The bold man before her was already gone.
Mei Terumi stood where she was, dazed for a moment.
The warm sensation still lingered on her lips.
Her Lava Release had already reached her mouth, but she never spat it out. She closed her lips and swallowed the molten fluid back down.
The tip of her tongue tasted a faint trace of blood.
Not his. Hers. She had bitten herself.
Her face was still flushed. Her heart was still racing.
But that anger had already been replaced by something else.
"What a dishonest man."
She cursed under her breath, but there was little anger in her voice.
The corner of her mouth curved upward.
It was not a bitter smile, nor self-mockery, but a true smile from the heart.
Because that man had called her "the future Mizukage."
Not the representative of Kirigakure. Not the possessor of a kekkei genkai.
The future Mizukage.
She liked that title.
Mei leaned against the wall and tilted her head back, looking up at the square patch of sky cut out by the eaves overhead.
Morning light fell across her face, warm and gentle.
She stuck out the tip of her tongue and lightly licked her lips.
His scent still lingered there.
Faint, like grass after rain.
An interesting man.
She thought silently to herself.
If you weren't the Kazekage of Sunagakure, I really would want to drag you back to Kirigakure and marry you.
Of course, that thought only stayed in her mind for an instant.
She was Mei Terumi, the woman who would one day stand at the top of Kirigakure.
She would not lose her composure over a single kiss.
But she would remember that kiss.
She would remember that man too.
Mei pushed herself off the wall and straightened up.
She brushed off nonexistent dust from her skirt, then stepped out of the alley.
Sunlight spilled over her body. Her dark red hair drifted lightly in the wind.
She did not look back. Her steps remained graceful and swaying.
That smile still hung at the corner of her mouth.
At the same time, Teizawa was walking down the road toward the Hokage Building.
He was in a very good mood.
That kiss just now had been even sweeter than he had expected.
Mei's lips were very soft, with a hint of coolness.
Like morning dew.
Her waist was slender. When he held her in his arms, he could feel her body go tense and tremble faintly.
She had almost burned him with Lava Release.
He had felt that scorching breath surge up from her throat.
But in the end, she had not spat it out.
Was it because of the words "future Mizukage"?
That woman's desire for power was even stronger than his desire for women.
People like that were the easiest to handle.
And also the hardest to handle.
Fortunately, she held no malice toward him.
At least not for now.
As for later... that was a matter for later.
"I'll sleep with you if I get the chance!"
Teizawa muttered under his breath.
Pulling his thoughts back, he raised his head and looked toward the Hokage Building.
Tsunade was still waiting for him.
That woman's temper would be much harder to soothe than Mei's.
He quickened his pace and walked toward that towering building.
The door to the Hokage's office was pushed open.
Teizawa strode inside.
His gaze swept around the office.
Tsunade sat in the main seat.
A new desk had been placed in front of her. Several documents were piled beside her hand, and her expression looked foul.
Shizune stood behind her, holding Tonton in her arms.
She was looking at him with curious eyes.
There was no one else.
Teizawa did not look at Tsunade. His gaze landed on Shizune, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Shizune, you've gotten prettier again."
"Huh?"
Shizune's face instantly turned red.
The blush spread from her cheeks all the way to her ears, even dyeing her neck a faint pink.
She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking Tonton's back. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"Th-thank you, Lord Kazekage."
Why was this Kazekage so direct?
Complimenting her beauty right in front of Tsunade-sama... Could he have taken a liking to her?
Shizune's mind was in chaos. Her heart was pounding very, very fast.
She did not dare look up at Teizawa, and she did not dare look at Tsunade either.
She could only lower her face further.
She wished she could crawl into a crack in the floor.
Tsunade sat in her chair, her brows faintly furrowed.
She could not say exactly what felt uncomfortable. She just felt uncomfortable.
That bastard came in and did not even look at her.
Instead, he complimented Shizune first.
Of course, she would never admit that she was jealous.
She simply thought this Kazekage had no manners.
Yes. That was it. No manners.
She slapped the desk.
"Why haven't you returned to Sunagakure yet? Everything is already over."
Her tone was sharp and hurried.
As if she were trying to chase away a fly that refused to leave.
Teizawa turned his head and looked at her. The smile on his face deepened.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
He drew out the sound and slowly walked over.
"Little Tsunade, our two villages are allies, at least. If you chase me away now, I'll be very hurt."
Little... Little Tsunade?
The corner of Tsunade's mouth twitched.
She froze in her chair.
Shizune froze too, her mouth opening into an O.
Tonton poked its head out of her arms and gave a soft oink.
That form of address...
She had never heard anyone call Tsunade-sama that before.
"You bastard..."
Tsunade shot to her feet, her face flushed bright red.
She pointed at Teizawa, her voice trembling.
"Wh-what the hell are you calling me?"
Her mind was a mess.
That nickname was something he had only used when the two of them had been swept up in passion.
Back then, impulse had overpowered reason.
Shameless words could come out of their mouths. Intimate names could be called naturally.
After all, at that time, she had been pinned down by him, completely under his control.
But now...
In front of Shizune...
How dared he?
If something like this got out, where would she put her dignity?
Would people think she was some older woman preying on a younger man?
The moment she thought of that, Tsunade became so angry that her full chest rose and fell.
Teizawa looked at her flushed, furious face.
His smile deepened.
But he did not keep teasing her. Instead, he turned to Shizune.
"Shizune, I have something I'd like to discuss with the Hokage privately."
His voice was neither loud nor soft.
It carried a polite firmness that left no room for refusal.
Shizune bit her lip and looked at Teizawa, then at Tsunade.
She did not want to leave, but she also felt that she probably should not stay here.
The atmosphere between Tsunade-sama and the Kazekage felt strange.
She could not say exactly how it was strange.
It just was.
Tsunade took a deep breath and deliberately waved her hand in a bold, casual manner.
"You go on out first."
Her voice had recovered the composure of the Hokage.
"What could a brat like him possibly do to me?"
"O-okay."
Shizune hugged Tonton and quickly walked out of the office with her head lowered.
The door gently closed behind her.
She leaned against the door panel and let out a long breath.
Tonton poked its head out of her arms.
"Oink, oink."
Shizune lowered her head to look at it and murmured, "Tsunade-sama and the Kazekage... what exactly is their relationship?"
Tonton naturally could not answer her.
It only blinked.
(End of Chapter)
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