The three of them headed out cheerfully. Hagane Kotetsu, being tactful, walked a bit to the side, leaving space for the Kamizuki brothers.
Unlike Kamizuki Izumo, who seemed preoccupied with his thoughts, Hikari was focused on shopping. Cute accessories, beautifully packaged snacks—anything a girl might like, he bought them all.
"Hey, Hikari, I'm really curious—do you still plan on bringing a wife into the Kamizuki family?" Izumo couldn't help but ask.
"Why are you bringing this up? You know me, big bro. Meanwhile, you've pretty much hit your peak as a Special Jonin."
"You've already completed half the journey of 'settling down and starting a family'. So, when do you plan to tackle the 'family' part?"
His attempt to pressure Hikari backfired, and the question was turned on him instead.
Hearing this, Izumo had no mood to think about anything else. His expression turned a little awkward. "Well... I don't even know what kind of person I'm looking for."
Hikari gave him a disdainful look. Even though Izumo was his older brother, Hikari had always been someone who wouldn't hesitate to call things out as he saw them.
When it was time to mock, he never held back.
"Cut the act. Let me ask you—do you like that type?" Hikari pointed at a rather plump woman, weighing over two hundred pounds(90+ kg) and standing at just five feet(1.5m) tall.
Izumo took one look and immediately turned away.
That was an eye-burning sight.
"Uh... I think, for the sake of the Kamizuki family, we should have some standards, don't you think, Hikari?"
Even though Hikari was the younger brother, the one holding more authority at home was him, not Izumo.
Don't ask why. The answer was simple: the elder brother was humble and considerate of his younger brother.
"Alright, we share the same surname, so there's no need to be shy. The face doesn't need to be stunning, but the figure shouldn't be too bad. Personality-wise, she should be kind, know how to take care of people... How do these sound, big bro?"
Izumo nodded in agreement. "Not bad. That's exactly what I was thinking."
"Then what do you think about Shizune?"
"You mean Kato Shizune? Tsunade-sama's assistant?"
"Who else could I be talking about?"
"Well..." Izumo hesitated.
Hikari patted his brother's shoulder. "If you have something to say, say it. Can't you see Kotetsu is waiting for me to help him, too? I was even considering bringing back a couple of women for you from the Daimyo's court, but Tsunade-sama didn't quite approve."
"Cough, cough!" Kotetsu quickly shuffled over.
"Hikari, I'm as close as a brother to Izumo, and you're his actual brother. That means we're practically brothers too! Since Tsunade-sama won't let you buy women for Izumo... how about buying me a couple instead? I'll pay you back later!"
The moment the topic shifted to women, Kotetsu's energy instantly surged.
It just went to show how universally appealing the subject was to men.
"Kotetsu, two women? Are you sure you can handle that?" Hikari wasn't the least bit troubled by Kotetsu joining in.
Kotetsu thumped his chest confidently. "Come on! Two women is me keeping a low profile, got it?"
"Alright then, go ask Tsunade-sama. If she agrees, I'll get them for you!" Hikari smirked.
Hearing this, Kotetsu instantly deflated.
"Forget it... Tsunade-sama is resting right now. I better not disturb her."
Tsunade might seem easygoing, but she was still the Fifth Hokage. Aside from Kamizuki Hikari, who was an exception, even someone like Maito Gai would behave himself in front of her.
For Hagane Kotetsu to ask her for permission to bring women home? Not happening. He didn't have the guts.
"Alright, alright."
Hikari patted Kotetsu's shoulder. He was still friendly toward this 'brother'.
"There are plenty of women in Konoha too. You two can't just keep eyeing outsiders and ignoring the ones in our own village. But as men, we should have broad horizons. As long as looks are up to par, regional differences shouldn't be a barrier ether."
"Speaking of which, I heard the Raikage's secretary from the Hidden Cloud Village is absolutely stunning."
Izumo and Kotetsu: 'So, even though you're taken by Tsunade-sama, you still have the nerve to think about other women? Respect.'
"Once we get back to Konoha, I'll suggest to Tsunade-sama that all single shinobi of a certain age should register for arranged meetings. The Hokage can organize matchmaking events—if two people click, they can get married quickly."
Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged glances—this idea actually sounded pretty reasonable.
Shinobi usually preferred to marry fellow shinobi. That way, they could ensure their children would inherit chakra potential.
Marrying a civilian meant a fifty percent chance of having a child with no ninja talent.
This was precisely why shinobi like Izumo, Kotetsu, and other older bachelors across the villages remained single—they were holding out for a partner who could guarantee strong offspring.
(This doesn't apply to the Fourth Raikage. That man loves lifting weights more than anything. Others need women; he only needs his training equipment.)
"Hikari, being with Tsunade-sama must be exhausting, huh?" Kotetsu said meaningfully.
Hikari blinked. He couldn't quite follow Kotetsu's train of thought.
"It's alright, I guess. She's the Hokage, after all. Even if I get annoyed sometimes, it's not like I can beat her up to vent my frustrations."
"No need for that. In any relationship, one side will benefit more while the other sacrifices more. As a man, you should endure. When Tsunade-sama eventually loses interest in you, you can settle down with a nice, quiet girl for the rest of your life."
Hikari: ???
'Kotetsu, if a woman heard you say that, she'd beat you black and blue!'
Izumo realized Kotetsu was going off the rails and quickly pushed him aside before grabbing Hikari and speeding up their pace.
"Hikari, listen to your big brother."
"Being with Tsunade-sama isn't a long-term plan."
"You're still young, and your body is important. Don't let yourself burn out."
"You said it yourself—there are plenty of women in the shinobi world. Maybe one day, if we clash with Kumo again, you can just snatch the Raikage's secretary and make her your wife. Easy."
"For now, just endure it. Hold on until Tsunade-sama lets you go."
"For the sake of the Kamizuki family... hang in there!"
Hikari's face darkened.
When Kotetsu first spoke, he didn't quite process it. But after hearing his own brother's words, he finally understood what these guys were thinking.
He, Kamizuki Hikari, and Tsunade were completely innocent. There was absolutely nothing improper between them!
And even if there were... with his physical condition, he could handle it just fine!
These guys were seriously underestimating him!
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