Chapter 152 (Patreon)

Sure enough, the moment the Raikage finished speaking, Tsunade—who had been standing behind Yujiro—immediately bristled.

Since when did I become Yujiro’s woman?!

Well... it wasn’t as though the idea bothered her.

But still! Some things had to be made clear!

Konan, standing to Yujiro’s right, reacted quite differently. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she lowered her head, seemingly accepting the Raikage’s assumption without protest.

If anything, there even seemed to be a trace of anticipation hidden in her eyes.

Bang!

Tsunade stepped forward and slammed her palm onto the conference table in the Raikage’s office.

Of course, she held back. Otherwise, there might not have been an office left by the time she was finished.

“Raikage! Explain yourself. Since when did I become Yujiro’s woman?”

A froze for a moment, staring at the furious blonde woman before him in surprise.

There was something strangely familiar about her...

“Are you... Tsunade?” Mabui asked in disbelief as she studied her face.

“Hmph. So you finally recognize me?” Tsunade snorted.

“You’re Tsunade?!” A exclaimed, only now realizing who the woman before him was.

“Well... I honestly didn’t recognize you at first. Ahem.”

Even the Raikage looked embarrassed now.

“Please don’t blame Lord Raikage, Lady Tsunade,” Mabui hurriedly said, stepping in to smooth things over. “It’s just that... you’ve become far more beautiful and graceful than before. That’s why he failed to recognize you.”

As she spoke, Mabui couldn’t conceal the envy in her eyes.

Tsunade herself had never fully realized how much the enhancement she had received through Yujiro’s genes had changed her.

Her figure had become even more striking, her skin was firmer and smoother, and her features had grown almost flawless.

The last time Tsunade and the Raikage had met was six or seven years ago. Considering how much she had changed since then, it was hardly surprising that neither A nor Mabui had recognized her immediately.

After hearing Mabui’s explanation, Tsunade merely snorted before returning to her place behind Yujiro.

As for Konan, the Raikage had never met her before, so it was only natural that he had assumed she was another of Yujiro’s women.

“And who might this lady be?” A asked cautiously, turning toward the blue-haired woman on Yujiro’s right.

After failing to recognize Tsunade, he no longer dared to make careless assumptions. For all he knew, this woman might be another important figure.

“I am Yujiro’s maid.”

Konan’s cheeks turned red as she said the word “maid.”

“That’s all?” Tsunade asked, pursing her lips.

“That’s all,” Konan replied softly.

“How can that be all?” Tsunade pressed. “You were once Akatsuki’s second-in-command—the White Tiger of the Akatsuki!”

“Sister Tsunade, that’s all in the past,” Konan hurriedly replied. “I’m Yujiro’s maid now. I don’t have any other identity.”

On the opposite side of the conference table, A and Mabui could only stare at her in disbelief.

It was simply too difficult to accept.

Akatsuki’s former second-in-command was willingly serving as Yujiro’s maid.

More importantly, judging from her expression, Konan seemed worried that Yujiro might be displeased with her answer.

Just what kind of hold did Yujiro have over her?

“Hey, Gyūki. If you have something to ask me, why are you whispering about it? Come out and say it yourself.”

At that moment, Kurama’s voice suddenly echoed through the room.

Golden chakra burst from Yujiro’s body, gathering atop the conference table and taking the form of a small, almost adorable Kurama.

“Gyūki! Get out here!” Kurama shouted, baring his fangs and waving his claws. “And remember to keep yourself small!”

A and Mabui instinctively swallowed when they saw him.

Yujiro had actually walked straight into Kumogakure with the Nine-Tails.

That was no different from carrying an enormous bomb directly into the heart of the village!

A moment later, Gyūki used his chakra to create a miniature version of himself, which emerged from Killer B and appeared on the conference table.

“Kurama, it’s been years since we last met, but you don’t seem to have grown much stronger,” Gyūki said with a grin.

“I haven’t grown stronger?” Kurama let out a sinister laugh. “I’m still strong enough to kill you.”

Gyūki’s mouth twitched violently, but he chose not to argue.

After all, he truly couldn’t defeat the Nine-Tails.

“You said you had something to ask me, didn’t you?” Kurama raised a paw and stroked one of his whiskers as his eyes narrowed. “Go ahead.”

“You really don’t mind?” Gyūki hesitated. He glanced around the room, suddenly becoming cautious.

“Just ask already!” Kurama snapped. “What’s the problem? Is it something you can’t say in front of them?”

“All right.”

Gyūki took a deep breath before lowering his voice.

“Kurama, Akatsuki attacked Kumogakure some time ago. Their target was us... the Tailed Beasts.”

“I managed to deceive them and escape, but they still took a portion of my chakra.”

“Akatsuki withdrew soon afterward. I suspect that small amount of Tailed Beast chakra was all they needed to accomplish their objective.”

Gyūki revealed everything he had managed to deduce.

“That’s it?”

The moment Kurama heard the explanation, he lost all interest.

He leaped from the conference table onto Yujiro’s shoulder and glanced back at Gyūki.

“If you’re that scared, then come with us.”

Gyūki bared his teeth in a helpless grin. Without saying anything else, his miniature body dissolved into chakra and returned to Killer B.

Yujiro narrowed his eyes slightly.

That short exchange had allowed several pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.

“Raikage, when Akatsuki attacked Kumogakure, did they take anything else with them?” Yujiro asked.

A’s expression immediately darkened.

After a brief silence, he replied in a low voice, “Akatsuki did take something from Kumogakure...”

Yujiro slowly exhaled.

“The Kohaku no Jōhei—the Amber Purifying Pot?”

“What?!”

A and Mabui’s expressions changed dramatically.

The theft of the Kohaku no Jōhei was one of Kumogakure’s highest-kept secrets, yet Yujiro had named it without the slightest hesitation.

How could they not be shocked?

“One more question.”

Yujiro closed his eyes and lightly tapped his fingers against the table.

“Where are the bodies of Kinkaku and Ginkaku?”

“What?!”

This time, A could no longer hide his shock.

The theft of Kinkaku and Ginkaku’s bodies was also classified information.

Could the blue-haired woman beside Yujiro have told him?

A immediately turned a suspicious gaze toward Konan.

Konan shook her head.

“Although I was once a member of Akatsuki, the masked man was the one truly pulling the organization’s strings.”

“As I thought.”

A released a deep sigh before continuing.

“The ones who infiltrated Kumogakure were six men with the same orange hair. Their eyes were strange, and they possessed a power even I couldn’t overcome.”

He paused for a moment, his expression growing increasingly grave.

“There was also a masked man with them.”

A could feel that the situation had already gone far beyond anything he had anticipated.

At this point, concealing the truth would only make matters worse.

He had no choice but to reveal everything.