Only after night fell did Tsunade, who had lost everything gambling, sneak back to the inn's second floor. She pushed open the door and froze, her charming, tipsy face filled with disbelief.
At that moment, Shizune, who rarely interacted much with others, was actually horsing around with Naoki Senju. She could not hide the smile in her eyes and brows, clearly enjoying herself immensely.
Naoki Senju kept calling her "Sister Shizune" over and over. The closeness between them made even Tsunade a little jealous. Shouldn't he be closer to her, his cousin?
Even the obedient Shizune had failed to notice her return...
In the end, it was Naoki Senju who noticed the drunken Tsunade.
"Sister Tsunade, welcome home."
Tsunade froze at his words, as though a tender spot in her heart had been touched. The corners of her eyes grew slightly damp. How long had it been since anyone had welcomed her home...?
"Mm, I'm home."
"Lady Tsunade!"
Shizune finally noticed the drunken Tsunade and hurriedly rose to greet her.
"How could you drink this much?" Shizune complained softly as she supported Tsunade.
Tsunade seemed somewhat out of sorts. Rather than responding to Shizune's complaint, she pulled away from her support, her expression solemn.
"Shizune, go prepare a bowl of sobering soup for me first. I have something to discuss with Naoki."
"Lady Tsunade..."
Looking at Tsunade, who reeked of alcohol yet was utterly serious, Shizune felt as though she were seeing the legendary Sannin who had commanded Konoha's logistics forces during the Third Shinobi World War!
"Yes, understood."
Before leaving, Shizune turned to look at Naoki Senju. Only after seeing his reassuring, gentle smile did she head downstairs without worry.
"What tricks did you use? It's only been half a day, and you've already got my student completely smitten?"
Tsunade sat down casually beside Naoki. The strong smell of alcohol was somewhat pungent, but the tipsy Tsunade was even more captivating, her fair skin flushed pink...
"Nothing. Sister Shizune just felt sorry for me after hearing about my background."
Naoki Senju shifted aside half the bedding and patted the bed, gesturing for Tsunade to lie down with him.
Tsunade rolled her eyes at Naoki in exasperation. Even if they were both clothed, surely he shouldn't be this unguarded? What a precocious little imp...
After they joked around for a while, much of Tsunade's drunkenness faded, and she grew serious.
"It's all right to tell Shizune about your background. After all, I raised her from childhood, and she can be trusted. But remember, don't tell anyone else. Understood?"
At her words, Naoki Senju's smile faded as well. He had a rather imposing air even without anger, and answered just as solemnly.
"Understood. Thank you for the guidance, Sister Tsunade."
Instead, Tsunade found herself unused to the serious Naoki Senju. He was far too much like her second grandfather... Better for him to be a little frivolous... There was no pressure that way.
"Still, you don't need to be too cautious. As long as you stay by my side, no one can do anything to you."
Absolute confidence and pride shone through Tsunade's voice, and she did indeed have the credentials to back them up. As Konoha's princess and one of the legendary Sannin, she stood at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World in both strength and status.
And the high-spirited, valiant Princess Tsunade was even more captivating.
"Mm, understood."
Once the seriousness vanished from Naoki Senju's face, Tsunade inexplicably sighed in relief. She absolutely could not let Naoki develop into someone like her second grandfather, or it would be far too frightening...
After that bout of tension, the last traces of Tsunade's drunkenness disappeared completely, and she finally recalled the business at hand.
"Naoki, did you ever hear your father mention any other members of the Senju Clan? Knowing my second grandfather, he would definitely have made a backup plan. He wouldn't have sent only your branch to the daimyo's capital."
Having spoken, Tsunade gazed expectantly at Naoki Senju. If they did not act quickly, the Senju Clan really would be gone...
"Calm down first, Sister Tsunade. I did see the names of other Senju clan members in the genealogy, but it didn't record their current whereabouts. Presumably, that was to keep them from being implicated."
"That's good. That's good."
Hope filled Tsunade's eyes once more. As long as clan members were still alive, the day would come when they found them!
Drip, drip.
Two trails of clear tears appeared on Tsunade's lovely face. As beautiful as pear blossoms in the rain, she choked out:
"It's so wonderful that I met you, Naoki. Our Senju Clan finally won't have to vanish from this world."
Naoki Senju could clearly feel that Tsunade was not merely crying with joy, but was genuinely grateful for his appearance. Such heartfelt emotion deeply moved Naoki, who had seen plenty of human warmth and coldness.
He gently wiped away the tears on Tsunade's face and drew her into his arms without a trace of lust. Breathing in the fragrance of her hair, Naoki Senju felt utterly at peace at that moment.
Just then, the door opened. As Shizune pushed it open, she happened to see Tsunade lying in Naoki's arms while he gently wiped away her tears...
This time, Shizune no longer wanted to say anything. She silently placed the freshly prepared sobering soup by the door, then shut it tightly, doing her best not to disturb the pair of lovebirds inside.
But how could her arrival escape Princess Tsunade's notice?
"This is all your fault. We barely exchanged a few words before you got handsy."
After Shizune left, Tsunade's face flushed with embarrassment. The first time could still be passed off as unintentional, but this time would surely confirm her and Naoki's "improper conduct."
"I'm innocent! I only wanted to comfort you, Sister Tsunade."
He might indeed have had some thoughts the first time, but the second time, he really had merely been swept up in the atmosphere. Such pure emotion, untainted by any desire, was the most intoxicating of all.
"All right, that's enough of this. Don't let your imagination run wild. Get some rest early. We'll rest for one more day tomorrow at most, then set off for the next place."
Originally, she had only left the village to clear her head, so she could go anywhere and stay as long as she liked. But now she had to find the other Senju clan members and try to protect them before they encountered danger. Naturally, there was no time to waste.
Tsunade massaged Naoki again to clear his meridians before leaving the room. Her steps were somewhat hurried as she left, however, and she spat out with a flushed face, "That little brat. I absolutely can't let him meet Jiraiya, or he'll definitely be led astray."
After Tsunade left, Naoki Senju threw back the covers, got onto the floor, and stretched his limbs. Naturally, he had done that earlier on purpose. Otherwise, if Tsunade had continued examining him carefully, she would certainly have discovered that his body had already recovered seventy to eighty percent. Once he recovered, he naturally could no longer enjoy being treated as a patient and being waited on by Tsunade...
He walked to the window. The moon in the night sky had already become a crescent, spilling its cold, clear light. Yet Naoki Senju felt no melancholy whatsoever, only anticipation and excitement.
It was now the fifty-sixth year since Konoha's founding. The Konoha 12 had only been in school for two years, the Uchiha Clan had been wiped out, Uchiha Itachi had successfully infiltrated the Akatsuki, and Orochimaru, defeated by Itachi with a single glance, had defected from the Akatsuki and was traveling around abducting children to establish the Sound Ninja Village.
Jiraiya was still busy gathering material for his writing...
And that old dog Danzo-he had better wash his neck and wait!