"Do you know anyone else in Amegakure? Someone with red hair, like Kushina's clan?" Tsunade asked, her brow furrowing in curiosity. She sensed that Nagato might be a member of the Uzumaki clan.
But if that were the case, why hadn't Xin taken him away? Surely, Hanzō wouldn't have objected if Xin wanted to bring a few people with him. And arranging for them to settle in Konoha wouldn't be difficult, especially with Tsunade backing him up.
"Yes," Xin replied, his umbrella shielding him from the rain as he nodded slightly. "But his family was killed during the war, mistakenly by Konoha ninja. He wouldn't want to go to Konoha, even if he had the chance."
Even if Nagato had agreed to go, Xin wouldn't have taken him.
"I see..." Tsunade murmured, taken aback by the turn of events. She hadn't expected such a complicated history.
After thinking about it for a moment, she recalled something. "I think I remember seeing those three kids hiding in the woods the day we retreated. Jiraiya even left them some food."
Did Konan and the others really cross paths with Tsunade and the Sannin back then?
Xin was surprised. He had always assumed that Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato had stayed hidden the entire time.
It turned out that the two groups had encountered each other, with one party hiding and the other already aware of their presence, choosing not to intervene.
"How did the negotiations go?" Xin changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the past.
"Quite well," Tsunade said, her lips curling into a grin.
Without warning, she grabbed Xin by the neck and pulled him close. "Now, how about you come clean? When did you get so strong, huh? And what's with this 'Art is an Explosion' technique? That thing is dangerous enough to be sealed in the Forbidden Scroll!"
"Whoa!" Xin stumbled as Tsunade pulled him, causing him to lean against her. The real problem, however, was that his face ended up pressed against something soft. Very soft.
His entire face was buried in Tsunade's... assets. A faint scent filled his nostrils as his face nestled against the plush, overwhelming softness.
"!!!!!"
My god, this is happening in the middle of Amegakure's streets? People are watching, for crying out loud!
Behind them, Nara Shikaku could hardly believe what he was seeing. Tsunade had Xin in a headlock, pressing his face against her chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.
This was beyond absurd!
He couldn't help but wonder... what did that even feel like?
"Let go!"
Xin protested. Sure, the sensation wasn't unpleasant, but being smothered like this wasn't comfortable either. He quickly pushed away from Tsunade, standing upright once more. Tsunade froze, her face turning crimson.
In that brief moment of contact, she had instinctively let him go and-completely unconsciously-rubbed at the area.
Odd... It didn't feel the same when she touched it herself. Why did it feel different when Xin did it?