The Akatsuki Chamber of Commerce in Amegakure, Azure Dragon Sakuya Yamanashi

The pitter-patter of rain outside the window roused Tsunade from her deep slumber.

She did not open her eyes, her consciousness still floating on the edge between dream and reality. Her nose instinctively twitched, catching a scent of warmth that seeped into her very marrow—like a quilt baked through by the sun, or the midday light of a winter day, wrapping gently around her.

She shifted unconsciously, seeking a more comfortable position, and rubbed her cheek against it, much like a lazy cat.

But soon, Tsunade realized something was wrong.

She was currently in Amegakure; with such heavy rain outside, how could the quilt be this warm!?

Opening her eyes in a daze, she was met with a familiar, handsome face.

Although a trace of youthful air still lingered in his features, his contours had already begun to sharpen, looking so good that one could not tear their eyes away.

As expected of the most handsome man of this generation in the Uchiha Clan.

Tsunade instinctively raised her hand and pinched his cheek.

Even his skin felt so smooth and delicate to the touch, better than a girl's.

She was actually a little jealous of this guy.

Thinking that if she were to marry this guy in the future, she would have to look at this face every morning, Tsunade felt a sense of relief in her heart.

Beauty is pleasing to the eye, and male beauty is beauty nonetheless.

No matter how good-looking this face is, wouldn't I be the only one who gets to enjoy it exclusively in the future?

It's just that this guy never taking the initiative is such a headache.

He has already done those kinds of things for me, so shouldn't he have confirmed our relationship with me long ago?

It can't be that he really wants me to be the one to speak first, this guy!

Are the people of the Uchiha Clan really this awkward when it comes to feelings?

Tsunade pinched Sakuya's ear in some annoyance.

Seemingly under attack, Sakuya, still in his sleep, frowned slightly and smacked his lips, his right arm tightening as he pulled Tsunade closer.

!

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, and she finally realized that she was currently sleeping in Sakuya's arms.

No wonder it felt so warm; it was the scent of the Fire Style chakra radiating from Sakuya's body.

She quietly wiggled out of Sakuya's embrace and sat at the head of the bed, her face flushed red.

Had she really slept in his arms all night?

Thinking that she had spent the entire night in Sakuya's arms, Tsunade covered her face, feeling as though she were covered in Sakuya's scent everywhere.

What happened? What happened?

Tsunade's thoughts slowly returned to her.

How did she end up in his arms last night?

They had clearly laid out two separate quilts!

She struggled to recall.

After the lights went out last night, Sakuya had fallen asleep almost the moment his head hit the pillow, his breathing quickly becoming steady. She, however, because it was her first time sleeping in the same room as a man, had been as tense as a bowstring, tossing and turning and unable to fall asleep.

And then... the rain outside grew heavier. Dampness seeped in through the cracks in the window, making the room cold and humid. She curled up in her own quilt, her teeth chattering slightly, and in her hazy state, it seemed...

It seemed she had snuggled toward the warm spot.

And then...

Tsunade froze.

It seemed... it seemed like she was the one who had squeezed into his quilt?

She stared stiffly at the face inches away, the tips of her ears burning at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Mmm..."

It seemed her movements had been too large; the young man's brows gradually furrowed, and his breathing grew slightly heavier, as if he were about to wake up at any moment.

Tsunade's expression stiffened, and just as she instinctively tried to pull away and get out of bed, she saw Sakuya's eyes already opening.

"G-good morning!"

She was startled and, ignoring everything else, hurriedly retreated toward the edge of the bed.

"?"

What was going on?

Sakuya blinked, wanting to sit up, but felt a sharp, aching pain in his right arm.

"Hiss..."

He managed to sit up, rubbing his arm while frowning as he spoke: "What happened? You're making such a commotion this morning—are there enemies?"

"No... it's nothing!"

Tsunade shook her head repeatedly. "It's getting late, let's get up. We still need to investigate inside Amegakure today."

"...F-fine."

Although Tsunade's situation was a bit suspicious, the mission was important, so Sakuya couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.

Looking at Tsunade's expression, he actually felt a little uneasy inside.

He guessed his sleeping posture must have been unsightly.

His right arm being this sore was likely also his own doing.

However, these things were not easy to bring up to her face.

He certainly didn't want to get a taste of Tsunade's Monster Strength Fist Technique.

At 5:40 PM, Sakuya and Tsunade reunited at the inn.

"I've conducted a simple investigation within Amegakure."

Seeing the puzzling smile on Sakuya's face, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Well? Did you find anything out?"

"Naturally, some interesting intelligence."

Sakuya relayed the information to Tsunade.

"Currently, there are two main factions within Amegakure."

He dipped his finger in some water and drew a circle on the table, then drew a much smaller circle in the corner of the first one.

"Amegakure is led by Hanzo, and many ninjas in the village recognize this Rain Shadow as their boss, but there are exceptions."

"Exceptions?"

Hearing this, an expression of surprise appeared on Tsunade's face.

"A ninja village with a special force that doesn't listen to the Shadow, aside from the ninja troops directly led by them? How is that possible?"

How is it not possible? Look at the Anbu under Danzo, aren't they exactly that?

Sakuya retorted silently in his heart.

"But that is exactly what I discovered, and furthermore, this is actually common knowledge within Amegakure."

He continued, "This small group of people in Amegakure are not ninjas, but... merchants."

"Merchants?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Correct. It is said to be a merchant guild called Akatsuki, led by a youth of about fourteen."

Sakuya said, "That guy was an honor student who graduated from the Amegakure Ninja Academy. His grades were excellent, and he was once regarded by Hanzo as a protégé. But strangely, after graduating from the academy, he didn't choose to become a ninja; instead, he chose to abandon his status as a ninja and became an ordinary traveling merchant."

"Huh?"

Tsunade looked completely bewildered. "He didn't become a ninja, but went to be a merchant instead?"

"Yes, and Hanzo values his village's genius very highly. Even though he gave up being a ninja, Hanzo kept his ninja status and granted him many special privileges, allowing him to trade freely within Amegakure. After years of development, their merchant guild can be considered a super-large enterprise in the Land of Rain."

"There's such a thing."

Tsunade looked as if she had learned something new.

"What is that guy's name?"

"His name is Sakuya Yamanashi, nicknamed the Azure Dragon."

Sakuya revealed the person's name. "If nothing goes wrong, he is the youth we saw in the alleyway yesterday, the one who shares the same pronunciation of his name as mine."

"Yamanashi... Sakuya? A surname as Buddhist-sounding as Yamanashi is not a common one."

Tsunade fell into thought, rubbing her chin with her fingers. "But I have a feeling... I seem to have heard Grandmother mention this surname before. Hmm, I can't quite remember."