Chapter 174: You’d Look Good in a Maid Outfit

Night fell, casting a soft glow over the riverbank. 

Tsunade selected a clearing by the river and directed Shizune and Kakashi to set up camp.

They had been traveling the entire day since leaving the Sand Village that morning, and by now, they were back within the Land of Fire's borders. The blistering heat and endless sand had finally given way to familiar greenery and cooler air.

"Shizune, go wash up," Tsunade instructed, pausing before adding, "And you, too, Karin. You can help keep watch for us."

Karin's sensory skill, Kagura's Mind Eye, could detect any presence within a wide range, so she'd be able to alert them if anyone got too close.

"Yes, Lady Hokage!" Karin replied eagerly. After a full day of trekking through the desert, she was more than ready for a bath.

"We'll use that side of the river, and you boys stay over here." Tsunade pointed with an authoritative look toward Shinho, Kakashi, and Sasuke. "And remember—anyone caught peeking will answer to me."

"I'm not that type!" Shinho shot back, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, really?" Tsunade's tone was full of skepticism.

Sasuke opened his mouth to say, "Me neither," but quickly thought better of it. The tension between the two of them was…strange, to say the least.

Kakashi, meanwhile, looked between the others and wisely decided to stay quiet.

"Yes, really," Shinho confirmed, meeting Tsunade's skeptical gaze.

With a faint smirk, she turned and led Shizune and Karin toward the riverbank.

By the river, Tsunade let out a long stretch, sighed in relief, and then shed her clothes, revealing her mature and shapely figure.

Karin's eyes widened as she instinctively glanced down at herself, comparing. There was absolutely no contest.

Is this what men really like? she wondered, suddenly uneasy. Does Shinho like this?

Karin mulled it over as she slipped into the water.

Meanwhile, back at the campsite, Shinho finished setting up the tents and clapped his hands together. "Right, time to wash up."

"You can go on ahead," Kakashi said, casting a sidelong look at Sasuke. "Sasuke and I will be there in a bit."

Shinho looked at them, puzzled. "What is this, a private lesson or something?"

Not overly curious, he waved them off and headed down toward the river.

Once Shinho was out of sight, Kakashi turned to Sasuke and got straight to the point. "You've looked down all day. Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing," Sasuke replied after a brief pause. "I was just…thinking about how to get stronger."

"..."

Kakashi's mouth twitched slightly. 

It was hardly as if Sasuke was weak—between his mastery of lightning style, fire style, the Sharingan, and his progress with Sakumo's swordsmanship, he was top-tier even among Jonin.

But Kakashi knew exactly what Sasuke was getting at. He was measuring himself against Shinho.

Kakashi let out a resigned sigh. Using Shinho as a benchmark was a surefire way to frustrate oneself. 

There were few shinobi in the Leaf's history with Shinho's freakish level of talent.

"Don't overthink it," Kakashi advised. "For now, just focus on developing your Sharingan. Your goal should be to reach the three-tomoe stage as soon as possible."

Sasuke nodded. The Sharingan's power came from his mental and spiritual strength, so he knew that training would help him improve.

"I wonder just how much progress Shinho made in those three years with the Dragon Vein," Sasuke muttered, looking a bit grim. With Shinho's talents, three years was more than enough to widen the gap between them.

"You'll find out at the Chūnin Exams," Kakashi said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Besides, everyone's growth comes from unique opportunities. It's nothing to be jealous of."

Sasuke let out a sigh. "You're right, Sensei."

In truth, his competitive nature had gotten the better of him. But from a different perspective, his friends and teammates growing stronger could only be a good thing.

"At the very least, I refuse to lose to Naruto!" Sasuke declared, his eyes burning with determination. 

If he couldn't match Shinho, then the least he could do was stay ahead of Naruto. Losing to him would be a disgrace to the Uchiha name.

Kakashi sighed internally. Why did Sasuke always set himself up against opponents so far beyond ordinary?

Sasuke didn't know Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, but Kakashi did. 

And regardless of how Naruto learned to tap into that power—whether he became a perfect Jinchūriki or not—either way, Sasuke was in for a tough time.

"You two still talking?" Shinho returned, wearing a fresh change of clothes.

"You finished fast," Kakashi said with squinted eyes and a smile. "Don't tell me you're still planning to sneak a peek?"

"No way," Shinho waved off the idea. "I plan to live a long life."

Peeking at Tsunade? That was practically suicide. He wouldn't even consider it…unless it was just Shizune and Karin, maybe.

Of course, he was a man of integrity, after all, and he'd never actually do it.

The tent was small and simple, perfect for a quick rest. Shinho crawled into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. After a long day crossing the desert, he was too tired to train any further tonight.

It wasn't long before Kakashi and Sasuke finished washing up and returned to the tent, where they each settled into their own sleeping bags.

The night passed uneventfully, and by late afternoon the next day, the group had reached the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Lady Hokage, I'll go report our mission at the task hall," Kakashi announced, quickly ducking out. Staying around Tsunade only seemed to invite trouble for him.

"Sasuke, Karin, you two go rest," Tsunade said with a wave of her hand.

Sasuke gave a small bow before heading off, while Karin looked back at Shinho, unwilling to part. She glanced at him one last time before reluctantly leaving.

Tsunade smirked slightly. She'd noticed the affectionate glances Karin had thrown his way. 

This kid, with so many girls vying for his attention…was he ready for that? What if one day he found himself torn between five loves?

"And what about me?" Shinho asked, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.

"Well, thanks to your little disappearing act, I've been away from the village for almost a week," Tsunade said with a charming, yet unsettling, smile. "A week's worth of paperwork has piled up, so I'll be having you deal with it."

Shinho froze in shock. This "charming" smile was nothing less than devilish.

Tsunade's smile only deepened. 

She'd been looking forward to this moment as payback for the week she'd spent needlessly worrying. It had been a long time since she'd felt so emotionally vulnerable, and she wasn't about to let him off lightly.

"Let's go." She clicked her heels and strode off, her footsteps receding down the hallway.

"Good luck!" Shizune called after him with a cheerful smile.

Shinho shot her a look of betrayal.

"Don't worry," Shizune said softly. "I'll make you something nice for dinner tonight."

Perhaps because he'd spent so much time working alongside Shizune and Tsunade, Shinho often felt that Shizune had a touch of the "perfect maid" about her. 

She could kill and heal with ease and even had a knack for cooking.

"Shizune-nee, I think you'd look great in a maid outfit," Shinho said with a grin, giving her a little wave before jogging to catch up with Tsunade.

Shizune froze for a moment, processing what he'd said. A maid outfit?

Her eyes widened as the implication hit her like an earthquake. Does he…does he want to be the "master"?

No, that can't be right. She quickly shook the thought from her head, trying to clear away any strange ideas.

Back at the Hokage's office, Tsunade had already settled herself comfortably on the couch, reclining without a care.

Shinho's gaze was drawn to her—she looked completely relaxed and carefree, one bare, smooth leg dangling off the edge of the couch, her skin so flawless it almost seemed to glow in the dim light.

Thanks to the Yin Seal, Tsunade's skin remained flawless, practically unrivaled in all the Hidden Leaf. 

Shinho had come to realize just how powerful the Yin Seal was after learning it himself. It was almost like having a "resurrection button." 

As long as you weren't completely obliterated in one hit, you could survive.

But there was a downside. Every time the seal was overused, it took a toll on her, aging her even further.

Shinho thought about the lifespan Gu. 

It was about time Tsunade used one

But should I just give it to her outright? Or do it without her knowing?

If he used it on her quietly, she'd surely notice the effects. However, if she found out later that he'd done it to protect her, it might deepen their bond.

Tsunade's eyes flashed with annoyance. "What are you staring at? Get to work!"

"Yes, ma'am." Shinho shook himself from his thoughts and focused on the stack of documents on the table.

Fortunately, most of the paperwork had been handled by Shikaku Nara in Tsunade's absence, leaving only a small pile of ten or so important documents that required the Hokage's final approval.

As Shinho settled into reading, he briefly pictured Naruto's future self, buried in work after becoming Hokage. Naruto really gave everything for the village.

It was just as his teacher had once put it—sometimes serving the people meant sacrificing everything. 

Shinho took a seat at the desk, burying himself in the paperwork.

Tsunade took a final glance at him before ignoring him.

Outside, the sky began to darken, painted in soft hues of twilight.

As Shinho was about to call it a day, there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in," he called, glancing at Tsunade. 

She was sitting upright but kept silent, leaving him to handle the visitor himself.

"..." 

A question mark appeared on Inoichi Yamanaka's face outside the Hokage's office. 

Wait…was that Shinho's voice?

He suppressed his curiosity and turned the door knob.

The door opened, and Inoichi Yamanaka stepped in, looking puzzled.

When he entered the room, the sight before him was something unexpected. Tsunade was lounging comfortably on the couch, while Shinho sat in the Hokage's chair.

Inoichi was briefly taken aback, wondering for a moment who the Hokage really was here.

Inoichi rarely came to the Hokage office, so this was the first time he had seen this sight.

"Lady Hokage," he greeted Tsunade with a polite bow.

"Go ahead and talk to him," Tsunade said, waving a hand dismissively.

Inoichi's surprise grew. Is she letting Shinho take charge already? Is she grooming him to be Hokage? It looks like Ino needs to work harder.

"Good to see you, Uncle Yamanaka," Shinho said, nodding in respect. He wasn't Hokage the hokage yet, and for Ino's sake, he treated him with courtesy.

"This is the latest update from the Intelligence Division," Inoichi explained, handing Shinho a scroll. "We've made significant progress analyzing Danzo's memories. We've uncovered a lot of classified information."

"How much of his memory remains?" Shinho asked as he accepted the scroll.

"About one-third is left," Inoichi replied. "Danzo had a particularly strong will. Progress has been slow."

Shinho nodded, unsurprised. Danzo's decades-long obsession with the Hokage position indicated a resilience that few could match.

Unrolling the scroll, Shinho scanned its contents. 

There were plenty of explosive revelations, but nothing too surprising to him. Then his eyes fell upon a section about the "Gozu Tenno."

"Gozu Tenno?" Shinho raised an eyebrow.

According to the document, the "Gozu Tenno" was one of Danzo's many secret projects. Using Hashirama cells as the foundation, he attempted to create a summoning beast called Nue.

 The creature, resembling a monstrous ape, could grow or shrink by absorbing chakra and had a space-time technique allowing it to move between dimensions.

Most alarming, however, was its explosive potential. 

According to Danzo's notes, the Nue could absorb vast amounts of chakra and self-destruct, a blast powerful enough to destroy half of the Leaf Village.

"Where's Tanuki Shinraki?" Shinho asked, referring to the lead researcher on the project.

"After Lady Tsunade took office, he went into hiding," Inoichi replied. "ANBU's tracked him down twice, but he's managed to evade capture."

In the original storyline, Shinraku had escaped until the end. Before his death, he had implanted the Nue within his daughter, Sumire.

Shinho's interest was piqued. Nue would make a valuable asset. Not only could it fight and flee, but it could also self-destruct if necessary.

"Put more resources into finding him," Shinho said, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Will do," Inoichi nodded. Though tracking him was ANBU's task, Inoichi could pass along the request since it was based on intelligence from his department.

"Oh, and Shinho," Inoichi added with a smile. "You should drop by our place sometime. Ino would be most thrilled to see you."

"I'll definitely stop by," Shinho promised.

With that, Inoichi bid Tsunade farewell and left the office.

"Are you up for a drink tonight?" Shinho asked, glancing at Tsunade.

"What are you scheming?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "If you think you can bribe me, it won't work."

"It's not a bribe," Shinho said with a grin. "But as an apology for worrying you all week, I'll treat you to all the mead you want."

A breeze stirred as Tsunade suddenly appeared right in front of him, their faces inches apart. She narrowed her eyes. "Are you messing with me right now?"

"Nope," Shinho replied, eyes twinkling.

Up close, he couldn't help but notice her flawless skin, the lingering warmth in her gaze. 

Tsunade's body tensed, her face inches from his, before she quickly took a half-step back, a hint of excitement on her face that she couldn't quite hide.

"Well then, let's get off work!" she declared, raising her hand triumphantly.

"What about these files…?" Shinho began, but she cut him off.

"You have plenty of time for those tomorrow," she replied, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the office.

She had no intention of letting him back out of his promise now.

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