Gradually, Nonō's entire body pressed down on Nagato.
"Okay, I was wrong. You can definitely do it," Nagato reached out and grabbed Nonō's hand, bringing the two of them face-to-face, just a punch apart.
"Hmph, that's more like it, I'll let you off this time." Nonō pretended to be calm as she shook off Nagato's grip, though her face was already aflame with embarrassment.
"Thank you, Lady Nonō, for not killing me," Nagato quipped, trying to ease her discomfort.
The two looked at each other and burst into laughter. Tonight, they had a wonderful time together.
...
"You don't need to see me out. My house is just up ahead."
Nonō pointed to the apartment building not far away. This was preferential treatment from the Anbu for her role as a Medical-nin. Her current financial situation wasn't sufficient to afford a house of her own.
"Okay, then I'll be going back."
Nagato stopped in his tracks, showing no intention of accompanying her further. It was already late, and if he returned home any later, he couldn't imagine what kind of questions the nosy people in his family might ask.
"Well, see you next time."
Nonō waved him off in farewell.
"Okay, see you next time," Nagato replied, watching her leave. He didn't turn around until she had entered the apartment building.
What he didn't notice was that, after he turned away, the door to the apartment building opened slightly, revealing a face with smiling eyes that couldn't quite be seen in the dim light.
It didn't take long for Nagato to return to the Hatake Clan estate. As soon as he entered the door, he heard the lively laughter of a group in the living room.
At this hour, the living room was usually empty, but tonight it was unexpectedly lively. Nagato walked toward the source of the noise, curiosity sparking within him.
"Nagato's back," Konan's excited voice called out the moment he showed his face.
All eyes immediately turned to him, and Nagato realized he had walked straight into a tiger's den.
Indeed, curiosity killed the cat.
He quickly understood that he was the reason everyone had gathered in the living room.
"Welcome back! Did your date go well?" Kawakaze asked bluntly, diving straight into the heart of the matter. The fire of gossip in her eyes burned brightly.
"It was... it was pretty good," Nagato admitted, resigning himself to the teasing. He had given up arguing. If they wanted to call it a date, so be it.
In truth, it hadn't been half bad.
"What do you mean it was 'okay'?"
"You're back so late. Where did you go?"
Nagato hadn't realized until now that Sensei's wife could be just as nosy. It really was impossible to maintain privacy with two such inquisitive people around.
"Nowhere in particular," he replied. "We just hung out."
Nagato tried to brush it off. If Tsunade knew he had taken Nonō to the Hokage Rock to admire the moon, it wouldn't be well-received.
"Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be treated harshly. You'd better confess." Minato had also returned, smiling ear to ear.
"I didn't do anything bad, so there's nothing to confess," Nagato said, trying to stay calm. "I'm a bit tired, so I'm going to my room."
He noticed everyone acting like they were part of some trial and decided it was best to retreat.
"Let's chat a bit longer—everyone's having a good time," Yahiko interjected, walking up to Nagato and slinging an arm around his shoulder. He led him straight to the center of the living room.
"I…" Nagato hesitated, silently wondering: Is it really appropriate to build your happiness on someone else's privacy?
"Have you held hands? Have you kissed?" Konan suddenly asked, her words explosive. She even raised her eyebrows in a mock flirtatious manner.
"No, don't be ridiculous!" Nagato retorted, blushing as the image of Nonō flashed in his mind.
"Still denying it? Then why are you blushing?" Konan's tone turned incredulous, her voice rising in pitch. She pointed a finger at him, clearly surprised by this unexpected turn of events.
This development was moving much too fast.
"Oh, really, I didn't!"
Nagato raised his hand to push Konan's away, his expression full of helplessness.
"I just had dinner with her, then we admired the moon, and finally, I walked her home. I really didn't do anything. I swear!"
He added this last part urgently, fearing no one would believe him.
"It's fine, I believe Nagato isn't that kind of person," Nayuki chimed in, coming to his rescue. She mentioned that he was so shy, he could never do such a thing on the first date.
"Exactly! You still understand me, Auntie."
Nagato let out a long breath of relief, grateful that someone was on his side.
"No plans to meet up again?" Kawakaze pressed on, still unsatisfied. His curiosity clearly wasn't satiated.
"No."
Nagato shook his head firmly. It was better to avoid trouble. Besides, he wasn't lying—he and Nonō hadn't set a time for their next meeting.
"Strike while the iron is hot! I can't believe you didn't set a time," Kawakaze scolded, looking at Nagato as if frustrated by his lack of initiative.
"It's fine," Sakumo finally spoke after listening quietly for some time. "I'll arrange some other missions for them."
As long as Nonō remained in the Anbu, she was still under his command. This wasn't considered an abuse of power, and no one could find fault with it.
"That's a good idea," Kawakaze agreed, nodding in approval. Big Brother has finally come up with something reliable.
"No, just handle it normally," Nagato said, a bit embarrassed as he tried to decline.
"I am handling it normally. I'm in charge of the ANBU now," Sakumo replied firmly, giving him a sharp look. Nagato quickly backed down.
"Haha, you can't win against the big guy," Tsunade said, amused. "You'd better just accept it. Besides, it's all for your own good."
Tsunade couldn't help but laugh at Nagato's defeated posture. The boy was so funny to her.
"I see." Nagato sighed. Then, after a brief pause, he said, "By the way, Sensei's wife, I have a question for you."
Sensing the teasing had subsided for now, Nagato decided to stay a little longer instead of heading back to his room.
"Speak."
Tsunade, noticing his serious tone, swallowed the snack in her hand in one bite and gave him her full attention. She even casually wiped the food residue on Kawakaze's clothes.
"Is there any effective treatment for shortsightedness?" Nagato asked. He hadn't forgotten his promise to Nonō, and if Tsunade had a solution, it would be perfect.
"I thought it was a bigger problem. Just replace the eye," Tsunade said nonchalantly, having performed numerous eye replacement surgeries in the past.
"The thing is, Nonō doesn't want to use someone else's eyes. Are there any other options?" Nagato explained, making it clear who the question was for. Everyone at the table already knew without him needing to specify.
"Not an eye replacement? Then I'll have to think about it," Tsunade replied, frowning slightly. She hadn't focused much on this area before.
"Is it difficult?" Konan asked, surprised. She was new to the field of Medical Ninjutsu and found it hard to believe something could stump Tsunade.
"Myopia isn't caused by damage to or loss of the eyeball," Tsunade began, explaining patiently. "To be precise, it's a deformation of the eyeball. The existing Medical Ninjutsu techniques are mainly focused on regeneration. Without replacing the eye, there really isn't much we can do."
Tsunade rubbed her temples, clearly finding Nagato's question a challenging one.