In the corridor on the third floor of Golden Leaf Manor, every gambler and attendant witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
A young man wearing a conical hat carried a stunning blonde, blue-eyed beauty in his arms with one hand as he strode out of the VIP room.
The beauty had her face buried in the man's chest. Her golden twin ponytails swayed with his steps, while the exposed tips of her ears and neck were flushed pink. Both hands clutched his lapels so tightly that her knuckles bent, yet she did not struggle.
"Isn't that Lady Tsunade?"
"No way. Since when did Lady Tsunade have a man?"
"Who cares whether she has a man? That guy's carrying pose alone is worth a million ryo."
Tsunade buried her face another inch deeper into Chiba's chest.
"Senju Chiba, put me down. Everyone is watching."
"Let them watch. I'd love for all of Konoha to know you're mine."
Tsunade punched his shoulder with only about one percent of her usual strength. Afterward, her hand did not pull away, instead gripping the fabric at his shoulder without letting go.
Chiba carried Tsunade out of the casino, through the commercial streets of Konoha's eastern district, and across the stone path before the Senju Main Residence. Along the way, they encountered no fewer than twenty people who knew Tsunade, and every one of them looked as though they had seen a ghost.
Tsunade had already given up resisting. With her eyes closed, she tossed every shred of shame into the trash, leaving only one thought looping through her mind.
It's over, it's over, it's over. Tomorrow, all of Konoha will know I was carried down half a street by some young brat.
The gates of the Senju Main