Tsunade bit her tongue, her cheeks slightly red as she stammered, "What I mean is that you should relax occasionally. It's not worth exhausting yourself to the point of breaking down."
"Makes sense," Tōshirō nodded, extending a wolfish paw. "Then let me grope you a couple of times—that'll help me relax."
Tsunade smacked his hand away with a fierce yet adorable glare. "Be serious! That's not what I meant!"
Tōshirō countered, "Then what did you mean?"
Tsunade hesitated, "I, I..."
"You've been acting weird since earlier," Tōshirō stared at her flustered expression. "Just say it. What do you want to tell me?"
A look of concern crossed Tsunade's face. "Th-that… are you okay…?"
She was referring to the death of Elder Uchiha.
Tōshirō forced a weak smile. "I'm fine."
Fine?
Those words were just a front—a way to mask his pain.
Tsunade clenched her teeth, her beautiful face lowering as she whispered, barely audible, "Actually… if you want to touch a little… it's okay…"
Tōshirō froze for a moment. "Huh?"
"You know… that…"
Tōshirō understood.
Tsunade was comforting him in her own way.
After all, he was a pervert.
As embarrassing as it was, this method of consolation was tailor-made for him.
Tōshirō swallowed hard and reached out, aiming for those "plump mounds."
Tsunade shivered slightly, closing her eyes as she awaited his touch.
She had offered, after all…
Even though they were in a relationship and had been intimate in private, her taking the initiative like this still made her unbearably shy.
But after a moment, the expected indecency didn't happen. She opened her eyes to see Tōshirō patting her head instead, leaving her dumbfounded.
You're choosing to pat my head instead of groping me?
Are you out of your mind?
"Actually… never mind."
It wasn't that Tōshirō had suddenly become a gentleman. He just felt that if Elder Uchiha knew he was being comforted this way, he might leap out of his coffin in outrage.
Tsunade was baffled. Wasn't this guy always desperate? Why is he playing hard to get now?
Tōshirō put on an exaggerated look of suspicion. "Hey, don't try to trick me again. Are you gonna lure me in just to punch me in the nose like last time?"
Tsunade paused. Did that happen?
After a moment of thought, she realized it had—though she'd made up for it with a kiss afterward.
Damn it, why does he remember everything?
With a huff, Tsunade crossed her arms and turned away. "Fine! If you don't want to, then don't. It's not like I care!"
Truthfully, Tōshirō regretted it.
But since he'd started this act, he had to see it through.
He quickly changed the subject before his resolve crumbled. "Anyway, forget that. During my travels, I picked up a jutsu that might be useful. Consider it a repayment for the money you gave me to continue my journey."
Tsunade corrected him, "It wasn't giving—it was lending."
"Why so formal? I'm gonna marry you someday anyway. Your money is my money."
"Pfft, who said I'd marry you?" Tsunade pouted cutely.
Tōshirō grinned. "You did."
Tsunade let out a haughty "hmph" but didn't deny it. "So, what's this jutsu you're giving me? Just so you know, I'm not interested in some common trash."
As a prodigy from a prestigious clan, she had access to almost every jutsu in Konoha. Unless it was something truly special, she wouldn't bat an eye.
Tōshirō pulled out a scroll from his bag and handed it to her. "It's an Earth-Style jutsu. I think it suits you."
Tsunade frowned. "Earth-Style?"
Tōshirō smirked. "If you master this, I guarantee your strength will reach a whole new level."
Tsunade unrolled the scroll skeptically. "Yeah, right. What kind of Earth-Style could possibly elevate my strength? Unless it's S-rank or something."
Tōshirō's smile deepened. "You'll see."
As Tsunade read through the scroll, her expression shifted from surprise to delight.
Tōshirō explained, "It's called Earth Spear. Once mastered, it hardens your body, making you impervious to blades and arrows. Combined with your monstrous strength, it's practically tailor-made for your fighting style. The difficulty is around B-rank, so you shouldn't have much trouble learning it."
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "If it works as described, this is perfect for me."
Tōshirō puffed his chest proudly. "Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared claim it'd take your strength to the next level."
Tsunade, now intrigued, asked, "Where'd you get this? Even if it's not high-rank, its practicality is exceptional."
"I bought it, of course."
"Bought it?"
"Yep. Spent a fortune—80 million ryō—just for you."
Tōshirō had always thought that Tsunade, with her brute-force combat style, was wasted on pure taijutsu. She'd be unstoppable wielding something like the Executioner's Blade.
Tsunade scoffed. "80 million? Who are you kidding? A guy who needed me to fund his travels, a freeloader like you, couldn't possibly have that kind of money."
Tōshirō shrugged, knowing she wouldn't believe him.
Tsunade pressed on, "Besides, jutsu like this can't just be bought. Especially one with such high utility."
"Alright, fine. I found it in some forgotten ruins during my travels."
"That makes more sense. No way you'd get something like this otherwise." Tsunade finally accepted his explanation. "But you are lucky to stumble upon such a useful technique. With this, my strength will improve. That gives us more options when the time comes."
The time being the Second Shinobi World War, a decade later. Both of them needed to prepare thoroughly before then.
Tōshirō smiled. "Do you like it?"
Tsunade nodded honestly. "I do."
"Then I'm glad."
Tsunade's lips curled into a sweet smile. "Since you've given me such a great gift, I should reward you properly."
Tōshirō's eyes sparkled. "Reward? What kind?"
Tsunade raised two slender fingers. "From what I know, you only care about two things: money and women."
"..."
"Money's out of the question, since your money is mine. Giving you money would just be giving it back to myself."
"Uh..." Tōshirō had no rebuttal. That logic was airtight.
"So, since money's off the table, I'll just have to reward you with my body." Tsunade took his hand, her eyes lidded with allure.
"W-wait, what are you doing?"
"Go ahead… touch me… it feels nice..."
Tōshirō, ever the paragon of virtue, declared, "Get away from me! Stop tempting me! I need to train!"
Tsunade was baffled. She'd lowered herself like this, yet he was resisting? That wasn't like him. Suspicion crept into her voice. "Have you… gotten tired of my body?"
Tōshirō groaned. "Don't say it like that. People will misunderstand."
Sure, he and Tsunade had shared plenty of kisses in private, but they hadn't gone much further than that.
Tsunade's face darkened as a terrible thought struck her. "Are you… seeing someone else behind my back?"
Tōshirō panicked. "Don't joke like that! You're the one supporting me. How could I afford another woman?"
Tsunade giggled, her expression shifting to playful mischief. "Relax, I was just teasing. But you are acting strange today."
"Strange how?"
"Normally, you'd pounce on me like a wolf on a rabbit and do all sorts of shameless things."
Tōshirō sighed dramatically. "How sad. So that's how you see me."
Tsunade shook her head. "But after today, I might have to revise my opinion."
Tōshirō perked up, eager to hear her next words.
Tsunade smirked. "You might actually be worse than a beast."
"..."
Tōshirō's sudden silence made Tsunade think she'd gone too far. But before she could apologize, he spoke softly.
"Thanks."
Tsunade blinked. "Huh? Why are you thanking me when I just insulted you?"
Before she could react, Tōshirō pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice warm in her ear.
Tsunade stiffened, her body tingling. "H-hey, what are you—?"
"Being with you… it's making the pain fade away. Having you by my side… really is the best."
His sincerity left Tsunade flustered. "Geez, saying such embarrassing things out of nowhere… I'm just doing what a girlfriend should."
Tōshirō pulled back slightly. "Let's just stay like this for a while."
Tsunade bit her lip. "But… what if someone sees us like last time?"
"Don't worry. I've got a plan."
"???"
...
"And that's how it is. So, I'm counting on you, Orochimaru."
Tōshirō clasped his hands together apologetically before the handsome young man.
"Tōshirō… you've changed. You weren't like this before."
Orochimaru's face twisted in displeasure at the request to stand guard.
(End of Chapter)
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