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In Shin's room, Mei Terumī finally woke up, her body feeling like it had fallen apart, weak and powerless.
Walking felt like stepping on cotton, almost as if she were floating.
This was the price of her stubbornness. It was her first time, and yet, in that initial "battle," she had lasted the longest.
Neither Kushina, Mikoto, Tsunade, nor Konan could compare to Mei Terumī's endurance in that regard.
As she opened the door, Mei Terumī stumbled backward. Just as she was about to hit the ground, Shin caught her.
"Why are you up? Shouldn't you be resting?"
"I woke up and didn't see you… I thought you'd run off," Mei Terumī said flirtatiously.
Her demeanor had changed significantly. There was a newfound allure in her expression, and coupled with her charming voice, it was quite captivating.
"How long are you two going to stay like that?"
Kushina asked, watching Shin holding Mei Terumī, her voice laced with a cold snort.
Shin immediately helped Mei Terumī stand up. Mei, hearing Kushina's tone, didn't shy away but instead shot Kushina a provocative wink.
"Kushina, are you jealous?"
"How dare you! You're also challenging my authority as the main wife?!" Kushina retorted, placing her hands on her hips and looking fiercely at Mei Terumī.
"Hold on, Kushina. When did you become the main wife?"
Tsunade interjected, clearly dissatisfied with Kushina's claim. If Kushina was the main wife, did that mean Tsunade ranked below her? Absolutely not.
Kushina glared at Tsunade.
Shin looked between Kushina and Mei Terumī, then decided silence was the best course of action. Saying anything would just make him a target. Silence was golden.
A few days passed peacefully. The women mostly got along. Shin, finding himself bored, decided to teach Karin Uzumaki.
As for Hinata, she was still too young for serious training. Starting at three was pushing it. Since Hinata didn't have the Sage Body, Shin worried that training too early could injure her. Chakra extraction drew energy directly from the body's cells; carelessness could be dangerous.
The Shinobi world remained relatively calm. Although the Hyūga defection had caused a stir, Konoha had managed to suppress the news. Konoha and Kumogakure had reached a truce, though Konoha paid a hefty price in resources and money.
As for the Hyūga Clan, Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't made any moves against them yet. Knowing Shin Uzumaki was involved, Hiruzen didn't dare act recklessly.
Shin's reputation alone served as a powerful deterrent. Hiruzen wouldn't risk provoking him without understanding the full situation.
However, the peace didn't last long. It was shattered by Kakuzu.
Yes, Kakuzu. He had truly stirred up trouble this time...
Kakuzu had accepted a high-paying bounty on the black market for the eldest son of the Land of Fire's Daimyo. The reward was tempting enough for even the money-grubbing Kakuzu to take the risk.
Although he knew assassinating the Daimyo's son would cause significant trouble, the allure of wealth outweighed the danger.
Kakuzu decided the risk was worth it.
And so, he did it. Not only did he kill the Daimyo's eldest son, but he also eliminated three of the Twelve Guardian Ninja protecting him.
This enraged the Land of Fire Daimyo, who immediately ordered Konoha to capture the culprit at all costs.
Upon receiving the news, Hiruzen Sarutobi personally led a team to hunt down Kakuzu.
Hiruzen wasn't just acting out of loyalty to the Daimyo; his own son had also been killed.
Hiruzen had two sons: one was Konohamaru's father, the other was Asuma Sarutobi.
Kakuzu had killed Asuma.
Asuma, having had a falling out with his father, had become one of the Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja.
Now, he had fallen victim to Kakuzu. Even if a father and son had disagreements, Hiruzen had to avenge his son.
"Asuma Sarutobi is dead?"
Shin's expression turned peculiar upon hearing the news. Killed by Kakuzu?
In the original story, Asuma died at the hands of Hidan, Kakuzu's partner. Hidan hadn't even joined the Akatsuki yet, and Asuma was already gone.
The Jonin leader of the future Ino-Shika-Chō trio hadn't even survived until the main storyline began.
"Asuma Sarutobi? Is he related to that old man Hiruzen?" Kushina asked Shin.
"Asuma Sarutobi is Hiruzen Sarutobi's son."
The news surprised Shin, but Asuma's strength wasn't significant. At his peak in the original story, he was only an elite Jonin. At this point, he was likely just a Jonin.
If it had been someone like Itachi Uchiha or Naruto Uzumaki who died prematurely, Shin might have paid more attention.
"The Third Hokage has a son? Never heard of him." Kushina admitted she didn't know Hiruzen had children.
"Kakuzu really is bold. Guess that's expected from someone who fought the First Hokage."
Shin knew Kakuzu had messed up big time. Killing the Third Hokage's son meant Hiruzen would hunt him relentlessly.
"Shin, you said Kakuzu fought my grandfather? Is this Kakuzu very strong?" Tsunade looked over, intrigued. She'd heard of Kakuzu, notorious in the black market for his obsession with money.
"Strong? He's decent, I suppose. But when he fought your grandfather, Hashirama definitely went easy on him."
Kakuzu likely survived because Hashirama spared him. If he had tried to assassinate Madara Uchiha instead, his grave would have seen countless seasons by now.
"Is that so? Still, he's an old monster who's lived since my grandfather's era." Tsunade was surprised by Kakuzu's longevity.
"The Akatsuki must be in chaos now. I should go check it out."
Shin decided to visit the Akatsuki. He wondered how Nagato would react. Kakuzu had caused trouble; as the Akatsuki leader, Nagato would have to clean up the mess. He couldn't just watch Kakuzu be hunted by Konoha ninja; otherwise, the Akatsuki would fall apart.
"I'm coming too!" Kushina immediately grabbed Shin's arm.
"Alright, I'll take you."
Shin opened a portal with [Yomotsu Hirasaka] and stepped through.
"Hey! Wait for me" Mei Terumī yelled, running in from outside. But the portal had already closed.
"Damn it! Just missed it!" Mei Terumī slumped down, frustrated. She wanted to join the fun too. If only she hadn't gone out, she could have gone with Shin.
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