Naruto: We Agreed on a Simulation, But They Actually Came to Life?

Kitahara Kaede opened his eyes.

Thin slivers of light squeezed through the gaps in the curtains, casting pale lines across the floor. He rolled out of bed and walked to the window, pulling the curtains wide. After checking the weather, he instinctively glanced across the way.

The windows of the small building opposite his were tightly shut, the curtains drawn completely. It seemed Terumi Mei had not yet risen.

Kaede did some quick mental planning. She had mentioned last night that they would begin formal negotiations today, so he figured he should head out and grab some breakfast to tide him over.

After washing up, he patted his face dry with a towel. Just then, a knock echoed from downstairs.

*Knock, knock.*

He froze, the towel still in his hand.

As a newcomer, no one other than Terumi Mei knew he lived here. Had she already woken up? But why come over so early?

He descended the stairs and opened the door. Standing there, as expected, was Terumi Mei.

She was dressed in casual civilian clothes, her long hair tied back in a practical style. Holding a cloth bag in her hand, she looked at him with a gentle smile.

Kaede gave her a polite nod. "Chief Terumi, so early?"

Mei swayed the bag slightly, her smile unchanging. "I’m used to waking up early. I just finished a workout at the training grounds. Since we have official business to discuss and you have to come to my office anyway, I thought I’d stop by on my way and bring some breakfast."

Kaede paused. The illustrious Head of the Anbu had personally come to deliver breakfast to him?

He instinctively tried to decline. "That was too much trouble for you."

"Didn’t I say it was on my way?" Mei’s tone remained soft, but her words left no room for argument. Her gaze shifted past Kaede, scanning the interior of the house. "Besides, it’s just breakfast."

Following her gaze, Kaede looked back into his home. Since she was already at the door, it would be rude to leave her standing outside.

Stepping aside to let her in, he asked tentatively, "Then... would the Chief like to come in for a moment? Or I could just eat it on the road."

As if she hadn’t heard the hesitation in his voice, Terumi Mei stepped right over the threshold. "I’m in no rush. Let’s sit and eat."

Kaede: "..."

He hadn’t expected her to take his polite offer so literally. Now that she was inside, it was impossible to ask her to leave. With a sigh, he closed the door and followed her into the living room.

With a familiarity that felt slightly unnerving, Mei placed the cloth bag on the table and produced two lunch boxes. Kaede looked at the identical meals, surprised.

"You didn’t eat yet either, Chief?"

"No. I prefer to eat after training on an empty stomach," Mei replied naturally.

"I’ll go get two plates from the kitchen."

The moment Kaede turned his back to the room, the smile vanished from Terumi Mei’s face. Her eyes subtly swept across the entire living space.

*He didn’t mention lacking anything; it seems my preparations were sufficient.*

Her gaze lingered on the direction of the second-floor bedroom for a few seconds before she resumed her poised, elegant demeanor.

By the time Kaede returned with the plates, she was already seated. He set the plates on the table, and Mei portioned out the food, pushing one set toward him.

The two sat opposite each other in a somewhat awkward silence, broken only by the occasional clink of chopsticks against the ceramic. Kaede ate with his head down, wondering how to bring up the matter regarding Yagura. However, since she hadn’t spoken, he felt it was unwise to be the first to break the silence.

He stole a glance at Terumi Mei. She ate slowly, chewing every bite with deliberate care. As she lowered her head, she watched him eat from beneath her lashes.

*This is how it should be.*

She hid the flicker of possessiveness in her eyes, a small, satisfied curve forming on her lips in the shadows.

***

After a while, they finished simultaneously. Kaede began gathering the dishes to take them to the kitchen.

"Leave those. I’ll tidy up when I return," Mei said.

"Then let’s go."

Mei stood up, and Kaede followed her out the door. They walked through two blocks before turning into the administrative building.

In the corridor outside the office, two Anbu guards on duty were whispering to each other.

"Did you see the Chief yesterday? Why did she suddenly have someone add an extra desk and chair to the office? Right next to her own."

"Who knows? Don’t try to guess the Chief’s mind. Maybe it’s for holding files?"

"You need a whole chair and desk just to hold files? I think—"

Before he could finish, footsteps echoed down the hall. The two Anbu instantly fell silent and snapped to attention.

The door opened, and Terumi Mei led Kitahara Kaede straight inside.

As soon as he entered, Kaede scanned the layout. It was minimalist. A wide, solid wood desk sat by the window, piled with stacks of documents. But what caught his attention was the set of furniture placed immediately adjacent to the main desk.

Mei walked to the head of the room and pointed to the empty seat beside her. "You’ll sit here from now on."

Kaede froze, staring at her in utter bewilderment. "Is... is that appropriate? As a guard, shouldn’t I be stationed in the shadows for surveillance?"

Without blinking, Terumi Mei pulled out the chair and sat down. "What’s inappropriate about it? The spot happens to be empty." She casually flipped open a document on her desk. "Besides, if I need something from you, would you prefer I have you constantly walking in and out of the office?"

Kaede opened his mouth to argue but found himself speechless. He could only nod and silently take the seat, which was positioned far too close for comfort.

Seeming satisfied with his compliance, Mei lowered her head to process the paperwork. Out of the corner of his eye, Kaede noticed the word **[TOP SECRET]** stamped on the document.

He quickly looked away, staring out the window. *What is she doing? This is a Mist Village secret document, right? She’s the Head of the Anbu, and she’s just handling it right in front of a ninja from another village? She’s incredibly bold—does she not fear a leak?*

The office fell silent, save for the scratching of a pen on paper. Kaede looked out the window, growing curious. *Why hasn’t she mentioned Yagura yet?*

After an indeterminate amount of time, Mei finally set down her pen, closed the final folder, and pushed it to the corner of the desk.

Kaede seized the opportunity. He turned to her and spoke directly. "Chief Terumi, regarding the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura—how do you plan to handle it? As long as you can create an opening for me to get close to him, I am confident I can break the genjutsu on him in a short amount of time."

At the mention of "a short amount of time," Mei’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

*Is he in such a hurry to leave?*

She spoke slowly, her voice carrying a meaningful undertone. "I have been monitoring the situation, but the security around Yagura is extremely tight. I simply haven’t found a suitable opportunity."

Mei folded her hands elegantly on the desk. Her pace was unhurried, sounding like a mentor guiding an overeager student. "After all, removing Yagura is the simple part."

"But cleaning up the aftermath... that is the difficult part."

Kaede stiffened. *Wasn’t that the exact phrase I taught her during the simulation?*

He nodded thoughtfully, pretending to have a sudden realization. "You’re right. I didn’t consider that."

Internally, however, he felt a surge of relief. *Fortunately, she only learned the political thinking, not the emotions. Otherwise, I’d be in real trouble.*

Terumi Mei watched the "I see" expression on his face. The curve of her lips deepened, tinged with a hint of barely detectable amusement.

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