Chapter 280: Come With Me

Sunlight streamed through the window.

Kitahara Kaede stood before the sink, scooped up a handful of cold water, and splashed it across his face.

He grabbed a towel, wiped himself twice, and considered the day’s schedule.

After breakfast, he needed to visit Tsunade at the hospital.

He had originally planned to go yesterday.

Then he remembered an urgent document, became buried in work, and didn’t finish until nightfall.

Kaede put down the towel and left the bathroom, intending to cook a quick bowl of noodles in the kitchen.

Two light knocks came from the front door.

He stopped without turning and casually called out,

"Leave the documents outside."

The ANBU had visited frequently lately, always delivering intelligence reports and official papers.

He had grown accustomed to it.

The knocking stopped for half a second, then sounded again.

Kaede frowned, turned, and headed for the entrance.

An ANBU would never knock a second time after being told to leave the papers outside.

Who was it?

He opened the door.

Terumi Mei stood outside.

She had changed out of yesterday’s formal attire and wore a pale-colored dress.

Her reddish-brown hair was no longer pinned up. Instead, it had been gathered into a casual ponytail, with several loose strands resting against her fair collarbones.

Her hands were clasped behind her back, and she leaned forward slightly with an exceptionally sweet smile.

"Good morning, Kaede!"

Dressed like this, she looked entirely like the friendly girl next door out for a morning stroll. Not a trace remained of Kirigakure’s powerful senior official.

Kaede looked at her without the slightest change in expression.

The moment she had deliberately asked for his address yesterday, he had known this would happen.

Asking why she had come would have been pointless.

He gave a faint nod and walked back into the house.

"Since you’re here, have you eaten breakfast?"

This time, Mei froze.

Before coming, she had rehearsed seven or eight excuses in her mind.

She could claim Konoha’s streets were too confusing and she had gotten lost, or say she wanted to discuss defensive details with him in advance.

Yet he hadn’t even asked.

Watching Kaede head toward the kitchen, Mei couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from rising.

The fact that he didn’t ask meant he had already expected her to come.

More importantly, somewhere in his subconscious, he didn’t regard her as an outsider who required formal caution.

"Not yet."

She removed her shoes and placed them by the entrance.

At the same time, her gaze swept over the area.

Three pairs of large men’s ninja shoes and nothing else.

Feeling slightly reassured, she rose and entered the living room.

Her eyes moved from the sofa to the low table and even inspected the wastebasket in the corner.

No fallen strands of long hair. No extra drinking glasses.

Only the faint scent of soap lingered in the air, without even a trace of perfume or cosmetics.

Kaede stood in the kitchen filling a pot with water, never turning around.

"Perfect. I was about to make noodles. I’ll prepare a bowl for you too."

Mei nodded obediently.

Her eyes shifted, and she spoke with complete naturalness.

"Kaede, where’s your bathroom? My hands are a little dirty."

Kaede reached for the noodles and pointed toward the end of the hall.

After thanking him, Mei walked over and pushed open the door.

The instant it closed behind her, the sweet smile vanished from her face.

Her gaze swept the room like a searchlight and locked onto the sink.

The mirror cabinet. The countertop. The basin.

A single toothbrush stood alone in a cup.

A gray towel hung beside it.

She even opened the mirror cabinet. Inside were only a razor and a bar of soap.

The trash bin was perfectly clean, with no tissues or miscellaneous items that might have been used by a woman.

There was no sign that any woman had ever spent the night in this house.

Mei’s mood soared completely.

The wild joy of discovering that her territory had not been invaded made her entire face glow.

The highest-level alert in her heart was officially lifted.

She opened the faucet and washed her hands with great care.

When she emerged, she looked as though she were walking through a spring breeze, smiling even more brightly than when she had entered.

She skipped lightly to the kitchen doorway, gripped both sides of the frame, and leaned half her body inside.

"Do you need help?"

Kaede glanced at her.

She had only washed her hands. Why did she suddenly seem so excited?

He dropped the noodles into the boiling water and stirred them with chopsticks.

"No. They’re only noodles. They’ll be ready soon."

A short while later, two steaming bowls of miso noodle soup were placed on the dining table.

Each bowl was topped with an egg and a small handful of chopped green onion.

Kaede passed her a pair of chopsticks and pulled out a chair.

"Aren’t you supposed to discuss the detailed joint defense plan with Hokage-sama today?"

Mei accepted the chopsticks and widened her eyes innocently.

"I am, but it’s still early."

Then she changed direction.

She leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying three parts pitifulness and seven parts coquettish pleading.

"Besides..."

"Will you come to the Hokage Building with me later?"

"I’m all alone in Konoha, and I don’t know the area. It’s a little scary~"

Kaede looked at her feigned weakness, the corner of his mouth twitching.

The woman who had forced Kirigakure’s stubborn conservative faction into obedience was claiming to be afraid in Konoha.

Still, he genuinely needed to collect several documents from the Hokage Building today.

It was on his way.

He nodded.

"Fine. I’ll take you after breakfast."

Mei knew when to stop and nodded happily.

"Let’s eat!"

...

At the other end of Konoha, Tsunade stood before a full-length mirror and smoothed a tiny crease in her collar.

Her thoughts unconsciously returned to the dinner held at Minato’s house several days earlier.

The gathering had been arranged to celebrate Obito and Rin’s safe return.

She had deliberately changed into a different outfit before going.

She had fully expected to see Kitahara Kaede at the table.

Yet when she arrived, there wasn’t even a trace of him.

She sat down and drank half a bottle of sake, holding back an indescribable irritation.

Halfway through dinner, however, Obito revealed everything that had happened in the Land of Water and Land of Rain.

Uchiha Madara’s conspiracy. Nagato’s stolen eyes.

Hearing intelligence capable of overturning the entire Shinobi World sobered Tsunade almost instantly.

Kaede had mentioned the coming crisis to her before.

But she had never imagined the situation was this vast or this deadly.

Rin softly added details from beside him, describing how Kaede had arranged everything in Kirigakure and accounted for every possible complication.

He had even pulled Obito back from the edge.

Even the normally proud Kakashi offered several rare words of praise.

As the three young shinobi spoke of Kaede with such respect and gratitude, Tsunade’s grip around her cup gradually loosened.

The resentment born from feeling forgotten disappeared without her noticing.

Minato had also mentioned that he originally sent an ANBU to invite Kaede to dinner.

Kaede refused because several plans had to be finalized immediately or problems might arise.

Minato had told him there was no need to rush, but Kaede wouldn’t listen.

Only then did Tsunade fully understand.

That bastard had been working this hard for the village.

Her thoughts returned to the present.

Tsunade looked at herself in the mirror and exhaled deeply.

"Since you’re so busy, I’ll go see you myself."

She turned toward the desk and picked up the hospital’s supply report.

After delivering it to the Hokage Building, she intended to "stop by" and see that man.

At the same time, Kaede and Mei finished breakfast.

They left the alley side by side and headed toward the Hokage Building.

Mei paid no attention to appearances and walked exceptionally close to him.

Her shoulder nearly brushed his arm.

She chatted and laughed along the way, her mood as buoyant as a kite soaring through the sky.

Pedestrians filled the morning market, occasionally casting curious looks toward them.

Mei didn’t care in the slightest.