He pulled his hand from his trouser pocket, raised it, spread his fingers, and rested them on Tsunade's shoulder. His fingertips pressed through the soft fabric, neither too hard nor too gently.
Tsunade tensed, but she didn't pull away.
Space warped for an instant.
Tsunade's feet left the wooden floor. In a flash, the dim office vanished from her sight, replaced by a blur of white, before everything snapped into focus again.
Her feet touched new ground—hard, cold, and smooth as a polished mirror.
"This is..."
Tsunade stared in disbelief.
Yongye casually made something up again, deliberately setting a trap.
"My Mangekyo Sharingan ability. Paradise."
"Come on. I'll show you around."
"This will be our main battlefield for the next year."
Yongye wrapped an arm around her, and his right hand naturally returned to its usual spot.
Tsunade pretended not to notice. She widened her eyes and looked around, playing the part of Granny Liu seeing wonders for the first time. Yongye got exactly the reaction he wanted.
After a tour, they stopped in front of the dining room.
The table was porcelain white, its surface gleaming like a mirror. A lavish spread freshly prepared by Ayame and the other two women covered it.
Two chairs stood on each side of the table, with curved backs and dark gray padded leather seats.
Yongye pulled one out and sat down. He picked up a piece of soy-braised beef, tasted it, then grinned wickedly.
"All right. You can begin, Lord Hokage."
Tsunade flushed with embarrassment and anger. "Here? Are you insane?"
Yongye urged her impatiently. "We've already agreed on the terms. I'm not going to waste my breath. Hurry up!"
Tsunade glared at him. "Make arrangements for Ayame and the others. This is too much!"
Yongye said nothing. His gaze turned sharp