tent, Natsume slid into his sleeping bag.
Outdoors wasn't like home.
Especially for shinobi, who had to be ready to fight anytime, so they slept in their clothes.
[Because of your actions, the fates of Momochi Zabuza, Haku, and Terumi Mei have changed. You gained a total of 137 Fate Points.]
…
A new day.
As Natsume expected, Zabuza and Haku were just the beginning.
The further from Konoha they traveled, the more assassins they encountered.
But their strength varied widely.
Some were chūnin, some jōnin.
However, the big five villages judged ranks differently from the minor ones.
Those "jōnin" were like nine-tenths strength, or even lower.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata gradually regained their confidence.
Turns out they weren't weak—Zabuza was simply too strong.
The four walked and halted, reaching the Fire Country metropolis by dusk.
In the meantime, they'd faced seven assassination attempts.
The biggest change was that Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata had become more decisive.
They hadn't hardened themselves to kill yet, but it was progress.
"Whoa! So lively!"
Entering the metropolis, Naruto was like a country bumpkin seeing a grand garden for the first time, exclaiming non-stop.
Sasuke and Hinata weren't as exaggerated, but they couldn't help looking around.
Thanks to its superior geography, the Land of Fire was the largest among the nations.
Naturally, its metropolis was also the grandest city.
But Natsume felt little.
Compared to the cities of his past life, there was no contest.
He'd seen real megacities, so this hardly stirred him.
Glancing at the sky, Natsume didn't rush to meet the daimyō. Instead, he treated his three students to a good meal.
They'd had a hard day.
At night, Naruto was still bursting with energy and dragged Sasuke out to stroll.
Natsume and Hinata didn't go.
He felt there wasn't much to see; she simply wanted to be with him.
Fire Daimyo had a daimyō residence in Konoha.
Konoha also had a permanent station in the Fire Country metropolis.
The Nara clan handled it.
Thanks to their outrageous intelligence, the Land of Fire permitted them to serve as civil officials at court.
In such a role, the Nara were perfect liaisons.
On a rooftop.
Natsume casually handed Hinata a bag of chips.
He looked up at the night sky.
A huge full moon hung overhead.
He thought of Tsunade, wondering if she could sleep without him.
Hinata glanced at him, quickly looked away, and nibbled absentmindedly at the chips.
"How do you feel about today?"
Natsume picked up a chip and popped it in his mouth.
"Pretty good."
Hinata answered instinctively.
Thinking that sounded too brief, she added, "I was nervous at first, but once I got used to it, it felt no different from daily training."
By training, she meant the genjutsu scenarios Natsume set for her.
Those were sometimes no less intense than a fight to the death.
"Good work."
Natsume extended a hand and let Hinata rest her head on his thigh.
The sudden move turned her face bright red.
She chewed her chips uneasily.
But Natsume didn't speak again.
The air grew quiet.
Hinata gradually relaxed.
Combined with the day's skirmishes, she soon drifted into sleep.
Natsume scooped up her small body and carried her back to her room.
Then he returned to Konoha.
…
"Still awake?"
Natsume slipped into bed and asked.
"Mm."
Tsunade nodded, hugging him. "Now I can sleep."
He kissed her forehead and stopped teasing.
…
Morning.
Bright sunlight slipped in through the window, landing on Tsunade's serene, delicate sleeping face.
Natsume stared, entranced by the beauty.
"Good morning."
Tsunade blinked awake hazily, wrapped him in her arms, and nuzzled his face, reluctant to let go.
Maybe it was the pregnancy, but to Natsume she seemed like a girl in love, extra clingy.
He liked that change.
"I'm going to see the daimyō."
Natsume checked the time.
"Let me hold you a little longer."
Tsunade tightened her arms.
"Alright, go on then."
Tsunade whispered in his ear, "When you get back, I'll reward you."
"Mm."
He patted her head, then appeared in the Fire Country metropolis.
…
"Hokage-sama, please follow me."
Nara Hisanobu led the way, and they soon reached the daimyō residence.
To Natsume's surprise, it wasn't a court audience but a private meeting between him and Fire Daimyo.
That was suspicious.
"When Tsunade sent word, I thought she was joking."
Fire Daimyo beamed. "I didn't expect it to be true—and such a young Hokage. Remarkable."
"You flatter me."
Natsume stayed polite, neither humble nor overbearing.
He couldn't regard a daimyō with the same reverence as other shinobi did.
Beyond his past-life mindset, he had the strength to back it up.
If Fire Daimyo behaved, he might spare him.
If not, then too bad.
"How is Konoha now?"
Fire Daimyo noticed his attitude, was slightly displeased, but let it go.
"Since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, after years of recovery, quite good."
Thinking he was asking out of concern, Natsume answered honestly.
"Good."
Fire Daimyo abruptly changed tack. "The Land of Fire has had disasters and misfortunes these two years. Our finances are tight."
Natsume raised a brow.
No wonder he made him come personally.
He wanted to cut the budget.
In the original, after Naruto became Hokage, Fire Daimyo brought this up due to peacetime—and Naruto ridiculously agreed.
This was post-ending, with Naruto the strongest shinobi.
Say what you will about the system.
Now it was Natsume's turn.
Freshly in office, and Fire Daimyo dropped this on him.
Clearly he thought the young were easy to push around.
Everything else was an excuse.
"Daimyō, have you heard this saying?"
Natsume activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. "Are lords and nobles born of some special stock?"
Fire Daimyo's gaze went blank.
"I shouldn't expect much."
Natsume shook his head. "In that case, don't blame me."
He didn't plan to kill Fire Daimyo for now—too destabilizing.
And hard to explain to Tsunade.
Controlling the Land of Fire through Fire Daimyo was best.
Then take it slow.
Natsume couldn't stay by the daimyō's side long, so he planned to have Uchiha Shisui handle it.
Shisui was in the Land of Snow now with little to do.
Things were on track there; with Koyuki, that was enough.
After finishing with Fire Daimyo, Natsume led his three students back to Konoha.
They were attacked four more times on the way.
All in all, the Fire Country trip was a big success.
He trained Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata, and settled Fire Daimyo.
Konoha wouldn't lack money anymore.
Natsume could proceed boldly.
For example, implementing a shinobi remuneration system.
It would cost money, but the benefits were obvious.
First, ordinary civilian shinobi would be fiercely loyal to Konoha.
Because their income improved.
Second, many clan shinobi would shift from "clan above Konoha" to "Konoha above clan."
Reason being, income.
Money makes the world go round.
Especially in this world, where shinobi thought was quite simple.
Hiruzen Sarutobi could win loyalty with the airy "Will of Fire."
Natsume, by working both angles, would make them even more grateful.
[Because of your actions, the fates of Shimura Danzō, Mukade (Anrokuzan), and Sara have changed. You gained a total of 112 Fate Points.]
The sudden prompt made Natsume pause.
He put down the file in his hands and fell into thought.
Mukade and Sara were characters from the movie Naruto Shippuden: The Lost Tower.
In the ruins of Rōran lay the Dragon Vein, representing endless chakra.
In the original, Tsunade sent Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Yamato on a mission.
They ran into Mukade.
He devoured the seal, triggered the Dragon Vein's power, and went back twenty years.
Mukade became Anrokuzan, controlled the Queen of Rōran, and planned to use the Dragon Vein to dominate the shinobi world.
The time-traveling Naruto met a young Namikaze Minato, and together they defeated the villain and sealed the Dragon Vein.
"So what, Danzō can't be Hokage now, so he plans to go back and be Hokage in the past?"
Natsume couldn't help a jab.
But Shimura Danzō had picked the perfect time to show up.
And he was tangled up with the Kazekage, Rasa.