Mizukage's Office
Terumi Mei lightly patted Sasuke's face, a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Little rascal, I didn't expect you to improve this much in just a few months," she teased.
"Hmph, Fifth Mizukage, you weren't much of a challenge," Sasuke smirked. "I didn't even have to go all out to beat you."
Terumi Mei rolled her eyes at his cocky attitude. "Yeah, yeah, you're amazing, I get it."
Then, a sudden thought struck her, and her eyes lit up. "Wait… how did you even get in here?"
Sasuke remained silent, only giving her a small nod of confirmation.
"Could it be… the Flying Thunder God Technique?" she asked in surprise.
Sasuke nodded slightly. "Yeah, I've mastered it. Now, coming here is easy."
"That's incredible!" Mei beamed before suddenly leaning in and planting a kiss on his cheek.
Her admiration was genuine. The Flying Thunder God Technique was a legendary space-time ninjutsu. During the last Great Ninja War, Namikaze Minato used it to outmaneuver and eliminate countless powerful enemies, earning him the title of Yellow Flash.
Over the years, no one else had successfully mastered it, proving how difficult the technique was.
"Sasuke, is this technique really that powerful? Can it actually allow you to travel directly from Konoha to Kirigakure?" Mei asked curiously.
"In theory, yes," Sasuke explained. "The Flying Thunder God Technique has no actual distance limit. However, if the teleportation marker is too far away, the caster might not be able to sense it properly, making teleportation impossible. Also, the farther the jump, the greater the chakra consumption. If you don't have enough chakra, you won't be able to use it effectively."
Mei nodded, absorbing the explanation. "So, it's not without its limitations."
"Right, but luckily, chakra capacity isn't an issue for me," Sasuke added with a smirk.
Mei chuckled before tilting her head. "Anyway, why are you here this time?"
Sasuke leaned in slightly. "I need your help with something."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I need to find someone," Sasuke said.
Mei raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"One of the Legendary Sannin—Tsunade."
Mei's expression shifted slightly at the name. In her mind, she recalled Tsunade's mature beauty and her dangerous figure.
"Wait, you're not… interested in Tsunade, are you?" Mei teased, placing one hand on her waist while poking Sasuke's forehead with the other.
"Ahem, what are you thinking?" Sasuke coughed, shaking his head.
"Really?" Mei narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"You've heard about what happened in Konoha recently, right?" Sasuke asked.
Mei's expression turned serious as she nodded. "Orochimaru… That guy is extremely dangerous. He managed to kill both the Hokage and Kazekage."
"Exactly. That's why Konoha is searching for Tsunade to have her become the Fifth Hokage," Sasuke explained.
"Hmm… So, you want me to help you locate her?" Mei asked.
Sasuke nodded.
Mei smiled confidently. "Alright, consider it done."
"Great," Sasuke said with a grin. "Then I'll reward you tonight."
"Hmph, you're so shameless," Mei huffed, her cheeks turning slightly red.
Sasuke chuckled before pulling out a scroll. "By the way, Jiraiya already provided me with some intel on Tsunade's recent activities. With this, tracking her down should be easier."
Mei glanced at the information and nodded. "I'll have my spies get on it immediately. We should have results soon."
Satisfied, Sasuke leaned back. "Good. Now, what about all these documents?"
Mei glanced at her desk, which was piled with paperwork.
"I'll deal with them later," she said with a smirk. "As Mizukage, I deserve some rest too."
Grabbing Sasuke's hand, she led him out of the office.
---
That night, in Mei's beautifully decorated residence, the air was filled with the aroma of delicious food.
"Wow! This is amazing!" Mei exclaimed, her eyes shining as she took another bite.
"Sasuke, I had no idea you could cook this well!"
Sasuke smirked. "I told you, I have many talents."
Mei happily enjoyed the feast before her, praising Sasuke's cooking with every bite.
After dinner, the two of them lounged together, talking about Kirigakure's recent affairs.
"By the way, does Kirigakure have any major threats right now? Need me to handle anything?" Sasuke asked.
Mei chuckled. "I appreciate the offer, but I already took care of most problems myself."
"And what about the Three-Tails?" Sasuke asked.
Mei sighed. "It's still in the lake. Finding a suitable Jinchūriki has been tricky."
Sasuke's expression turned serious. "You should be careful. According to Jiraiya's intel, Akatsuki has been hunting Tailed Beasts. They might come for the Three-Tails next."
Mei frowned at the mention of Akatsuki. "Tch, those lunatics… If they really want it, maybe we should just let them have it rather than risk an all-out battle."
Sasuke nodded solemnly. "It's better to be cautious. But I have something that might help you in the future."
He sat up, and suddenly, golden markings spread across his body. The natural energy around them surged, forming a visible vortex centered around Sasuke.
Mei's eyes widened in shock.
"This is…?"
"It's called the Celestial Body Pattern," Sasuke explained. "It allows me to absorb natural energy passively, similar to Sage Mode but without time restrictions or drawbacks."
Mei's gaze was filled with awe.
"And… you're planning to teach me this?" she asked excitedly.
Sasuke nodded. "Of course. As my woman, I can't let you be weak."
Mei's heart skipped a beat at his words, and without hesitation, she hugged him, kissing his cheek repeatedly.
Then, with Sasuke's guidance, she began learning the technique. By dawn, pale golden lines had started forming on her body. Though her markings were much sparser than Sasuke's, she could already feel a noticeable increase in power.
"This is amazing!" Mei exclaimed.
"It should boost your abilities significantly—similar to the Curse Mark Second Stage, but without the side effects," Sasuke explained.
Mei nodded. "I can already feel it. This is a game-changer."
Sasuke smiled. "Good. Now, I need to focus on gathering more data on rune-based jutsu. I feel like there's a deeper secret hidden in these patterns."
"Don't overthink it," Mei said, bringing him back to reality.
"Yeah, you're right," Sasuke said, shaking his head. "For now, let's focus on tracking down Tsunade."
---
A few days later, Mei finally received news.
"You were right," she told Sasuke. "Tsunade has been spotted in Tanju Street recently."
Sasuke pulled out his map and compared it to Jiraiya's intel.
"Perfect," he said with a smirk. "That's right within the area Jiraiya marked."
With this new information, Sasuke set off on the next phase of his mission.