I've Only Ever Treated You

"Watch out."

Watanabe hadn't expected to knock Tsunade down. He hurried to catch her, only for her to drag him down with her and slam him onto the ground.

"Thud."

A few fallen leaves fluttered into the air.

"Ow!"

Tsunade sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.

Watanabe didn't feel hurt. He only felt something soft beneath him.

He gave it a squeeze, but felt nothing.

"Do you want to die?!"

Tsunade's furious, mortified voice rang out.

Watanabe lifted his head and finally saw where his hand had landed.

"Sorry."

Mortified, Watanabe's first instinct was to apologize and get up. He pushed himself up hard.

Tsunade: "..."

Watanabe: "..."

"You!"

Her voice trembled.

"I'm sorry! It was a complete accident!" Watanabe broke out in a cold sweat and hurried to explain. He really hadn't meant to take advantage of Tsunade.

Tsunade glared at him angrily as she straightened her rumpled skirt.

If anyone else had gotten handsy with her like that, even by accident, Tsunade would have "accidentally" cracked open his skull. But looking at Watanabe's apologetic face, she couldn't bring herself to even think about cracking his skull.

After a moment's thought, Tsunade huffed and turned to leave, her two golden ponytails bouncing behind her.

Was she in a hurry?

Was she mad?

Watanabe felt even more ashamed. Tsunade had kindly helped him improve his strength, and he'd inexplicably taken advantage of her. It was truly lousy of him.

He hurried after her, but he'd already apologized. Now he didn't know how to placate her, so he kept quiet while he tried to think of something to say.

Tsunade could feel Watanabe sticking close to her like a burr. Though he said nothing, his unease was obvious, and her anger gradually faded.

Forget it. He didn't do it on purpose. There's no need to be so petty.

Tsunade had already forgiven Watanabe for his clumsiness.

Then she remembered how he'd just fought her by trading injuries, like a reckless brute, and couldn't help feeling surprised.

At first, Watanabe hadn't been able to last even one move against her. But after just a little while, he'd managed to trade blows with her head-on—and he'd actually taken her down!

Even Tsunade found his rate of improvement unbelievable.

"I was careless just now," Tsunade suddenly said.

Watanabe, who'd been racking his brain for a way to placate her, froze.

Tsunade continued, "I didn't expect you to be so tough. If I were serious, you wouldn't even be able to touch the hem of my clothes!"

Her tone was full of smug pride.

Watanabe's heart stirred, and he grew eager to try again. "Want to spar some more?"

His strength had improved significantly. His vitality had reached 442, and he'd only just become strong enough to face Tsunade head-on. He hadn't had his fill of sparring with her yet.

Tsunade nearly choked when she heard that. She rolled her eyes at him.

"After all that fighting with you, I'm tired and hungry. I don't have time to spar again."

She was worn out from beating him up, but Watanabe was still full of energy. Tsunade could only put it down to his exceptionally tenacious willpower.

Watanabe couldn't hide his disappointment.

He really had angered Tsunade. He didn't know if he'd ever get another chance to spar with her.

Tsunade glanced at his expression and said coolly, "We'll spar again tomorrow. I'm hungry now, so I'm going to eat."

To Watanabe, those words were music to his ears.

As long as Tsunade was still willing to spar with him, he had nothing to worry about.

"Come to my place. I'll cook for you," Watanabe offered at once.

"No need." Tsunade shook her head. "It's late, and I want to get home early. Otherwise, Grandma will worry."

Watanabe's cooking was delicious, but it took too long. She was afraid Mito would ask questions if she got home late.

"Let's just grab something on the street. That ramen shop looks good." Tsunade glanced at Ichiraku Ramen. "Want to come with me?"

Eating together was one of the best ways to grow closer, so Watanabe certainly wasn't going to refuse.

The two of them went into the shop. A young apprentice named Teuchi was diligently wiping down the tables.

"What can I get for you two?" the owner asked with a welcoming smile.

Tsunade looked over the menu for a moment, then ordered two bowls of the house special ramen.

"Can you make ramen too?" Tsunade casually asked Watanabe while they waited for their food.

Watanabe thought about it and replied, "No, I've never learned. But if you like it, I can learn."

He didn't mean anything by it. He simply wanted to get closer to Tsunade.

He hadn't meant anything by it, but Tsunade heard something more in his words.

What did he mean, he'd learn if she liked it?

It sounded as if there was something between them.

Though it was quite nice to hear.

"You should learn ninjutsu first. Your ninjutsu fundamentals are probably the worst in the class." Tsunade put on a lecturing expression.

Watanabe didn't agree. His Chakra had reached 153, after all. Even if it was nowhere near Tsunade's, he couldn't possibly be at the bottom of the class.

"The academy only teaches the basic Three Body Techniques, and I've known those for ages. I have nowhere to learn any other, more advanced techniques," Watanabe said regretfully.

"You want to learn advanced techniques..."

Tsunade pondered the idea. Her family had more than enough of those.

All the techniques her granduncle had developed had eventually been left to her as an inheritance.

"Green Maru, slow down!"

On the street, Inuzuka Kiba desperately chased after the little dog scampering ahead of him. Passersby turned to stare, unable to tell whether the boy was walking the dog or the dog was dragging him along.

After chasing for a while, Kiba suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

"Hm? Is that Tsunade?"

Kiba froze. Through the curtain of the ramen shop, which kept lifting in the breeze, he glimpsed a pair of beautiful golden ponytails. Their owner's back was slender and graceful.

Then Kiba's gaze fell on the boy beside Tsunade.

"Watanabe?!"

Kiba recognized Watanabe's profile at once. After all, they were classmates.

"Why is Tsunade hanging out with Watanabe?!"

Kiba couldn't understand it. After school, he'd invited Tsunade to his house to see the puppies, but she'd turned him down. He hadn't expected that after rejecting him, she'd go off with Watanabe instead.

Watanabe had become popular with the girls in their class over the past few days after fighting Tsunade, but in Kiba's eyes, he was still the same dead-last nobody as before—a civilian orphan with no parents.

Kiba was so much better than him. If even Kiba couldn't hang out with Tsunade, what made Watanabe think he could?

Kiba suddenly grew jealous. He stopped chasing his dog and crouched by the side of the street, silently watching the two of them.

"That'll be one hundred ryo."

The young apprentice Teuchi addressed them with a solemn expression.

Tsunade was about to pay, but Watanabe handed over one hundred ryo first.

Seeing how practiced he was at picking up the bill, Tsunade found it amusing. "Do you often treat people to meals?"

"No." Watanabe shook his head seriously. "You're the only person I've ever treated."

He couldn't afford to treat anyone else. Tsunade was the exception, since he needed her help.

Tsunade felt a strange flutter in her heart.

She'd only asked as a joke, but his answer made her heart skip a beat.