Yes, the Hokage

“There’s no need to ask her directly; I can find out by subtly probing.” Feng Lan yawned. “Aside from her twisted personality, her favorite thing to do is flower arranging. Last time she was on vacation, she spent half a day cleaning the house, and although she slept for the rest of the day, I could tell from the way her Sharingan pupils trembled violently, the range of her gaze, the extent of the redness on her face, the angle at the corners of her mouth that involuntarily turned up, and the barely perceptible drool that she was actually working as a gold miner.”

"And... what I'm about to say might sound a bit narcissistic, but if I'm not mistaken, there's a more than 70% chance that the person she's targeting is me, which is somewhat beyond my expectations... This means that she has been observing me for some time now, not on a whim, but rather she has developed a habit of continuous tracking me. Later, I subtly inquired a few more times and discovered that her observations were aided by Itachi and Izumi's notes, but not entirely."

"That's very interesting. In other words, this child occasionally follows me, although not frequently, but I didn't even notice. This proves that she has a very good ability to track and monitor, and her observation and judgment are even better than she usually does in her clerical position in the security force. That's why I said she has potential."

His words left everyone speechless. Shikaku gave up trying to persuade him with a strange expression. As clever as he was, he could see that Fenglan hadn't shown any embarrassment when talking about the miners, which proved that he hadn't thought about it that way at all. His mind was entirely focused on training ninjas.

Even Fugaku couldn't help but ask, "Lord Fenglan, are you evaluating my subordinate or trying to build a relationship with her?"

“It’s all the same,” Feng Lan said calmly. “In my opinion, a trustworthy superior or subordinate with a strong shared interest is far more reliable than a lover. It’s precisely because I think Uchiha Momo is outstanding that I’m giving her a special evaluation.”

Fugaku opened his mouth wide, speechless.

Seeing that Shikaku and Fugaku had both returned empty-handed, Minato turned his expectant gaze to the other two.

Hizashi smiled awkwardly: "Lord Minato, I was pursued by my wife, so I'm afraid I can't offer any good solutions."

Zhiwei pushed the magic mirror and said, "Most of us Aburame women are not good with words, so we can't offer any good solutions."

"How did you, who are not good at expressing your feelings, end up with your wife?" Minato still refused to give up.

“Parasitic insects…” Zhiwei raised his index finger, and a pair of insects flew up and down around his finger. “We will send out parasitic insects to release mating hormones to the parasitic insects of the women we admire, and they will respond with insects in return.”

Minato: "..."

"This love letter is quite unique." Feng Lan chuckled twice and poured herself a cup of tea.

Minato scratched his head, offering suggestions one after another, but all of them were rejected.

"Next time, invite her to the fireworks festival. The atmosphere will be great and there will be lots of people. If you get separated and then find your way back, you'll naturally have something to talk about."

"A fireworks festival?" Feng Lan tilted his head. "That requires planning the route in advance, confirming the visibility, coordinating the security personnel, and dealing with the crowds when the event ends... Do you want me to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique again in Konoha Village?"

"Just treat it like a date!"

"I've already taken her to see the night view from Hokage Rock once. Night views and fireworks are both visually appealing dates, so there's no real difference between them."

"Then let's change the location. Isn't she doing clerical work in the garrison? Let's take her to the main library. A quiet girl like her might like that kind of atmosphere."

"Whether she is truly quiet or not is another matter. I have already asked her about her work in the garrison and her career aspirations after her eyes were opened. If I ask her again at the Grand Library, she will think I have a memory problem."

"Shall we go fishing together?"

"Don't even mention young girls, even I wouldn't have such an old-fashioned hobby, especially since I'm most likely in the Air Force."

"..."

"Fenglan." Minato was truly desperate. "Do you even have a specific girl in your heart that you want to marry, have children with, and spend your life with?"

"Let's put having children and spending our lives together aside for now, but I've already found a marriage partner." Feng Lan calmly took a sip of tea. "So you all don't need to worry about it. When she gets to that point, I'll naturally propose."

"A marriage proposal?!" Minato's face lit up with joy. Just moments ago, he felt like he was facing a dead end, but unexpectedly, things had suddenly taken a turn for the better. "Great, Fenglan! So you've been in love with her for a while now. I'm relieved. Who is this girl? How old is she now?!"

"Well, I only made this decision after listening to you ramble on just now." Feng Lan put down her cup. "As for the specific information, you'll know when you get to Wuyin."

Shikaku, listening nearby, felt increasingly uneasy. He instinctively opened his mouth, but seeing Minato's hearty laughter, he didn't say anything. In his mind, however, he couldn't help but think: "Why do I feel like... Lady Kagerashi has already turned her marriage into a diplomatic incident?"

……

On the other side, Uchiha Momo didn't go straight home, but went to the house next door to Fenglan, which is Minato's house. She had promised to report on the battle situation of the date there.

Pushing open the door, Kushina, Mikoto, Shizune, and Rin all looked over with intense gazes. After all, they were girls, and they were all quite interested in this kind of thing.

"How was it? How was it?" Kushina asked with a gossipy look on her face.

"Um...it was alright." Uchiha hesitated for a moment. "Lord Fenglan took me to a very special place. He said it was a place where he and the Fourth Hokage used to go drinking together."

"This sounds like he's sharing an important experience?" Mikoto's eyes lit up. "It's a place he takes important people to. Inviting you there means he's letting you into his private world. This is a good start!"

"At first I thought so too, but later..." Uchiha Momo gave a bitter smile and recounted what happened next.

Lin chuckled twice: "That's just like Lord Fenglan's style."

“He’s probably…” Shizune said awkwardly, “assessing what role you’re capable of. That’s what he did in our previous conversations.”

"So you've been maintaining a professional relationship with him all night?" Kushina rubbed her forehead. "If he doesn't take the initiative, you should take the initiative and talk about things other than work."

“But I don’t know how to change the subject,” Momo Uchiha said aggrievedly. “When Lord Fenglan finished asking a question, he started talking about food right away. Before I could even think about whether to bring the topic back, my attention was diverted elsewhere. I didn’t dare to interrupt because I was afraid of being impolite… but by the time I wanted to interrupt, the whole thing had already taken the turn he had set, and I was led around like that for the whole time.”

“Ah, this is Feng Lan’s habit.” Kushina, after all, was Minato’s wife and had a good understanding of Feng Lan. “When he wants to keep his distance, he will use this move. He can make himself visible, but he will not allow anyone to get close. Once someone tries to get close, he will quickly adjust his position, sometimes advancing and sometimes retreating, but he always maintains a distance that you can observe but cannot touch.”

"Then, what should I do..." Uchiha Momo was dumbfounded.

“To be honest, I don’t know either.” Kushina sighed. “Aside from Minato, I’ve never seen him allow anyone to get close to that area, which is why I was thinking of introducing him to a girlfriend.”

"Hmm..." Shizune and Rin both seemed completely confused.

On the contrary, the oldest one, Mikoto, frowned and came up with a plan: "Since Lord Fenglan has always maintained a composed distance, why not take the initiative and completely break his composure? It might have an unexpected effect."

"Huh?" All the women looked over at the same time. "What do we need to do?"

"The best way to deal with the person who makes the rules is to break them directly." And Mikoto truly lived up to her Uchiha surname: "Momoko, why don't you just... go all out and be a complete pervert and find a way to pounce on him!"

Chapter 164 Pakula's Scheme

When Minato returned home, the woman's advisory group had already left. Seeing his troubled expression, Kushina couldn't help but laugh and say, "Looks like things aren't going well on your end either."

"Well, it was a mixed bag, wasn't it?" Minato scratched his head. "His date with Uchiha Momo didn't come to any conclusion in the end, but then he mentioned that there's someone in Kirigakure he's planning to propose to."

"Huh?" Kushina was also taken aback and asked instinctively, "Who is it?"

"Feng Lan didn't reveal it; he said he would find out when he arrived at Wuyin."

"Hmm..." Kushina's expression became subtle. "Are you sure he's not just fooling you?"

"How could that be? Fenglan never... well, most of the time she doesn't... okay, there's about a 50% chance she won't fool me." Minato's expression turned awkward.

“He has a 50% chance of lying to you, let alone something like a blind date.” Kushina couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Besides, where does Fenglan know any women in Kirigakure?”

"Um, there are some." Minato pondered for a moment, "One is named Mei Terumi, and the other is named Pakura..."

“Minato, you could only call him an acquaintance,” Kushina frowned. “If you want to get married, even just knowing some women isn’t enough. Don’t you think those two you mentioned are far from suitable?”

"That sounds like it, but as for Feng Lan... I always feel like he's capable of anything." Minato sighed. "After all, he's the kind of guy who can turn a date into a work report."

"Yes, Mikoto even suggested that Momoko just go and seduce him."

"Um, I think it's still a bit of an exaggeration..."

"Yes, Peach also thinks it's unreliable."

"Right? Even for the Uchiha, this is just too much..."

"She said Fenglan has the Flying Thunder God Technique, and it's impossible to catch her."

So it wasn't that they thought it was impossible from a rational perspective, but rather that it was simply impossible to implement!

Perhaps because the couple was talking a little loudly, Naruto, who had been placed on the bed, started to cry. Minato quickly went over and picked up the child, saying, "Naruto, don't be afraid. Mommy and Daddy are here."

"That's right, we won't let anyone hurt you." Kushina leaned closer. "Sleep peacefully, and when you open your eyes again, you'll have a new older sister~"

……

Just as the family was enjoying a warm and harmonious time together, Kumogakure, after repeated pressure and paying a huge price, finally brought Killer Bee back after signing an unequal treaty.

"Compare!"

The moment he saw his younger brother again, Raikage could barely control his emotions. He rushed over and hugged him tightly: "Are you alright? Have you lost a lot of weight? Have you been abused during this time?!"

“Big brother…” Killer Bee looked a little stunned, “Through this accident, I have deeply felt…”

"What?!" The Raikage was shocked. "Bee didn't even rap! Just how much pain and torment have you endured? Damn Fenglan, damn Sunagakure, I will never let them get away with this!"

"...I truly realized how terrible my rapping skills are!" But the next second, Killer Bee couldn't help but shout, "That Mr. Kin, though unknown, has incredible rapping skills! He told me that what I lack most right now is... emotion! Yo~~~"

"Feelings my ass!"

Killer Bee, who had just risen to prominence, was knocked down by the Raikage's elbow: "I've been worried about you in Kumogakure for so long, and you seem to be having a good time out there!"

After thoroughly ravaging Killer Bee, his anger subsided slightly. He took a few breaths, and Black Zetsu's tempting words resurfaced in his mind: "Join me, and you can avenge the humiliation you suffered and the loss of your brother against Konoha. I'll be waiting for you at Cloud Thunder Gorge tonight..."

Even in his most furious moments, the Raikage had never fully trusted Black Zetsu. Now, after being told by Feng Lan that this guy was backed by Madara Uchiha, and that his younger brother Killer Bee had returned safely, and more importantly, that Bee didn't seem to have been abused, the Raikage's rationality prevailed.

[What kind of bullshit Black Zetsu is this? Wasn't that surprise attack on Konoha a complete disaster? I'm not going to cooperate with a weakling like you.]

He picked up Killer Bee, who was covered in bumps from being beaten, and said, "Back to the village, Bee! Kumogakure is going to tighten its defenses and develop its strength in secret for a while!"

So that night, the confident Black Zetsu spent the entire night in the cold wind of Cloud Thunder Gorge...

It wasn't until the sun rose again that he realized he had been stood up by the Raikage.

"Damn black giant, how dare you refuse my gift." Black Zetsu's lips twitched, wishing he could rush into the Hidden Cloud Village and cause trouble immediately, but unfortunately there were no more White Zetsu for him to use.

But the sharp-tongued White Zetsu in its true form was still there, retorting, "You're black too, just not as big as him..."

"Shut up!"

Black Zetsu snarled fiercely, then reassured himself, "It doesn't matter. Cooperating with this kind of idiot won't affect the situation much. Let's go... to Iwagakure. Onoki knows how powerful Madara is, he definitely won't refuse me."

"well."

White Zetsu shrugged in his usual irritating tone: "Well then, let's go."

……

As Black Zetsu embarks on his journey to continue his wondrous adventure, the resistance's stronghold in Kirigakure also receives reinforcements.

It's that guy...

Upon seeing Obito Uchiha arrive, Yahiko's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

Obito gave him a meaningful look for two seconds before turning to Pakura and saying calmly, "Lord Fenglan sent me to assist you."

"Excellent!" Pakula slammed his hand on the table excitedly. "Immediately assemble an elite assault force and launch a surprise attack on Kirigakure tonight!"

She immediately set about making the arrangements. Kisame and Mei Terumi were initially excited, but they quickly frowned because the people Obito brought into Kirigakure were all from the Akatsuki organization, while the ones who would directly attack the village and draw the enemy's attention were the resistance forces.

Everyone knows that the latter's casualty rate is far higher than the former's.

"Do you two have any questions?" Pakula glanced at the two of them. "In terms of combat power, lethality, and speed of action, the Akatsuki is stronger. When it comes to infiltrating the village and launching a surprise attack on the enemy, the Akatsuki should be the one to choose."

“But in doing so, Yagura and his men, who are desperately trying to break through, will inflict staggering casualties on the resistance,” Kisame replied in a deep voice.

“That’s your problem. I was planning from Lord Fenglan’s perspective. The Akatsuki organization is far more valuable than you,” Pakula said coldly. “Besides, you gave several false reports about the routes before, and each time you let the Akatsuki go first and the resistance army follow behind. Didn’t that already save a lot of manpower?”

"Now, it's time to spit it out."

"You know the specific route to the Land of Water?" Kisame's beady eyes widened involuntarily.

"You knew all along but never said anything?" Mei Terumi raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve said it before, I’m arranging everything from Lord Fenglan’s perspective.” Pakula snorted. “The only Akatsuki members who can be of use to that Lord are their elites, but most of them are newcomers and not really under Yahiko’s control.”

"So when you lied about the route, I deliberately cooperated with you to eliminate those old Akatsuki members who weren't very capable but were very loyal to Yahiko beforehand, so that..."

She gave Yahiko a warning look: "Even if this guy still has any inappropriate thoughts, no one will carry them out."

Chapter 165 Using Both Kindness and Strictness

When Pakula said these words, he made no attempt to hide them from the Akatsuki trio who were attending the meeting. Yahiko's body trembled violently, but he managed to control his emotions, because there was no point in lashing out at the moment.

Pakura knew that the Akatsuki and the Rebel Alliance were not convinced by her, but she did not continue to use the previous method of establishing her authority. Instead, she used the information she obtained from Tobirama to help the Rebel Alliance to weaken the Akatsuki. When Obito, who was strong enough to suppress the situation, arrived, she ignited the hidden calculations in both sides and directly demanded that the Rebel Alliance give back all the advantages they had gained.

This tactic of using the Akatsuki's strength against them and giving to the resistance forces before taking them already subtly resembles Feng Lan's style.

Why did you do that?!

But Nagato and Konan couldn't accept this outcome and stepped forward a few steps agitatedly: "The Akatsuki are clearly working for Mr. Fenglan, and everyone is risking their lives. Why are they treating us like this!"

Due to emotional turmoil, Nagato even activated his Rinnegan, but at this moment Obito snorted coldly, stepped forward, and crossed his arms, standing between Nagato and Pakula.

“Because that guy was making underhanded moves behind the scenes, trying to betray Lord Fenglan.” Pakula raised his chin. “That’s why I planned this, to clear his head and make him realize who controls the Akatsuki.”

She didn't even glance at Konan and Nagato, her eyes fixed solely on Yahiko: "You're the one who killed those loyal subordinates, because you were trying to rebel against those who had shown you kindness."

Yahiko's face turned pale and then red. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

[Damn it, I underestimated this woman.]

Mei Terumi bit her lip. It was clear that Pakula had noticed her little tricks long ago, but deliberately cooperated with her and used her. Then, when Obito arrived and she had enough confidence to turn against him, she issued the order for the resistance army to be cannon fodder in the front.

Even if Yahiko and I wanted to rebel against her now, it would be impossible. The elite new recruits of Akatsuki were not very convinced of Yahiko's abilities to begin with, and they relied on Nagato's strength to suppress her. Moreover, Pakura has been promoting Fenglan's merits and power recently, making them vaguely inclined to lean towards her. At least in a real fight, they would not follow Yahiko's orders to attack Pakura.

If the resistance dares to make a move, all their long-term efforts will be in vain. Without the support of Obito and the Akatsuki, they absolutely cannot take down Kirigakure.