It Is Not Just the Necklace That Is Beautiful

Kitahara Kaede paused for a moment.

Twenty-five-year-old Tsunade wore her long blonde hair in a high ponytail. She was dressed in a white, V-neck short-sleeved shirt with a loose fit, the collar hanging open casually to reveal a stretch of her neckline and collarbones.

Her lower half was clad in a wine-red miniskirt that reached mid-thigh, paired with black fishnet pantyhose.

Capable, sharp, and every bit the same woman who could shatter boulders with a single punch on the battlefield.

Yet, she was somehow different.

Kitahara Kaede's gaze drifted downward uncontrollably for a split second.

The curves of her chest were mostly hidden by the loose fabric, but the silhouette remained unmistakable.

The white material was stretched slightly at that spot, rising and falling with her breath in a subtle, rhythmic arc.

Lower still, at the junction where the hem of the wine-red skirt met the black fishnet stockings, a length of thigh was exposed—

His gaze lingered there for less than half a second.

Good grief.

Although she hadn't yet reached the exaggerated proportions of her prime as seen in the original story, she was already showing signs of a surging tide.

Compared to the flat-chested girl who used to chase him all over the streets in her teens, she was like a completely different person.

He suddenly remembered a long time ago, when a fourteen-year-old Tsunade asked him whether he preferred them big or small when buying fruit.

She had truly been overthinking it back then.

There was absolutely no need to worry about that question.

Tsunade's eyebrows twitched.

She had noticed.

The path of this guy's gaze—first her chest, then her legs.

Although he had pulled his eyes away quickly, she wasn't blind.

A wave of heat rushed from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears.

She was genuinely angry.

Having been partners for over a decade, this man had always kept his eyes straight ahead, as steady and stoic as a rock. And yet, today—

But at the same time, something indescribable bubbled up from the bottom of her heart.

It was light, small, and fragile as a soap bubble.

—So, it wasn't that he was incapable of looking.

—He just hadn't looked before.

Tsunade tightened her chin, her gaze cooling by half a degree as she pressed her lips into a thin line.

Kitahara Kaede realized something was wrong instantly.

He had been careless.

He had forgotten the most basic rule—when looking at a woman, the first glance should be at her eyes to confirm if she is meeting your gaze.

Only if she isn't can you appreciate other places.

He had skipped the first step entirely.

And he had been caught red-handed.

Kitahara Kaede kept his expression unchanged as he pulled his gaze back to Tsunade's face, his tone as steady as if nothing had happened.

"Do you need something from me?"

Tsunade stared at him for two seconds.

In those two seconds, she was judging whether this man was playing dumb or was genuinely oblivious.

In the end, she didn't pursue it—not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know how to wrap things up if she did.

She crossed her arms and lifted her chin slightly.

"Nawaki's birthday is coming up. Come help me pick out a gift today."

It wasn't a question; it was a notification.

Kitahara Kaede leaned against the doorframe.

"Isn't that still a few days away?"

"You know how that kid is. Last time, he complained the kunai I got him was too light; the time before that, he said the wrist guards were ugly. If I don't pick something out in advance, you know how his mouth runs."

Konoha's commercial district.

Tsunade walked in front, her pace fast and her sense of purpose intense.

Kitahara Kaede followed behind, hands in his pockets.

At the first weapon shop, she flipped through an entire wall of kunai and didn't like a single one.

At the second, she picked up a set of shuriken, weighed them, frowned, and put them back.

At the third, she held up a short blade and turned to ask him what he thought.

Kitahara Kaede glanced at it: "Nawaki can't even throw a shuriken straight, and you're getting him a short blade?"

Tsunade glared at him and slapped the blade back onto the shelf with a clack.

After leaving the weapon shop, they ducked into a ninja tool store. She touched every headband, wrist guard, and tool pouch, shaking her head at each one.

Kitahara Kaede leaned against a shelf with his arms crossed, watching her pace back and forth in the aisle, and began to silently count how many times they had left empty-handed today.

The seventh time.

As expected.

Accompanying a woman shopping was more torturous than an S-rank mission.

"Let's go, nothing good here either." Tsunade flicked her ponytail and walked out.

Kitahara Kaede followed: "What exactly do you want to get him?"

"If I knew, would I still be shopping?!"

"...Fine."

The two turned into a small alley.

There was an accessory shop at the entrance. The storefront was small, and the display window was filled with necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. The afternoon sun shone through the glass, making everything sparkle.

Tsunade had only intended to glance at it casually, but her pace suddenly slowed.

She stopped in front of the window.

It was a thin, silver-white chain with a teardrop-shaped, pale blue fluorite pendant. It wasn't particularly expensive, but it was clean and pretty, casting a cool tone in the light.

"Want to go in and take a look?" Kitahara Kaede asked.

Tsunade hesitated for a second, then pushed the door open.

Kitahara Kaede took a step back, following close behind.

The shop wasn't large, but it was decorated exquisitely.

Behind the counter sat a woman in her thirties with a round face and eyes that curved when she smiled.

As soon as she looked up and saw Tsunade enter, she stood up immediately—who in Konoha Village didn't recognize her? The granddaughter of the First Hokage, one of the youngest jonin in the village.

"Lady Tsunade!" the clerk greeted her enthusiastically.

Tsunade pointed to the necklace in the display window.

The clerk deftly took it out, cradled it in her palm, and held it out: "You have such a good eye. This one just arrived. The pendant is natural fluorite; it really complements your skin tone."

Tsunade took it and turned it over, her fingertips tracing the teardrop-shaped stone.

It felt nice.

Just as the clerk was about to continue her pitch, she caught a glimpse of movement at the door—a tall, young man had just stepped in and was standing quietly to the side, his gaze fixed on Tsunade.

The clerk's pupils shrank slightly.

She recognized him.

Hagoromo Kaede.

Lady Tsunade's long-time partner.

Rumors had been circulating in the village for years that the relationship between these two was anything but ordinary.

She had dismissed it as gossip before, but seeing it with her own eyes now—

Well, well.

One was picking out items, the other was watching from the side.

Not rushing her, not leaving.

That stance, that distance, combined with that look—

This was no mere partnership.

The clerk let out a silent scream in her heart, though she maintained a professional smile on her face.

"You can try it on to see the effect," she said to Tsunade, then added in a tone as natural as a casual remark, "Though, it's a bit difficult to fasten this kind of clasp by yourself... why don't you let him help you?"

She said it lightly, as if merely offering a service.

Tsunade's fingers stiffened.

She subconsciously glanced to the side.

Kitahara Kaede met her gaze and was already moving closer.

Very naturally.

As if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Tsunade was about to say it wasn't necessary—

But he had already reached out.

Very naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

His fingertips took the necklace from her palm.

His fingers brushed against her skin, as if by accident, or perhaps on purpose.

Tsunade's words caught in her throat, left unsaid.

He walked in front of her.

He was half a head taller than her.

One hand held the silver clasp, while the other reached up, his fingertips brushing past her ear to tuck a few stray strands of blonde hair behind her shoulder.

The moment his skin touched her earlobe—

Tsunade's mind buzzed.

She had to tilt her face up slightly.

At this close distance, there was nowhere to hide her gaze, and she bumped right into his slightly lowered eyes.

He wasn't looking at her.

His gaze was fixed on the side of her neck.

Both hands moved behind her neck, carefully fastening the clasp.

The warmth of his fingers pressed against her nape, and a small patch of skin felt as if it had been branded.

Tsunade froze completely.

Her heart hammered like a drum, each beat heavier than the last.

She didn't know where to put her hands; she clenched them, then relaxed, finally leaving them stiffly at her sides.

She could feel his breath brushing against the wisps of hair on her forehead.

Behind the counter, the clerk bit her lip to keep from smiling.

She desperately looked away, pretending to be busy organizing a jewelry box, but her ears were pricked up higher than a rabbit's.

Click.

The clasp closed.

His fingers pulled away.

But the warmth on that small patch of skin on her nape didn't follow; the heat surged all the way up her spine.

The silver-white chain hung against her collarbone, and the blue teardrop pendant rested just above her chest, swaying slightly with her breath.

Kitahara Kaede took half a step back.

His gaze traveled up from the necklace to her face.

Tsunade felt completely uncomfortable under his stare.

Her heart was racing embarrassingly fast, but she stubbornly refused to look away, lowering her voice to ask a single question.

"...Does it look good?"

She regretted it the moment she said it.

Her voice was so soft she wanted to slap herself.

Kitahara Kaede looked at her.

The long blonde hair, the blue pendant, the white collar.

And a face that was flushed red from her neck to the tips of her ears.

He spoke.

His tone was flat, but his words were anything but.

"It's not just the necklace that looks good."