Hokage Tower, conference room.
By the time Kitahara Kaede pushed open the door, three Jonin were already seated.
The head of the Intelligence Department stood behind Hiruzen, his face pale.
After taking a seat on the right, Kaede watched Tsunade come in and pull out the chair beside him.
Hiruzen skipped the pleasantries.
"Something's happened on the Sunagakure front."
A scroll lay open on the table, with a photograph tucked inside.
It showed a field hospital on the front line.
A Chunin lay in bed, his right arm covered from wrist to shoulder in blackish-purple patterns. They crawled along his meridians toward his torso, as if something living were burrowing beneath his skin.
"Chiyo has developed a new poison for her puppet weapons."
Hiruzen tapped the edge of the photograph. "It spreads continuously and has an extremely short incubation period. The moment it breaks the skin, the poison travels along the meridians. The Medical Corps at the front has tried every antidote in its stock."
He paused.
"None of them worked."
No one spoke.
The head of the Intelligence Department stepped forward and laid out a supplementary report.
"Over the past seven days, the number of casualties from poisoning on the front line has quadrupled. And it's still rising."
Kaede glanced at the figures in the report.
He knew about this incident.
The poison Chiyo had developed during the Second Shinobi World War had cost Konoha dearly on the front lines. In the end, Tsunade had gone to the battlefield herself and deciphered the formula piece by piece. It was also because of this that Tsunade's title of "Medical Saint" had spread throughout the Shinobi World.
And his job was to make sure Tsunade came back alive.
Hiruzen looked at Tsunade.
"Tsunade."
"I'll go."
She cut in before Hiruzen could finish.
The Jonin around the table exchanged glances.
Tsunade picked up the photograph, held it before her eyes for another couple of seconds, then set it down.
"Have live samples of the poison and the complete medical records of the poisoned shinobi ready for me."
She listed each item, her voice low but leaving no room for debate. "If Chiyo used Weathered Scorpion Poison, a specialty of Sunagakure, as the base, then none of the standard antidotes will work. I'll have to test the formula myself to find out exactly what it is."
Hiruzen nodded, then turned his gaze to Kaede.
"Kaede, you're going too."
Kaede gave a brief nod.
He'd planned to go with her anyway.
Hiruzen assigning him directly saved him the trouble of coming up with a reason.
"Once you reach the front, you won't be bound by your unit's orders." Hiruzen pushed a bronze plate across the table. "Temporary command authority. You're free to act."
Kaede took the plate and tucked it into his clothes.
"You leave tomorrow."
Hiruzen stood and looked at the two of them.
At that moment, he seemed less like the Hokage and more like a teacher watching his students leave home.
"Protect the people on the front line."
He paused.
"And protect yourselves."
The meeting adjourned.
Someone from the Intelligence Department handed Tsunade a stack of documents. She took them and tucked them under her arm, then left the conference room with Kaede following behind.
The corridor was long, their footsteps echoing off the walls.
Tsunade stopped at the stairs.
"What time tomorrow?"
"Before dawn. South Gate."
"Okay."
She stepped down one stair.
Then stepped back up.
With her back to him, she stood still for several seconds.
The corridor was empty. Only a little light from the streetlamps outside filtered in through the windows.
"Come by my place later. I have something for you."
She left without waiting for his reply and headed downstairs.
Kaede watched in the direction she'd disappeared.
Something for him? What could it be?
Tsunade's home.
When the door slid open, Tsunade had already changed into comfortable clothes, her hair loose.
"Come in."
The teapot in the living room was still warm. Nawaki's door was closed; he must have gone to sleep already.
Tsunade sat down across from him.
She clutched a small object in her hand for a while, then placed it on the table and pushed it toward him.
A good-luck charm.
Blue cloth, small enough to pinch between his thumb and forefinger.
The stitching was crooked, and the knot at the opening was a little uneven.
Kaede picked it up.
He turned it over. The stitches weren't very even.
One part had clearly been unpicked and sewn again. The loose end hadn't been hidden well, leaving a little frayed thread showing.
He said nothing.
Tsunade kept her eyes on his face.
He turned the charm over and over, his expression calm. He neither smiled nor said it was nice.
The longer he looked, the quieter he became.
He thinks it's ugly.
The thought had barely crossed her mind before she reached for it.
"It's nothing special." Her voice came a little too quickly. "If you think the stitching's ugly, then—"
Kaede leaned to the side.
Tsunade grabbed at empty air.
She pitched forward with the momentum, one hand braced on the table beside his knee, nearly tumbling into him.
When she looked up, he was right in front of her.
So close she could see the curve of his eyelashes.
Tsunade froze.
Kaede didn't pull away or dodge. He looked down at her.
"I really like it."
Tsunade froze there, one hand still braced on the table, stuck in an unbearably awkward pose.
His eyes were utterly sincere.
Tsunade opened her mouth.
Seven or eight things went through her mind—Then keep it safe. Lose it and I'll beat you up. Don't make such a big deal out of it—
But she couldn't get a single one out.
She looked away first.
"...Then keep it."
Her voice was muffled.
Kaede straightened and slipped the charm into the innermost pocket of his tool pouch.
Tsunade returned to her seat and picked up her teacup.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him put the charm away—not just toss it in, but tuck it right into the innermost pocket, just as he had when she'd given him something before.
The corners of her mouth lifted, then she quickly pressed them back down.
They sat in silence for a while.
The tea was gone, and the night had grown late.
Kaede stood.
"We have a long journey tomorrow. Get some sleep."
Tsunade walked him to the door.
Leaning against the doorframe, she folded her arms.
"Kaede."
"Yeah?"
"You said—"
She looked at him, her voice much calmer than before.
"After the war ends, you'll give me an answer."
Kaede turned back.
Her hair was loose, and a silver chain peeked out at her neck. A blue pendant rested against her collarbone.
"Don't make me wait too long."
Kaede looked at her for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
"Okay."
He turned and walked into the night.
Tsunade stayed where she was in the doorway.
His silhouette turned at the end of the lane and vanished from sight.
She lowered her head and clutched the pendant on the silver chain at her chest.
She stood there for a long while before finally closing the door.
Before dawn.
Outside the South Gate.
Kaede arrived early and leaned against a gatepost while checking his ninja tools.
His fingers brushed the charm in the inner pocket and paused.
Footsteps came from the distance.
Tsunade approached with a medical pack on her back, Nawaki beside her.
He was still in his pajamas, his hair sticking up like a bird's nest, his eyes not even fully open.
When he reached them, Nawaki rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"Sensei."
"What are you doing out here?"
"My sister dragged me out of bed—"
Tsunade kicked him in the shin.
Nawaki flinched and grumbled as he changed his story.
"I came willingly."
He yawned again and shook his head, finally seeming to wake up a little.
He looked at Kaede, then at Tsunade.
"Sensei, I'm leaving my sister in your hands."
Tsunade raised a hand to hit him.
Nawaki hopped backward and dodged.
"I'm serious—"
He stood three paces away, rubbing the back of his head.
"You'd both better come back safe."
Tsunade's hand stopped in midair.
Then she lowered it.
"Obviously."
Nawaki chuckled, gave Kaede a thumbs-up, and turned to head back.
He'd only gone a few steps when he looked back again.
"Sensei! When you get back, I want grilled saury!"
Kaede raised a hand and waved to him.
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