Yes, the Hokage

“It’s nothing to mind,” Pakula shook his head. “Since Lady Kushina wants to hear it, I’ll tell you.”

So the two of them started by describing their confrontation at the Iron Country tavern.

"Ha! I never thought that kid Feng Lan could cause such a chaotic scene." Tsunade took a swig of sake and laughed heartily.

Mute: "Stare..."

"Ahem!" Tsunade quickly put down the bottle and casually picked up her glass. "Although, in the end, this was just a power struggle between villages."

“That’s right. At that time, Pakura represented Sunagakure, and I represented Kirigakure. There was even a lot of hatred between us.” Mei Terumi smiled self-deprecatingly. “But who could have imagined that less than 24 hours after that battle, we would both be abandoned by our own villages.”

“Pakula, you don’t have to force yourself to tell these things.” Kushina, who roughly knew about Pakula’s past, quickly got up to comfort her.

"It's nothing, it's all in the past." Pakula shook his head and calmly recounted how he was forced to make the choice and become a hostage from Sunagakure to Konoha.

After hearing these words, the room fell into complete silence. They couldn't help but put themselves in this situation and finally realized... there was no way out.

Tsunade couldn't help but pick up the bottle again and gulp down another shot: "This damn world."

She didn't criticize Granny Chiyo, because if it were Konoha during the Third Hokage's time, they would likely have made the same choice.

"Finally, Lady Fenglan gave me two choices: a pass and money, or to stay." Pakura paused here, as it was Mei Terumi's turn to tell her story.

“At that time, I provoked Fenglan.” Mei Terumi shrugged, “saying that if you dare to provoke Wuyin, we will fight to the last man.”

"Wow, you're in trouble then," Shizune couldn't help but complain. "Advisor Fenglan is incredibly petty."

"No, it's not that exaggerated." Lin tried to put in a good word for Feng Lan. "Miss Terumi Mei is doing just fine, and she's even become Lord Feng Lan's fiancée."

"It was probably coercion." Shizune imagined Feng Lan's wicked grin and his classic line—"Madam, you didn't want this either..."

"How come you have more prejudice against Feng Lan than I do? Hiccup!" Tsunade hiccuped. "That guy may be a bastard, but he still has some principles. He wouldn't take advantage of someone in distress... uh, he wouldn't completely take advantage of someone in distress... right?"

"Because he screwed me over the most," Shizune complained, squinting. "He originally wanted to implement a prohibition order, but so far there's been no progress at all. Instead, he made me an advisor to the council of elders! All that nonsense I'm dealing with every day is driving me crazy!"

"Hahaha, you little girl, you don't know how lucky you are. You don't know how many people would risk their lives to get that position." Tsunade took the opportunity to gulp down another mouthful of wine.

"That's enough, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune angrily snatched the bottle and shoved it onto a table some distance away. "Even if the prohibition order can't be enforced, I will never allow you to take advantage of this to drink again!"

"Ah, what a cruel little thing. I really miss the days when I first adopted you." Tsunade slumped onto the sofa like a rogue, her huge breasts trembling slightly.

"Wow, so big!" Uchiha Momo's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it. "If I had a body like that, would Lord Fenglan like it even more?"

She looked down and touched herself; although she wasn't exactly thin, she didn't have a great figure either, and couldn't help but feel annoyed.

However, no one noticed her emotional change at this moment. Everyone was drawn back to Pakula's story. When she talked about wanting to become Fenglan's thing, the innocent and kind-hearted Lin couldn't help but cover her mouth, her big eyes filled with heartache and sympathy.

After she finished recounting how Feng Lan had refused her, how she had comforted her, and how she had given her a place to stay, the room fell silent again.

“I must admit, my impression of Lord Fenglan has improved slightly.” Jingyin said, unable to resist raising her palm, her index finger and thumb slightly parted. “Of course, only slightly.”

"Hmph, that's exactly the kind of thing that kid would do." Tsunade laughed. "Although he's full of bad ideas, he's also ridiculously naive in some ways."

"As expected of Lady Fenglan!" Lin patted her hands, her face full of joy.

“It really does sound like something Fenglan would do.” Kushina also praised him highly. “No wonder Minato trusts him so much. Although that guy is unreliable most of the time, he’s still very reliable when it matters.”

[Wow wow wow wow... Lord Fenglan who saves the lost girl is so handsome!]

Momo's eyes were already filled with hearts, then a thought flashed through her mind: [But why wasn't I the one being saved?! Coach, this isn't the script!]

The three goddesses' expressions didn't change much. They really huddled in the corner without saying a word, letting the girls chatter away. However, if you looked closely, you would notice that the three of them were looking at different things, as if they were each collecting something.

After giving everyone some time to process Pakura's story, Mei Terumi continued, recounting how she was handed over to Fuuran by Yagura during the Five Kage Summit, and how she risked her life to negotiate with them and reach an agreement.

"Hmm... how should I put it, this is the image of him in my mind." Shizune couldn't help but speak again. Although she knew that Fenglan did all this for Konoha, she still couldn't help but complain.

No one else spoke, since it involved the internal affairs of Kirigakure. Although Feng Lan's actions could not be said to be wrong, Mei Terumi was the Mizukage's advisor, and some things could not be said in front of him.

Afterwards, Pakura and Mei Terumi talked back and forth about the war in Kirigakure. It was clear that the Three Goddesses were more interested in this than the other humans. They talked until Pakura used the Shogun's move, and Mei Terumi decided to take the blame for everything with her own death in exchange for Kisame becoming the Mizukage, just like Minato.

At this moment, there was absolutely no sound in the room. Even Kushina hadn't expected that Pakura and Terumi Mei's relationship was so complicated, almost like mortal enemies. But strangely, when the two of them spoke these words, they were both calm and composed, without the slightest bit of anger.

"You all know what happened next," Mei Terumi shrugged. "Just when I was determined to die, Kaede Ran came and proposed to me."

"Um, how exactly did he propose?" Finally getting to the point, Kushina's eyes were practically overflowing with gossip.

“Alright, it’s not exactly something to brag about, but since everyone’s so curious…” Mei Terumi shrugged and recounted the events of that night in detail.

Wow~~~

This was clearly more detailed and immersive than Minato's account, and the girls couldn't help but scream. Although Feng Lan's words were still cold and capable, he was willing to take less profit to protect Terumi Mei, and he did it in the form of a marriage proposal, which still made them feel a touch of romance.

Of course, the three goddesses were completely bewildered.

"Then, Miss Terumi Mei," Rin asked excitedly, her face flushed, "how did you answer Lord Fenglan's marriage proposal?"

“This…” Mei Terumi, who had always been very composed, was uncharacteristically speechless, and even a faint, unnatural blush appeared on her face.

Such a sight, of course, did not escape the eyes of the women, and they immediately became excited, while Uchiha Momo felt a great alarm bell ringing in her heart.

"I...I kissed him..." Mei Terumi answered somewhat awkwardly, then quickly added, "But it was just a vow kiss, absolutely nothing more..."

"Crack—!"

The cup in Uchiha Momo's hand was crushed to pieces.

"Peach?" Mikoto quickly grabbed her shoulder; this wasn't the place to go crazy. "Are you alright?"

"No, it's nothing, it's completely fine..." Uchiha Momo mechanically turned her head, "It's just a kiss, I...I...I can...I can...go much, much, much deeper..."

"Oh no, Sister Peach is spoiled!" Lin couldn't help but exclaim.

Seeing Uchiha Momo stuttering like a malfunctioning robot, Terumi Mei smiled slightly and suddenly changed the subject: "Yeah, kissing isn't exactly an intimate thing. Pakura has probably already taken things further."

Uchiha Momo: "!!!"

She turned sharply towards Pakula, her Sharingan activating in her excitement.

"Peach, Peach!" Mikoto quickly hugged her, and Fenglan's catchphrase came out, "Easy, easy."

"You!" Pakula clearly hadn't expected the fire to spread to him.

"I'm a high-ranking member of Kirigakure. Although I didn't leave my office after dinner the night Fenglan proposed, Qing has already reported everything that happened afterward to me."

Mei Terumi smiled and said, "You were carried back from outside the village by Feng Lan and spent the night alone in the tent. Aren't you going to tell your real fiancée what happened?"

The atmosphere became tense again. Mei Terumi's words, while somewhat joking, also carried a hint of coercion. Most importantly... everyone else was genuinely curious and wanted to know what had happened!

No one else spoke, just watched the two of them nervously. Only Shizune muttered softly, "That matching squinty smile... no wonder they're a couple."

"I...I was attacked by the Sunagakure's ANBU."

Pakula hesitated for a moment, but had no choice but to recount the events of that night. Rin was relatively calm about this part because she had already heard about it from Obito. The others, however, were different. When they heard that Feng Lan had directly and domineeringly threatened Maki, even Kushina couldn't help but cover her mouth.

Although she had heard some of the details from the water gate, the feeling of hearing it firsthand from the person involved was completely different.

[Feng Lan is quite shrewd, no wonder this girl is so infatuated with him... Come to think of it, I was the one who was presumptuous; this guy clearly knows a lot... It's just a pity for Momo.] She glanced at Uchiha Momo with pity. Compared to blind dates and dinners, your two rivals are far, far ahead.

"It's not over yet." However, Mei Terumi wasn't buying it. "And what happened after you got back to the tent?"

"I... I'm resting in bed, while Lady Fenglan sits at the head of the bed as a guard." Pakula, who usually took on this role, suddenly lowered his head, his tone hesitant.

"Anything else?" This was clearly a situation that something was amiss, so how could Mei Terumi let it go?

"Then I hugged his hand..."

"And then what?"

“Then, and then…” A strange blush flashed across Pakula’s face, “When I woke up the next morning, I found his hand was…”

She eventually blushed and couldn't continue, but Mei Terumi had already gotten the answer she wanted and didn't press the matter further. The other girls were even more excited, their eyes wide with delight as they ate their fill of gossip.

Only Uchiha Momo was now deathly pale, looking shaky and as if she would turn to dust at the slightest touch: "Kissing my fiancée is one thing, but... it actually progressed to stage B, B, B..."

Chapter 203 Opening the Door, Bringing Warmth

Momo Uchiha's string of "B"s, as if she were a short-circuited robot, made everyone uneasy, especially Mikoto Uchiha, who hurriedly hugged her: "Momo, calm down!"

"I'm perfectly calm." Uchiha Momo mechanically turned her head. "It's just a mere B stage. I...I'm not envious or jealous at all. Just wait, I'll soon reach C stage!"

She struck a particularly bold pose, then casually picked up a bottle and downed it in one gulp to boost her imposing presence, and then...

"Ah, that's my super strong liquor." Tsunade hurriedly stretched out her hand, but it was too late.

"belch!"

When the bottle was put down, it was already empty. Uchiha Momo's cheeks were flushed, and her body was swaying. Her Sharingan had quietly closed at some point, and circles seemed to be spinning inside her eyes.

"C, hehehe... hiccup! I'll definitely reach C!" With a boss-like air, she stomped one foot on the coffee table, pointing at Mei Terumi and Pakura with the bottom of a wine bottle. "I absolutely won't lose to you... hiccup! Lady Fuuran and I are... hawawa~~"

Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed limply onto the sofa, only able to ramble incoherently.

Kushina: "..."

Although she was the one who organized the tea party, she honestly didn't expect it to be so exciting, and she was a little at a loss for words.

"I think we should call it a day." Fortunately, Mei Terumi offered a way out first. "I have some diplomatic matters to attend to when I get back, so I'll take my leave now."

"Yes, yes." Kushina also realized what had happened. "I'm so sorry that this happened today."

"Not at all, we've learned a lot too." Princess Tianxin smiled, stood up, and bowed slightly, her gaze then turning to Pakula. "Do you need our help to escort this Uchiha lady back?"

“No, I’ll do it.” Pakura stood up without hesitation. Deep down, she still didn’t quite trust the Three Goddesses. She wasn’t comfortable entrusting the drunken Uchiha Momo to these three… no, these three snakes, to escort her. What if someone got greedy? The consequences would be unimaginable.

"Well then, we'll take our leave now." After saying goodbye to the others, the three of them left the Hokage's residence together with Pakura, who was carrying Uchiha Momo on his back.

"Lord Fenglan... Waa ...

"Don't move around." Pakula, who was carrying her, couldn't help but frown.

"If you're interested in that kind of thing, you can come to me anytime. Why are you with those two women? Is it really because of your breasts...?" She opened her drunken eyes and began to grope Pakula's chest haphazardly. "So it really is because of the size of your breasts!"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with that kind of thing, and don't touch me like that!"

Seeing that Pakula was temporarily harassed by the drunkard, Tashin Shinki gave Ichikishima Hime a look, and the latter immediately understood. A few seconds later, the three of them were connected in their thoughts. It turned out that this seemingly innocent little girl was actually a sensory user, and with the surging Sage Chakra in her body, even Yamanaka Inoichi probably couldn't match her.

"Tsuratsu, you are the most skilled in sealing techniques in Ryuchi Cave. What are your observations of Lady Kushina?"

"Oh dear, I can only say that lord truly lives up to his reputation as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki." Although Tsurugi's voice had a touch of naivety, the content of their discussion was quite serious. "Even though she had just given birth not long ago, the seal was already airtight, and not a single bit of the Nine-Tails' chakra could leak out. Coupled with the Uzumaki clan's powerful regenerative abilities, it is indeed the most suitable seal for our Ryuchi Cave's sealing techniques."

"Unfortunately, that lady is the wife of the Fourth Hokage. Given the protection the Fourth Hokage and Lord Fenglan provide for her, they should not allow her to come into contact with the power of Ryuchi Cave." Princess Tianxin lowered her gaze.

"Yes, the Hokage's son, on whom we had high hopes, has already been reserved by Mount Myōboku." Princess Ichikishima shrugged. "That's why I said that child is unacceptable..."

"Idiot! How can you say something like that out loud!" Princess Tianxin shouted angrily. "That's the son of the Fourth Hokage. I could cover it up once by saying that snakes are not used to human lifestyles, but if you dare to do it a second time... I'll eat you up."

As she finished speaking, her tone softened, and she smiled. However, it was this expression that frightened Princess Ichikishima, who waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "I understand, I promise this will never happen again!"

Unlike Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave is all about the survival of the fittest. With the White Snake Sage gone, the strongest is now Tashin-hime, and devouring Ichikishima-hime is no small matter.

"Lady Kushina and Naruto Uzumaki ultimately lean towards Mount Myōboku. After all, the Fourth Hokage's teacher was that Toad Sage, and there's nothing we can do about it," said Princess Tashin calmly. "There's nothing we can do but continue searching for a suitable physique for the Ryūchi Cave inheritance within Konoha. If we can't find one, we'll ask Lady Furan to search for any remaining members of the Uzumaki clan outside."

"Understood." Ichikishima-hime and Tsuratsu-hime answered simultaneously, then cut off the team voice chat and slowed their pace, waiting for Pakura, who was carrying the drunken Uchiha Momo, to catch up.

……

In the following days, delegations from Iwagakure and Kumogakure also arrived one after another. In fact, these two villages usually do not participate in Konoha's Reincarnation Festival to show that they are equal to the Land of Fire in status, but at the moment, Konoha is really powerful, and the death of the Third Hokage makes people feel that there is a lot of suspense. Therefore, the two villages still sent delegations one after another.

However, with Minato and Fenglan's powerful forces protecting Hiroshi Hyuga first, and the capture of Killer Bee by the Cloud Thunder Gorge later, even the delegation from the Hidden Cloud Village dared not be as arrogant as before in Konoha. Fenglan slightly demonstrated the existence of the Three Goddesses, and the envoys from the two villages dared not make a big deal out of the death of the Third Hokage.

Under these circumstances, the Reincarnation Festival arrived.

As the first rays of sunlight shone into Konoha Village, the entire village awoke. Red and white lanterns hung from the eaves of houses on both sides of the street, stretching from the village entrance all the way to the foot of the Hokage Rock. Although it was already winter, the roadsides were full of stalls, and countless children dressed in thick new clothes couldn't wait to run and laugh, enveloping the village in a lively atmosphere.

Feng Lan woke up early, but instead of rushing to the office, she went to the warehouse to check the supplies. These supplies had just been prepared yesterday. Although it took a lot of time, the quality and quantity were excellent, enough for the children in the orphanage to have a good holiday.

Besides Pakura and Inahisa Tekka, there were also Kabuto Yakushi, who was a member of the orphanage, and his friend Itachi Uchiha. These two came to help after hearing that Fenglan was going to play the role of "Santa Claus" to bring warmth to the children in the orphanage.

"Everything has been inventoried." Feng Lan and her men each carried a huge box. "Now, let's head to the orphanage and bring warmth!"

When they arrived at the orphanage, Yakushi Nonou was already waiting for them in the courtyard. She was no longer like she was back in the orphanage in the Land of Fire, where she only had a fat old lady and an old man under her command.

The current orphanage is not only large in scale, but also has nearly thirty staff members. They are all carefully selected professionals who love children, have a loving heart, and have experience in caring for children. Fenglan provides them with very generous treatment, with only one requirement: to care for all the children as if they were her own.

"Lord Fenglan..."

Upon seeing the orphanage's behind-the-scenes investor arrive, Nonoyu smiled from the bottom of her heart: "You've come."

"Yes, send some Reincarnation Festival gifts to the children." Feng Lan put down the box in her hand, and her subordinates behind her did the same. "The little ones should be awake by now, call them all over."

Several children who were playing in the yard excitedly surrounded Feng Lan as soon as they saw him enter, exclaiming, "Lord Feng Lan! Lord Feng Lan has arrived!"

They excitedly clung to Fenglan's legs and refused to let go; one of the more mischievous boys even climbed onto his neck and rode on it.

As Nono called out, more children ran over. Feng Lan couldn't fit everyone around him, so he went to surround the others who had come with him. Pakura had been a hero of Sunagakure for many years, so he naturally knew how to soothe children. On the other hand, Inaho and Tetsuka, being proud Uchiha, were a little uncomfortable.