Isn't That a Betrothal Gift?

"Nawaki, is your sister home?" Watanabe called out to the young boy.

His original intention was to have Nawaki call Tsunade out and then leave after delivering the cake. After all, with so many ninja clans visiting Tsunade's home, he, an unknown nobody, would only feel out of place.

However, he never expected Nawaki to show a panicked expression the moment he saw him. Without looking back, the boy rushed towards the front door, shouting:

"Sister! Watanabe is here to propose!"

Watanabe: "..."

Damn it!

He was stunned, thinking Tsunade's younger brother was clearly out of his mind.

I'm here to deliver a birthday present, not to propose!

The noisy commotion inside the mansion instantly fell silent. Watanabe could already imagine the bewildered expressions on the faces of the various clan heads.

For a moment, Watanabe truly wanted to turn around and leave. Nawaki was simply the worst kind of troublemaker.

After a moment of hesitation, Watanabe gritted his teeth and, steeling himself, stepped over the threshold.

Entering the small courtyard, hundreds, even thousands, of eyes fell upon him. Even though Watanabe's mental fortitude was usually excellent, he was so embarrassed he wished he could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of the ground with his toes.

"Watanabe..."

Dan Katō's expression was incredibly complex. Watanabe's boldness far exceeded his imagination. Showing up to propose on Tsunade's birthday was something no normal person would do.

"So that's how it is."

Danzo mused thoughtfully.

No wonder Mito lashed out at me over Watanabe's matter. So, Watanabe and Tsunade have this kind of relationship. That was indeed crossing a line.

"Have Tsunade and he gotten together?"

Hiruzen, Koharu, and the various clan leaders all had the same thought. This was the first time Watanabe had entered the Konoha leadership's view, and in a completely unexpected way.

"How could this guy do this!"

Tsunade's heart pounded with surprised joy. She had never been so nervous before and looked helplessly at Mito. Although Mito maintained a serene smile, she was actually quite troubled.

Showing up with a giant gift box to propose was even more reckless than Hashirama had been in his youth.

Mito didn't care about Watanabe's commoner status. If Tsunade and Watanabe were truly in love, she wouldn't object to them being together. But the problem was, she hadn't had a chance to observe Watanabe yet and knew nothing of his character or conduct. How could she entrust her granddaughter to him?

"Tsunade, your brother has caused me so much trouble!"

Watanabe really wanted to beat Nawaki up. He had never felt so ashamed in his life.

There was no other choice; the arrow was already nocked and loosed. Watanabe put on a brave face, met everyone's gaze, and walked towards Tsunade.

The atmosphere in the venue was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was watching him. With every step he took, Tsunade's heart beat faster. Nawaki, meanwhile, adopted a posture as if facing a great enemy, warning Watanabe with his eyes, "Don't you come any closer."

"Hehehe."

Watanabe forced a casual laugh.

"Tsunade, your brother is very humorous. This is your birthday present."

"Huh?"

Nawaki blinked in surprise and asked suspiciously, "Isn't that a betrothal gift for proposing?"

"..."

A gift to propose to your sister!

Watanabe felt that Tsunade must not have a good relationship with her brother, otherwise Nawaki wouldn't be trying to marry her off.

A sister hitting her brother, it has to start from a young age, especially a brother like Nawaki. It's understandable.

"No, this is just a birthday present," Watanabe explained with a gentle smile.

"Oh, oh." Nawaki suddenly understood and breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought my sister was waiting for you for so long... Mmph!"

Tsunade immediately covered her foolish brother's mouth to stop him from spouting nonsense.

Seeing this, Mito understood everything. It turned out the misunderstanding was caused by her grandson just now. Watanabe was merely attending the birthday party normally, not proposing. The truly reckless one was Nawaki.

After all, he's a descendant who inherited Hashirama's genes.

After covering Nawaki's mouth, Tsunade took the gift box and asked curiously, "What's inside?"

Watanabe: "A birthday cake. You can open it and eat it now."

Tsunade quickly opened the gift box. A giant cake appeared before everyone's eyes. The surface of the cake was decorated with a cream drawing of a smiling cartoon Tsunade, looking incredibly cute.

"It's very beautiful."

Mito said with a smile, "A cake this big must have required booking several days in advance, right?"

She had also prepared a cake for Tsunade, but clearly, Watanabe's cake was more thoughtful.

"No need to book," Watanabe rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. "I made this myself. It can't compare to professional bakers at outside cake shops..."

Mito and Tsunade were both taken aback.

They hadn't expected this giant cake to be made by Watanabe himself, and the sentiment behind it was extraordinary.

The next second, Mito's gaze towards Watanabe softened, and her affection for him doubled.

She knew Watanabe's family situation all too well. If he had tried to put on a brave face and forced himself to give Tsunade an expensive gift, she would have been disappointed. But Watanabe's actions at this moment pleased her greatly; she found him down-to-earth and reliable.

Tsunade's reaction, however, differed from Mito's. Looking at the cartoon version of herself on the cake's surface, her heart felt sweet and numb, as if honey were flowing through her.

She had only told Watanabe about her birthday last night. It was easy to imagine that he must have been busy all day making the cake, which explained why he was so late.

With that thought, all her dissatisfaction with Watanabe's tardiness vanished, replaced by warmth and emotion.

"Thank you," Tsunade said calmly, but the softness in her beautiful eyes was impossible to hide.

This was the first time Watanabe had heard her thank him, and he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Compared to the help Tsunade had provided him, the cake he made was insignificant.

"You're welcome, as long as you like it."

"I really like this gift."

Tsunade wasn't being tsundere this time; she was speaking the truth. It was her favorite birthday gift among all the ones she had received tonight.

"Watanabe is quite skilled!" Nawaki exclaimed with a click of his tongue. "Sis, hurry and cut me a piece so I can taste his craftsmanship."

Mito also smiled, "Put the cake on the main table. Whoever wants some can take it themselves."

Tsunade hesitated slightly. She was actually reluctant to ruin her cartoon likeness, but then she thought, since Watanabe was here, she could just have him make as much cake as she wanted in the future.

"Nawaki, take Watanabe to sit with the clan members. The banquet is about to start," Mito continued to instruct.

"Okay, Watanabe, follow me!"

Nawaki's face was full of enthusiasm, eager to get to know his future brother-in-law better.

Watanabe had developed a psychological shadow from being tricked by him and was afraid the kid would pull another embarrassing stunt.

"Watanabe, this is our Senju Clan's First Elder, Grandpa Munehiko. This is the Second Elder..."

After leading Watanabe to the main table of the Senju Clan members, Nawaki enthusiastically introduced him to the elder figures of the Senju Clan.

The Senju elders were quite surprised. After all, everyone at their table was a member of the Senju Clan themselves; even Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't seated here.