Mito Uzumaki

Konoha.

The Senju Clan Compound.

Tsunade staggered down a pitch-black corridor, the faint moonlight barely revealing her flushed cheeks.

"I... drank too much..." Tsunade muttered haltingly.

"Lady Tsunade..." Katsuyu wriggled out of Tsunade's arms and took several deep breaths of fresh air.

"Lady Tsunade, why did you drink so much again?" Katsuyu complained.

The overpowering smell had nearly suffocated her.

Thud...

Suddenly, Tsunade lost her balance and toppled straight onto the floor.

"Lady Tsunade, wake up... Don't sleep here. You'll catch a cold," Katsuyu called anxiously.

She crawled onto Tsunade's cheek and gently patted her face.

Clack, clack, clack. The sound of wooden sandals striking the floor came from the distance.

At the sound, Katsuyu immediately grew alert.

Her gaze snapped toward its source.

Suddenly, an elderly voice came from the darkness ahead. "Who's there?"

"Is that you, Tsunade?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Katsuyu paused, then let down her guard.

Before long, the figure ahead approached them.

It was an elderly woman with an aged face and long red hair.

Her eyes were half closed, and her steps were unhurried yet firm.

"Lady Mito."

"You're..." Looking at the little creature on Tsunade's face, Mito Uzumaki opened her eyes a little wider before finally making her out.

"Is that you, Katsuyu?"

Katsuyu nodded. "Yes, Lady Mito."

"Oh, Lady Mito, could you wake Lady Tsunade up?"

"I'm afraid she'll catch a cold."

A pungent smell reached Mito Uzumaki, and only then did she look at Tsunade lying on the floor.

"Ah..." She shook her head slightly.

"This child is being utterly reckless."

She bent down and tried to help Tsunade up, but she simply could not muster the strength.

Looking at her own hands, she shook her head. "I've grown old. So old."

"Katsuyu, wait here. I'll get someone to help." With that, Mito Uzumaki slowly headed back the way she had come.

After a long while, a sound finally came from up ahead.

"Grandma, what do you need at this hour?" a young voice complained.

Soon, two figures, one old and one young, arrived beside Tsunade.

Behind Mito Uzumaki followed a sleepy little boy wearing a nightcap, who seemed to have just been roused from sleep.

"Your sister drank too much. Hurry and drag her back."

Seeing him, Katsuyu greeted him as well. "Master Nawaki."

He gave a slight nod when he saw Katsuyu perched on his sister's face.

"Ugh, that stupid sister of mine. Why did she drink too much again?" Once he understood the situation, he grumbled a little.

"I'm always the one who has to clean up after her."

Still, complaints aside, she was his sister. He had to help her no matter what.

Seeing her sprawled out on the floor, he did not even know where to start.

He tried to take her hands, but the moment he saw the slug on her face, he sheepishly pulled his hands back.

Left with no choice, he went around to the other side and grabbed her legs.

"She's so heavy..." Nawaki strained with all his might, dragging her inch by inch toward her room.

Suddenly, the legs in his grip began to struggle.

"I... won... Pay... pay up." In her unconscious state, Tsunade grew excited and kicked straight at Nawaki by her feet.

Crash... Caught off guard, Nawaki was sent flying by the tremendous force and slammed into the wall.

"Nawaki!" Mito Uzumaki cried out anxiously at the sight.

She hurried over to check his injuries.

"Oww... Grandma, my sister's bullying me," Nawaki complained, clutching his face.

"Quick, let Grandma see where you're hurt," Mito said anxiously.

After pulling Nawaki's hands aside, Mito finally got a clear look at the injury on his face.

Tsunade's kick had left a huge mark on Nawaki's face, and it began swelling before her eyes.

Fortunately, the injury was not serious. It did, however, look rather funny.

At that thought, the corners of Mito's mouth twitched.

"Ha... Ahem, ahem." Suppressing her urge to laugh, she immediately put on a serious expression.

"Nawaki, I'll be sure to punish your sister when she wakes up," she reassured him gently. "But right now, the most important thing is getting her back to her room."

Nawaki immediately looked aggrieved.

"But, but..." Nawaki hesitated, about to protest, then spotted Katsuyu crawling toward him across the floor.

"Master Nawaki, would you like me to heal you?" Katsuyu asked from beside his feet.

"Uh..."

"No, no, it doesn't hurt." Nawaki waved his hands, then acted as though nothing had happened.

"Really?" Katsuyu asked in puzzlement. "But your injury looks quite serious to me."

Nawaki waved his hands again.

"I'm really fine."

Then he hurried toward Tsunade.

Only after reaching Tsunade did he take hold of her hands.

"Phew..." He breathed a sigh of relief.

If Katsuyu had not been on his sister's face earlier, he would never have grabbed her feet.

And now look what happened. My face really hurts!

"Nawaki... Are you sure you don't need Katsuyu to heal you?" Mito asked with concern.

"Grandma, I'm really fine. It doesn't hurt at all," he replied, forcing himself to remain calm.

Mito looked at Katsuyu, then at Nawaki, and sighed. "Ah, never mind, then. If you say you don't need it, we'll leave it at that."

This time, Nawaki finally escaped any further attacks from Tsunade and successfully dragged her into her room.

"Huff, huff..." Nawaki panted heavily.

Then he looked at Mito Uzumaki behind him.

"Grandma, my sister's settled in now, so I'll head back to my room."

Mito nodded, then reminded him, "It's very dark. Be careful, and don't slip."

"Okay..." Nawaki answered. The instant he left the room, he covered his cheeks with both hands again.

"Oww, my sister really kicks hard."

After searching for a while, Mito finally found a blanket and covered Tsunade with it.

Once everything was taken care of, Mito dusted off her hands and prepared to go back to bed.

As she passed the doorway, her gaze fell once more on the little slug resting on the floor.

"Oh, Katsuyu, why haven't you gone back yet?"

"Tsunade's settled in now. You should be able to release the Summoning Technique."

Katsuyu raised her head and looked at the elderly woman before her.

"Lady Mito..."

"I still need Lady Tsunade's help."

Mito nodded in understanding.

"To think even the Slug Sage needs to ask others for help."

At that thought, she grew curious.

What could it be?

"Oh, I hardly deserve to be called a sage," Katsuyu said humbly. "I've merely lived a little longer than most."

"Hahaha..." Mito burst into laughter at her words.

"In that case, there's no need to wait for Tsunade to wake up. Whatever it is, let me help you!"

Katsuyu froze, not expecting her to volunteer to help.

She thought it over, then nodded in agreement.

If it's Lady Mito...

In an instant, another idea formed in her mind.