Jealousy

"What a lively place!"

Looking at the brightly lit town and the long line of people winding like a dragon outside the city gates, Shizune couldn't help exclaiming in awe.

"Of course."

Tsunade folded her arms and smiled.

"Tsukimiura may not be big, but it's the first stop for caravans after they cross the border, so it's naturally well developed. It has everything, from taverns to casinos!"

As she spoke, Tsunade's gaze had already begun to wander.

After accompanying Dongfang Mao on a nonstop journey these past few days, the gambling addict had been thoroughly deprived of her favorite pastime.

Her slender fingers tapped unconsciously against her arm as she planned to head straight to the casino for a few rounds as soon as they entered town.

Seeing this, Shizune rubbed her forehead in exasperation. She knew Lady Tsunade was about to revert to her old ways.

Meanwhile, Dongfang Mao was quietly considering what supplies to buy after they entered the town and didn't join in.

Just then, Yasuke gently nudged his arm.

"Big brother, look over there."

Yasuke lowered his voice and pointed toward the city gates.

"Those soldiers..."

Dongfang Mao followed Yasuke's gesture with his eyes, then raised his brows slightly.

The guards stationed at the gates had sallow faces and vacant eyes. Not one of them looked sharp or alert.

There were even a few old soldiers among them, their beards and hair completely white. Their armor was visibly rusted, and the weapons in their hands were in terrible condition.

This was hardly what the defenders of an important border town should look like.

These old and infirm men looked exactly like the sort left behind to fill the ranks after someone pocketed the soldiers' pay.

"Inumaru, take two men with you. Once we're inside, find out what's going on."

After a moment's thought, Dongfang Mao took out about thirty thousand ryō and handed it to Inumaru, who had come along with them.

"Understood, big brother."

Inumaru took the money briskly, then signaled behind him. Two of his companions immediately understood, and the Sannin slipped with practiced ease into the bustling crowd.

"What are you dawdling for, Mao?"

Just then, Tsunade's impatient voice came from ahead.

Unable to contain herself any longer, she had already walked up to the city gates. Her golden hair shimmered in the lamplight.

"Coming."

Dongfang Mao quickly led Yasuke and the others after her.

As soon as they passed through the gates, the sight before them made them slow their pace without thinking.

Lanterns hung high on both sides of the main street, lighting it as brightly as day.

Merchants hawked their wares with gusto. Well-dressed, well-fed tycoons strolled around with beautiful women, wine flowed freely in the taverns, and the sultry music drifting from Kabukicho painted a picture of extravagant, intoxicated prosperity.

It stood in stark contrast to the road Dongfang Mao had traveled that morning, where starving people littered the way.

And that road was only a few dozen li from Tsukimiura.

"Mao, doesn't it feel like your eyes have been opened? How about I take you to some 'interesting places' and broaden your horizons?"

As Dongfang Mao's thoughts churned, Tsunade suddenly came up beside him. She slipped an arm around his neck, pressed her red lips close to his ear, and spoke with a suggestive smile.

Her sudden ambush caught Dongfang Mao off guard, and one of her ample breasts squashed against his face, distorting his features.

He could only sigh helplessly.

"Lady Tsunade, I may be a bandit, but I don't spend all my time in the mountains. There are plenty of places like this in the Land of Fire."

"Oh, right."

When Tsunade realized she hadn't managed to tease Dongfang Mao, she let out an awkward laugh.

But then she seemed to think of something, and her face fell. The arm around Dongfang Mao tightened.

The immense pressure made him feel as though his face had sunk all the way in.

The scent of milk filled his nose, with a faint hint of danger beneath it.

"Now tell me honestly. Have you been to places like that?"

Hearing Tsunade's question, Dongfang Mao couldn't help grumbling inwardly.

You just said you'd take me to broaden my horizons. Now that I really have seen them, you're not happy.

But Tsunade's face was so dark, and she looked ready to smother him between her ample breasts if he didn't give her an answer she liked.

Dongfang Mao could only hurry to explain.

"Lady Tsunade, don't get the wrong idea. I'm still young. I only took the brothers there once in a while. Back then, there were only a few old women cooking at the hideout. I couldn't just leave the brothers frustrated, could I?"

"You'd better be telling the truth."

Tsunade snorted and finally let go. It wasn't that she believed him; she just had no way to verify it, so she let the matter drop.

Even so, her expression remained displeased.

The thought that Dongfang Mao might have had another woman's perfume on him made her feel inexplicably irritated.

She also felt a little sorry for herself. She hadn't met Dongfang Mao sooner, so she hadn't been able to be part of his life before now.

For a moment, all the excitement Tsunade had felt on arriving in Tsukimiura vanished.

Looking at the bustling street before her, she suddenly felt an urge to leap into the air and use Heavenly Foot of Pain to crush it all to pieces!

Dongfang Mao keenly sensed that something was off with Tsunade. The slight furrow in her brow and the tight line of her lips both foretold a storm brewing.

He acted at once, gently taking her wrist as he spoke.

"It's getting late. Let's find somewhere to settle in first."

Her wrist stiffened slightly in his palm, but in the end, she didn't pull away.

Dongfang Mao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then took her slender hand and led her forward.

Tsunade still wore a stern expression, but her feet moved along with his of their own accord, and the tension in her shoulders gradually eased.

Shizune, Yasuke, and the others exchanged glances, then silently followed behind them, not daring to say a word.

After turning down two streets, they came upon a three-story wooden inn. It wasn't luxurious, but it was neat and imposing. Copper bells hung beneath the eaves, chiming in the evening breeze and lending the place a distinctive charm.

"This place will do."

The group filed inside. Tsunade went straight to the cypress counter, and Dongfang Mao seized the chance to pull Yasuke aside and hand him twenty thousand ryō.

"Yasuke, you've all had a tiring journey these past few days. Go relax for a while, then meet me here tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, big brother!"

Yasuke immediately grinned and glanced back at the dozen or so brothers behind him, waggling his eyebrows.

They had been together for a long time, so everyone understood Yasuke's little gesture at once. Their expressions turned knowing, and they all seemed a little restless.

"All right, get going. Don't cause trouble in town."

Dongfang Mao waved them off, not without irritation.

After Yasuke and the others left, Dongfang Mao turned and stepped into the inn's main hall.

Under the dim yellow light, Tsunade put the pen back on the counter, then stretched.

Her extended waist traced a breathtaking curve in the light.

She lazily rolled her neck. A few strands of golden hair had slipped loose from her bun, glowing like honey in the candlelight.