Chapter 292: Come Often
Pakura's brows rose half an inch.
She looked at the smiling face before her.
This fox had definitely not approached her with good intentions.
"Mizukage-sama," Pakura greeted her.
Her voice carried formal politeness that created considerable distance between them.
Mei didn't care about the title.
"Pakura, may we speak somewhere private?"
Pakura looked into her eyes for a long moment.
What did she want?
Why had she deliberately sought Pakura out?
Still, Pakura wanted to see what medicine this woman was selling.
She turned toward Konan beside her.
"I'll be back shortly. Please handle the delegation's accommodations for now."
Konan's gaze rested briefly on Mei before she nodded.
"No problem."
Mei also turned and waved toward the two Kirigakure ANBU behind her, signaling them to remain and assist with maintaining order.
The two women left the crowd side by side.
They passed through Konoha's gate, followed the main street, and entered a relatively deserted alley.
Ordinary Konoha houses lined both sides.
Several bedsheets hung from clotheslines and flapped loudly whenever the wind passed.
As Mei walked, she glanced at Pakura's face from the corner of her eye.
She considered how to begin.
Her confrontation with Tsunade had forced her to recognize one fact.
Tsunade's methods were far too sophisticated.
With only a few sentences, she could firmly place Mei in the position of an outsider.
Mei could never defeat that woman alone.
She stopped and decided to approach the subject directly.
"You know Kaede loves Tsunade, don't you?"
Pakura stopped as well.
She turned toward Mei, her face completely expressionless.
"I know."
Mei's brows shifted.
Why was she so calm?
Mei had expected Pakura to reveal at least some resentment or jealousy.
Yet the woman's face remained as clean as blank paper.
Suppressing her surprise, Mei continued,
"You may not know that their relationship has improved. Tsunade has also begun taking the initiative."
She deliberately slowed her words.
"We both understand how important that woman is in Kaede's heart."
"If we allow their relationship to continue developing, both of us will eventually be eliminated completely."
Pakura didn't respond.
She simply stood there and silently listened.
Assuming she had struck Pakura's weakness, Mei followed with her proposal.
"Rather than fighting separately, we should join forces first."
Resilience shone in her eyes.
"We can take turns restraining Tsunade and eliminate the greatest threat."
"Afterward, we'll rely on our own abilities."
Pakura looked at the light in Mei's eyes and suddenly found it slightly amusing.
The woman spoke of an alliance.
In reality, she simply couldn't handle Tsunade and wanted to use Pakura as a weapon.
They would remove the strongest opponent together, and then Mei would turn around and deal with Pakura.
Mei was certainly confident. She evidently believed she would win once Tsunade disappeared.
Pakura lowered her gaze.
She wasn't thinking about victory or defeat at all.
She had considered the matter from Kaede's perspective.
The fact that he had directly explained the situation to both of them proved how heavily Tsunade weighed in his heart.
What would happen if Pakura truly followed Mei, caused trouble, and sabotaged Kaede's relationship with Tsunade?
Kaede would certainly be placed in a difficult position.
He might even develop resentment toward her.
Pakura didn't want that.
The thought of Kaede being with Tsunade genuinely made her jealous and uncomfortable.
But it wasn't something she couldn't accept.
As long as Kaede held a place for her in his heart, that was enough.
However, if she rejected Mei directly now, the fox would undoubtedly turn her attention toward Pakura and make her the new target.
Rather than inviting unnecessary trouble, it was better to follow along.
Pakura nodded, her expression still unchanged.
"All right."
Mei's eyes lit up with delight.
She believed she had successfully recruited a powerful ally.
This time, the smile spreading across her lips was completely sincere.
"Then it's decided."
Her tone abruptly became intimate, carrying a trace of testing curiosity.
"You haven't seen Kaede since coming to Konoha, have you?"
Pakura honestly shook her head.
Seeing that response, Mei's smile widened.
"I know where he lives. Do you want to go?"
She deliberately paused before slowly adding,
"But he's extremely busy with official work today. I don't know when he'll return."
The words sounded as though she were sharing information.
In reality, she was boasting that she had already visited Kaede's home.
Pakura naturally understood.
Still, it had been far too long since she last saw him. With Mei deliberately provoking her, the longing in Pakura's heart burst out like water from a punctured balloon.
She didn't hesitate for even a second.
"I can wait for him."
Mei's smile grew sweeter.
She reached out and linked her arm directly through Pakura's, behaving as intimately as a close friend.
"Then let's go together."
Pakura didn't pull away and allowed Mei to hold her.
They continued through the alley.
As they walked, Mei casually talked about Konoha's streets.
"The sofa in Kaede's house is quite soft."
She mentioned it as though without intention.
Pakura turned her head.
"Is that so?"
Her voice was indifferent.
"When he stayed in Amegakure, he always liked sleeping against a hard-backed chair."
"He said it made him feel secure."
Mei's steps paused for half a second.
The arm linked through Pakura's tightened slightly before quickly returning to normal.
"People change," Mei replied.
Pakura didn't continue.
Each carrying her own thoughts, they headed toward the alley in Konoha's southwestern district.
...
At the same time, the final three allied encampments outside Konoha were completed.
Kaede stood at a high point and looked at the four enormous military fortresses in the distance.
He nodded with satisfaction.
The work was finished.
He didn't remain there. He turned and headed toward Konoha Hospital, walking noticeably faster than usual.
His mind had already begun planning the evening's menu.
After crossing two streets, Kaede saw someone waiting outside the hospital from a distance.
Tsunade wasn't wearing her usual green coat. Instead, she had changed into the outfit he had given her for her birthday.
Her pale-gold hair had clearly been styled with care, the ends curling slightly where they rested on her shoulders and moved in the breeze.
The setting sun illuminated her from the side, outlining her mature and beautiful figure.
That outfit, combined with the obvious effort she had placed into her appearance, struck Kaede directly in the chest.
He approached quickly, a smile naturally appearing on his face.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Hearing him, Tsunade turned and smoothed her hair with one hand.
"It wasn't long. Let's go."
They walked side by side toward the market.
The streets were crowded at the busiest part of the evening.
Tsunade turned toward Kaede, undisguised concern in her voice.
"I heard the commotion from the hospital earlier."
Her brows drew together slightly.
"You used an enormous amount of chakra to produce all those encampments at once. Are you all right?"
Kaede looked at the worry in her eyes.
His heart softened as though soaked in warm water.
He smiled and shook his head.
"That amount isn't nearly enough to exhaust me."
Tsunade didn't immediately respond.
She carefully examined him for several seconds.
Only after confirming that his complexion was normal and he showed no fatigue did her brows relax.
"Good."
They continued forward.
Many people surrounded them.
But Tsunade didn't maintain the distance she had in the past.
She moved closer to Kaede.
Their shoulders occasionally touched.
Even through their clothing, they could feel each other's warmth.
Noticing this, Kaede slowed his steps to match her pace.
The evening shopping rush was still underway when they entered the market.
A vegetable seller shouted loudly to attract customers, while a fishmonger used a net to scoop fish from a tank.
The moment Tsunade entered, her entire demeanor changed.
She walked familiarly to the butcher's stall at the far end and pointed at a large cut of evenly marbled beef.
"I'll take that piece."
Then she pointed at a rack of ribs beside it.
"Wrap that as well..."
Kaede followed behind her and naturally assumed the role of carrying everything.
Three bags filled with vegetables hung from his left hand, while his right had just accepted a bag of fresh mushrooms.
They reached the seafood stall.
The fish in the tank thrashed violently.
A tail struck the water and sent a spray outward.
Kaede instinctively stepped forward and blocked Tsunade.
The water splashed across his clothing.
Tsunade removed a handkerchief and naturally wiped away the droplets.
"Idiot. You should have moved aside."
Kaede looked at her face only inches away, and his heartbeat quickened.
"It's fine."
The natural interaction of a long-married couple continued warming the atmosphere between them.
Kaede accepted two sea bream freshly removed from the tank.
Tsunade turned toward the seasoning stall.
She bent down and selected several bottles and jars.
Finally, she visited the neighboring liquor shop and chose two beautifully packaged bottles of sake.
Turning around, she casually pushed them into Kaede's arms.
He looked down at himself.
Both hands were covered in bags, and two bottles of sake now rested against his chest.
The weight was considerable.
He couldn't help laughing.
"Why are we buying so much? The two of us can't finish all of this tonight."
A faint blush appeared on Tsunade's cheeks.
Her response was completely confident.
"I never said I would only come once."
Kaede froze.
He replayed the sentence in his mind and absorbed its hidden meaning.
Tsunade raised her chin slightly when she saw him staring blankly.
"We'll put the rest in the refrigerator and cook it next time."
Kaede finally understood, and the smile on his face spread completely.
Her meaning couldn't have been clearer.
She would come often in the future.
Seeing him smile without speaking, the red color spread toward Tsunade's ears.
She turned and continued forward.
"Why are you standing there? Hurry up."
Kaede followed quickly with bags hanging from both hands, his steps so light that he seemed to be walking on cotton.
The fading light of dusk covered the road and stretched their shadows far behind them.
One ahead and one behind, they remained exceptionally close.
They passed a familiar street corner and entered the alley in the southwestern district.