An Unexpected Encounter with "Great" Tsunade

Konoha at dusk.

After parting ways with Rin at noon, Obito went to a barbershop for a new hairstyle and bought several sets of clothes at a boutique; as the saying goes, clothes make the man. The new-look Obito was actually quite handsome, with medium-length black hair and sharp, spirited black eyes. One had to admit that the Uchiha bloodline was truly powerful.

The shops lining the streets were brightly lit, their neon signs giving him a sense of temporal displacement.

The streets were bustling with people—some clad in the iconic green flak jackets of Konoha, others in traditional Japanese attire. Handsome men and beautiful women brushed shoulders in a lively, vibrant scene.

Obito's destination was an izakaya. Back on Earth, he had always been interested in Japanese pubs, but due to constraints of time and money, he never had the chance to experience one personally. Now that he had both wealth and leisure, he was determined to enjoy it to the fullest.

Hmm, this place looks good. The atmosphere isn't bad, and it's quite busy.

"Welcome! Uh... little one, who are you looking for?" The proprietress greeted him warmly at first, but upon realizing he was just a handsome little boy, she couldn't help but ask.

"I'm not looking for anyone. I'm here to drink! What? Am I not welcome?" Obito said with an air of seasoned maturity.

"...Little one, children aren't allowed to drink!" The proprietress stepped forward, attempting to pat his head.

Obito dodged with a quick sway and pulled a stack of banknotes from his pocket, waving them about.

The proprietress's eyes lit up as she stared at the stack of cash in his hand! The sight of those ten-thousand-ryō notes made her dizzy. She had no idea which young master this was...

"Distinguished guest, please, come in, come in!" With a cordial smile, the proprietress hurried to seat Obito inside.

Obito savored the thrill of being a wealthy man. As he followed the proprietress inside and prepared to sit down, he heard a woman shout.

"Proprietress, two more bottles of sake!"

Obito followed the voice and saw—wasn't that Tsunade? She had long golden hair, wore a low-cut gray undershirt beneath a green robe, though the "gamble" kanji was obscured by the angle.

"Bring four bottles to that table, put it on my tab." With that, Obito headed straight for Tsunade's table.

"Beautiful big sister, may I sit here?" Obito feigned innocence.

Up close, he saw the blue-purple mark on Tsunade's forehead, her thin, light-yellow eyebrows, bright brown eyes, pale red lips, and bright red nail polish. Her fair, tender skin and the bottomless cleavage were even more stunning in person than in the anime.

There were already seven or eight empty bottles in front of Tsunade. Two years ago, her lover, Dan Katō, had died during a mission. After receiving the news and rushing to the scene, she had been unable to save his life; the sight of his endless bleeding had left her with hemophobia.

For the past two years, she had used alcohol and gambling to numb her scarred, aching heart.

Tsunade, dazed and tipsy, saw a child standing before her. She was confused, thinking she had drunk so much that she was hallucinating.

"Big sister, can I sit here? I can treat you to a drink!"

"Where did this brat come from?" Tsunade furrowed her beautiful brows. She intended to tell the brat to get lost, but upon hearing he would treat her to a drink, she changed her mind—she was currently strapped for cash and had just racked up another mountain of gambling debts.

"Sure, sit wherever you like..." Tsunade said, breathing out the scent of alcohol.

"Guest, your drinks." The proprietress set down the tray and arranged the four bottles of warmed sake on the table.

Obito noticed there was nothing on the table but a serving of boiled radish. He was speechless; Tsunade was living quite miserably.

He pulled five ten-thousand-ryō notes from his pocket, placed them on the tray, and said, "Bring some of your best appetizers."

"Very well, guest. Please wait a moment. It will be ready shortly." The proprietress picked up the tray, pocketed the money, and hurried off to prepare the food, beaming. A high-quality customer like this had to be turned into a regular!

"Brat, you're quite wealthy, aren't you!" Tsunade picked up a bottle, filled a cup, and downed it in one gulp.

"My name is Uchiha Obito, not 'brat.' What about you, big sister?" Obito poured himself a cup, sniffed it, and downed it. It was watered-down erguotou, probably only about twenty percent alcohol.

"An Uchiha brat, huh? I hate the Uchiha name." Tsunade had no intention of revealing her identity.

"Then I guess you must be Lady Tsunade." Obito picked up her bottle and poured her another drink.

"Oh? And why do you say that?" Watching the child pour her drink, Tsunade thought to herself, Kid, you're quite smooth.

"There are many in the village who hate the Uchiha. Not many dare to say it to their faces. Someone who doesn't fear the Uchiha and looks this beautiful is most likely Lady Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage." Obito poured himself a drink as well.

"Tch..." Tsunade picked up her cup and downed it in one go, saying nothing.

"Guest, please enjoy..." Before long, the proprietress brought over a table full of appetizers.

Soon, the four bottles of liquor were finished in the silent atmosphere.

Back on Earth, Tsunade was his favorite female character in Naruto. Through his biased lens, her violence was just a lack of restraint, and beneath her indifferent facade lay a fragile heart. The death of her brother, the death of her lover, and her hemophobia as the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi—all these burdens weighed on her like giant boulders.

"Proprietress, four more bottles." Obito shook the empty bottle.

"Brat, you've got a good tolerance. Be careful your mother doesn't spank you for not coming home tonight!" Tsunade said.

"I don't have any family left. Even if I don't go home all night, no one will care..." Obito said softly.

"Sorry..." Tsunade, not expecting the generous child to be an orphan, said with a hint of guilt.

"It's nothing. If it weren't for photos, I wouldn't even know what my parents looked like. But this is fine, too. In another world, they can still be together. Maybe they've already given me a little brother or sister!"

"Heh... that's an interesting thought. Can people really be reborn in another world after they die?" Tsunade whispered.

"They can. The souls of the dead in this world reach another world and live on in a different way," Obito said earnestly.

"Nonsense. If that were true, why would people in this world struggle to live? Why not just die and go reunite with their loved ones in the other world?" Tsunade murmured, her fingers gripping the empty cup.

"Right, big sister is smarter. I just heard it from someone else; it turns out it was a lie." Obito quickly agreed with her. Tsunade was his intended wife for this life. If he accidentally drove her to suicide, where would he go to cry?

I can't measure them with the mindset of an ordinary person, and my own thinking shouldn't be limited to my past life, Obito reflected to himself.