When the third drop of dark red liquid seeped out through a crack in the floor, Tsunade was in the Hokage Office, her face pressed against an unfinished document, sleeping like a log.
Ink stained the cuff of her Kage's Ceremonial Robe. Her blond hair lay scattered across the desk, pinning down the corners of three files, and her entire left cheek was plastered against a classified document stamped in red. Drool had soaked a small patch of the paper.
The office door opened.
Shizune came in carrying Tonton, her steps so light she almost glided over the floor. Tonton held a stack of new files in her mouth and snorted.
At the sight of Tsunade's sleeping posture, the corners of Shizune's mouth twitched twice. She hesitated for three seconds.
"Lord Hokage."
No response.
"Lord Hokage, we've completed the preliminary inventory of Root's files. There are over thirty-seven thousand in total..."
Tsunade grunted and lifted her head from the document. A neat line of reversed ink lettering clung to her left cheek, stretching from her cheekbone to her chin.
The corners of Shizune's mouth lifted despite herself before she forcibly pressed them back down.
"Also, there's writing on your face."
Tsunade wiped her cheek with her sleeve, smearing the ink even farther. The line of writing became a blotch covering half her face.
"What writing?"
"...Top secret, backward."
Tsunade's hand stopped against her face, and she glared at Shizune.
Shizune raised Tonton in front of her chest as a shield, her gaze drifting toward the ceiling.
The cup of cold tea left on the desk overnight suddenly jumped.
Nothing had touched it. It jumped on its own. Tea sloshed over the rim, drawing a little circle on the desktop.
Tsunade pressed a hand down on the cup, no longer bothering