Yes, the Hokage

Just as Feng Lan began to let his thoughts wander, Pakula gently grasped his hand: "Lord Feng Lan, may I make a request?"

“Sure,” Feng Lan smiled. “I treat my subordinates quite well, so you don’t need to be so reserved. Just tell me what you want.”

Pakula didn't say anything more, but instead pulled Fenglan's arm closer, letting his hand cover her cheek, and turned to the side, half-resting her head on his hand and closing her eyes.

【Um…】 Feng Lan felt her eyelids twitch. 【My hands will go numb if I use this as a pillow all night.】

Chapter 179 Love and Compatibility

As dawn broke, Fenglan slowly opened her eyes.

Although he spoke as if he could work tirelessly like a shadow guard, he actually couldn't help but fall asleep in the latter half of the night. After all, the current situation was relatively safe, and his tent was in the center, so even if something happened, there would be people on the outside to warn him.

When he woke up, he found that he could no longer feel his left hand.

Ah, it really is numb.

He subconsciously and tentatively bent and stretched his fingers, and immediately heard a soft "humming" sound; there was movement on Pakula's side.

[Damn, no way, this plot is so old and cliché...]

Feng Lan immediately realized what had happened. It was obvious that while Pakula was fast asleep, she had unconsciously put her hands in front of her chest. She immediately pulled her hands back with a whoosh.

Of course, no matter how fast he moved, Pakula had already opened his eyes and saw Feng Lan's action of withdrawing his hand.

However, given their tacit understanding, Feng Lan naturally didn't need to explain anything, and Pakula was certainly not the type to scream or slap him. He simply bowed his head slightly and said, "I'm very sorry, Lady Feng Lan. You must be feeling very uncomfortable."

"It's nothing." Feng Lan continued shaking her arm. "On the contrary, how were you sleeping?"

"Yes, thanks to you, I slept very well." Pakula checked his physical condition before replying, "I've recovered about 50%, and I won't be as out of control as I was last night."

"Okay." Feng Lan stood up. "Let's go have breakfast then. Shui Men should be awake by now."

"Ah, please wait a moment." Pakula sat up, but instead of getting out of bed, she took out the notebook from her bosom and carefully took out the withered flower and the crumpled pass from it.

She put all these things into a small box and stuffed it into her ninja tool bag. She didn't throw them away, but there was no need to keep them within easy reach anymore. She no longer needed a flower or a pass to confirm her existence.

After finishing all this, she jumped off the bed and put on her shoes: "Sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Fenglan, let's go."

Neither of them took what had just happened seriously, and they walked one after the other to the cafeteria from the previous night, and then...

Then they ran into Mei Terumi.

"No, this plot is way too cliché." Feng Lan's lips twitched. "What a toilet paper-style light novel saga."

Of course, despite his complaints, none of the three of them actually intended to develop the relationship in that direction. Mei Terumi simply greeted them calmly, then casually hugged Feng Lan's arm, once again entering her acting mode.

Pakula, who hadn't walked alongside Fenglan from the start, calmly followed behind as they entered the cafeteria.

"Hey Hey hey!"

As a result, the Akatsuki trio remained seated in the corner, like NPCs that respawn regularly, witnessing this scene once again. Konan nudged the other two with her elbow, shouting, "Look, look!"

"Um……"

Yahiko and Nagato exchanged a glance: "As expected, there was a conspiracy!"

Just then, Feng Lan glanced over, startling the two of them so much that they quickly lowered their heads. Ya Yan, in particular, was extremely nervous, fearing that the other party would come looking for trouble.

However, Feng Lan quickly looked away, and the three of them finished their breakfast and left.

As Yahiko watched Feng Lan's retreating figure, he grew increasingly uneasy. It was clear that the other party was not making a move now because he had more important things to do. Once the matter of Kirigakure was settled, he would go to Akatsuki.

He began to seriously consider whether he should go and apologize with a bundle of thorns on his back.

There wasn't much to say at the alliance meeting, because the two sides' positions were completely different. The Hidden Mist Village was at the mercy of others, and they basically had to listen to whatever Feng Lan said. However, Feng Lan didn't exploit them excessively and left them some room for maneuver. In addition, because of his relationship with Mei Terumi, the two sides hardly argued and quickly reached an agreement on the three demands that Feng Lan had previously put forward.

“Then I can send out the Ninja Hawk now to notify the engineering team that has been stationed on the border of the Land of Fire.”

This is a win-win situation: Feng Lan can make money, and Kirigakure can quickly rebuild their homes. However, he only stroked the ninja hawk and did not intend to release it immediately: "Speaking of which, Lord Mizukage, when those ninja swords were in my hands before, I studied them a little and was quite interested in two of them."

Kisame's shark-like eyes narrowed slightly: "Which two swords is Consultant Fenglan interested in?"

“Lightning Blade—Kiba and Twin Blades—Hirame-Marie.” Feng Lan entered his smiling tiger mode. “Of course, I’m not going to directly ask your village for these two symbolically significant ninja swords. I just want to learn a little about the sword-making process and materials.”

There was a slight silence on the Kirigakure side. Although Fenglan spoke lightly, the Seven Ninja Swords, as the symbol and embodiment of Kirigakure's combat power, were of course classified as secrets in terms of both forging process and materials. Theoretically, they should never be known to outside villages.

However, Feng Lan had made many concessions in order to regain Terumi Mei's position. Since Terumi Mei's existence could benefit both parties, it was reasonable for him to make new demands now, since he shouldn't have to bear the loss of saving Terumi Mei alone.

Terumi pondered for a moment, then nodded to Kisame, who said, "To be honest, the forging technique of Hiramekarei has become a permanent mystery since the passing of that master, but there's nothing to hide about its materials, because they don't exist in this world, but are meteorites from outer space... Kirigakure only obtained a small portion by chance back then, and now they've used it all up."

"A meteorite from outer space...?"

Feng Lan narrowed her eyes slightly. Although this kind of setting exists in various martial arts novels, it is different in the world of Naruto. When it comes to extraterrestrial visitors, they are mostly related to the Otsutsuki clan.

Those twin swords—Hirame-no-Mikoto—were actually made from materials related to the Otsutsuki clan. No wonder they had an amazing ability to preserve and release chakra. In fact, the more people the user killed, the stronger the chakra amplification became. In cultivation novels, this kind of characteristic would be something like the Blood Demon Sword or the Myriad Soul Banner.

[Tch, I miscalculated. I should have left this sword behind.] Anything related to the Otsutsuki clan is top-tier material in the Naruto world. Although they might reluctantly agree to ask for it now, it would undoubtedly have a negative impact on future cooperation between the two villages.

"At the right time, I will send researchers over. I hope the Fifth Mizukage can lend Hiramekarei for a period of time so that we can conduct research within Kirigakure and share data. He will return it immediately after the research is complete. What do you say?"

Kisame, Ao, and Mei Terumi exchanged glances and nodded: "Okay."

"Then let's talk about the Thunder Blade."

"The forging technique of the Lightning Blade is still intact. The reason why it can draw upon the lightning of nature and amplify lightning-attribute ninjutsu is mainly due to the material used," Kisame slowly explained. "It is a rare mineral found only in the Land of Water, called Phantom Lightning Stone. Kirigakure began collecting it from the time of the First Mizukage, and it wasn't until the time of the Second Mizukage that they had enough to forge the Lightning Blade."

"Furthermore, due to over-mining at that time, there is very little Phantom Thunderstone available now. The current reserves are not enough to forge a pair of swords like the Fang, but they are more like a short sword."

He knew Feng Lan would be interested, so he directly ordered, "Qing, go and bring over the remaining Illusionary Thunder Stones and forging methods from the warehouse."

"Yes." Qing immediately accepted the order and left.

"Thank you, Lord Mizukage."

Feng Lan bowed slightly. It was just a short sword. It just so happened that Kakashi's family heirloom short sword was broken in the battle of Kannabi Bridge. He had been training with Jiraiya recently and had made good progress. Although he had not yet mastered Sage Mode, he had already comprehended the Purple Lightning technique that he had mastered after losing his Sharingan in Boruto.

If they get this short sword made of Phantom Thunder Stone, it will definitely be a great boost. After all, they are a member of the new Three Ninja, and they can't be too much worse than Obito, right?

Having acquired the Illusionary Thunder Stone and the forging method, Feng Lan didn't make any further demands. Right now, Wuyin Village was in dire need of reconstruction, so it was best to leave them some resources for rebuilding. A little bit helps, after all, he wasn't some kind of demon.

Finally, Minato and Kisame shook hands and signed a contract, symbolizing their formal alliance.

"Hmm, it's going much more smoothly than I expected." Feng Lan smiled. "This way we can return to Konoha this afternoon, and the Akatsuki can also evacuate. Let's not waste their food here."

"So urgent?" Minato glanced at Mei Terumi, "Aren't you going to..."

“During the Samsara Festival, I will appear as an envoy of Kirigakure to represent Konoha.” Mei Terumi smiled and bowed slightly. “Besides visiting friendly nations and strengthening exchanges between the two countries, I will also stay to accompany my fiancé for a while.”

[Wow, this woman's squinty smile is exactly the same as Feng Lan's!] Minato felt a twitch in his eyelids. [In the end, Feng Lan really did marry Feng Lan. I can't even imagine what their daily life will be like after they get married!]

"There's no need to force yourself," Feng Lan said calmly. "Everything should prioritize Kirigakure. You can come over when you have time."

What an idiot!

Minato stomped his foot on Feng Lan's foot in anger, then quickly put on a smile: "That's not what he meant. Konoha would very much like to welcome Miss Terumi Mei."

"Please rest assured, Hokage-sama, I fully understand my fiancé's meaning," Mei Terumi said with a smile. "However, for Kirigakure, diplomacy with Konoha is the most important policy at the moment, so I will definitely attend the Rinne Reincarnation Festival."

"That's great." Minato finally relaxed and showed a gentle and cheerful smile. "Kushina must really want to meet you too."

After exchanging pleasantries, Qing suggested, "Since you two are already engaged, even if you don't hold an engagement ceremony for now, you should at least take a photo for diplomatic purposes."

Yes, that's right.

Upon hearing this, Fenglan and Terumi Mei nodded in unison.

"Hey, don't you need to change your clothes? Where's the suit I bought for you?" Seeing that the two seemed ready to take photos like this, Minato was a little speechless. Although it wasn't a wedding photo, it was still a photo of an engaged couple. Was it really okay to be so casual?

"I left my suit at home, and it wasn't even needed for this photoshoot."

As Feng Lan spoke, she had already struck a pose and stood there, revealing her usual squinty-eyed smile.

"What's with that smile on your face right now?!"

To Minato's surprise, Mei Terumi did not continue to hold his arm and show any intimacy this time. Instead, she simply moved slightly closer to Furan, turned her body to the side, and turned half of her back to his back. Although the two were close together, they did not look at each other, and their smiles only showed the usual diplomatic calculations and politeness.

This was a deliberate attempt to let the entire ninja world know that they were getting married for mutual benefit, and that Konoha and Kirigakure had formed a very close partnership, even closer than that of Sunagakure.

"Snap—!"

As Qing pressed the shutter, the photo quickly appeared in newspapers in various countries, and everyone's first reaction upon seeing the photo was—the two may not be in love, but they are really well-matched.

Chapter 180 He's playing you, Advisor

Inside the Akatsuki's tent, the trio were doing something strange.

"Yahiko, is this really okay?" Konan asked with a subtle expression as she reinforced the ropes.

“I also think it’s not very feasible.” Nagato was stuffing black chakra rods into the ropes, making Yahiko, who was tied up, look like he was carrying thorns to apologize.

"It's mainly a matter of attitude." Yahiko's hands were tied behind his back, and he had a bunch of black chakra rods stuffed into his body. "Since you've made up your minds to temporarily obey Fenglan, you should naturally show the proper attitude. You two should also remember what we just rehearsed. From now on, Konan will be the leader of Akatsuki."

"This can't be hidden from Mr. Fenglan, can it?" Nagato said with a wry smile. "How could he not know who the true leader of Akatsuki is?"

"Of course we can't hide it, but as I just said, it's a matter of attitude. We just need to..."

"What do you need?" Just then, Feng Lan lifted the tent door and walked in.

"Whoa—!"

Konan was startled and instinctively lunged forward, but ended up falling forward with Yahiko on her back, also knocking Nagato, who was originally stuffing the black rod in front of Yahiko, into the ground.

The three of them ended up in a comical, human pyramid-like position, writhing on the ground, unable to get up for a long time. To make matters worse, Yahiko was shirtless, carrying thorns as if to apologize. The scene was almost as if the three of us living our lives well was more important than anything else.

"Wow, this is Pain's creation site!" Feng Lan laughed at them. "Should I leave first and give you some space?"

"No, no!" Yahiko quickly struggled to his feet. "Lord Fenglan, I know I was wrong!"

He started by mentioning me, clearly intending to take all the blame.

"Alright, I know what you're planning." Feng Lan said lazily, "I don't intend to pursue this to the end, after all, anyone with a bit of strength would not be willing to be a pawn for others. With Nagato's Rinnegan in your hands, your ambitions are definitely even greater. If a pawn doesn't even have this much tolerance, then he's just too much like Danzo."

"Furthermore, Nagato has done his utmost in this operation, so out of respect for him, I will not pursue the matter of that person's underhanded actions."

Upon hearing this, Nagato and Konan couldn't help but smile: "Thank you, Mr. Fenglan!"

Only Yahiko remained silent, instead listening intently, because he knew things were definitely not that simple.

Sure enough, Feng Lan changed the subject: "However, just as you said, attitude is very important. At least on the surface, we still need to be fair in rewarding and punishing."

Half an hour later, all the members of the Akatsuki gathered together and watched as Fenglan angrily rebuked Yahiko.

At this moment, Feng Lan sat on the chair on the high slope, his face full of displeasure: "Yi Yan, what are you up to?"

Yahiko knelt below, looking embarrassed: "It's just... doing this and that."

"Speak up, what are you doing!" However, Feng Lan seemed to still be angry and slammed her hand on the armrest of the chair.

Nagato, who was standing next to her, seemed to have lost all friendship on the spot, echoing Fenglan and saying, "Hurry up and tell me, what are you doing!"

"Of course, I wanted to create something new, but a momentary mistake led to this..."

"Speak up, come up here and say it!"

"Oh, here I come!" Yahiko quickly jogged up the hill, looking meek and obedient.

"If it weren't for the fact that you painstakingly built Akatsuki, I would have kicked you out long ago." Feng Lan slapped Yahiko across the face, not too hard, not too soft. "Now get out of here!"

Yahiko quickly bent down and ran down, while Fenglan continued to rage: "I told you to bring the Akatsuki to Kirigakure for some training."

The henchman standing next to him said, "As a result of his poor command, many people died."

"Look how useless you are!" Feng Lan angrily waved her hand. "I never see you practicing ninjutsu diligently. I don't know what you're up to every day."

Nagato continued his fawning: "He didn't come to the meeting last night."

"Where did you run off to last night?!"

"I've discovered a rogue ninja plotting something, Advisor."

"What kind of rogue ninja is this!"

"It was those guys from Sunagakure. Although they managed to get away in the end, I still managed to find a ninja tool, Advisor."

"What kind of ninja tool is this?!"

"It's this ninja umbrella that can unleash the Iron Sand World Technique, Advisor!"

Upon hearing this, Scorpion, who was originally just a bystander, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids and showed a serious expression.

"Have you practiced yet?!" Feng Lan's voice cracked with anger.

"You've practiced a little!" Yahiko stood up, casually gesturing with his ninja umbrella. "This move is Iron Sand... World Law."