Chapter 228: She Can’t Wait Any Longer
Kitahara Kaede sat in the office, absentmindedly twirling his pen a few times before letting it drop with a sharp *clack*.
He had been in the Hidden Mist Village for exactly one month.
The past month had been unnervingly peaceful.
His daily routine consisted of sitting here, watching Terumi Mei process stack after stack of documents. Occasionally, he would accompany her on a few trivial ANBU missions.
And that was it.
As for the true objective of this trip—the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura—progress had completely frozen.
"Yagura has added two more sensory guards to his detail this week; it’s difficult to get close."
"The patrol routes were changed on short notice; the plan we set previously is now too risky."
Every time he asked, Terumi Mei always provided a reasonable explanation. However, the feeling of unease in Kitahara Kaede’s gut only grew stronger.
How was this possible?
A whole month—an entire month—and they couldn’t find a single opportunity to make a move?
It wasn’t normal.
***
Genji sat on the sofa, his grip tight on his cane.
"Terumi Mei. The envoy from Konoha has been here for a month."
Standing opposite him, Terumi Mei kept her eyes slightly lowered, her expression calm.
"Yes, Lord Genji."
"So you are aware?"
Genji’s eyelids snapped open. "Where is the plan? Aside from those sugar-coated patrol reports, I’ve seen nothing!"
Terumi Mei remained unfazed.
"The defenses around Yagura are tighter than anticipated. I am still searching for the most opportune moment."
"The moment?"
Genji’s voice suddenly spiked, and his cane hit the floor with a heavy *thud*.
"You were the one who convinced me by using the village’s safety as leverage! You specifically requested that Kitahara Kaede be the one to come!"
"Now that he’s here, you tell me you’re still waiting for the right moment?"
Terumi Mei remained silent, offering no rebuttal.
Genji stared at her intensely. After a few seconds, he let out a long sigh, his tone tinged with disappointment.
"Terumi Mei, you’ve changed."
"You know the village’s current situation better than anyone. For every day the plan is delayed, Kirigakure drifts one day closer to collapse."
Genji waved his hand dismissively.
"I will give you another half month."
"If there are no results by then, I will take over personally."
"And when that happens, I expect an explanation."
Terumi Mei bowed slightly and turned to leave the office without a word.
The moment the door closed behind her, the mask of composure she wore shattered instantly.
Half a month.
Genji had only given her half a month.
After that, he would bypass her and deal with Kitahara Kaede directly. With Genji’s methods, removing Yagura would be quick.
And then what?
Then he would leave.
He would leave Kirigakure and vanish from her sight.
At the thought of this outcome, Terumi Mei felt as if a piece of her heart had been ripped away.
No, that absolutely cannot happen!
She didn’t want him to go.
This past month had been the most satisfying and peaceful period of her life for as long as she could remember.
Every morning, she could see him through the window. Every day in the office, one glance would reveal him by her side.
The way he looked when he was daydreaming, the way he frowned when he was thinking, even the way he twirled his pen when he was bored...
She was utterly captivated by all of it.
But behind this infatuation was a deeper, almost consuming anxiety.
It had been a month.
Their relationship was still stuck at the cursed labels of "Director Terumi Mei" and "Jonin Kitahara."
She wanted more.
She wanted to be a part of his life.
She wanted him to look only at her, just as he did in her memories.
But she didn’t dare.
She feared that any attempt to overstep the boundary would be met with vigilance and distance. She could not let that happen.
Terumi Mei reached the door to her office and took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the cold obsession and instability in her expression.
When she pushed the door open, her face was once again adorned with a gentle, poised smile.
Kitahara Kaede looked up.
He keenly caught a flicker of exhaustion crossing Terumi Mei’s face.
’What happened?’
’Why would she have that expression after reporting to Genji?’
He instinctively started to ask if she was alright, but he swallowed the words just as they reached his lips.
He couldn’t ask.
He feared that such casual concern would once again stir Terumi Mei’s heart.
He could clearly feel that for every extra day he stayed here, the possessiveness in this woman’s eyes grew more intense and inexplicable.
It was too dangerous. He had to leave as soon as possible.
Kitahara Kaede withdrew his gaze.
He could no longer wait for the "opportune moment" Terumi Mei promised. He had to take the initiative.
As Terumi Mei sat in the main seat, she noticed out of the corner of her eye the slight furrow in Kitahara Kaede’s brow as he looked at her.
’He’s looking at me.’
’Did he notice my mood?’
That realization caused her heart to skip a beat, and a surge of secret joy welled up uncontrollably.
She pretended to be calm as she picked up the documents on the desk, though her eyes weren’t actually focusing on the pages.
Half a month...
She had to fundamentally change the nature of their relationship within these two weeks.
She had to make him *want* to stay.
But how?
While Terumi Mei was racking her brain, Kitahara Kaede suddenly remembered something.
He had left for Kirigakure in such a rush that he hadn’t left any message for Pakura.
It had been a month.
Given Pakura’s personality, she would definitely be suspicious if she couldn’t contact him for this long.
’Would she... have already gone to Konoha?’
If she arrived in Konoha and discovered he wasn’t even in the village—but was instead in the perilously dangerous Kirigakure...
Kitahara Kaede felt a chill run down his spine.
No, he had to write back immediately!
The problem was that he was currently in the heart of the Mist with no way to transmit messages.
The only way was to ask Terumi Mei.
Kitahara Kaede glanced at the woman beside him, who was currently looking down at her papers.
Given their current "partnership," she should agree to help send a couple of letters, right?
After all, it wasn’t classified intelligence.
Having decided, Kitahara Kaede no longer hesitated. He pulled out two sheets of white paper and began to write.
The first was an official report to Minato.
The content was restrained, stating only that mission progress was hindered and more time was needed. He asked the village to remain at ease and assured them he would find a way to move forward.
After finishing the first, he picked up the second sheet.
This time, his hand paused.
’How should I put this?’
He remained silent for a few seconds before finally writing:
[Guy, everything is going well on my end. If Pakura goes to Konoha looking for me, please tell her on my behalf to wait patiently in the village. I will return soon.]
Once finished, he folded the letters and placed them in envelopes.
The moment he moved, Terumi Mei noticed immediately.
’Wasn’t he just daydreaming?’
’Why did he suddenly start writing letters?’
’Who could be important enough for him to notify under these circumstances?’
Terumi Mei’s gaze fell upon Kitahara Kaede’s profile as he sealed the envelopes. A gloomy, cold tint gradually clouded her emerald eyes.
’Someone very important to him, it seems.’
Terumi Mei forcibly suppressed the bitterness.
"Writing letters? Do you need my help?"
Kitahara Kaede stopped and turned his head.
He handed over the two envelopes, his tone as casual as possible.
"Two letters. I was wondering if Director Terumi Mei could help me secretly send them back to Konoha."
He pointed to the first letter.
"This one is a mission report for the Fourth Hokage, explaining the progress here."
Then, his finger moved to the second.
"This one is a private letter to a friend. I didn’t have time to inform them before I left, and I’m afraid they’re worried."
Kitahara Kaede looked at her, his expression sincere.
"I have no way to send messages freely right now, so I can only rely on you."
Terumi Mei stared at the two letters in front of her, momentarily stunned.
He... had proactively explained them to her?
Without any concealment, he had handed the letters over and told her exactly what was inside.
’Does this mean he’s starting to trust me?’
This thought swept away all the shadows in her heart.
Terumi Mei reached out and took the letters, the smile on her lips growing deeper.
"A small matter. Leave it to me."
She tucked the letters into her pocket, her voice carrying a hint of satisfaction she didn’t even realize was there.
"I will arrange for the most reliable person to send them out as quickly as possible."
Kitahara Kaede breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
Terumi Mei shook her head with a smile and picked up her documents again, her mood better than it had been in weeks.