Suffering is Usually the Last to Know

Nii Yugito-san, was caught in an extremely tricky choice.

The thing called a game console sounded insignificant, but after being tossed around by Makoto so many times, she had come to truly understand that in this day and age, new things often meant huge excess profits.

And this was exactly what Kumo needed the most.

No matter what time of the day it was, a real money bounty could always lift one's spirits.

The only doubt was whether or not this was part of Makoto's plan - there was no way around it, she was on the verge of being punked out of her PTSD by Makoto.

"It can't be that everything is his doing though, can it... Maybe... it really was just a normal heavenly opportunity?"

Yugito knew that the next choice she made would determine her own fate, and that of Kumogakure as a whole.

She was both worried that this was Makoto's ploy, and she wanted to change the status quo of Kumo in a short period of time...

Difficult.

At the same time, Hokage Lady Temari was also in great distress.

No, it couldn't be said to be troubled, but rather an odd... confusion.

Temari always felt as if she had been green again.

This bewilderment has no source, it is just the simple killer instinct of women.

The cute girl wearing a small white dress a few, wearing a golden double ponytail quietly pushed open the door crack a little, curiously observing the situation in the living room of the Hokage mansion.

The living room was extremely lively today, with many people coming.

Some of them were known to Temari , and others were known to Temari as well.

Among them were Konoha executives, friendly people from other villages, and even many of them were small children from orphanages.

The little children from the orphanage were nothing to write home about, many of them were Temari's little friends - Temari made friends with a kind of bravado from the desert, she never cared about the other person's status when she made friends, and anyway, in Konohagakure, it was impossible for there to be a woman of a higher status than her.

Although her actual age is much older than her, when it comes to status, the respected Lady Uchiha and Lady Hyuga are actually half a degree below her.

-Kazehana Koyuki and the Land of Fire's little princess count separately, after all, these two were not originally from the Konoha system, they merely often play here... Although they have all been playing for a small half a year now, they do not have the slightest intention of leaving...

At this moment, dozens of children from the orphanage were gathered in the living room, watching with great interest as a few of the children who had excelled the most in the previous exams played video games.

The pixelated images flickering on the television were still very primitive to Makoto, however, to the children of this era, it could already be described as godly technology.

Even though the function was limited and there weren't many games that could be played, the children who were watching the battle were gazing at the children who were lucky enough to try it out first, and they wanted to take their place in the game.

Because they were watching too intently, so much so that even dango placed in their hands didn't smell good anymore.

...Temari felt that these children who were bent on playing the game couldn't possibly give her any bad influence.

After all, they were all her friends.

And these people... are Naruto's future mother-in-laws.

-This is what Chiyo-baasama said, and to use the current fashionable words to describe it, it's a hardcore heartthrob.

Temari and Naruto were extremely close, and with hints from Chiyo-baasama and her father, Temari had always treated Naruto as her own brother.

She didn't feel that these future mother-in-laws could give her such odd feelings.

So, moving her gaze, Temari landed in another corner of the living room.

There, her nominal husband, Suo Makoto, was unzipping his white shirt, revealing well-worked muscles, while talking to his own personal guards in the same black suits and white shirts.

Makoto's guards were different from all the previous Hokage's, prioritizing perception over battle prowess.

Temari's side was peeking and was immediately spotted by a few perception ninjas within the guards.

However, they were very familiar with Temari's aura, so naturally they wouldn't make things difficult for Mrs. Hokage. So after simply smiling, the Hokage's personal guards shifted their gaze back to Makoto, who was talking.

"Kakashi, why did you take off your jacket?"

"It's hot. Hokage-sama, it's summer."

"You have to wear it even if it's hot. In the past, when you guys had to fight, and you had to mix and match and go off-the-wall, I wouldn't even say anything about you. But things are different now, you're going to be the leader in the future, you have to wear a suit, tie, and smoke a cigar. If you have time, I'll take you to meet a few rich people, know a few more rich people, there's always no harm... in being a ninja, it's all about brain-eating, or else you'll be an Uchiha Madara for the rest of your life."

Uchiha Shisui: "Madara-sama he..."

"Well, let's not mention the past. After all, the rotten things back then, the authorities involved were confused, and it's really meaningless for me to keep pointing fingers from the moral high ground... By the way, Kakashi, how's that thing I asked you to do?"

"It didn't go too well. Hokage-sama, when I went to Kumo for the second time, I actually sensed the Yugito's intention to back down. After all, Kumo's current situation has to change, or else it's a situation where they'll die from internal and external problems, but not too long ago, I got wind that the Yugito seemed to be preparing to cooperate with a certain big businessman to make a new type of game console together..."

Kakashi said, hoisting his dead fish eyes to look at Makoto.

"Hokage-sama, are you secretly doing it again?"

"Hey, hey, hey, even if we're so familiar, you can't talk nonsense! I'll sue you for slander, I'll sue you for slander... okay, it was indeed me who did it."

Makoto said and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not like you haven't personally experienced how fun the new video game consoles are. I can say this, as long as you've played it once, it's impossible for a boy to say no - not to mention underage kids, even those widows and orphans who are older youths can't get rid of the charm of the game consoles. -

"After a few decades, when the technology has matured, we can make handheld games and ruthlessly cut the leeks of the world. A year's profit from handheld games would be enough for the Land of Fire to build an up-to-date aircraft carrier, what a fool's errand..."

The perpetually far-sighted Godaime Hokage-sama was saying some weird stuff again.

But the Konoha guards who were now dressed up in his top-notch boy band look didn't have much to object to - after all, Makoto was the kind of ultimate powerhouse who liked to walk backwards and accomplish his goals brightly after shocking a field of eyeballs.

He was always able to achieve his goals.

No matter how odd the process or reason was.

"But you clearly could have kept all of these industries at home, and for no reason at all you sent such a good emerging industry out to the Land of Lightning , especially Kumo..."

Nowadays, Makoto is so majestic that in the whole of Konoha, only Kakashi and Minato dare to talk over him like that.

Kakashi was close to saying the words of enemy financing.

"There are some things that can be used for both weapons of mass destruction and ice-cream. The point is, it's what you do with those technologies."

"And these are technologies that we in the Land of Fire are not quite perfected, or even just beginning to develop. They, Kumo, want to borrow chickens to lay eggs, and why wouldn't we do the same? ...Kumo is unlikely to cooperate with us, but as long as we hand over the technologies, I'm not worried that Yugito will not help with the rest."

Although thanks to the silver bullet offensive and the foresight of Makoto, a time traveler, early game consoles have been produced. But this thing still faces a very real problem-mass production.

The new consoles that Konoha was using now were actually prototypes that had been hand-rolled in the lab.

It was possible to use it, but the cost never came down.

There are some technologies that can really only be found in Kumogakure - although these technologies were originally used to prepare to blow up Makoto...

Hearing Makoto say this, Kakashi immediately understood.

The Godaime Hokage was really making another big one.

However, Kakashi never understood how Makoto was going to deal with Kumo when the technology was in the other party's hands.

-It is true that Makoto has always used evil tactics to suppress others, but Kumogakure is not a fool. Now the choice is completely in the hands of the opponent. Kakashi has no idea how the opponent can lose.

"The Atari shock. -

T/N: The video game crash of 1983 (known in Japan as the Atari shock) was a large-scale recession in the video game industry that occurred from 1983 to 1985, primarily in the United States (thanks again, Wikipedia)

"Greed will destroy Kumo. -

"Once sin starts, it never stops."

Makoto played with an orange in his hand before tossing it to Kakashi.

"According to the intelligence, there is no clear authority for the new video game console right now. But in the face of such fat meat, there's no way that group of noble things won't make a move."

"Yugito don't have any reason to give up this piece of fat meat, the two sides will eventually fight... New money or old money, you always have to choose one. -

"Isn't it? -

"It just so happens that Yugito herself belong to the new money as much as we do."

Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui sniffed and looked at each other, finally their eyes filled with gratitude - thankfully the son of a bitch was always one of their own.

Hokage and his personal guards continued to chat casually, not caring about the prying eyes of Mrs. Hokage.

Temari scratched her head and eventually continued to move her gaze.

She couldn't understand what the adults were talking about, but from past experience, it was another one of her fiancé's schemes.

Maybe it would be the end of a few more small countries.

But that was none of her business.

As her father, the Yondaime Kazekage, had commented, the stronger Konoha was, the safer that Suna would be. Just... just what? Her father didn't say, but Temari felt that her father must have a solution.

In her mind, the Yondaime Kazekage had always been a very powerful person... though her fiancé was even more powerful.

Unable to find the source of her foreboding from her fiancé, Temari averted her gaze and eventually focused her attention on a large group of ladies and gentlemen who were joking around with each other.

The men were struggling to harmonize with each other, and the women were actually doing the same.

Only they were doing it in a much more subtle way - they were sunning each other.

And the focus of that is, of course, Naruto, the son of the Yondaime Hokage, and Sasuke, the second daughter of the Uchiha clan.

Yes, the second daughter.

In many people's minds, the Uchiha clan is supposed to have two sons. But for some reason, the head of the Uchiha clan suddenly announced that his second son was actually a daughter.

This daughter had been weak and sickly since she was a child, so in accordance with tradition, they had sent their daughter in a line of substitutes, placed her in a monastery, and raised her in a male body in the hope that she would be free of the disease.

Recently, the second daughter's health has completely improved, and only then was she released from her male disguise, so that she could walk in front of people again in her original posture.

-Whoever believes that is a fool.

Tsunade-hime had never left since she was invited back by Makoto. She's been in the village for so long, what disease can't be cured that she has to follow ancient methods? Engage in those feudal superstitions?

There must be something wrong with the second son of Uchiha.

According to the rumor of the gossip, it is the Uchiha clan's incompetence, so that the Konoha big boundary has a huge problem, was the enemy from the outside slipped in, and even in order to retaliate, the Uchiha clan's second son also became a daughter body...

The rumors were told as if they had actually seen it.

However, this kind of rumor, the people will never easily believe it, and even more so, they will not be stupid enough to say it in front of the Uchiha clan.

This involves a very complicated political reasoning... After all, everyone knows that right now the Uchiha clan and the Godaime are on extremely good terms... And looking at the Godaime, it seems that they are also prepared to take this opportunity to complete a marriage...

"Naruto, go over there. What are you afraid of?"

Nono, who was always unchanged in her black and white nun's outfit, nudged Naruto, signaling him to walk towards the Uchiha Sasuke, who was dressed in a cute kimono with black hair and eyes.

"You guys are going to be friends from now on~"

-Where is it friends, it's clearly a couple.

Makoto had said early on that he wasn't going to interfere with Naruto's freedom of marriage, and that he would find him plenty of girls and then let him take his time to pick them out.

Godfather to this point, is also considered to try their best.

But for some reason, the recent Makoto changed his mind, and instead prepared to use Naruto and Uchiha marriage.

For the Uchiha up and down, this is of course a good news.

After all, this means that the Uchiha clan is completely established in the center of power in Konoha. Instead of being consistently semi-excluded like during the time of the Sandaime.

If nothing unexpected, after two or three generations, there should be a Hokage of Uchiha origin...

This was something that everyone was happy to see.

Even from the Land of Demons back, seeking medical treatment to no avail Uchiha Fugaku face, but also rare show some smile... Naruto after all, is the son of the former Hokage, match his second daughter is also very good.

The Uchiha clan does not have the horrible bloodline paranoia of the Hyuuga clan, if it is the second daughter who marries... To put it bluntly, it is also ultimately the second daughter, not the eldest son.

For the Uchiha elder regiment, if they can sacrifice a second daughter to gain more benefits for the family, then why not go for it.

The great families do have their glitter, but it's never uncommon to see the filth and helplessness within.

In a way, after Sasuke became a girl, he was even better off than he was originally.

After all, Makoto doesn't have any children, making it difficult to join a marriage, and the only Haku... who the hell looks at her as Hokage's daughter.

It is also just Temari-san who is completely unaware of it.

But that was normal... the bitter master was usually the last to know the truth of the matter.

Of course, this is all based on Naruto's willingness to choose Sasuke.

After all, the Yondaime Hokage and the Godaime Hokage were notoriously close, and the Godaime Hokage basically raised Naruto as his own son. If Naruto himself never agreed, then the Godaime Hokage naturally wouldn't insist.

With the power of the Goddaime Hokage now, at the very least within Konoha, he no longer needed to exchange benefits against his will.

His world-strengthening power was the very reason he became Hokage.

As the crowd watched expectantly, Naruto slowly made his way towards young Sasuke. The adorably dressed Sasuke nibbled on her white fingers, more or less at a loss for words.

Naruto froze in place as he watched the little girl look so adorable.

"Naruto! Naruto! What are you standing there for!"

Nono could not stand to watch, usually Naruto was such a smart kid, but when it came to the critical moment, he dropped the ball.

She couldn't help but remind continuously.

"Forget what I told you before?"

"...Ah!"

Little Naruto woke up as if in a dream, and hurriedly fished out a few beautifully wrapped candies from his own pants pocket and handed them to Sasuke.

Sasuke was dumbfounded as well, seemingly at a complete loss as to how to react.

"Sasuke, what do I usually teach you? How should I respond at this time?"

Both parents wanted to make this happen, but if the two children... were lucky, something like that didn't happen.

Sasuke answered instinctively, despite her bewilderment.

"...Thank you, husband."

The atmosphere of the scene, instantly froze.

The smiles of Nono and Uchiha Fugaku, both froze on their faces.

How to say it... Sasuke's answer was very problematic... but when they thought about it, it seemed to be fine...

Anyway, it was subtle.

The adults didn't know how to answer for a while, but the reaction of the Uchiha clan's eldest son, Uchiha Itachi, was straightforward... He was directly infuriated and opened his two tomoe Sharingan.

At this time between the great hidden village has stopped direct large-scale armed confrontation, war intensity reduced to the extreme point. Even Uchiha Itachi did not have too good a space for battlefield exercise.

However, in the situation where the beloved sister was about to be snatched away by a giggling blonde kid...

For an older brother who had managed to switch from a bro-con to a sis-con with great difficulty, there could not be anything more cruel in the world.

On the contrary, he hadn't had any reason to stop it.

The clansmen of the Uchiha clan would not allow him to interfere with the marriage between the two, and the pride of being a part of Konoha would not allow him to do anything that would harm the interests of Konoha.

Therefore, he could only stand by and watch his own sister, be snatched away by the idiot Naruto... Maybe he would have to help Naruto chase his own sister in the future...

Simply can be said to be the ultimate insult...

...But for Temari, it wasn't a big deal.

Since she was in the midst of everyone, things like alliances just couldn't be helped. When she came to Konoha at the age of three, she had already made the realization in her heart.

Comparatively speaking, Naruto had been lucky.

After all, Makoto's jokes were jokes, and he wouldn't really mess around with the idea. As long as Naruto was willing, Makoto was willing to make it happen for him.

...And as of now, Naruto seemed to like Sasuke a lot.

"So... what exactly went wrong?"

Temari was incredibly distressed as she grabbed her golden twin ponytails.

It was at this moment that Temari felt someone approaching her from behind. She nervously turned around and realized that it was Pakura.

"Pakura-niichan! What are you doing, you scared me to death!"

"Hahaha, Temari-san, what are you doing here. Peeping is not something a lady should do... here, many people are watching you."

Pakura, as usual, skillfully walked to Temari's side and petted her head.

Temari didn't think too much about it, after all, both in her father's, and Chiyo-baasama's descriptions, Pakura was one of her own who could be trusted one hundred percent.

So she didn't hide anything, but instead just voiced her concerns.

"Sister Pakura, I feel like there might be someone... trying to green me!"

The current Temari was almost six years old after all, girls were already a bit more precocious, and Temari had a special mission on her shoulders. So although the age is small, but still began to understand some things.

Hearing Temari say that, Pakura's mouth twitched twice.

"It's like this... so you were just..."

"In order to guard the peace of Suna, I have to find out that woman! Hoo hoo..."

Seeing the serious and earnest cute little look of Temari, Pakura more or less tensed up.

-But she did her best to hold back.

"Now then, have you found her?"

"No, not yet! The opponent is just too cunning and has been hiding her tracks! But I have a feeling that I can definitely find her... She must be in the living room!"

Pakura really didn't know what to say, in the end, she only had to pick up Little Temari, who was addicted to playing detective games, and walked into the middle of the living room.

In fact, little Temari's sneaking ability is really not considered to be much, only everyone knows that she is the Hokage lady, so pretend not to know.

Now that Temari was carried in by Pakura, everyone immediately saluted Mrs. Hokage.

Temari had been in Konoha for so long, and had long gotten used to people's attitudes, and was not scared.

It was only when she was being carried by Pakura that Little Temari, who had a keen sense of smell, smelled a very odd scent of heather flowers on Pakura's body.

"Sister Pakura, you changed your perfume?"

Kumoichis rarely use perfume, because for some powerful ninja beasts, the obvious smell of perfume is the best signpost when they are tracking.

Pakura was an elite kumoichi, and naturally followed this tradition normally.

Only recently, Pakura has somehow become more and more voluptuous and feminine, and now she has started to use perfume... because of her work?

Diplomats not only need to be able to fight, but also need to have contact with all kinds of religions.

"Well..."

Extremely rarely, Pakura answered Temari's question in what could be described as a vague tone.

Until this time, Temari also sensed a hint of something wrong from her.

Then again, isn't the number of times Ms. Pakura comes to the Hokage mansion a little too frequent... And every time she comes over, she surely has to spend the night, discussing important information with Makoto in her room until dawn... Is there really that much to discuss lately?

Temari vaguely felt that this went against her common sense.

But then again, she trusted Pakura, so... the little girl's brain went down on overload.

"Hey... Temari, I'm sorry..."

Pakura sighed in such a small voice and carried Temari, whose eyes had turned into swirls because of the downtime, to Makoto's face.

Makoto had already known about the existence of Handspring, so he didn't care. He very skillfully took the distressed little girl from Pakura's hands and then asked.

"Why did you come over at this time? Is there some good news?"

"Umm..."

Pakura agreed, her eyes not daring to make any contact with Temari.

"Over in the Land of Lightning, stores selling new video game consoles have begun to appear, it doesn't really have a large number of consoles yet, but the state of sales is extremely hot. -

"Although there isn't much evidence, we have reason to be sure that this store is actually a vest of Kumo..."

Makoto sniffed and the corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

The fish, finally, had taken the bait.

In Makoto's field of vision, the icon that represented ecstasy in the first stage of the cat's mission had already been completed.

"The second stage... should almost start as well."