Let Him Go-I'll Take Over!

"Huh?"

Takizawa Dan was genuinely stunned this time!

It was one thing for Tsunade to take a liking to him, but how could Shizune have taken a liking to him too?

"Shizune! I'm warning you, Takizawa Dan is my personal disciple. You are absolutely not allowed to set your sights on him!"

Tsunade's expression turned dangerous. She promptly pulled Takizawa Dan into her arms.

But that move left Takizawa Dan's face pressed against her chest, and he could barely breathe.

"Aw... I see. Lady Tsunade beat me to it!"

Shizune wore an utterly wounded expression, looking deeply disappointed.

The moment Takizawa Dan had walked in, she'd noticed the handsome young man.

Compared with the brawny brutes in the ninja village, Takizawa Dan was more than twice as handsome and refined. Shizune had taken an instant liking to him.

Shizune had traveled far and wide with Tsunade for all these years, but she'd never married. She was nearly thirty and still on her own.

After such a long dry spell, meeting Takizawa Dan had left her so excited she could hardly contain herself. The flowers of romance were already blooming in her heart.

Now, Shizune began glaring at Takizawa Dan with resentment.

It was all this man's fault. If not for him, Lady Tsunade wouldn't have become so cold toward her, or been bewitched by this guy.

In an instant, Shizune's gaze turned murderous!

If she couldn't have something, she'd rather destroy it. That was her life motto.

"Ahem..."

Sensing trouble, Takizawa Dan hurriedly tried to save himself.

"Um... Big Sister Shizune, could you let me say something?"

Takizawa Dan asked cautiously.

"Hm? Since you're so handsome, fine."

Shizune hadn't expected the little guy to dare speak to her. She was surprised, but she did admire his courage, so she nodded.

"Big Sister Shizune, think about it. If I become Lady Tsunade's disciple, wouldn't that make you my senior sister?"

Takizawa Dan whispered cautiously into Shizune's ear, where Tsunade couldn't hear him.

"Uh? And?"

Shizune's heart stirred at his words. She felt as if she'd caught a glimpse of what he meant, but she looked at him in confusion.

"Come on, don't be silly!" Takizawa Dan said helplessly. "Big Sister Shizune, think about it. If we're senior sister and junior brother, we'll have to live under the same roof, won't we? Honestly, I really like you, too."

Under the same roof?!

Shizune immediately understood!

Right! Even if Lady Tsunade had special feelings for Takizawa Dan for now, as long as Shizune spent every day with him, she could steal his heart!

Hehe, sorry, Lady Tsunade. You're already over fifty, after all. Let your disciple take over and enjoy the little cutie's attention!

Thinking this, Shizune stared intently at Takizawa Dan, her eyes gleaming green with a wolfish hunger. It was a chilling sight—unless you noticed the drool at the corner of her mouth...

"Shizune, what are you saying to Takizawa Dan?"

Tsunade's voice suddenly rang out, bringing Shizune back to reality.

"Haha, I didn't say anything! I was just having a friendly heart-to-heart with my junior brother, Takizawa Dan!"

Shizune quickly looked up and said, putting on an act.

"Is that really true? Takizawa Dan, tell your big sister honestly: has Shizune been bullying you? If she has, tell me. I'll deal with her right now!"

Tsunade eyed them suspiciously. Shizune's sudden change in attitude had been far too drastic.

Besides, though Tsunade hadn't been able to hear what the two of them were saying over those brief few minutes, she could tell something was up from Shizune's wildly shifting expressions...

"Don't worry, Big Sister Tsunade. It really is nothing," Takizawa Dan said with a wry smile.

Only after Shizune and Takizawa Dan had earnestly promised several times that they'd get along did Tsunade finally accept it, though she remained half-convinced.

"By the way, Shizune, you just called Takizawa Dan your junior brother. Does that mean you've accepted him as a fellow disciple?"

Tsunade suddenly remembered and looked at Shizune in delight.

Her disciple Shizune was diligent, powerful, and highly perceptive. There was no question she was the most senior among Tsunade's many disciples. But Shizune had always been the sort who couldn't stand sharing Tsunade with anyone. She'd wanted to serve Tsunade alone, and that was precisely why Tsunade hadn't taken on another disciple in decades.

Takizawa Dan was the first, ever!

"Haha, Lady Tsunade, I don't dislike Takizawa Dan. I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

Shizune was now thinking only about how to pounce on Takizawa Dan, so she wore the grin of a lovestruck woman. Takizawa Dan wanted nothing more than to stomp on that face.

How did she look anything like a senior sister or an elite jōnin of Konoha?!

"That's wonderful. I'm glad you've come around."

Tsunade smiled, looking quite relieved.

Since neither Tsunade nor Shizune had any objections, Takizawa Dan bathed, changed, and then bowed to Tsunade, becoming her personal disciple!

"Takizawa Dan, take this tomoe pendant. It's the mark of my disciple. You can wear it when you go out from now on. Not just in Konoha—even if you travel throughout the entire Shinobi World, if anyone gives you trouble, you can show them this pendant and make your identity clear. Most people won't dare lay a hand on you once they see it."

Tsunade handed him the pendant and spoke earnestly.

"Thank you, Big Sister Tsunade," Takizawa Dan said gratefully.

This tomoe pendant wasn't just for show. It proved that he'd become Tsunade's personal disciple!

Everyone knew that Tsunade held tremendous prestige and status throughout the ninja world. She'd established the medical ninja corps and saved countless lives, earning the admiration of many as the "Princess"!

Nobody would care about a little kid like Takizawa Dan, but Tsunade's reputation was another matter—people had to respect it.

Unless he ran into someone truly wicked, anyone in their right mind would treat Takizawa Dan with respect when they saw the tomoe.

It seemed he finally had something official that could protect his life. He'd be a little safer from now on. Takizawa Dan breathed a sigh of relief.

"By the way, Lady Tsunade, now comes the next part, right?"

At that moment, Shizune gave Tsunade a sly smile.

"Oh... you mean that. You're right, it's time for that!"

Tsunade was taken aback, but then she smiled.

Watching the two of them exchange cryptic hints instead of speaking plainly, Takizawa Dan felt a pang of unease.

"What... are you two talking about?"