Three Women Meet for the First Time

"Not bad."

Tsunade slapped Yueshu on the shoulder. She had been watching the entire match from the sidelines, and Yueshu's brilliant performance had naturally not escaped her notice.

"It was alright."

Yueshu replied softly, showing no signs of great excitement.

"Didn't you win? Cheer up a little! Walking around with a gloomy face all day, you'll never get any girls to like you like that."

Tsunade reached out with her devilish hands toward Yueshu's head and proceeded to ruffle his hair into a mess.

Yueshu had no choice; since he was currently living under this woman's roof, he could only sigh helplessly as Tsunade messed up his hair.

Just as Tsunade finished speaking, Kushina pulled Mikoto over from the side.

"You guy, when did you get so strong? That Minato guy too—he's clearly nothing but a sissy."

Kushina said gloomily. Having witnessed today's duel, she realized the gap between herself and both Minato Namikaze and Yueshu.

The two great geniuses of Konoha were no exaggeration. She hadn't really seen Yueshu and Minato's true strength before, but now that both had unleashed it today, it had truly taken everyone by surprise.

To be honest, this feeling of being left far behind made Kushina feel quite frustrated and uneasy.

"Yueshu-kun, congratulations."

Compared to the relationship between Kushina and Yueshu, Mikoto and Yueshu were merely friends of friends, so Mikoto addressed him with a very formal, reserved tone.

"Just Yueshu is fine."

Yueshu didn't care about such things; he found honorifics to be a huge hassle, and he preferred things simple.

"Oh ho, I remember one is named Kushina, right? And the other one, with that attire, must be from the Uchiha clan."

Tsunade stopped ruffling Yueshu's hair and turned her gaze toward Kushina and Mikoto.

"Hello, I am Kushina Uzumaki. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you earlier."

"Hello, I am Mikoto Uchiha. Please take care of me, Lady Tsunade."

Seeing Tsunade, the two young girls introduced themselves with a bit of restraint. Unlike Kushina, who was unaware, Mikoto knew exactly who this beautiful woman standing before them was.

"It's fine, it's fine, don't be so nervous. Come to think of it, you two are both budding beauties. You'd better watch out for my Yueshu—he's the type to make a move, you know."

"Hey, hey, what are you saying?"

Tsunade was being inappropriate again, and Yueshu stood to the side with black lines running down his forehead.

Ever since Yueshu had been inexplicably taken in by Tsunade, her personality had slowly drifted away from the original. She never seemed to want to do missions, preferring to stay home like a salted fish, and she enjoyed teasing Yueshu every chance she got.

Watching the two girls blush slightly, Yueshu sighed helplessly. Tsunade was spouting nonsense again.

He wasn't some starved, desperate person; he had no intention of "making a move." Besides, they were just two little girls who hadn't even finished growing yet—making a move on them would literally be a three-year sentence.

"Hahaha."

Seemingly satisfied with her goal, Tsunade let out a loud laugh.

"Let's head back. I'm hungry."

Yueshu didn't bother with her and simply started walking away.

"Kushina, Mikoto, see you tomorrow."

Yueshu called out as he walked straight ahead. He had just finished a match and his stomach was truly starting to growl. Since there were no more classes, he might as well go home and eat.

"I wonder if Shizune has finished cooking."

Yueshu muttered to himself.

"Sorry about that, he's just like this. Please take care of him in the future."

Tsunade watched the departing Yueshu without a hint of reluctance and sighed. She had wanted to help Yueshu get closer to Kushina and Mikoto; joking was a great way to bridge the gap between people.

After all, even if it was a joke, it might just turn into reality one day.

"Well, it's not the first time he's been like that."

Kushina nodded. She had spent over a year with him and was well aware of Yueshu's frequent "salted fish" attitude toward others.

Mikoto, who hadn't spent much time with Yueshu, didn't know what to say, so she just nodded in agreement.

Tsunade flashed a smile.

"I'll be going then."

Tsunade waved her hand and ran after Yueshu with a gait as youthful as a young girl's.

"Why are you walking so fast?"

"I told you, I'm hungry."

"Tch, and there were classmates around, too."

"Didn't I already say goodbye? Filling my stomach is the number one priority."

Yueshu and Tsunade traded barbs as they headed home, while Kushina and Mikoto watched them from behind.

"Do you really have no interest? Both of those little girls are quite pretty; they'll definitely be beauties when they grow up."

After walking for a distance, Tsunade suddenly spoke up.

"Since when do you care about such things? How strange."

Yueshu cast a sidelong glance at Tsunade.

"Well, I'm just keeping an eye on things for you while I'm at it. You should be thanking me."

"Fine, whatever you say is right."

Yueshu shrugged.

"At such a young age, not learning anything good, just thinking about romance and puppy love all day—that's no good."

"And another thing, an adult who does nothing at home but lie around and drink tea, and now even entices children into puppy love, is very unpopular."

"Tch, I'm actually very popular."

"That's only because they don't know your true nature."

"Hmm?"

Yueshu felt his head being grabbed and instantly changed his tune.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong."

"You really don't hesitate at all, do you? I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

"Why would I do that? It wouldn't be rewarding at all."

"Tch, not manly in the slightest."

Tsunade released her grip on Yueshu's head, and the two walked side by side.

"Of course I'm not a man yet. Have you ever seen an eight-year-old man?"

"Being a man isn't defined by age."

Tsunade glanced at Yueshu, who barely reached above her waist.

"Being a man is a state of mind. Well, a little brat like you wouldn't understand anyway."

"Tch."

"Hahaha, one day you'll become a real man, just like that time before."

Tsunade said softly.

Yueshu glanced at her from the side before looking away.

Today, Konoha was as peaceful as ever—a fleeting peace bought by the sacrifice of tens of thousands.

Tsunade and Yueshu, one big and one small, walked under the sun, their footsteps synchronized as they headed home.

The sunlight in Konoha was just right, gentle and soft, spilling over the two of them and casting one long and one short shadow.

The two shadows walked on and on, their footsteps slowly merging into one.

The streets remained the same, slightly noisy.

The duel had ended just like that, and Yueshu's daily life returned to its track, just as plain and ordinary as before.

This is fine.

At this very moment, that was what Yueshu thought.