Chapter Eighty-Seven: Minato Namikaze, One Pruned Plum Blossom, Water Gate, Part Two

"Boss, you're back?"

At the sound of footsteps, Kahn guessed it was probably Kushina. Among the few people Nanami would let in, she was one of them, and those pattering steps were unmistakably hers.

"Of course. I've been busy outside for so long without resting at all. I'm practically exhausted."

Kahn deliberately rubbed the back of his neck, hinting at her. He really had been busy. During his time in the Marvel world, aside from practicing spells, he was constantly working with the military. He often met up with the intermediary Betty Ross to practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Betty, so clearly absorbed in the struggle of grappling yet always refusing him with words, made it very easy to want a little more intimate contact.

Hearing that, Kushina stared at Kahn's face for a few seconds, then suddenly gathered her courage and said, "Th-then... I-I can help you, Boss, with your shoulders?"

After saying it, her cheeks reddened as she turned her head away, then patted her thighs with both small hands as she knelt on the floor.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Kushina."

Kahn agreed at once and, just as before, rested his head on Kushina's lap. The familiar black stockings were still there, with half of her pale skin visible.

Since Kahn had praised Kushina for wearing stockings the last time, it seemed she had not worn anything else since.

"Boss..."

Kushina had already begun to regret her words after saying them. She had been busy outside all day, and there might be quite a bit of dust on her legs. But Kahn moved too quickly; before she had even finished speaking, he was lying down already, even turning onto his side so that half his face pressed against her two joined thighs.

"T-this... isn't this a bit..."

Kushina's face grew hot. She opened her mouth, but the words would not come. After Kahn lay down, the distance between them shrank considerably, and she took the chance to look closely at his face.

Thankfully, Kahn had closed his eyes; otherwise, Kushina would never have been this bold. After staring for a while, she quietly nodded to herself. It was not her imagination: the boss really did look different.

His features had not changed, yet the longer one looked, the more pleasant he seemed, like a beautiful object one could not help but lose oneself admiring.

How wonderful it would be if she could keep looking at him like this forever, Kushina thought with a faint, delighted smile.

"Kushina?"

After waiting a while and seeing no movement from her, Kahn opened his eyes and was about to ask, but before he could even turn his head, Kushina quickly covered his eyes with her small hands.

"I'm starting right away. I was just... thinking through the steps!"

Her cheeks flushed faintly as she said it. In truth, she had been momentarily dazed, but how could she possibly admit that?

Then she began to massage him.

Kahn's body was much sturdier now. For Kushina, kneading it felt like working iron. Even when he relaxed, he remained hard and firm. Before long, Kushina's face was red with exertion, and fine beads of sweat slowly appeared on her cheeks.

...

Fresh from training, Minato Namikaze was hurrying toward the location of the sealing unit.

Today, he had achieved a small breakthrough in the Flying Thunder God Technique, and in his excitement he had practiced extra long, gradually capturing the feeling of shifting himself through the technique's mark.

But progress in ninjutsu could only bring Minato a little happiness. If he could grow even closer to Kushina, he was afraid he would laugh out loud.

"I wonder whether the book Master Jiraiya recommended is really useful. Why does it feel like, following the methods in it, Kushina only dislikes me more and more..."

The thought troubled him. After his first failure, he had gone back to ask Master Jiraiya, but Jiraiya had pounded his chest and sworn that the methods inside were absolutely the finest distillation of all knowledge for pursuing girls.

Minato had also gone back and read it himself, staying up late with a lamp until midnight. Only when he remembered he still had training the next day did he force himself to put the book down. Even after turning off the light and lying in bed, his mind kept circling the contents.

It really was a good book!

That was Minato's sincere conclusion after reading it, especially those suggestive and daring scenes that made the love stories inside feel intensely desirable. More than once he had laughed aloud beneath his blankets.

"There's no time today to go give Kushina a gift. Skipping one day should be fine... Kushina?"

Minato suddenly saw Kushina at the entrance of Kahn's confectionery shop, and immediately stopped, hiding behind a telephone pole to watch carefully.

It really was Kushina. With such beautiful red hair, only Kushina could have it... only, why did she look a little strange now? Her face was flushed, the red hair at her temples stuck to her cheeks with sweat, and her steps seemed unsteady, almost limping.

"This... impossible."

Minato hurriedly ducked back, took out the book Master Jiraiya had recommended from his chest, and flipped to the page that had made the deepest impression on him the previous day.

"The same, all the same. No, no, that's not right. I must be overthinking it."

Minato tried to reassure himself. When he peeked out again, the shop door had already been closed, and Kushina and Kahn were heading elsewhere; from that direction, it should be toward the Senju clan grounds where Kushina lived.

If she was going home, then he could never catch up. He was only Master Jiraiya's disciple, not Master Jiraiya himself. If he wanted to visit the Senju clan grounds, he would first have to call on Lady Tsunade.

Still, what he had seen today left Minato deeply unsettled, and even the joy of mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique seemed to have vanished.

"Tomorrow, I have to ask Master Jiraiya about this for sure!"

On the other side, Kahn also felt rather embarrassed seeing how awkwardly Kushina was walking. Earlier, he had relaxed too much and fallen asleep with his head on her thighs. When he woke, her legs had gone numb.

"Let me help you, Kushina. Heal as before!"

With that, Kahn cast a healing charm on her. It could only treat ordinary injuries, but it was quite versatile, much like the Palm-Sage Technique among medical ninjutsu. In the Harry Potter world, the deeper healing magic was meant for wounds caused by dark magic, whereas normal injuries were actually easier to handle.

Kushina's difficulty walking was simply because Kahn had rested on her for too long and blood flow had been obstructed. After the healing magic worked, she quickly felt her legs return to normal.

Kushina hopped in place and asked in surprise, "Boss, was that medical ninjutsu just now?"

"No, it wasn't medical ninjutsu. It's another kind of power, one only I can use."

With that, Kahn and Kushina walked together toward the Senju clan grounds.

He had something to discuss with Tsunade as well. He did not know how many special medicines she had finished developing, but from what they'd said earlier, she should have completed at least two kinds by now, and perhaps even three.

Two was enough for Kahn. It would be sufficient for his biopharmaceutical company to seize a larger share of the pharmaceutical market in the Marvel world, and perhaps even become a leader there.

When they arrived at Tsunade's home, Nawaki was already preparing dinner. When he saw Kahn, he immediately made an extra portion.

A little later, Tsunade returned. Seeing Kahn, she simply said, "You're here," with no surprise at all, then called out to Nawaki that she was hungry.

After dinner, Tsunade led Kahn into the Senju clan grounds. When Konoha was first founded, the Senju still had many people, but in just twenty years, only Tsunade, Nawaki, and Kushina remained living in the clan grounds. The rest were empty houses.

"Tsunade, are the special medicines ready?" Kahn asked when she kept silent.

"I knew you'd ask that. Three kinds are already prepared. I found a few people and cured them all, but you'd best test them a few more times. Once we're back, I'll give you the formulas. As for the last one, I don't have time to research it for now, and it's hard to find suitable cases..."

Tsunade folded her arms and said to Kahn.

"As expected of the medical saint. Your medical ninjutsu must already be number one in all the ninja world, Tsunade." Kahn praised her sincerely. To develop three special medicines in such a short time—if the pharmaceutical giants of the Marvel world heard that, they would probably cry.

"Then why did you call me out here?"

Tsunade shook her head and said, "Nothing much. I just wanted to ask what your goal is. It feels like you're always busy, and with all that money, you don't enjoy yourself like other merchants..."

Kahn answered directly, "My goal? It's simple. I just want to do whatever I want. I'm working toward that right now. Tsunade, don't beat around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it. I thought we were friends."

Tsunade fell silent. Recently, many people had spoken to her about Konoha, righteousness, and all manner of Kahn's conduct, leaving her irritated and angry. Lately she had even stopped touching her favorite drink and gambling. Today, after meeting Kahn, she had called him out after dinner precisely because she wanted to ask clearly what his intentions were.

But after thinking it over, she realized she had no real standing to question him. In plain terms, Kahn was a merchant. Like the other merchants of the Fire Country, he could do business with Konoha or with people from the Lightning Country or the Earth Country. Moreover, Kahn was not even from the Fire Country.

After calling Kahn out, Tsunade suddenly found she did not know how to begin.

"So... the medicines. Have you sold them to other people?"

"Of course. Konoha can't buy everything. Besides the pharmacies in the Fire Country, they can also be bought in the Wave Country. Since I made them, I have to find buyers; otherwise, are I supposed to let all that medicine rot?"

Kahn answered at once, though how much truth he revealed was up to him.

"Could the price of the medicines be a little cheaper? Konoha really needs these medicines and medical supplies."

Tsunade had intended to say something else, but when the words reached her lips, this was what came out instead.

Kahn thought for a moment, then said to Tsunade, "I can sell them to you for less, thirty percent below the initial price. But if Konoha is the one buying, then the price will be the same as last time. Tsunade, I treat you as a friend, so I don't want to see you put in an awkward position."