Now that the once-exclusive System Cola could be supplied in bulk, it had become yet another strategic trump card in Uchiha Kei's hand.
Even though Kei already had quite a few trump cards, in this world, the more the better.
After some thought, Uchiha Kei decided to entrust the production and sale of System Cola to Tsunade. As acting Hokage, overseeing its rollout would enhance her reputation and authority—making it harder for the Konoha F4 to obstruct her once she officially took power.
Though the Third Hokage had handed over his authority quite readily, and even went out of his way to support Tsunade, people change. As he aged, Hiruzen Sarutobi might reconsider his stance. Given his decades of leadership, his lingering influence could easily become the biggest obstacle to Tsunade and future Hokage.
As for the rest of the Konoha F4—Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado—those two relics were still alive even during the Boruto era and were fond of lecturing Naruto. Maybe they genuinely believed everything they did was for Konoha's sake, but how much of it was just clinging to power out of habit?
And then there was Danzo Shimura.
No need to even say it. Konoha's Scapegoat King. At least half the disasters during *Shippuden* could be traced back to him. Once Tsunade took power, there was no way he wouldn't stir up trouble.
Thus, boosting Tsunade's prestige was absolutely necessary. She was a trusted ally—far more dependable than those old geezers.
Not, of course, because of the recent rumors in Konoha about a "cougar dating a younger man" or "boy toy clinging to a rich woman."
Yes, it had been half a month, and both Uchiha Kei and Tsunade were well aware of the gossip. They were utterly baffled by it.
Tsunade was particularly annoyed and even considered dispatching the Anbu to drag the gossipers in for interrogation.
But in the end, she didn't. She knew the rumors had spread all over the Hidden Leaf. Sending Anbu would silence things, sure—but it'd also cause mass panic. She wasn't about to turn the village her two grandfathers had built into another Bloody Mist Village.
After discussing it with Kei in the mental network, they decided to ride it out. No public meetings, no private ones either. If they had to see each other, it would only be in the Hokage Building for official business.
With this cold-shoulder approach, the rumors would die off naturally.
And they did. After half a month without another incident of the two walking together at night, the gossip cooled off.
Whenever they did meet publicly, it was strictly business—just colleagues, nothing more. And once people saw that, the narrative shifted: "They don't look like lovers at all. Just coworkers! So those cougar rumors must be false."
Thus, the gossip unraveled on its own.
Of course, this surface-level distance was just for show. In the mental network, their interactions were far warmer—constant smiling, friendly banter. Though it remained platonic, the contrast was sharp enough that many started suspecting a secret romance.
Yes, even Orochimaru's theory about their hidden relationship stemmed from that contrast.
In fact, many others in the mental network felt the same. Out of respect, no one brought it up. Everyone kept quiet.
Even Kikyo Uzumaki had grown closer to Tsunade, both in reality and in the network. Tsunade liked her a lot—she was cheerful, open-hearted, and a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, the same as Tsunade's grandmother. Caring for her felt natural.
Besides, Tsunade already considered Kushina Uzumaki her little sister. Since Kikyo and Kushina were like sisters themselves, Tsunade acting as the big sister to Kikyo was only natural.
Had Kikyo not been so reserved before and only clung to Kei's small circle, she and Tsunade might have been close long ago. Now that she was more outgoing, Tsunade had no reason not to accept her warmly.
As a result, their close bond became apparent to everyone else. Observers couldn't help but admire the sibling-like affection, often casting impressed looks at Uchiha Kei.
Minato Namikaze even sighed with admiration, saying, "As expected of Kei-kun. He accomplishes things I could never dream of."
Uchiha Kei: "?" What did I even do?
Minato just smiled and said nothing. After all, with Kushina standing nearby, if he spelled it out, the Red-Hot Habanero would definitely smile sweetly while quietly threatening him.
So Kei and Tsunade's secret romance became an open secret. Everyone knew. No one said a word.
Kei and Tsunade, oblivious to everyone's assumptions, just lived life at their own pace.
Like now—Kei handed off the System Cola operation to Tsunade without a second thought. It was simply the best choice.
That night, Kei entered the mental network world. It was already 9 PM. Usually by this time, Tsunade would be there with Nawaki.
Sure enough, she was online, though her exact location was unclear. The world had expanded dramatically. As everyone constructed their own buildings and spaces, the shared environment had grown. It was no longer easy to bump into someone by chance.
It was like a fresh Minecraft server. Everyone was busy building their dream homes.
But thanks to WeChat—or its equivalent—communication wasn't a problem. People still met in reality, so the mental world became a personal space.
As the system's creator, Kei could use admin privileges to locate others. He quickly found Tsunade and Nawaki about ten kilometers east.
"Building New Konoha, huh…"
He murmured and teleported over.
There, on a massive patch of land, a towering wall—identical to Konoha's outer wall—surrounded a large area.
It was a faithful replica of the real Konoha.
Yes, Nawaki had decided to build a new Konoha in the illusion world. He wasn't joking. Construction began two weeks ago.
He was full of spirit, bursting with motivation and hope.
And he had a reason.
"Kei-nii said his summoning ability can bring someone back once a month. That means, someday, a lot of people might return. Sis, do you think it's possible? Could Grandpa, Granny, Dad, and Mom all come back here someday?"
"So I want to build a new Konoha here. That way, if they ever arrive, they'll have a home to return to!"
Nawaki said it with earnest excitement.
His eyes sparkled. Tsunade was touched. She smiled and patted his head. "Then let your sister help. I don't have a lot of time, but I'll join you at night. I can get you Konoha's layout plans, too."
"If you need anything else, just ask. Like you said—if Grandpa and the others return, we'll make sure they have a home."
"This world… it's already become our second home."
And so, the sibling duo began their construction of New Konoha.
The Hokage Rock had been raised. The Hokage Office and the village wall were already up.
Next was the Senju Clan Compound.
In the real world, the Senju territory had been distributed as the clan integrated with Konoha. But here in the illusion world, none of that mattered. Of course they'd build a massive compound.
When Kei arrived, he saw the Hokage Office flanked by the sprawling Senju estate. Traditional Japanese-style buildings clustered together, enclosed by high walls made from rare, luxurious materials.
It spanned the area of two soccer fields. Not much by mega-mansion standards, but in the cramped world of Japanese design, it was palatial.
He found Tsunade and Nawaki in a garden, discussing plans for a decorative pond.
Totally normal. In a high-freedom sandbox world, people get creative—trying all kinds of things they never would in real life.
For now, the two of them were relatively grounded. But give it time—they'd probably start building all kinds of weird abstract stuff.
Any Minecraft player knows the feeling.
And why not? It was a dreamscape—a second world to try everything you couldn't in reality. As long as you didn't hurt others or break major taboos, anything goes.
When Kei arrived, Nawaki beamed. "Kei-nii!" he called out, running over. Kei greeted both of them with a smile.
After a quick chat, Kei told Tsunade why he'd come.
Hearing this, Nawaki's eyes sparkled mischievously. He quickly said his goodbyes and ran off, giving them space like a well-trained little brother.
Clearly, he thought they were about to enjoy some alone time.
Kei and Tsunade, though, just thought Nawaki was being thoughtful and respectful.
They went into a nearby building and sat down. No need for small talk. Their relationship was solid. They got to the point.
Kei explained the System Cola situation: his mutated summoning technique had reproduced the Cola, and now it could be mass-produced—though a key ingredient could only be harvested once per month.
He framed everything in terms Tsunade could grasp, offering just enough explanation to make it all seem believable.
Thank the shinobi world for summoning techniques. And for mutated summoning techniques—handy cover stories for everything.
Even Black Zetsu would buy that.
Such was the logic of the shinobi world.
After hearing it all, Tsunade's eyes widened. Then she broke into a wide smile. "This isn't just a big deal—it's a *gift*. Tch… if I were ten years younger, I might actually fall for you like the rumors say."
Kei shrugged and grinned. "If I were ten years older, same difference."
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully. "True. If you were ten years older, I just might've dated you."
They both laughed. It was just a joke. They didn't mean it seriously.
But from the shadows, Nawaki had been watching.
He smiled, satisfied.
The mood between Kei-nii and Sis was great. It wouldn't be long before he became an uncle, right?
The thought made him a little giddy.
Hehe\~\~