The morning light streamed through the window and fell across Uchiha Rei's face.
Last night, he had leaned against the bed and fallen asleep on the floor.
Rei slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Tsunade's amber eyes. They were no longer sharp; instead, they held a hint of confusion and even... a faint trace of embarrassment.
Tsunade had woken up, too.
But his hand was still clasped tightly in hers.
Their fingers were intertwined, their palms pressed together, and the warmth had yet to fade.
Uchiha Rei instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but the moment his fingertips moved, it was as if some force had clamped down on him. He tugged at his wrist, but couldn't break free of that soft restraint.
Tsunade seemed to notice. Her expression shifted slightly as she slowly loosened her fingers and gently withdrew her hand.
Rei shook his arm, as if trying to get the blood flowing again.
Tsunade had only just woken up, and her mind was still a little hazy. She was slow to react to the unfamiliar room and Rei beside her.
But the instant she saw his handsome face, she recognized him.
Uchiha Rei.
The person Shizune often talked about, the one who was always coming up in her conversations.
She remembered being ambushed in the forest outside the village by enemy ninjas wearing Red Cloud Black Robes, then feeling the world spin around her.
When she woke again, she was here.
Shizune was beside her, she was dressed in clean clothes, and there wasn't even a hint of blood in the air.
Who had changed her clothes? She glanced down instinctively. A thin blanket covered her shoulders and neck, but the fabric beneath her collar was clearly not her combat gear. It was