The sunlight in front of the Hokage Building was almost blinding. Namikaze Yoru saw the figure leaning against a pillar by the entrance, and his pace slowed without him realizing it.
Tsunade turned around, her golden hair fluttering lightly in the breeze.
She looked him up and down. Her gaze seemed calm, but when it settled on his face, a flicker of emotion passed through her eyes, too subtle to catch.
"You're back?"
Her voice was faint, without any obvious emotion. She sounded much calmer than he had expected.
Namikaze Yoru's throat moved. The words he'd prepared circled once on his tongue, then finally came out as a low "Yeah."
He'd meant to joke around as usual and bluff his way through, but when the words reached his lips, he found himself unusually tongue-tied.
Tsunade looked him over. Once she'd confirmed he was unharmed, she turned and walked straight into the Hokage Building.
"Come on." Her voice still gave nothing away.
Namikaze Yoru hurried after her. They walked one after the other as silence spread between them, broken only by the echo of their slightly out-of-sync footsteps.
When they were almost at the Hokage's Office, Namikaze Yoru finally gathered his roiling thoughts and recovered some of his composure. He asked tentatively, "Maybe we could... get dinner together tonight?"
At his words, Tsunade's steps faltered almost imperceptibly. The corner of her mouth seemed to lift ever so slightly.
She didn't look back, keeping her voice deliberately nonchalant. "We'll see."
At her slightly haughty reply, the unease in Namikaze Yoru's heart immediately faded.
His familiar smile returned, and he hurried forward until he was almost walking shoulder to shoulder with her.
Only then did Tsunade notice that the kid beside her had grown tall enough to stand level with her, even a