The presence of a woman can indeed affect a man's resolve.
Morning passed quickly.
Finally, Natsuhane emerged from his room, leaving Anko to sleep soundly in bed.
Natsuhane made his way alone to the police department.
When Morino Ibiki saw Natsuhane, he looked as if he had found his savior.
"Natsuhane, you're finally here. The Hokage has already informed me that you will be taking over the police department. Here's a summary of recent cases. I've left everything on the desk, and the office keys are in the drawer. All right, the handover is complete. I'm out of here!"
Morino Ibiki didn't want to stay a moment longer.
He much preferred the dark, oppressive atmosphere of the prison and the torture department.
Dealing with petty thieves and neighborhood disputes was a form of torture for him.
"Phew..."
After Ibiki left, Natsuhane sat alone in the swivel chair, flipping through the case files, spinning the chair around in boredom.
Konoha's security was impressively good.
The general populace was kind-hearted, and the standard of living was stable. There were no major crimes, just minor, trivial cases.
Perhaps that was why Ibiki found it so frustrating—there was no challenge.
"Maybe I should let my wives manage this place. They'd be perfect for handling neighborhood disputes and family issues. Women are more meticulous and suitable for this kind of work."
"If a major case arises or a thief needs catching, I can call on Kurenai or Anko."
"Yes, that's what I'll do!"
Natsuhane closed the case files, took the keys from the drawer, and prepared to return to the clan compound to assign tasks.
Just then, Akihito Inuzuka walked in.
She was still wearing her old work uniform: a white lab coat over a blue, tight-fitting pencil skirt, with a black choker around her neck that had a small bell attached to it.
"Phew, I finally found you, Natsuhane~"
"Akihito? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be resting at the postpartum center?"
Natsuhane quickly stood up, trying to help Akihito.
Akihito smiled and replied, "I'm a strong kunoichi! I wasn't that fragile, and I returned to work the day after giving birth. See, I'm still wearing my work uniform. Do you like it?"
"Good, it looks nice... Wait! That's not the point. Let's get you back to the postpartum center."
"Relax~ Don't be in such a hurry."
Akihito pushed Natsuhane back into the swivel chair and then sat on his lap.
"Our Inuzuka clan has a different constitution from ordinary people. We have strong vitality and endurance. You can think of us as beast-like. Don't view me through a human lens."
"Sigh, it's my fault. I've been so busy these days that I didn't have time to check on you. I didn't even know you weren't at the postpartum center. It's my failing as a husband."
"Hey, I know you've been busy, so I came to see you. Here, take this~"
Akihito handed Natsuhane a transparent glass bottle containing an unknown liquid and a Sharingan eye floating in the middle.
It was Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan, the one taken from Danzo.
After the Danzo incident, Natsuhane had immediately gone to the maternity ward to see Akihito. Partly to check on her condition and partly to give her Shisui's Sharingan and Danzo's right arm.
Akihito was in charge of Konoha's advanced technology research, so perfectly preserving an eye and an arm was no problem for her.
"The arm was too big to carry, so I left it in the lab."
"Thank you, Akihito~"
"Hehe, just a thank you? Don't you want to reward me?"
"Sure, what do you want? As long as it's within my power..."
"You said it! I want... Hmm? This chair spins?"
"This is a swivel chair; of course, it spins."
"Interesting, I like this swivel chair~"
Feeling Akihito's restless hands, Natsuhane softly whispered in her ear:
"Is this the reward you want? Wait, let me get off the chair first."
"No! Right here~"
"Here?"
"Mm~"
"Geez, you're really impatient!"
...
Soon,
The office was filled with the clear sound of a bell...
"Ding-a-ling... Ding-a-ling..."
...