Hyuga Gakuya yawned as he stepped through the front door of his home, only to find Uzumaki Yukari kneeling at the entrance, waiting for him.
"Welcome home, Gakuya-sama," she said, bowing slightly as she placed his slippers neatly before him.
Gakuya changed into the slippers with Yukari's help.
"You've been waiting here the whole time?"
He reached down to help her up—her legs had clearly gone numb from kneeling for so long.
"It's nothing. You're the head of this household, Gakuya-sama. This is what I should do."
Gakuya didn't know how to respond. He wasn't a fan of this kind of rigid, old-school male dominance stuff, but a few words weren't going to change someone's deeply rooted beliefs.
He'd already turned her down on this kind of behavior multiple times, but Yukari would still wait at the door every time she had an idea of when he'd return.
"Forget it," he sighed. "From now on, just use your Kagura Mind's Eye to sense when I'm close. No need to sit around waiting."
"It's fine, really. It doesn't get in the way of my chores."
Seeing that she was completely unmoved by his reasoning, Gakuya decided not to push it further.
He collapsed onto the couch, letting himself sink into the soft cushions like falling into a cloud.
"Ahh, that's the stuff." He let out a satisfied sigh and reached for the juice waiting for him on the table, downing it in one go.
Training in Ryūchi had been effective, sure, but the quality of life there was absolute trash. He had to go out and hunt his own food every day, grill it himself, and he couldn't even eat in peace—those three gluttonous pests kept showing up to mooch off him.
"By the way, where's Izumi?"
"She took Hikari and Karin out to play. They should be back around dinnertime."
"I see…"
Gakuya wasn't just thinking about his subordinates' health—he was also trying to help them reclaim the childhoods they never had.
Yukari approached the couch. "Gakuya-sama, this is the blood I preserved with Karin while you were away."
Still lying on the couch in a daze, Gakuya waved his hand lazily.
"Don't bother saving blood anymore. I won't be needing it."
Yukari froze as if struck by lightning. He doesn't need us anymore…? If the deal was off, what did that mean for her and her daughter? Everything she had now was given to her by this man. If she no longer held any value, would they be cast aside?
How could a mother and daughter survive in the ruthless shinobi world without protection?
With a loud thud, Yukari dropped to her knees beside the couch, bowing her head against the wooden floor. Bang! Bang! Her forehead hit the floor again and again.
Her voice trembled with tears. "Please, Gakuya-sama, don't abandon us. I'll do anything—just let Karin grow up safely."
Gakuya, who'd been half-asleep, was jolted fully awake.
"What are you doing? I never said I didn't want you two. You and Izumi still take care of me in my daily life."
"Then why have you never… chosen me?" Yukari's voice was low, almost ashamed. "Is it because I'm getting old? Because my body's impure? I know I'm not as clean as Izumi, but please don't worry—I would never interfere in your future relationships."
Gakuya found himself speechless. Clearly, she'd misunderstood him—she saw herself as some kind of kept woman, a mistress Gakuya was deliberately avoiding.
He glanced at her seriously for the first time in a while.
She really was beautiful—voluptuous, with soft curves and long crimson hair cascading over her shoulders, giving her a slightly disheveled, vulnerable charm.
There was a distinct allure to her—a mature, irresistible wife-like vibe.
"Alright, alright, stop crying. Of course I still want you. I just didn't think the timing was right."
Honestly, after all the teasing from Tagitsuhime lately, his temper had been running hot. Why not just go with the flow?
And if this could win over her loyalty completely—so much the better.
Gakuya scooped the kneeling Yukari up into his arms, barefoot, and kissed her.
"Shall we go to my room?"
"Mmhmm." Yukari wasn't some naive girl—she responded to his kiss with passionate enthusiasm.
(That's enough detail—any more and it won't pass review.)
...
Hours later, just as Izumi and the others were about to return, Yukari dragged her tired body up to prepare dinner.
But Gakuya pulled her back and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Don't ever think like that again. I'll protect both of you from now on."
Yukari smiled, her face blooming like a flower. "Both of us? You mean me and Karin?"
"Of course. I've never been one to play favorites. But those two are still young—we'll talk about them in a few years."
...
Sunagakure
The entire village was in chaos. The Fourth Kazekage was in critical condition and unconscious. All fifty elite shinobi sent out to intercept the enemy had been wiped out—none survived.
Even the clean-up team sent to recover the bodies had been killed by mysterious assailants. No one lived to tell the tale.
Right now, their only hope was for the Kazekage to regain consciousness and provide some useful intel.
The worst part? They didn't even know what the attackers looked like. All they knew was that the enemy came from the Land of Rain.
Was it Kimura Takuya who launched the assault? But if it was him, why were there no signs of Water Release or poisonous mist left behind?
"Quick! Go get Lady Chiyo! The Kazekage's injuries are too severe—get him to the emergency room now!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Everyone in the village was scrambling. They'd already lost one Kage in recent years—if another one died in battle, Sunagakure might never recover.
There just weren't any other Kage-level shinobi left who could hold the line.
Chiyo was finally brought in. When she heard that the Kazekage had been gravely injured, her face turned pale. They'd just signed a peace treaty—and already someone dared to ambush the Kazekage?
When she arrived at Rasa's bedside and saw his body covered in burn wounds, she gasped.
"This... Is this Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique?"
But the moment the thought crossed her mind, she shook her head. No, that technique causes scalding injuries. These were burns. Completely different.
Besides, the Mist Village had long since lost all knowledge of that jutsu—no one could use it anymore.
No time to think it through—Chiyo's eyes widened as she looked at the steadily flattening lines on the heart monitor.
She jumped into action, beginning emergency surgery. Rasa might end up like the Second Tsuchikage—wrapped head to toe in bandages—but at least they might be able to save his life.
...
Iwagakure
Ōnoki stared at the intelligence report in his hands, visibly shaken. In just one morning, every border outpost near the Land of Rain had been destroyed—none left standing.
Even survivors were incredibly rare.
"Is this... a warning from Amegakure?" he muttered to himself, disturbed. When did the Rain get this kind of power?
A single shinobi, capable of using all five chakra natures, had torn through their forces like a one-man army.
A black, mysterious creature. A blood ritual.
Every line of the report pushed Ōnoki's nerves closer to the breaking point. What kind of power are we dealing with here?
"Kitsuchi," he said, turning to his towering son. "Send another request to that mercenary group called Akatsuki. Have them investigate the one who destroyed the border posts."
"Understood." Kitsuchi turned and strode out of the room.
Later, in the Land of Rain, Pain received an incredibly strange mission request—Akatsuki was being asked to investigate Akatsuki.
During the next meeting, Deidara burst into loud, obnoxious laughter.
"That senile old geezer's finally lost it! This mission is gold—someone's asking us to spy on ourselves! HA! Funniest thing I've heard all year!" He clutched his stomach, practically rolling on the table with laughter.
Hidan, ever the loudmouth, joined in mockery.
"Ōnoki actually gave that order? What a joke!"
Once everyone had their fill of laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, Pain spoke up.
"So? Who wants to take this one?"
Hyuga Gakuya raised his hand. "I'll do it. This mission sounds... very interesting."
"Good," Pain replied. "We'll give them false intel. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they fall for it."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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