Waving the forehead protector in her hand, Kurenai Yuhi looked at Aoyama Ryuyun with a "praise me quickly" expression.
Shizune, standing beside her, didn't say anything,
but her eyes were also fixed on Tsunade and Aoyama Ryuyun,
hoping to receive praise as well.
"Yes, yes, yes! You're both amazing!"
Facing Kurenai Yuhi's expectant look, Aoyama Ryuyun smiled dotingly.
At the same time, he turned to Shizune, who stood quietly beside her.
"Shizune, you did very well too."
"Yes!"
Shizune, who received the praise, first smiled happily, then nodded seriously.
Since Shizune was her junior sister, Kurenai Yuhi couldn't say much.
However, she still clung to Aoyama Ryuyun.
It was fine at first, but as she continued to act spoiled,
Shinku Yuhi, standing nearby, couldn't take it anymore.
"Cough, cough!"
Since it was his daughter, he couldn't scold her outright,
but Shinku Yuhi still wanted to remind her to behave.
However, after hearing her father's voice,
Kurenai Yuhi only asked curiously,
"What's wrong, is Father sick?"
"You… you…"
Oh dear. I wasn't sick, but you're going to make me sick at this rate.
Can't you understand my expression at all?
"Alright, alright! Today is a happy day after all," Aoyama Ryuyun said, smiling.
"Kurenai Yuhi, you and Shinku Yuhi should go home and celebrate properly."
"Alright!"
She actually wanted Liu Yun to celebrate with her,
but since those were Aoyama Ryuyun's words,
Kurenai Yuhi could only nod with a reluctant expression.
But Yuhi Shinko's expression beside her
really made Shinku Yuhi want to explode.
What's with that face? I'm your father!
On such a happy day, I'm celebrating with you,
and you're still acting unwilling?
Shinku Yuhi felt that if Kurenai Yuhi and Aoyama Ryuyun spent any more time together,
he, as a father, might soon become dispensable.
Unfortunately, it was too late to change anything now.
At this point, it was already impossible to keep Kurenai Yuhi away from Aoyama Ryuyun.
Taking the somewhat reluctant Yuhi Shinko,
Shinku Yuhi left with a helpless expression.
After Kurenai Yuhi completely disappeared from sight,
Aoyama Ryuyun looked at Shizune, who was still standing beside him.
"Shizune, what about you? Want to go back with me?"
Unlike Kurenai Yuhi, Shizune was the niece of Kato Dan.
After Kato Dan's death, Shizune had been left completely alone.
Her introverted personality was largely a result of her prolonged loneliness.
It was by chance that Tsunade discovered Shizune's aptitude for Medical Ninjutsu,
and took her on as her apprentice.
Although Kurenai Yuhi's talent was remarkable, it lay in genjutsu—
she couldn't perfectly inherit Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu.
"Can… can I?"
Hearing the question, Shizune asked tentatively.
Her timid eyes clearly showed she wanted to go back with them,
but she was afraid of disturbing Aoyama Ryuyun and Tsunade.
Shizune at this age was so sensible it was heartbreaking.
It made Tsunade and Aoyama Ryuyun exchange glances.
The most helpless one was Aoyama Ryuyun—
after all, Kato Dan had been killed by his own hand.
What a sin. If I could go back,
I'd still have made the same decision… but still.
"Um, I won't disturb Lady Tsunade and Lord Liu Yun.
When you… um… are doing that, I'll stay far away!"
When she got to the latter half of her sentence,
Shizune's face turned red, and her voice grew very soft.
However, both Aoyama Ryuyun and Tsunade were highly skilled—
even with such a soft voice, they could still hear her clearly.
Aoyama Ryuyun raised an eyebrow.
This little girl—she understands far too much already.
"It's all your fault!"
Tsunade immediately glared at Aoyama Ryuyun, cheeks slightly flushed.
Shrugging, Aoyama Ryuyun gave a helpless smile.
In the end, Aoyama Ryuyun and Tsunade still chose to take Shizune back.
Since it was a day worth celebrating,
Aoyama Ryuyun took Tsunade and Shizune to a restaurant to mark the occasion.
By the time things had settled down, it was already past midnight.
In the courtyard, Aoyama Ryuyun leaned against the wall,
his expression calm as he gazed at the moonlit sky.
The little girl, Shizune, was already asleep.
Tsunade, after tidying up, came out of the room.
Seeing Aoyama Ryuyun, Tsunade smiled and walked over.
"What's wrong today?"
Tsunade could sense something weighing on his mind.
It hadn't been appropriate to ask earlier,
but now that things were quiet, she finally voiced her concern.
Aoyama Ryuyun didn't hide it.
He continued staring at the sky for a while before answering slowly:
"The Third Shinobi World War… it's about to begin."
"Huh?"
Tsunade had imagined many possibilities—
she even thought he might be worried about another woman.
But she never expected this.
"Really? Is that true?"
Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief.
The Shinobi World was still peaceful—there were no visible signs of conflict.
"You don't believe me?"
"Of course I do. It's just…"
Tsunade naturally trusted Aoyama Ryuyun,
but the prospect of another Great War wasn't something to take lightly.
It was hard to imagine that the storm was already gathering.
Aoyama Ryuyun had mentioned before
that the Third Shinobi World War was drawing near.
"So that's what you were discussing with Orochimaru today…"
It was difficult to accept,
but since Aoyama Ryuyun said so, Tsunade didn't question it further.
Orochimaru had long since formed a partnership with Aoyama Ryuyun—
he'd told her that much already.
No wonder she had found it odd earlier in the day,
when Aoyama Ryuyun and Orochimaru suddenly began speaking in riddles.
She'd assumed they were mocking Hiruzen Sarutobi,
but now it was clear that wasn't the case.
Shaking her head, Tsunade sighed softly.
Even though an all-encompassing war loomed on the horizon,
Aoyama Ryuyun's expression remained calm.
"I didn't spell it out for him," Aoyama Ryuyun said quietly,
"but with Orochimaru's intelligence, a single hint is enough."
He paused, his eyes reflecting the cold moonlight.
"Let's use this war… to drag all those despicable rogues down with it."
Tsunade's dissatisfaction with Konoha's higher-ups was nothing new.
Before, there had been no chance to act—
but now, the opportunity had finally arrived.
"Just wait patiently," Aoyama Ryuyun said,
his calm voice carrying a faint edge.
He didn't need to say more. The night said the rest.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters