Amegakure Declares War

Yusuke swept the last slices of meat off the grill and polished off three more bowls of rice.

Yusuke felt halfway full, and the burning sensation in his stomach had eased.

Sure enough, after such intense exertion, nothing beat a pile of carbs.

He let out a long breath. "Finally, that's better."

"Slow down. No one's going to steal it from you."

Tsunade handed him a cup of warm water, her tone mildly reproachful.

For a moment, the bustle of the barbecue restaurant, the lively atmosphere, the steam rising from the food, and the company of the woman beside him made Yusuke think he could relax for a while.

But he quickly quashed the thought himself.

He remained on guard. The consciousness of Tyrant, temporarily restrained inside him by Senjutsu energy, was nowhere near assimilated. It was a ticking time bomb.

The situation beyond the village was even more turbulent, and Hanzo the Salamander and the Land of Rain remained unpredictable.

The clouds of the Second Shinobi World War still loomed overhead.

Within Konoha, Shimura Danzō was a venomous snake who would never give up so easily.

This was no time to let his guard down.

"Waiter! Ten more plates of premium beef tenderloin! Lord Jiraiya's treating everyone today!"

Jiraiya's booming voice shattered the brief quiet.

Watching the easy rapport between Yusuke and Tsunade, he finally gave up on the last of his hopes and decided to drown his sorrows in food.

Jiraiya had never been a sore loser.

The four of them ordered a few more bottles of sake, and their meal finally came to an end amid the clamor.

The four of them walked out of the Akimichi BBQ Restaurant. When the night breeze hit them, the food and alcohol they had consumed began to take effect.

Jiraiya's steps wavered. He slung an arm around Yusuke's neck, leaning most of his weight on him.

"Y-Yusuke, my boy. Hic... You're a good one. A real good one!"

"From now on... treat Tsunade well. If you ever bully her... I... I'll be the first to beat you up."

Jiraiya's words slurred, and his breath reeked of alcohol.

Yusuke staggered under his weight, then smiled at his words. "Don't worry... I definitely... won't. Hic."

"Hahaha, that's what I like to hear, brother!" Jiraiya slapped Yusuke hard on the back, making him cough twice.

Tsunade rubbed her forehead helplessly. "You two are a pair of drunken idiots."

She stepped forward and briskly separated the two men, who had been leaning on each other.

"All right, time to head home. You each go your own way." She supported Yusuke by the arm.

"Orochimaru, you're in charge of this idiot."

She pointed at Jiraiya, who was still clamoring to go to the hot springs to "do research."

Orochimaru gave a faint nod. "All right."

He stepped forward and steadied the swaying Jiraiya, sighing inwardly for his friend.

"Let's go."

Tsunade turned away with a carefree stride and supported Yusuke as she walked him home.

The night breeze blew softly. Yusuke felt his steps grow even heavier, most of his weight resting on Tsunade's shoulder.

"You just recovered, and now you've drunk this much. You really don't care if you end up with lingering injuries and slow your recovery."

Tsunade couldn't help grumbling, though she held his arm firmly.

Yusuke's eyes were half-closed as he leaned against her, the faint scent that belonged to Tsunade lingering beneath his nose.

"What's there to worry about..."

"Aren't you here? Konoha's best medical ninja..."

Tsunade snorted. If she hadn't heard how tired he sounded, she would have punched him a couple of times.

Neither of them said anything more, but Tsunade tightened her grip on his arm.

The moonlight stretched their shadows long across the ground.

When they got home, Tsunade struggled to help Yusuke over to the bed.

She had just bent down to pull away when Yusuke suddenly wrapped an arm around her.

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, Tsunade let out a startled cry.

Losing her balance, she was pulled straight down onto the bed with him.

The next instant, Yusuke rolled over and half-pinned her beneath him, his hot, alcohol-scented breath drawing close.

Before Tsunade could react, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

It was over in an instant.

Yusuke lifted his head slightly and looked down at Tsunade, whose cheeks had quickly turned scarlet and whose eyes were flustered.

He smacked his lips. "So... you taste like cherries."

Tsunade's heart raced. Her eyes darted away, and she stumbled over her words.

"I-I ate a few cherries to cut the greasiness after the barbecue..."

They were so close they could feel each other's breath.

Tsunade gazed at Yusuke's face, so close to hers. His usually deep eyes looked hazy with drink.

Her mind went blank. Without thinking, she clenched the bedsheets, her body stiff as a board.

Just as her heart pounded wildly and she had no idea what to do—

"Thump!"

The weight on top of her suddenly grew heavier. Yusuke's head lolled to one side, and he slumped completely onto her.

A moment later, his breathing turned steady and deep. He had fallen fast asleep.

"..."

Tsunade stared for several seconds before finally reacting. Anger and helplessness welled up together.

"You bastard...!" she muttered, then shoved the "dead weight" off herself.

Yusuke rolled over without waking and lay on his back, completely defenseless in his sleep.

With his usual vigilance gone, he looked unusually relaxed.

Tsunade sat up and straightened her rumpled clothes and hair, her cheeks still burning.

She glared at the sleeping Yusuke as her chest rose and fell a few times.

This guy was always so cautious, yet when he got drunk, he became so bold.

But as she looked at his peaceful sleeping face, her anger gradually faded.

She couldn't help thinking about what had happened between them before.

During their mission in the Land of Rain, Yusuke had returned to save her without regard for his own safety;

The domineering way Yusuke had confronted Hanzo and threatened him;

As they fled, she had done everything she could to carry the gravely injured Yusuke back to the village;

One memory after another came back to her. Before she knew it, the corners of her mouth had curled up. "You really are such a troublesome bastard."

She rummaged through her personal ninja tool pouch and took out a small medical kit, where all the usual medicines were already neatly sorted.

She picked out a specially made hangover pill and placed it on the bedside table, then wrote a note.

Tsunade still felt uneasy.

She stood there for a moment, then bent down, removed his crooked shoes, and pulled the blanket over him haphazardly.

Once she was done, Tsunade stood beside the bed again.

"If you get this drunk again, don't expect me to look after you."

She muttered angrily at the sleeping man, as if speaking to him—or perhaps to herself.

After that, she took one last look at the man in bed, turned, and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

The room fell completely silent, leaving only Yusuke's even breathing.

The moonlight shifted slowly, illuminating the small hangover pill on the bedside table.

The next morning.

Yusuke slowly sat up, his head feeling a little heavy.

It was like the way he'd felt when he'd caught COVID in his previous life.

He shook his foggy head and noticed Tsunade's note on the bedside table. He couldn't help smiling faintly.

He had no idea why his lips hurt a little, or why he could still taste a bit of cherry.

After hastily washing up and eating breakfast, Yusuke wondered whether he should visit Tohka Senju.

The door was pushed open, and a woman with golden hair tied in a ponytail entered, already wearing her combat armor.

"What's wrong?" Yusuke asked, handing Tsunade a glass of milk.

Seeing her serious expression, Yusuke had a guess.

Tsunade's next words confirmed it.

"Amegakure has declared war on the Five Great Nations!"