Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

Chapter 119

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Cover Art: Kissuli.

Chapter 119

"Are you sure you aren't a ninja from here?" Tsunade asked, looking around with a rather amused expression. Not that Eiji could blame her. For people that were more familiar with the enmity that the Stone held towards the Leaf, it must have been quite the sight, to see people waving at him and children coming up to greet him. Hell, some even came for an autograph.

"I mean, might as well be, with as much time as I have to spend here lately," Eiji said with a shrug. It wasn't like he cared about that all that much. He only wished he could see the rest of his friends too.

"Good to see that you love your village," The newly appointed Fifth Hokage commented sarcastically.

"You should already know that I give no actual fucks about Konoha," He told her bluntly and honestly. It was how it was, plain and simple. He loved his family and his friends, but he didn't care for his village as much as he probably should, in others' eyes. The most he could muster was when he considered that, as citizens of the place, his friends and family depended on it. "I'm sure that must be written in a report somewhere."

"It is," Tsunade easily admitted. "It's another thing altogether to witness that though. Your girlfriend has been rubbing off on you, huh?" She added afterwards, looking rather amused once more as he gazed between the two of them. He guessed she wasn't entirely wrong in a way, but it was more that he'd started caring less and less for acting his part. It was much easier to just be brutally honest.

"He always had that in him, Old Hag," Tayuya said, speaking for the first time since they started their little walk. "I know it gets difficult to keep up as you get older but sti-"

"I suggest you try and keep your worse half from speaking at all, brat," Tsunade said, her eyes growing intense as she all but glared at Eiji. He guessed if she were to turn to Tayuya, she'd smack her none too gently. The twitch in her expression certainly seemed to indicate that, at least. "She is treading dangerous waters."

"I mean, she's not wrong though," Eiji commented, his tone even, as if he were speaking about the weather. Red started to color the Hokage's face and that's when he decided it wasn't worth the hassle to keep it up. "But I guess we can leave your midlife crisis unaddressed."

"Midlife crisis, Fearless Leader, more like-"

"And with that said," He continued, before his girlfriend could doom them and the surrounding structures and people. "Is there anything I should... look forward to, as it were?" He asked, making the blonde woman take a deep, calming breath in before she labeled him with a glare. He just blinked innocently at her.

"Oh, how do I despise you," She growled, turning to side-glare at Tayuya.

"The feeling is mutual, Old Hag."

"Fifth?"

"Please, call me Tsunade," The woman said, her eye twitching. "If you are not gonna mean the respect, don't even bother."

"Sure thing, Old Hag," He replied with a smirk as her eye twitched once more. "So, about the question?"

"Kumo called for this meeting," She said, immediately going all business on them. "My guess is that they'll grovel for forgiveness and blame someone for their mess. After that, they'll want tentative peace once more, just like we've had for a while."

"Sounds about right," Eiji nodded.

"After they are done doing that, there'll be talks of achieving actual peace. Everyone but them wants it, so they can either join or be left out. They'll hate it either way, but we all know which is the safest option for them, and that's likely what they'll take."