Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 174
🕑 Added 2025-02-02 22:00:31 +0000 UTCPakura looked as if she were drunk.
After finishing the ceremonial toast, she went around the table to offer a round of toasts to everyone, her voice soft but clear. "To the prosperity of the Uchiha clan," she said, earning unanimous praise from the group.
"Such grace in one so accomplished," an old Uchiha member commented, nodding approvingly.
The Uchiha clan instilled in each member from a young age the discipline expected of a shinobi. For the men, they had to embody boldness; for the women, they had to embody grace.
Pakura's performance perfectly matched the Uchiha men's standard for a "good woman."
Afterwards, she wobbled back to her seat, each step measured in its apparent unsteadiness.
Yaku immediately spoke up, "Masashi, you'll take good care of her, won't you? It wouldn't do to let her go home alone."
"Oh no, I couldn't impose..." Pakura protested weakly, her words slightly slurred.
She seemed genuinely overwhelmed by the alcohol. Her face flushed as she struggled to keep her eyes open, leaning slightly against him. Shoulder to shoulder, they felt each other's warmth through their thin clothes.
And her temperature seemed unusually high.
"Are you okay?" Masashi asked suspiciously.
The table was full of people, about ten or so, and she hadn't even spared the kids from her toasts. While the children drank juice, she stuck with alcohol.
He admitted he couldn't drink that fast himself. He was more of a slow drinker.
Still, he was skeptical. After all, during the Chunin Exams, he noticed that people from Suna had a high tolerance for alcohol.
They drank like fish.
On his other side, Hikari observed everything closely.
Drunk? Impossible. She took advantage of the lively atmosphere and struck decisively. Truly, a worthy rival.
She'd spent a fair amount of time visiting Pakura recently and had even shared drinks with her.
Big ceramic jars of sake! She drank straight from the bowl.
And this? This was child's play.
Besides, she didn't even blush when she drank!
Hikari picked up her cup. Her face flushed slightly as she blinked and took a deep breath. "I too would like to express my gratitude to everyone," she announced softly.
No matter how you looked at her, she seemed like a bashful girl unaccustomed to the ways of the world. Although nervous, she was trying her best to appear composed.
Then, she stood up and followed Pakura's example, toasting everyone at the table one by one.
Unlike Pakura, Hikari was a reflection of the ordinary people in the shinobi world—severely lacking a sense of security. From Masashi's perspective, her reliance on him stemmed largely from that lack of safety.
"The Uchiha compound welcomes those who seek its protection," one of the elders said warmly as Hikari approached.
"Your kindness means more than I can express," she replied, her voice trembling slightly.
In this world, society was relatively primitive. Conflicts between individuals were often resolved through raw power. Only when power was equal did intelligence come into play.
As a result, ordinary people had little to no sense of security, and even most ninjas weren't much better off.
Hikari came from a ninja clan, but she didn't become a kunoichi herself. Worse, her clan was destroyed. It was remarkable that she hadn't developed a victim complex.
The ninjas at the table understood this well.
So when Hikari raised her glass, everyone responded with kindness, hoping to ease her worries.
Konoha was the safest place in the world, without question. And the Uchiha clan's compound was the safest place for ninjas.
Masashi hoped Hikari would become more confident.
After making her rounds, she returned to her seat, cheeks flushed, and leaned against Masashi's other side.
"Unsteady drinker" summed it up perfectly.
He didn't mind. Whether they were genuinely drunk or just pretending, he understood one truth: If a girl says she's drunk, don't question it.
It was like when a girl called you a beast... you better live up to it?
Using his shoulders to support the two women, he managed to finish the banquet.
The meal went harmoniously, with everyone full of hope for the days ahead.
"Will you teach me something new, Masashi-nii?" Sasuke asked eagerly during a lull in conversation.
Masashi had given it some thought.
He decided to let Sasuke try learning how to use chakra threads. In the original timeline, the boy demonstrated excellent chakra control and was a true prodigy.
So, he agreed to Sasuke's request, promising to teach him a new jutsu.
---
After the meal, the group parted ways.
"Daddy!" Yaku's daughter tugged at his sleeve with an irresistible expression.
"Come, dear. Family time awaits," his wife added with a gentle smile.
Yaku was lovingly held by his wife on one arm and his daughter on the other, with her "I want to play with Daddy" expression. This once-ambitious man decided to spend the evening being a good husband and father.
Tetsuka and Inoka looked a little envious.
Meanwhile, Masashi had Pakura on one arm and Hikari on the other. He began to believe they were truly drunk this time—their full weight was on him.
If they were acting, he had to admit their skills surpassed his own.
Walking them home wasn't an option. He couldn't exactly carry them over his shoulders.
After bidding the others farewell, he used the Flying Thunder God to teleport out of the private room.
When he reappeared, he was in Pakura's house.
Thankfully, he had left a mark here out of habit.
He decided to drop off her first. Hikari's home had Haku, and he wanted to check on Haku's training after dropping her off.
Then tomorrow, he'd check on Anko's progress.
During peaceful times, he wanted to enjoy the joys of teaching and nurturing others.
Placing both women on the couch, he grabbed a blanket to cover Hikari before carrying Pakura upstairs.
Drunk people didn't need baths. He'd just put her straight to bed.
To be safe, though, he planned to leave a shadow clone behind before leaving.
---
On the second floor, he opened the bedroom door and laid Pakura on the bed. Removing her shoes, he reached for the blanket to tuck her in.
But he couldn't pull it over her. Because Pakura suddenly grabbed him.
As he tried to move around the edge of the bed, her pull caused his leg to knock against the bedframe. He tumbled forward, landing on top of her.
Her two large, high-yield, round nuclear warheads stood firm and unyielding beneath him, refusing to be suppressed.
During his time on Earth, Masashi's favorite activity as a child was trampolining.
The sensation of bouncing back after sitting down was exhilarating.
Pakura's body was similar in concept, although not quite as exaggerated.
"You've got some acting skills," he complimented, his eyes tracking her movements. "I couldn't even tell you were faking being drunk."
"What makes you think you can tell if a woman is actually drunk?" Pakura asked. "You people really think I don't understand the tea-drinking euphemism?"
She was no stranger to the hidden, gold-drenched dens of Suna. The places where deals were made and alliances forged over cups that held anything but tea.
Places of indulgence, decadence, and lavish spending.
"A ninja having some tea—what's the big deal? Mutual consent, after all," Masashi said as he felt her softness. "Maybe you don't realize this, but I'm always full of energy, like Iron Man. So, acting like this is dangerous, you know?"
"I grew up in the desert. Are you underestimating me?" Pakura licked her lips, a sly and seductive expression on her face. The moonlight caught the angles of her face, highlighting her fierce beauty.
Women from the Land of Wind learnt one thing from birth: If you see something good, you take it. If you don't take it, it won't be yours.
The desert taught harsh lessons about opportunity and survival.
The same applies to finding a man. Only a strong man could produce strong offspring.
For the weak, love was an unattainable luxury. Not because of anything romantic, but because life was fragile, and everyone desired a complete family.
She would never choose a man weaker than herself. Such a choice would leave her feeling unsafe.
Better to have nothing than to gain only to lose it again.
For her, a good man needed to meet three criteria: strength, intelligence, and a strong personality.
She wanted to be a true woman, not play the role of someone's mother. Marriage was optional.
The Land of Wind didn't fuss over things like the Land of Fire did. Since the Warring States Period, shinobi couples there didn't bother with formalities—if they liked each other, they'd sleep together and have children.
And marriage ceremonies could come later.
Pakura found Masashi to be a good fit for her tastes.
From the moment she arrived in Konoha, she'd been observing him. At first, it wasn't anything deep—she just thought he seemed trustworthy.
But as she got to know him better, the stark contrast between the environment and atmosphere of Konoha and Suna made her fall in love with this clan.
The men of the Uchiha clan were treasures. Their strength, their discipline, their burning intensity beneath cool exteriors.
Girls from Suna had no resistance to their type.
Gradually, her feelings deepened. She was a grown woman, after all, and wanted someone she could lean on.
But soon she realized she couldn't afford to take her time—because Masashi had brought another woman home.
This woman clearly was crafty, and had "unique" ideas.
Suna had plenty of women like that too. Their strength might be average, but they had endless tricks to capture a man's heart.
So Pakura made up her mind: once the war was over, she would claim Masashi for herself.
She knew he had feelings for her too.
Unique ideas? So what? She'd make him hers through sheer dominance.
Pakura slid a hand to her waist and undid her belt. Her long legs escaped the confines of her outfit, and she hooked them around Masashi's waist.
The heat between them had nothing to do with her Scorch Release.
"Who's the dangerous one now?" Pakura smirked, her lips curling up. "Shinobi aren't like regular people. Women from the Land of Wind learn how to handle their men from a young age."
"Heh..." Masashi chuckled, his hands gripping her hips. "You think you're all that, huh? Want to see why Iron Man is called Iron Man?"
Iron Man? He's said that twice now—what nonsense!
Pakura thought the only flaw in him was his habit of saying random, baffling things.
But it wasn't a big deal. Lots of men had quirks like that.
Outside, clouds hid the moon. The room went darker, and on the bed, their shadows tangled together until you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.
---
While things heated up here, the Hokage's office remained brightly lit, the atmosphere entirely different.
Minato and Fugaku were still working late into the night, their faces illuminated by the steady glow of desk lamps.
"Based on the Sandaime's reply, it seems Kumo has indeed backed down this time," Minato said, handing a letter to Fugaku. "Peace is officially confirmed."
"Backing down makes sense. They've lost two Raikage in succession, and both of their tailed beasts are gone. Kumo has suffered the most losses by far," Fugaku replied, scanning the document carefully. "Now, it's just a matter of what terms the village wants to propose."
"This time, we shouldn't let Masashi handle it," Minato mused, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the desk. "Kumo's strength shouldn't be overly diminished; otherwise, they won't be able to counterbalance Iwa. Keeping him out sends a positive signal to Kumo."
"We could demand compensation in the form of the Six Paths Sacred Treasures," Fugaku suggested, his sharp mind already moving to the next phase. "The Amber Purification Jar is one of the only tools capable of sealing tailed beasts. Since Suna is an ally, we can't count on them, but as a defeated nation, Kumo can be made to hand it over."
"That would touch on Kumo's core interests. They'd likely offer something else instead," Minato reasoned.
"In that case, we could ask them to share their jinchūriki training techniques. Even if they don't give us everything, it'd still be enough. For us, that knowledge is more valuable than the tools."
"Exactly. The Raikage clan sacrificed many members to develop that. For the village, it's their most valuable asset." Minato nodded. "With it, the Uzumaki clan's revival becomes even more essential."
"The Uzumaki clan has always been a critical ally of the village. Although external factors played a role, our failure to aid them in time during their crisis was a failure on our part and caused significant harm to the village's reputation. Reviving the clan is necessary," Fugaku said.
"Moreover, to fully utilize the Uzumaki clan's strength, they need to return to their status as a proper ninja clan."
"I'll discuss this thoroughly with Kushina," Minato said, understanding the point.
Starting with the Two-Tails, Konoha would shift away from old policies and begin reclaiming tailed beasts in a more controlled manner.
No group other than the Uzumaki clan could handle this task.
To that end, Konoha needed the training techniques developed by Kumo, a product of their substantial sacrifices. Combined with the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, Konoha could reliably harness the power of the tailed beasts.
This was far more reliable than the repeated failures of Wood Release experiments.
The manpower crises caused by those failed experiments were one of the reasons the Senju clan had withdrawn from active participation.
"By the way, isn't tonight Masashi's celebration party? Fugaku, aren't you going?"
"No need. Mikoto will take care of it. By now, things should have already wrapped up." Fugaku's slight smile suggested he knew more than he was saying.
"Huh?"
"Oh, don't worry about it, Minato. You should head home early tonight as well. Now that peace is here, you should spend more time with your family."
