Since the Hidden Leaf Village was founded, the number of ninjas coming from other countries to inspect the area has increased. As a result, human exchange and logistics have become more active, and various people come to the village.
At the same time, it was also becoming a security issue in the village.
To achieve this, a system and facilities were first created to accommodate the inspection team.
Near the village headquarters, a lodging and training facility exclusively for the inspection team was built, and as a result, the number of shops catering to the inspection team increased in the surrounding area, creating a new bustling shopping district.
That day, Fuyou was seen in the downtown area.
She has a scarf wrapped around her head, face and neck, and a cloak over her, as she pushes her way through the crowds.
After passing through the crowd, she came to a three-story guesthouse. It was a guesthouse that was often used by ordinary citizens and merchants from other countries. Fuyou stepped inside.
The first floor housed a bathhouse and a restaurant, with a ticket counter near the center. Fuyou began walking toward the counter.
"I'd like to stay tonight, is it free?"
"Come in. There's a ladies' room available. Is that okay?"
"Oh, sure. Hey, I'm from the Water Country. Can you introduce me to someone from the same Water Country? I'm a lonely woman traveling alone. I'd prefer a good-looking guy."
"Hey, hey, customer. This isn't that kind of establishment. But I'm sure there are circumstances for a woman like you, so I sympathize with you. I don't know what you look like, but you don't seem ugly, and if that's what you're looking for, you should visit the inspection team post station. Apparently this year the children of the daimyo of the Fire Country and the Water Country are getting married, so it seems like the Water Country ninja are coming here frequently to inspect the place."
"Is that so? But can a ruffian like me get in?"
"I don't know. But there are prostitutes wandering around, so you might as well join them."
"Haha. That's fine. Thank you. I appreciate it."
Fuyou completed the check-in procedures and headed to her room.
When I opened the door to the room, I found about five women there, each enjoying their own time.
"Hey, I'm here to interrupt. My name is Kou and I'm from the Land of Water. Nice to meet you."
As soon as she entered the room, Fuyou suddenly introduced herself. The five people reacted in different ways; some ignored her, some greeted her with a smile, some just glanced at her, and some silently bowed.
Then a woman greeted her with a smile and began speaking to Fuyou.
"I'm from the Water Country too! Where are you from? I'm from the Dense Fog Region."
"I'm in the Lake District. It's close by. Nice to meet you! What business do you have here?"
"I came here to inspect the property of my shinobi husband. But his wife can't stay at that inn. It's the worst, as we were planning our honeymoon together."
"Haha. How about going on a night visit? Your husband will be happy."
"Ugh, I don't want to do that anymore! But I guess that's kind of cute. Ufufu."
Fuyou laughed, took off her stole and cloak, and sat down next to the woman.
"I think you two would get along well. You're both so cute. I'd like to see your husband's face."
"Oh my. You're a really beautiful woman. Are you single?"
"Oh. It's been a while since I've seen a man. I'm so lonely."
"You're kidding! I can't believe it. Hey, I'm having dinner with the other husbands later. Do you want to come? It'd be boring if it was just guys, and there are a lot of single men here, so it'd be great."
"Are you sure? That would be great. I'd love it. Oh, by the way, I didn't ask your name."
"It's Quinoa. I've been feeling lonely so I'm glad to meet you, Kou, from my hometown."
"...Um, I'm from the Water Country too..."
The woman who had bowed to Fuyou earlier suddenly joined the conversation.
"Oh, that's right! It's amazing that all three members of the Water Kingdom are together!"
"Well.... my name is Ney.... I'm here buying silk with my younger brother."
"Yes, why don't you come and have dinner with us? Your brother can join us too."
"Thank you very much... My younger brother is entertaining, so I will be attending alone."
Thus, Fuyou, Quinoa, and Nei ended up having dinner with the Water Country's scouting ninjas.
Not only had Fuyou unexpectedly met two women from the Land of Water, but she also felt as if the heavens were on her side, as she was able to get close to the Water Ninja so quickly.
Smooth, smooth...
The water is flowing gently in the stream, and torches are burning nearby, keeping the room warm.
This restaurant, with its water bed, seems to be a soothing place for the people of the Water Country, and has become a favorite among them.
"Cheers to the Land of Water!"
Four male ninja from the Water Country and three females, including Fuyou. They all took their sake cups and toasted.
The ninja's superiors were apparently having a meal in another room.
"Well, it was mostly guys, so I'm glad two beautiful women joined us."
The three single men were delighted and bombarded Fuyou and Ney with questions.
"Hey, Quinoa. Did two such beautiful women really end up in the same room by chance?"
Quinoa's husband asks in a low voice.
"Yes, it's a big coincidence. No, it's probably fate! Maybe I'll marry someone! Hehehe."
"You always bring up that kind of topic… but I'm on a mission right now. I'd be happy if that were the case, though…"
The meal was a great success. Fuyou was able to keep up with the conversation thanks to the knowledge she had gained about the Land of Water, even if it was only from books.
When the plates on the table were empty and the sake was almost finished, Fuyou began to speak.
"Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt all of you having such a good time, but I met the ninja from Water Country, so I have something I'd like to tell you. Would you mind listening?"
Everyone turned their attention to Fuyou and nodded.
"The other day, I came across two women from this village having a heated argument. I don't like eavesdropping on other people's conversations, but they were arguing so loudly that I thought about stepping in to stop them. Then I couldn't believe my ears."
"What?" "What happened?" "So?"...
"Apparently, one of them is a female ninja who said she will become a spy. Apparently the son of a daimyo from the Water Country is going to marry the daughter of a daimyo from the Fire Country, and the female ninja will pretend to be his maid and become a spy for the Fire Country. It's a political marriage, but I think the purpose is to gather information and see if the Water Country will betray them."
Everyone looked at each other with grim expressions on their faces.
"So why were you two arguing?"
"The other person seems to be a friend of the kunoichi, and if she is found out to be a spy she faces the death penalty. In some cases it may be necessary to sacrifice one's life to complete the mission. Her friend was worried about this and tried to persuade the kunoichi to stop spying. However, it seems that it was a direct order from the Land of Fire, and she said she couldn't refuse the mission, so there was an argument."
The ninja men looked even more grim as they pondered.
"How credible is that information?"
"I don't know. I only overheard it, so I didn't think of reporting it to anyone. But then I was surprised when the innkeeper told me about the marriage between the two feudal families, something I'd only heard about from the conversation between those two women. It all matched up with what the two women were saying, so I thought it might be true. Since I had the chance to meet all you ninja today, I thought I should probably let you know. I may be a bit of a thug, but I have a deep attachment to my country."
"Well, thank you for the information. Such casual information from ordinary people can actually be important. I will report it to my superiors later."
Quinoa and Ney looked at each other worriedly.
"Even if that story is a lie, it's still hard to trust a maid from the Land of Fire, a ninja from the Hidden Leaf clan, following her around as a maid..."
Quinoa said with an analytical look on her face.
"That's right... Since she is marrying into the Water Country, she should use a maid from the Water Country... It's only natural that she would be suspicious."
Ney agrees with Quinoa.
The men thought that the woman's analysis in this situation was quite correct.
After hearing their opinions, Fuyou's mouth corners turned up just a little.
...I did it. ...
As they walked back to the guesthouse, Fuyou and her friends got excited talking about spies and marriage. It seemed that both Quinoa and Nei had a strong sense of patriotism towards the Land of Water.
After taking a bath, Fuyou went to bed.
He remembers that the day he met Madara was the first time he'd slept in a futon outside of his own home.
I wonder what Madara would think if he saw me now...
That was what was bothering me, but before I knew it, I had fallen asleep, relieved that I had completed my role as Kou and accomplished my goal.
◆
"Hashirama-sama. Would you mind making Itsuki my maid?"
"Fuyou... I understand how you feel. But Itsuki's spy mission cannot be changed. Please understand."
"You're too persistent, Fuyou. Just shut up now."
Fuyou, Hashirama, and Tobirama were in the Hokage's room. Now that Fuyou was his fiancée, she was able to enter the room whenever she wanted.
"I will be the Hokage's wife. Having a wife means creating a weakness. What would you do if I were kidnapped and forced into submission? Can you choose, Hashirama-sama? Put the village's interests first and let me die."
"No, of course! I will save Fuyou no matter what. And protect the village! First of all, I won't let her get kidnapped!"
"Then wouldn't it behoove you to assign me the strongest kunoichi in the village?"
Tobirama watched in silence as the careless Hashirama was outmaneuvered by Fuyou.
However, to Tobirama, Fuyou's behavior seemed a little arrogant about her position as his wife. And then she finally spoke.
"I'm sure my brother can't just leave you to die. It's obvious that danger will befall the village before he can make a decision. But you're forgetting one big thing."
I haven't forgotten about Fuyou. It's the most troublesome and worrying thing.
Unfazed, he remained silent and waited for Tobirama's next words.
"That I am the Hokage's advisor and right hand man."
...I know that even if you don't say it with a smug look on your face.
However, when the time comes, they will have no choice but to remove Itsuki from his spy duties.
For this reason, Fuyou had been making meticulous preparations up until now.
No matter how much Tobirama acts arrogantly on his own, if Fuyou's opinion is brought to the council, the council will have no choice but to consider the risks and think about making Itsuki his maid.
But before that could happen, the Water Country itself would likely reject Itsuki. It had all been calculated.
"You two, why don't you stop? Fuyou and Itsuki are currently discussing whether they can make the spy mission less dangerous. Please wait a little longer."
"Hmph. You were completely rejected by the parliament."
Fuyou lowered her eyes, then immediately raised her head, looked at both of them alternately, and smiled.
"I understand. I'm sorry for bothering you when you're busy. Excuse me."
Hashirama called out in a panic to Fuyou as she was about to leave the room.
"You haven't finished cleaning up your house yet? When... can we live together?"
"It looks like it's going to take some time."
Fuyou replied with a smile and quickly left the room.
"Your ulterior motives are obvious. How embarrassing... I mean, living together until you get married is normal."
Tobirama looked at Hashirama with a shocked expression. As usual, he was looking completely dejected and resting his forehead on the desk.
◆
That was three days later.
There was a request from the Water Kingdom to remove Itsuki from her position as a maid.
It seemed that they had decided that only women from the Water Country could be maids. The Fire Country was against this, but when they found out that information about the espionage activities had somehow leaked to the Water Country, they quickly accepted the Water Country's request.
"Fuyou! Itsuki has been relieved of her maid and spy duties! That's great! I've already informed Itsuki."
The moment Fuyou walked through the entrance to Hashirama's mansion, Hashirama stood in front of her and suddenly grabbed both of her arms.
"Really?... That's good... That's good."
Fuyou burst into tears. Hashirama quickly hugged her.
"Don't cry! It's okay now. I'll talk to Itsuki about becoming your maid."
Fuyou pushes against Hashirama's chest and pulls away from him.
"I have to go to Itsuki's place!"
Before Hashirama had time to stop her, Fuyou headed out the front door.
"Fuyou! I've already told Itsuki! Tomorrow will be fine."
He hears Hashirama's voice from behind him, but he ignores it and keeps running.
Her skirt flipped up, revealing her pale legs. Passersby couldn't help but look at her legs. But she didn't care, she ran as fast as she could, wanting to see Itsuki as soon as possible.
Haa haa haa haa... Fuyou bends down and somehow manages to swallow her saliva.
We arrived in front of the tree house.
It seems that the two of them have a strong bond. Just then, Itsuki came out of the house.
"Fuyou...what's wrong?"
"Itsuki! Thank goodness!"
Fuyou jumped onto Itsuki, who caught her tightly and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you, Fuyou. Now we can be together forever."
"...Itsuki. I love you!"
At night, the two of them were in the same futon, wearing their pajamas.
On this day, Fuyou had promised to stay at Hashirama's house, but she was at his house with Itsuki without permission.
They didn't want to be apart from each other for even a moment.
"Itsuki... It's okay if you decline the offer to become my maid. Even if you don't become my maid, we can still meet anytime in the future."
"No. If I become a maid, I can spend more time with Fuyou. I'll do it."
"But...Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama live with us, right? There are also many other servants and apprentices, and it's hard to go home often, you know?"
"I'm fine. That's it!"
"I'm sorry... I know, actually, I'm sorry that I asked you to be my maid, but... I don't really want you to be my maid, Itsuki."
"Eh?! Why?"
"Because... well... I don't want to be seen. I don't want to know..."
"What? We even took a bath together. Do you not want people to see you using the toilet?"
"That's true, but... with Hashirama-sama... that..."
...I see. That's what it means. ...
That must be very painful for the tree.
Even if she wouldn't see it with her own eyes, she didn't want to imagine Fuyou being held in Hashirama's arms under the same roof, or even in the next room.
Fuyou hugged Itsuki. Her chest was pressed against Itsuki's.
"I, that's true... I think that would be very painful for me too, and I don't want to..."
Itsuki puts his hands around Fuyou's back and rubs it.
"So, I'm sorry...can you refuse?"
"Yeah... I get it."
Itsuki had unwittingly imagined the scene of Fuyou being embraced by Hashirama, and quickly tried to shake the thought away.
"Hey Fuyou... can I kiss you?"
Fuyou was startled, but then she remembered the feeling she had when Itsuki had suddenly kissed her previously and she had almost melted.
Fuyou slowly looked up at Itsuki's face. She felt as if she was being sucked into those blue eyes staring straight at her. So beautiful... Fuyou gently closed her eyes.
"Fuyou, I love you."
Itsuki said as he kissed Fuyou on the lips.
Itsuki's lips move to Fuyou's cheek, and his long fingers trace Fuyou's lips.
Although Fuyou felt a little odd about the female Itsuki doing something that a man and a woman would do together, strangely enough, she didn't feel any discomfort at all.
This was because Fuyou understood from personal experience that sex was an important means of expressing love...and, although her feelings were different from those for Madara, Fuyou also had feelings for Itsuki.
At girls' school, we were taught that sexual relations between men and women are a way to produce children and to satisfy men.
Of course, the official explanation was that it was an "expression of affection," but what I was taught at school seemed like something from a different world than daytime life, and it felt as if I had been transported to a different world for just that moment.
But living with Madara, Fuyou learns firsthand that sex is an undeniable part of real life.
Her beloved Madara's handsome face, gaze, strong body, casual, delicate gestures, and every bit of their conversation made Fuyou's body heat up and she felt something in anticipation.
It was a desire to touch Madara and to be touched by him.
While I was thinking about such things, Itsuki unbuttoned one of the buttons on Fuyou's nightgown. After making sure that Fuyou didn't mind, he unbuttoned them one by one, revealing her pure white breasts.
He was familiar with her breasts, but it was his first time touching them. Fuyou's breasts had looked soft, but in reality they were firm and felt like they were bouncing back against Itsuki's fingers.
"Itsuki... It's okay. Do whatever you want, Itsuki."
Fuyou spoke gently as she stroked Itsuki's head.
"Hibiscus..."
When Itsuki heard those words, her chest tightened. Impulsively, she sucked on Fuyou's nipples.
"Ahhh..."
Fuyou's sweet voice leaked out. Her breathing quickened and her chest rose and fell.
Itsuki also took off his clothes, becoming naked, and then removed Fuyou's pants and underwear.
"Isn't it cold?"
"Yeah. Thanks to Itsuki's ninjutsu, the room is always warm."
Itsuki, who was skilled in wind release, always warmed the room with warm breezes.
"You look so cool when you make the hand gestures, Itsuki."
"thank you···"
As Fuyou exposes her beautiful body to Itsuki, Itsuki becomes very happy when she tells him that he looks cool.
He kisses Fuyou again and then reaches for her crotch.
"Ahh... ahhh."
He releases his lips and continues rubbing Fuyou's hardened member while staring intently at her face writhing in pleasure.
I don't know how many times I comforted myself by imagining Fuyou's writhing face. In reality, Fuyou's expression was very lewd, and there was no trace of her usual pure and cute face.
...This is the face Madara always looked like...
Jealousy and regret well up inside me. I suck Fuyou's nipples with fervor and continue to stimulate her.
Hibiscus' vagina is dripping wet with nectar, ready to welcome the man.
Itsuki slowly inserted her finger into her vagina.
"Ahhhh..."
Fuyou's lewd voice leaks out.
Being a woman herself, Itsuki knows very well where to touch to bring her to orgasm. When her fingers reach that spot, she stimulates it with just the right amount of pressure.
"Ahhhh, no... Itsuki, it's embarrassing..."
"I'll make you feel good, Fuyou..."
Fuyou feels such intense pleasure, unlike anything she's ever felt before, that she nearly goes crazy.
"...Ikki-chan...it feels so good I might go crazy..."
Itsuki was happy to hear Fuyou's words and felt a great sense of pleasure himself. With his free hand he caressed Fuyou's beautiful, curvaceous waist.
"Hibiscus... you're so sexy and beautiful. Get even more beautiful..."
He moves his fingers even faster, cornering Fuyou.
"Aaaahh!... Ah... Ah... Mmmm..."
Fuyou's body twitched violently as she came.
Itsuki embraced Fuyou tightly. Fuyou, exhausted, leaned limply into Itsuki's arms.
"Hibiscus... I love you. I love you..."
"Itsuki... I love you too. Thank you."
...I don't want to give Hibiscus to anyone.
I am confident that I love Fuyou more than anyone else.
I'm sure I can take good care of her, so why am I not a man?
Tears were welling up in Itsuki's eyes.
◆
Chirping...As the morning sun rises, the sounds of sparrows chirping enter the room.
"Too late! Too late! When is Fuyou here?! What if she never comes back..."
"You've always been a fool when it comes to Fuyou, big brother. It's already morning. It's already like she "didn't come back."
Hashirama had been up all night waiting for Fuyou, who had run out of the mansion after hearing about Itsuki and had not returned.
"I have no choice... I'll go and pick you up..."
"Oh no no, have you finally gone mad? I know you're at home with Itsuki, so can't you just leave me alone for a day?"
Hashirama retorted, looking at Tobirama with a serious look in his eyes.
"Do you remember what you said a while ago, 'a rival has appeared'?"
"...Ah, yeah. I think it was when Fuyou had just entered the girls' school. So what?"
"You know, it's about the tree..."
"Brother, go to bed for now. Okay."
"Fuyou doesn't seem to realize it, but Itsuki loves her, just like you and I do. I'm not saying that's wrong or immoral. I suppose that kind of love is possible. However, now that Itsuki has escaped the crisis that could have led to a permanent separation, I wonder what he will do with Fuyou, who is now marrying me...it makes me worried. You understand, don't you, Tobirama?"
"...."
Tobirama was at a loss for words.
...If it's not mine, if someone else is going to take it, then I might as well...
Tobirama remembered the feelings he had when he tried to erase Fuyou.
"...He can't confess, and he can't ruin our friendship. But Itsuki will always be by Fuyou's side as her best friend. It must have been painful to watch the person you love loving another man all the time. Tobirama, I thought of you again. You were just like Itsuki. It must have been painful... I'm sorry I didn't notice."
Tobirama stood by the window where the morning sunlight was streaming in.
"No, Itsuki and I are different. Itsuki may never be able to confess his feelings, but I could have done it whenever I wanted. Even though I'm the man who was engaged..."
Hashirama stared at Tobirama's back as he said this.
...So Tobirama still loves Fuyou...
"Anyway, you're worrying too much. Itsuki has always protected Fuyou as her best friend. She didn't complain about the spy missions, she didn't just blindly follow them just because it was a mission. She probably thought that protecting the country and the village meant protecting Fuyou. So... I won't hurt her."
"...That's right. You are the one who keeps a closer eye on Fuyou."
"Shut up."
◆
That evening, Fuyou came to Hashirama's mansion carrying a large package.
"Oh, Fuyou! But if you had told me earlier, I would have brought that big package."
"Um... I'm sorry about yesterday. I really wanted to be with Itsuki..."
"That's fine. You've been to school, haven't you? You must be tired. You should come in and get some rest."
Fuyou's heart ached a little at Hashirama's kindness in not questioning her about why she hadn't returned to the mansion or what she had been doing with Itsuki.
Hashirama took Fuyou's luggage and held out his hand to her.
"Welcome back, Fuyou."
Fuyou held hands with Hashirama and the two of them went inside.
I was brought down a long corridor and into a room at the end of the mansion.
"This is Fuyou's room. Feel free to use it as you like."
Hashirama opened the door, grinning for some reason.
"Eh... this is..."
The room had almost the exact same layout as Fuyou's previous room, even the alcove and the far shelf were the same.
The study desk and the dressing table that Fuyou liked were still in the same places as before, with one difference being the way the windows were placed.
"Hahahaha. Are you surprised? I've been preparing this house since it was built, so that I'll be ready for when you return. There were no windows before, so I just added one."
He said, winking at Fuyou.
Fuyou felt something warm in her heart. It was as if a light that had been going out had been lit again.
"Hashirama...thank you."
The scenery before her eyes blurred. Fuyou suddenly realized she was crying.
Of course, I still love Madara with all my heart.
However, Fuyou realized that the light of her feelings for Hashirama remained firmly in her heart. The light that was about to go out in her heart was undoubtedly her love for Hashirama.
Her love for Madara. A passionate love that yearns for him. The pursuit of an inexplicable desire.
However, her love for Hashirama is one of security and trust, enveloped in great kindness and love.
I used to think it was family love, but it seems to be something a little different. The love Hashirama has for me is special and only for Fuyou. And it's always straightforward.
The first time Hashirama embraced her, she felt extremely humiliated, even though it was to protect Itsuki. But thinking about it carefully, it wasn't surprising that this had happened at any time up until now, and Hashirama had always valued Fuyou's chastity until their marriage. It was Hashirama's strong will and love that he chose not to touch Fuyou. If she had embraced him after realizing her current feelings, things might have been different.
"Fuyou? Are you okay? Oh, there's no need to cry. There there. If you're that happy, it's worth all the cleaning I've done every day. Ha ha ha ha."
Hashirama, who had no idea what Fuyou was thinking, was laughing heartily as usual while stroking her head.
However, her guilt towards Madara still prevents her from embracing Hashirama openly.
I was overcome with an indescribable anxiety, wondering what on earth would happen to me from now on.
No, to be precise, I'm worried that I'll lose track of what to do.
Hashirama stopped what he was doing, seeing that Fuyou didn't move an inch even when he stroked her head, and continued to cry.
"...Fuyou. What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Saying this, Hashirama stepped in front of Fuyou, bent down to meet her eye level, and wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. He looked at her with a worried expression.
"S-sorry. It's okay. I was just too emotional..."
Fuyou became flustered and forced a smile.
"Fuyou. Long ago, you told me that everything would be okay. Those words have helped me get this far. But, no one is okay sometimes. That's why we have family, friends, and lovers. There's no need to hold back. Don't push yourself."
When Fuyou heard those words, she hugged Hashirama and began crying loudly.
Hashirama silently embraced Fuyou and stroked her head.
"...I'm sorry. I've betrayed you so many times up until now, Hashirama-sama. And yet, I might continue to betray you in the future... so..."
"It's okay. I don't feel betrayed. Fuyou has simply made her choice based on honest feelings. I accept that. No matter what choice she makes, I will always love her."
Fuyou almost drowned in Hashirama, who was endlessly kind.
...What can I do for Hashirama-sama without drowning?
Fuyou decided that from now on she would think about this every day and put it into practice.
The new buds on the hibiscus tree in the garden were still firm, as if they were eagerly waiting for spring to arrive.
◆
That night, Fuyou woke up in the middle of the night, which was unusual for her.
I closed my eyes again and tried to sleep, but I couldn't. I got up quietly so as not to wake Hashirama who was sleeping next to me, and left the room to go to the bathroom.
As I was about to return to my room again, my eye was caught by a light coming from a room between two doors in the hallway.
Since the village of Konoha was completed and Hashirama became Hokage, Tobirama seemed to have been pushed to do even more hard work. He would no doubt be working again tonight.
Fuyou suddenly remembered the time when she met Tobirama on the hill where the trumpet vine was in bloom that summer.
I wonder if Tobirama is still suppressing his emotions.
I wonder how she feels about being engaged to Hashirama and living with him in this house...
As she stood there gazing at the light, thinking about such things, the door to the room opened slightly and Tobirama peeked in. Fuyou was so shocked that she froze.
"Don't just stand there like that. Go back to your room. You'll catch a cold."
Tobirama noticed that Fuyou had left her room, stopped to wash her hands, and stopped in the hallway.
"...Sorry. I couldn't sleep...Are you still at work, Tobirama-sama?"
"Yeah. Even if you can't sleep, just lie down. Anyway, hurry back to your room."
"Um, can I make you some tea?"
"Hmm... then, I'll leave it to you."
Tobirama realized that Fuyou did not want to return to her room, so he reluctantly accepted her offer.
Fuyou went to the kitchen and boiled some water, poured the hot water and tea leaves into the teapot, placed it on a tray along with the teacups, and took it to Tobirama's room. She knocked on the door, and Tobirama opened it immediately.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's Houjicha."
"You must be cold. Go into your room and warm yourself up a bit."
"...Yes. Thank you. I'm glad to see you."
Fuyou entered the room with a nervous look on her face.
There was a large pile of papers and books on the desk, and boxes filled with documents and ninjutsu scrolls were lined up on the floor. It looked like the job was much harder than I had imagined.
"Sorry for the mess. Come on, have a seat."
Tobirama placed two cushions on the tatami mat next to the brazier and sat on one of them. Fuyou set the tray down in front of Tobirama and sat down. She poured some hojicha tea from the teapot into a teacup, and steam rose gently, filling the room with a fragrant aroma.
"It must be hard working up until this late..."
"Today is special because the deadline for some papers to be submitted to the Land of Fire is fast approaching. Also, there is a ninjutsu technique I really want to complete quickly."
The conversation didn't continue and an awkward silence fell between the two of them.
"...Um, please don't push yourself. Health comes first..."
"ah."
Shin... The winter night is enveloped in silence.
"Well, if there's anything I can help you with, please let me know."
"Ah, this tea will be enough."
Fuyou gently turned her downcast eyes towards the door.
Tobirama was quietly sipping his tea. The teacup wasn't that small, but I noticed that it looked much smaller when Tobirama was holding it. Even now, I was surprised at how big Tobirama was. He was just as reliable as Hashirama.
And Tobirama is kind.
Fuyou reflected once again.
It wasn't just Tobirama, he had also been avoiding facing him.
At some point, she became afraid of falling in love with Tobirama and being loved by him, so she tried not to think too deeply about the coldness he would show towards her.
If I think about it, maybe our hearts would have connected...
However, if he had faced the situation properly, perhaps both Tobirama and he would not have had to go through such pain.
Tobirama noticed Fuyou's gaze and their eyes met. They both reflexively looked away.
"When your body has warmed up, go back and sleep."
"Yes. It's already warm. Thank you. I'll pour you another cup."
Fuyou poured tea into Tobirama's teacup again, then placed the empty teapot on the tray and stood up. Tobirama looked up at Fuyou with just his eyes.
"Good night."
Fuyou quietly left the room.
Tobirama stared at the closed door for a moment, then dropped his eyes to the tea in his teacup.
Tobirama's doubts that Fuyou might be helping Madara's plot had now vanished.
After seeing her engagement to and living with Hashirama, Fuyou's desperate efforts to protect the tree, and her hard work wanting to be useful to the village, I finally found no reason to doubt her.
On the other hand, personally, he had thought that Fuyou's love for Madara was a punishment for him, but now that Fuyou was marrying his brother, he no longer knew what he should think of as a punishment.
Perhaps the fact that he will never be able to be united with Fuyou is really his punishment.
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