"You've misunderstood me. I meant exactly what I said—'intimate,' not 'close.'" Mei Terumi clarified with a playful smile, making it clear she didn't misspeak.
"So, Mei, the Mizukage, is seriously considering someone like me, a fourteen-year-old kid? Has she really reached that level of desperation?" Akira couldn't help but inwardly grumble at the situation.
"Hmph, shameless woman!" Konan interjected, clearly unimpressed by Mei's casual flirting.
"Oh? This lady doesn't seem to have the best personality, does she?" Mei responded, narrowing her eyes in a dangerous yet composed manner.
"My personality might not be perfect, but yours isn't much better!" Konan shot back, unflinching in the face of Mei's scrutiny.
Mizukage or not, Konan wasn't about to back down. She was a force in her own right and wasn't intimidated by the title.
"Lately, my hands have been itching for a fight. Want to go a few rounds?" Mei's tone was laced with challenge, her curiosity piqued by Konan's bravado.
A woman brave enough to stand up to her? That was rare. Mei couldn't help but wonder who this person was.
"Fine by me. I'd like to see just how strong the current Mizukage is," Konan agreed without hesitation. There was no fear in her eyes. After all, few could truly make her uneasy.
"Alright, alright, are you two just going to ignore me here?" Akira interrupted, realizing things were escalating too quickly. Sure, he wasn't against a good fight, but the tension between these two women was ruining his meal.
"Fine, I'll let it slide this time—out of respect for you, Akira. But next time, don't expect me to hold back," Mei relented, leaning back with a sly smile, eyes still locked on Konan.
"You don't need to hold back for my sake. I'll take you on whenever you're ready," Konan replied, unfazed.
"Mei, if you really think you can take on Konan, you might want to reconsider. It's hard to say who would win that fight," Akira chimed in, eyeing the Mizukage with a serious expression.
It wasn't an idle warning either. Mei was powerful, but Akira was confident that if the two of them went head-to-head, Konan would likely have the upper hand.
His comment took Mei by surprise. Could this woman really be so strong that Akira himself wasn't sure of the outcome? Mei's curiosity deepened.
"Oh, Akira, you're drawing conclusions a bit too soon. How do you know I wouldn't match her? Have you even seen what I'm capable of?" Mei teased, her lips curling into a sly grin.
"Let me off this crazy ride, I didn't sign up for this," Akira muttered to himself, exasperated by her relentless flirting.
It was no wonder she was still single. The woman was relentless!
With a sigh, Akira quickly finished his meal, deciding that lingering any longer would only give Mei more material to tease him with.
"This Akira... he's pretty interesting," Mei mused to herself, watching him with amusement as he stood to leave.
She found him far more fascinating than she'd expected. Strong, yes, but also sharp and... amusing. Not to mention easy on the eyes, which didn't hurt either.
"If I didn't already have Hinata, you'd know firsthand just how strong this body could be," Akira thought to himself as he headed out. Mei's constant flirting had gotten under his skin more than he cared to admit.
The body may have its instincts, but controlling those impulses—that's what separated men from boys, right?
After a couple more days of travel, Akira and Konan finally arrived at a large, quiet lake.
"This is it, isn't it? The Three-Tails is down there," Mei said, her eyes fixed on the still water.
Knowing that the creature was hiding beneath the surface, Mei was itching to act. She wanted to capture it and seal it away before anything else could happen.
"Relax. Let's not do their job for them. Why should we make the first move? Let the Akatsuki do the hard work, then we can take it from them," Akira said calmly, not even glancing at the lake.
"Akira, I like the way you think," Mei purred, her eyes gleaming as she licked her lips.
Akira's approach was bold. It took guts to suggest waiting for the Akatsuki to do the work, only to swoop in at the last minute and steal the prize. There weren't many who had the nerve to pull that off.
"Who's coming for the Three-Tails?" Konan asked, ignoring Mei's antics as she turned her attention back to Akira.
"If I'm not mistaken, it'll be Tobi and Kakuzu," Akira answered, his tone sure.
His simulations over the past few days had all pointed to these two members of the Akatsuki. He had no reason to doubt his prediction.
"Their team, huh?" Konan nodded, understanding immediately. With Hidan out of the picture, the Akatsuki had assigned Tobi and Kakuzu to work together.
And it made sense. But Akira was planning to face Tobi, the man who claimed to be Madara Uchiha, and still had confidence he could walk away with the Three-Tails?
That was nothing short of audacious.
"Kakuzu... Tobi...?" Mei echoed, a puzzled expression crossing her face. "I've never heard of either of them."
That wasn't surprising. The Akatsuki had a way of keeping their members shrouded in mystery, and those two, in particular, were skilled at staying off the radar.
"They're not exactly the kind of people who make a lot of noise. But trust me, they're not to be underestimated," Akira said, sensing Mei's curiosity.
Akira knew that Mei had been wondering about Konan's identity as well. She had seen the way Konan spoke about the Akatsuki, almost as if she knew them personally.
"Well, I have my own information network and Konan... well, she's one of the original members of the Akatsuki," Akira explained bluntly, meeting Mei's gaze.
"What?!" Mei's eyes widened in shock. Konan, one of the originals of the Akatsuki?
That revelation left Mei momentarily speechless. She had no idea that the woman she had been eyeing with suspicion was actually one of the masterminds behind the infamous group.
"That's right," Akira confirmed. "She's not just any member—she's one of the original three who started it all."
Mei could hardly believe it. No wonder Konan seemed to carry herself with such strength and confidence. But still, how could Akira and Konan even be together now? Shouldn't they be enemies?
"And yet... how are you two traveling together? How are you even allies?" Mei asked, still trying to wrap her head around it all.
"Let's get one thing straight: we're not allies. She's my prisoner," Akira corrected with a casual wave of his hand.
"Prisoner?" Mei furrowed her brow, thinking back on their interactions. Konan certainly didn't behave like any prisoner she'd ever seen.
"Well, yes, technically. But, let's just say, our relationship is... complicated," Akira admitted.
Before Mei could respond, the sound of footsteps caught their attention. All three of them ducked for cover as Tobi and Kakuzu came into view.
Kakuzu, as always, was the silent, brooding type. But Tobi... Tobi was a different story altogether. He was rambling on in his usual nonsensical manner, acting like a fool.
"Is this guy even the same person who claimed to be Madara?" Konan muttered, watching Tobi's ridiculous antics with a frown.
"It's almost like he's two different people," she added, unable to believe how drastically his demeanor had changed.
"Or maybe... this is who he really is?" Akira said with a quiet chuckle. "Maybe this clownish personality is the real him, and the Madara persona is just an act."
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Next bonus chapter if we reach 200 Powerstone
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 270+ at patreon.com/Emik01.