Author Note:
Here's the BONUS CHAPTER as promised—thanks for the support, and let's keep this energy going!
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"Don't get your hopes up," Guts said, flicking the scroll open. "She's not flirting. This is serious business."
The contents were brief but important.
According to the intel, a pair of Akatsuki mbers had been spotted recently sowhere within the Land of Water—confird by their trademark red cloud cloaks.
Since the death of the previous Jinchūriki, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, the Three Tails had been roaming the waters near the coast.
Guts had heard about its capture a year ago while traveling and had even lent a hand to Terumi i at the ti.
But since no suitable Jinchūriki had been found, the beast remained sealed using a containnt jutsu...not inside a person.
That made it a tempting target.
Unlike human hosts who could fight back, a sealed Tailed Beast was just an asset waiting to be stolen.
Akatsuki only needed to break the seal and subdue the beast and the prize was theirs.
Although Terumi i had already mobilized nurous search parties, the enemy had yet to be located.
So she sent a formal request.
She wanted Guts.
"I'll go," Guts said, standing up without hesitation.
He had to deal with Akatsuki eventually. And with no new word on the Six Tails Jinchūriki—whom Pain was ant to capture there was no reason not to head to the Land of Water first.
And truthfully, it had been a year since he last saw Terumi i.
Tsunade gave a long sigh, clearly unhappy but lacking a reason to argue.
"I'm going too! Onee-san too!" Hanabi blurted out, bouncing to her feet.
"You two are staying here."
Guts shot her a sharp look. "No discussion."
The two Hyuga sisters had been getting bolder lately. It was ti for them to cool off a bit and for Guts to figure out how to handle this… escalating situation.
He still hadn't co up with a solution.
Hanabi puffed her cheeks and glared at him with all the sass she could muster.
After lunch, Guts set off alone toward Kirigakure.
Hinata, ever dutiful, helped Kurenai clean up the table stacked with dishes like a mountain.
Hanabi stomped around on the tatami, fuming. "Ughhh! Why didn't he take us?! We've fought Akatsuki too!"
Tsunade raised a brow and smirked. "Because he's off on a romantic getaway, obviously."
She only dared to say that because Guts wasn't within hearing range.
Otherwise, she'd be the one getting cleaned up literally and painfully.
Traveling to the Land of Water by ship usually took five days—even for a Jōnin-level ninja.
The seas were endless, and only experienced boatn could navigate them properly.
But Guts didn't need that.
Using his Observation Haki, he could lock onto the aura of rchant ships crossing between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. That was enough to chart a perfect path.
By nightfall, he was already on the shores of the Water Country.
"Should I just push through the night?" Guts muttered, glancing at the moonlit sky.
He hadn't trained much that day and didn't feel tired.
Under the quiet cover of darkness, he pressed on toward Kirigakure.
By the ti he reached the hidden village, it was early morning.
If he'd brought Hinata and Hanabi, even without rest, they wouldn't have made it this fast. Matching their pace would've taken at least two days.
Outside the village, the night shift guard ninja stood around yawning, barely paying attention to their surroundings.
Guts didn't bother announcing himself. He walked straight past them.
None of them even noticed. At most, they thought a gust of wind passed through.
He knew exactly where Terumi i lived.
The house was quiet, moonlight casting soft shadows through the windows.
Inside, only one person slept—Fifth Mizukage, Terumi i.
Guts stepped in, the door clicking softly behind him.
He spotted her instantly... lying on the futon, draped in nothing but a sheer nightdress, deep in sleep.
"…Aha."
Guts yawned. And now, as if the sight of her had triggered it, the drowsiness finally caught up to him.
Quietly, he pulled up the corner of the blanket and slid in.
No different from the tis he'd stayed with Tsunade during her Hokage days.
It was just barely dawn.
Terumi i didn't stir at first. She was used to sleeping in after long nights.
But when she felt sothing wrap around her, her eyes snapped open... alert, ready to defend.
Before she could react with ninjutsu, Guts leaned in and touched his forehead to hers, calming her with the contact.
She blinked,recognized his face and her whole body relaxed.
Then she scowled and punched him lightly in the chest.
"When did you get here? Just barging in like that without a word?!"
"Last night," Guts replied with a smirk. "You looked too peaceful. I didn't want to wake you."
"Like hell," she huffed. "You think I don't know your sneaky ways?"
Her voice lowered, and a trace of unease crossed her expression.
"…Speaking of which. You said peace was coming. So where is it? I swear I've started finding wrinkles."
She glared up at him, then smacked his chest a few more tis for good asure.
Half an hour later, Terumi i's lips were slightly swollen, and she was slipping into her usual off-shoulder dark blue Mizukage uniform.
Guts hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her bare shoulder.
"Just one more year. Then you co live in Konoha with ."
"Don't," she warned, quickly covering her lips. "Still sore, thank you very much."
Guts chuckled and yawned again.
"Alright. I'm sleeping a bit. Traveling all night's catching up."
He flopped back onto her bed and was out like a light in seconds.
Terumi i rolled her eyes, gently scratched his nose, then went to touch up her lips with a little balm to hide the color.
She left the house a few minutes later, walking toward the Mizukage office like nothing had happened.
Inside the building, her assistant Ao knocked once and entered.
"Mizukage-sama. I've already dispatched Suigetsu and the others to the port to welco Lord Guts's arrival."
But before he could continue, Terumi i cut him off:
"Tell them to co back. He's already here. I took care of it myself."
Ao blinked. "He's… already…?"
He trailed off, eyes slowly widening.
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