Chapter 278: Massaging Tsunade

Though the Third Watch Gu was priceless, it wasn't suitable for use at the moment.

Shinho planned to find time to go into seclusion after the Konoha Summit concluded, aiming to ascend to the rank of a Sixth-Rank Gu Immortal.

Snapping back to reality, he suddenly noticed he was holding something warm and soft in his arms.

"Hanabi."

Shinho glanced at Hanabi, who seemed lost in thought, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

Hanabi responded reflexively, but after a few seconds, she realized the situation and quickly said, "Brother-in-law, I'm fine."

She nervously let go of Shinho's arm and took two steps back.

Catching sight of Hinata's concerned gaze, she felt a pang of guilt.

Just now, she had indeed indulged a bit too much in the comfort of his embrace.

Hinata let out a sigh of relief.

She hadn't noticed Hanabi's little thoughts.

To be more precise, Hinata hadn't even considered the possibility.

After all, Hanabi had always called him "brother-in-law."

At that moment, two screams pierced the air.

Yotaka and Shizō plummeted from the sky, their fates uncertain.

Though they were undeniably strong, facing a Jinchūriki was beyond their capability.

In the original story, only elite Jōnin had the qualifications to go toe-to-toe with a Jinchūriki.

Shinho scanned the area.

The surrounding Hoshigakure shinobi were all too terrified to approach.

Even their most powerful acting Hoshikage had been annihilated by two simple jutsu, leaving not a single trace.

If they dared to step forward now, it would be nothing more than throwing their lives away.

"I am Shinho Aburame, the Hokage of Konoha. You can re—"

Shinho suddenly paused.

The Hoshigakure shinobi surrounding them were trembling, their faces filled with fear, retreating step by step.

Though Hoshigakure was a small shinobi village, it didn't mean they were cut off from information.

By now, Shinho's name was renowned across the entire shinobi world.

"Looks like you all recognize me."

Shinho gave a faint smile and said, "Konoha received intelligence that Akahoshi murdered the Third Hoshikage, so we came to assist."

The Hoshigakure shinobi exchanged bewildered glances, a wave of unrest spreading among them.

"With my strength, I have no reason to lie to you."

Shinho paused briefly and continued, "For the full details, you can ask Natushi when you see her."

He raised his head and glanced at the Fog Sparrow Gu hovering in the sky.

The sparrow, formed from mist, flew in all directions under his control.

In the original story, Natushi hadn't gone far; she had been hiding in a nearby valley close to Hoshigakure.

"You all stay here. I'll be back soon."

A golden light flashed over Shinho's body as he swiftly arrived in front of a valley.

Looking down, he saw thick, swirling smoke that completely obscured his vision.

The mist was tinged with black, filled with deadly poison.

But Shinho had the Snow Wash Gu for detoxification.

Leaping into the valley, he reached the bottom within seconds.

The wind howled.

A massive pink tiger, formed from an immense amount of chakra, lunged at him with a swipe of its claw.

Shinho turned his head and saw Natushi not far away, wearing a gas mask.

He lifted his gaze, looking at the ferocious tiger.

Fire Pupil Gu!

Flames burst into existence out of nowhere, wrapping around the tiger entirely, reducing it to ashes in an instant.

"What?!"

Natushi was shocked to her core.

A Fire Release jutsu without hand seals?

And with such overwhelming power?

Mysterious Peacock Method: Wings!

Natushi quickly formed hand seals, and a pair of wings sprouted from her back.

She hovered in mid-air, ready to attack, but suddenly felt her mind go hazy.

Her body wavered, and she crashed to the ground.

It was the Heartseize Gu.

Shinho walked up to her, grabbed her shoulder, and carried her out of the valley.

With a casual motion, he removed her gas mask, revealing a delicate face.

She was Subaru's mother.

Her husband had died from the side effects of practicing the Mysterious Peacock Method.

After Akahoshi resumed the meteorite training, Natushi stole the meteorite.

To force her out of hiding, Akahoshi set a trap using Subaru, Hokuto, and Mizura.

But unexpectedly, Hanabi, Amaru, and Fu got involved first.

"Y-You… who are you?"

Natushi shook her head hard, barely regaining clarity.

"Shinho Aburame."

Shinho replied nonchalantly.

"The hokage?!"

Natushi's body jolted, her voice trembling slightly, "Did… did Akahoshi bring you here?"

"Do you think that's possible?"

Shinho gave her a sidelong glance as he spoke.

"Definitely not."

Natushi asked hesitantly, "Is this about the meteorite?"

"No."

Shinho casually tossed her a scroll and said, "Agree to the terms on this, and you can become Hoshikage. Hoshigakure will remain intact."

Natushi opened the scroll, momentarily stunned, then understood.

Was Akahoshi's refusal to agree to these terms the reason Shinho was here?

"By the way, just so you know, Akahoshi is dead. It was his choice."

Shinho added.

"We agree."

Natushi hesitated for a few seconds before nodding in agreement.

The situation was beyond her control.

If Hoshigakure refused, it meant certain death.

She had no other choice.

"Handle the remaining matters in Hoshigakure yourself. In half a month, come to Konoha to attend the Summit."

Shinho instructed before turning to leave.

"Yes."

Natushi sighed deeply, feeling a sense of surreal clarity.

How had everything changed so drastically in less than ten minutes?

The two of them returned to Hoshigakure.

After reuniting with her son Subaru, Natushi exposed Akahoshi's crimes to everyone.

Thus, Shinho and Team 7's first mission came to an end.

..

[Achievement Unlocked: 'King of the Shinobi.' Reward: Qi Grand Lion Strength Gu.]

[Qi Grand Lion Strength Gu: A Sixth-Rank Immortal Gu that grants the strength of a Qi Path Lion to the Gu Master.]

..

King of the Shinobi?

Shinho pondered over the sudden achievement notification.

This clearly had nothing to do with Akahoshi or Natushi.

The most reasonable explanation was that all the ninja villages had agreed to his terms.

In other words, it signified the unification of the shinobi world.

Shinho speculated that once all nations merged, there would be similar achievements awaiting him.

As for the Qi Grand Lion Strength Gu, there wasn't much to say. it was just like the Wailing Whale Strength Gu, both serving to stack physical power.

Even Shinho himself wasn't sure how terrifying his current strength had become.

Perhaps in the future, even the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki would get a taste of it.

A sharp whooshing sound broke through the air.

Shinho looked up.

A blimp descended from the sky.

They had walked here, but there was no need for such trouble on the return trip.

Shinho had already sent a message to the nearest transport station.

"Let's go."

Shinho gave a glance at the still sulking Hanabi and stepped onto the blimp.

Natushi stood on the ground, watching them as they departed.

Although Konoha hadn't left any shinobi behind, she knew Hoshigakure couldn't resist; they could only comply.

Otherwise, Akahoshi's fate would soon be theirs.

"Hanabi."

Seated comfortably, Shinho waved her over.

"Brother-in-law."

Hanabi walked over to him, still looking dispirited.

In this mission, both of her teammates had performed admirably, especially Fū, who single-handedly defeated two Jōnin.

But when facing Akahoshi, Hanabi hadn't even lasted a single round; relying on Shinho to clean up the mess.

"You're still just a Genin. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Shinho patted her head gently.

Truthfully, bringing Team 7 along was merely for them to gain some experience. He never really expected them to handle Hoshigakure on their own.

Of course, Fū, being a Jinchūriki, was a different case altogether.

But Hanabi and Amaru were still lacking quite a bit.

At best, their strength was at Chūnin level, far from reaching Jōnin standards.

"But..."

Hanabi bit her lip.

She understood this well enough, but for some reason, failing in front of Shinho felt especially hard to swallow.

"There's no need to rush."

Shinho spoke gently, "You're my student. You'll definitely become strong."

"As strong as my sister?"

Hanabi glanced at Hinata Hyūga and asked.

"You will."

Shinho nodded.

Not to mention other Gu's, just within the Ice Path, there were two Gu on par with the Snow fairy Gu, collectively known as the Three Great Transformation Gu's of the Ice Path.

"Thank you, Brother-in-law!"

Hanabi suddenly perked up, her excitement palpable.

For a long time, she had envied Hinata's Snow fairy Gu, which was both a beautiful trqansformation and a powerful one.

In comparison, the Gentle Fist seemed a bit too plain.

Shinho chuckled inwardly.

Kids really are simple.

Their moods shifted as quickly as the wind.

Thanks to the blimp, their return trip was cut in half. By 5 PM, they had arrived back in Konoha.

After disembarking, Shinho escorted them to the Hyūga Clan compound.

"Brother-in-law, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Hanabi asked proactively, "Are we going on another mission?"

"Be at Training Ground One at 9 AM tomorrow."

Shinho shook his head, "For the next half month, I'll be giving you proper training."

"Um."

Hanabi nodded happily.

If it was training, it would just be the four of them as teacher and students.

Without Hinata around, she felt less inexplicably nervous.

"Go get some rest."

After watching them enter the compound, Shinho turned and made his way to the Hokage's office.

"Lord Hokage."

Samui quickly rose from the Hokage's chair, bowing respectfully.

While the Hokage was away, she, as his secretary, had acted as interim Hokage for two days.

"You've worked hard."

Shinho approached.

Samui stepped aside to let him sit.

As Shinho plopped down in the chair, he felt a faint warmth beneath him.

He instinctively stretched lazily.

"Lord Hokage..."

Samui hesitated for two seconds before asking, "Would you like me to give you a massage?"

Shizune had taught Konan that when the Hokage was tired, massages were helpful.

And Konan had, in turn, taught Samui and Mabui the same.

"Massage?"

Shinho's gaze fell on that inviting softness and said, "I'll leave it to you, then."

"It's only my duty."

Samui moved behind Shinho.

She stepped closer, almost pressing against the chair, and raised her hands.

Her ten fingers gently pressed against his temples, kneading softly and tenderly.

Shinho felt a tinge of disappointment.

Why aren't you inviting me to sit on the sofa and giving me a lap pillow?

But then, an idea struck him. He leaned back.

Immediately, the back of his head was met with a soft, plush sensation.

This might just be the most comfortable pillow in the entire shinobi world.

Oh, wait, second most comfortable.

After all, the pillowcase is still on.

The best? That would definitely be Tsunade's.

Samui's body instantly stiffened.

She hadn't expected Shinho to pull such a move.

The weight against her chest felt unfamiliar and awkward.

But in the silence, she didn't pull away and continued massaging.

Shinho closed his eyes, sinking into the comfort.

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