Chapter 146

During the meal, the originally awkward atmosphere was resolved by Ryosuke in a few words; seeing that Ryosuke did not mention the previous incident at all, Terumi Mei gradually relaxed.

The two drank and chatted about what had happened over the past two years.

Perhaps spurred by the alcohol, an ambiguous impulse gradually welled up in Terumi Mei's heart.

She wanted to tell this man before her loudly that in the countless days and nights over the past two years, she would think of him in her dreams.

She even thought of this man before her every moment, thinking of his voice and smile, thinking of every word he had said to her.

She finally couldn't hold it back anymore; she wanted to bravely say what was in her heart!

"I..."

Terumi Mei parted her red lips slightly, looking at Mizunuki Ryosuke opposite her with somewhat blurred eyes.

"Hmm?"

Ryosuke seemed to have noticed something unusual and looked at Terumi Mei with inquisitive eyes.

"Captain Ryosuke, when do you plan to get married?"

But who would have thought that after the words reached her lips, they would turn into something else entirely.

Terumi Mei asked Ryosuke with a somewhat awkward smile.

Although it appeared so on the surface, Terumi Mei's heart had already begun to condemn her own lack of resolve.

Missing this opportunity, she didn't know when she would have another chance to be alone with Ryosuke!

Terumi Mei's heart was weeping.

"Marriage?"

Suddenly asked by Terumi Mei, Ryosuke also showed a thoughtful expression.

At this moment, a beautiful figure with a charming smile appeared in his mind.

"Sister Lian..."

Ryosuke silently recited Mizunuki Lian's name, then smiled and answered Terumi Mei.

"Probably within these two years."

"The ninja world hasn't been peaceful these past two years; I'll consider my marriage after this wave of turmoil in the ninja world passes."

Ryosuke did not hide it but told Terumi Mei his thoughts directly.

"Is that so..."

Terumi Mei said with a forced smile.

Obviously, as Ryosuke's former teammate, she had a certain understanding of the person Ryosuke intended to marry.

"Mizunuki Lian..."

Terumi Mei's heart suddenly thought of a gentle and beautiful figure, and she subconsciously clenched her fists.

Subsequently, the two did not delve further into this topic but gradually chatted about other things.

Time passed bit by bit.

Ryosuke looked up at the sky outside the room and then smiled at Terumi Mei.

"Mei, it's getting late, let's stop here for today."

Seeing Ryosuke propose to end it, even though Terumi Mei still felt a bit unsatisfied, she could only nod in response.

Subsequently, the two said goodbye in front of the izakaya and went their separate ways.

There was no scene like in anime where the male lead walks the female lead home.

As a ninja, and a Jonin at that, Terumi Mei could certainly ensure her own safety.

Not to mention that this was within the Hidden Mist Village; unless someone was tired of living, no one would dare to cause trouble inside the village, so the act of escorting was completely unnecessary.

Watching Ryosuke's departing back, Terumi Mei felt not only a bit lost.

Afterward, she suddenly clenched her hand into a fist.

No!

She absolutely could not give up just like that!

She needed even deeper cultivation!

As the night deepened, the book stall owner on the main street of the Hidden Mist Village yawned and began to prepare to close up.

At such a late hour, it was unlikely anyone would come to buy books.

But suddenly, a dark shadow appeared in front of the book stall.

This person was dressed in pitch black, making it impossible to see their figure, and they faintly exuded a coldness that made the book stall owner shiver.

"You, you are..."

"Who are you!"

"This is the Hidden Mist Village, I advise you not to mess around!"

The book stall owner asked the dark shadow before him, trembling.

The security of the Hidden Mist Village had always been good; since he started his stall, this was the first time he had encountered such a thing.

But who knew, the dark shadow, with lightning speed, grabbed a book from the stall.

"How much for this book?"

Hearing the dark shadow's muffled question, the book stall owner was stunned.

When he saw the title of the book, a hint of strangeness appeared in his eyes.

"The Maiden's Secret Technique: Make a Man Fall in Love with You in One Look!"

Knowing that the person before him was here to buy a book, the fear in the book stall owner's heart dissipated a lot.

He just assumed the strange person before him was a ninja who had just finished a mission and hadn't changed their clothes.

"This customer really has a good eye!"

"A woman took a fancy to this book during the day, and I didn't even sell it to her!"

"Let me tell you..."

Immediately, in order to complete the last business before closing and sell the book for a good price, the book stall owner began to chatter incessantly again.

But who knew, upon hearing the book stall owner's words, a "..." appeared on the black-clad ninja's forehead.

Because if she remembered correctly, the only person who took a fancy to this book during the day was her.

"Keep the change!"

Too lazy to waste more words with the book stall owner, the black-clad ninja took out a banknote of high denomination from her bosom and slapped it into the owner's hands.

Then, holding the book, she disappeared from the spot.

After getting far away from the book stall, the black-clad ninja dispelled the Transformation Technique, revealing her original appearance.

This person was none other than Terumi Mei, who was staging a second visit.

Looking at the content of the book, a touch of persistence appeared in Terumi Mei's eyes.

No matter what, she would absolutely not give up easily!

By the time Ryosuke returned home, Lian was still awake, waiting for Ryosuke's return.

"I'm back."

Entering the house and pushing open the door, Ryosuke gave Lian a unique smile.

Seeing Ryosuke return, a hint of joy appeared in Lian's eyes.

"Welcome back, Ryosuke."

Sister Lian skillfully took the coat Ryosuke had taken off and took out the indoor shoes Ryosuke needed to change into.

The demeanor of the two was already no different from that of a married couple.

They had long since become accustomed to this way of life.

"Why are you back so late?"

Mizunuki Lian asked Ryosuke softly, her tone full of concern.

Hearing this, Ryosuke did not hide it, just smiled lightly.

"Nothing much."

"Met Mei on the way home; we hadn't seen each other in a long time, so we chatted outside for a while."

Hearing this, a trace of depth flashed across Mizunuki Lian's eyes without a trace, but she didn't say much more.

It seemed she also recalled the young girl who had followed under Ryosuke's command back then.

Out of a woman's instinct, Mizunuki Lian sensed that perhaps the girl had unusual feelings for Ryosuke.

However, Lian didn't care about this.

A small gathering with an old subordinate she hadn't seen in a long time was just a normal thing.

Plus, the fact that Ryosuke could speak of Terumi Mei so candidly naturally meant there was nothing worth worrying about in their relationship.

The only thing Mizunuki Lian felt a bit uncomfortable about was Ryosuke's somewhat intimate way of addressing Terumi Mei.

However, addressing someone by their first name was a perfectly normal thing for ninjas who had been in the same squad.

After chatting with Lian for a while, Mizunuki Ryosuke walked into the basement alone.

Below the basement was hidden the space Ryosuke used for cultivation and developing secret arts.

Since Ryosuke succeeded as Mizukage, he had expanded the underground secret chamber again, and its area was no longer comparable to what it was back then.

In addition, this underground secret chamber now had another purpose.

Ryosuke formed a seal with one hand, and the blood-colored array in the center of the basement glowed faintly.

Then, the next second, he disappeared from the basement.