"So you were really planning to leave without saying anything?"
Hands on her hips, Mei stood in front of Takeshi, who wore a black cloak and had a small bag slung over his back.
"Mei…," he sighed, looking at the angry young woman. "It's way too dangerous this time…"
"Dangerous?... So what, I can't come, Takeshi?!"
She wasn't going to swallow just any excuse. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation. Seeing the Hokage's hesitation, Takeshi had decided to take matters into his own hands.
Since when had he been this devoted to someone? That wasn't the case—sure, he enjoyed spending time with this Jonin, but it was never enough to justify taking such a risk. He might like women, but he wasn't a mindless dog chasing after every whim without thinking things through.
"…You still have a family here, girl. Think about the consequences," Takeshi said coldly.
She looked at him with a complicated expression. She knew. As a ninja, leaving for another territory and causing trouble was as good as signing a death warrant.
It could stir up diplomatic tensions, especially since the Hokage would never want a war to break out. The simplest solution would be to put them on the blacklist.
Without the village's support, they'd quickly fall prey to all kinds of threats—bounty hunters, maybe even people looking to earn the Raikage's favor… And then there was the matter of having a family. For Takeshi, it wasn't a problem; the parents of the body's previous owner had long been dead.
The Raikage wasn't as lenient as Tsunade. If they couldn't catch them, that bastard might go after Mei's parents or loved ones instead.
"…But… I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't just stand by…" she tried to argue.
"Idiot…" Takeshi cursed. "You really think the Hokage would risk a full-scale war to protect the family of a rogue ninja? Do you really believe that?"
A heavy silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of dead leaves rustling in the morning breeze. Mei wanted to reply, was searching for a response—but found none.
Everything Takeshi had said was the brutal truth. Maybe Tsunade wouldn't agree to feed two old folks to the wolves, but the other geezers in Konoha would likely pressure her, waving around that damned Will of Fire again and again.
Now that he lived here and had taken a step back, Takeshi realized he finally understood why Sasuke wanted to destroy the village… and how Naruto had managed to resist, while a single misstep could drive him—Takeshi—to destroy Hashirama's legacy.
"If it's that dangerous, why are you going?" Mei spoke again, breaking the silence. "Is that woman that important to you? Did everything we went through mean nothing? Am I just some object to you?"
Tears began to stream down the kunoichi's cheeks, falling onto the dry earth.
Takeshi stepped toward her, slowly pulling her into his arms, his lips tracing a path to hers in a kiss.
"You really think I'm using you? You doubt my love?" he whispered, comforting her.
Mei, on her end, melted into his embrace, holding him tightly as if he were the most important thing in her life—something she needed to protect at all costs.
One thing was certain: they made a beautiful couple. They stayed like that for more than ten seconds.
"I love you, Mei. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you… because if it did, I'd never forgive myself," Takeshi murmured.
Thank goodness for all the romance novels he'd read. The kind that painted love as something noble… romantic. The cliché of the charming prince. Either way, they had the desired effect—Mei's face lit up as though she'd just had a revelation.
A small smile curled on her lips. She felt like she had just won a battle—or at least, that's what she thought.
But just as she opened her mouth to reply, a sharp pain shot through her skull and her vision blurred.
"Take…!"
She collapsed in her beloved's arms, like a princess. Takeshi kissed her forehead, then gently set her down a bit further away.
"So this is love?"
A female voice echoed from a dark alley as a slender silhouette emerged. It was Aiko.
"Don't tell me you're going to start too," Takeshi growled. He had just gotten rid of one problem, and now a second one appeared. Maybe the heavens were against him.
"Not at all. If you've decided to leave, I'm not going to stop you. I was just here for Mei," Aiko said coolly as she walked over to her friend, who lay asleep in the corner.
"Tch…"
It was true that she didn't particularly like him… but whatever. At least she wasn't standing in his way. That was good enough.
"If you say so," Takeshi adjusted his bag. "Take good care of her."
He threw a shuriken, and in the next second, he vanished without a trace.
Aiko turned around. She was alone.
"Bastard!"