A/N: Tomorrow there will be a double release, since we hit the goal of 400 powerstones! We went hard and I appreciate you guys for that. Also my bad for missing yesterday, I had the headache of doom. That means I have to upload everyday for 2 days longer (why do I do this to myself). So I think I have 5 days left of everyday uploads? Tbh I might just continue even after that until I burnout again and take a week off lol. We'll see.
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Ryoku bent low, shoulders hunched as he pressed the rag against the floor. The wooden planks were slick beneath his hand, the faint smell of sex clinging stubbornly to the grain no matter how much water he wrung over them. Beside him, the bucket sloshed with every motion, cloudy with the frothy mix of Tsunade's release and his own that he had wiped up again and again.
For half an hour he had been scrubbing in silence. Tsunade hadn't said much; she sat comfortably at her desk, the only sound the rhythmic scratch of her pen across endless stacks of paperwork. Each time Ryoku glanced at her from the corner of his eye, her focus seemed completely absorbed. She looked as though she had already forgotten he was there, crouched in submission on the floor cleaning up the filth of their bodies.
'These are old wooden planks…' Ryoku's thoughts drifted numbly as he worked. 'The smell's not going to come out easy. The water's only going to soak in… The floor's going to stay damp for hours. If it seeps through, if it stains all the way down—shit, that could be really bad…'
His wrist ached as he wrung the rag once more, twisting out a milky trickle into the bucket. He was about to press the cloth down again when a soft cough from the desk made him flinch.
Tsunade raised a fist to her lips, her other hand pressed flat to her chest as she cleared her throat delicately. Without looking up from her files, she spoke, voice low and expectant. "My throat's dry, Ryoku. Be a dear and grab me some water."
He blinked, sitting back on his heels. "Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Carefully stepping over the still-damp patches of floor, Ryoku made his way to the water dispenser in the corner. He plucked a clean glass from the top, set it under the faucet, and pressed the lever, watching the stream fill the cup slowly.
'She's really using me…' he thought bitterly, lips twitching. 'Getting the most out of my 'last shift,' huh? This is the third time today she's asked for water. She's enjoying this way too much.'
When the glass was full, he carried it back and set it on the desk at the same spot as before. Tsunade didn't glance at him, simply reached for it absently and went on with her work. Ryoku turned back, crouching toward the puddle once again. But before his rag touched the floor, her voice broke the quiet.
"I'm curious," Tsunade said, her tone casual but weighted. "Who exactly set the team up for you? Because it certainly wasn't me."
The words froze him in place. His heart skipped a beat. For a second, panic flared hot in his veins, but he forced himself to compose quickly.
"Uh—I—it was me," Ryoku stammered, scrambling for control. "Yeah. I did it myself."
"You?" Tsunade repeated. Her head lifted at last, red-framed glasses slipping slightly down her nose, exposing the sharpness of her gaze. "You went behind my back and did this all yourself?"
Her eyes bored into him. His stomach knotted. He knew the moment he gave Danzo's name, everything would spiral—Tsunade would feel betrayed, trust shattered, and whatever fragile balance existed between them would snap.
"Y-yeah," Ryoku muttered quickly, lowering his head. "I'm sorry." He forced the words out as if weighted, painting himself with guilt.
Tsunade's lips pressed into a thin line. She adjusted her glasses, pushed them up firmly against her face, and looked back down at the files. For a long moment, she let the silence hang heavy. Ryoku stayed kneeling, waiting, his nerves stretched taut.
Finally, she spoke again. "I'm sure you know what that constitutes. Going behind my back, forging files for yourself. That's a very big offense."
Ryoku swallowed hard. He knew her well enough—this wasn't anger. This was calculation. She was planning something.
When she looked up again, the shift in her eyes was clear. A slow, predatory gleam. The faint curl of her lips.
Ryoku panicked, bowing low, forehead almost to the damp planks. "Sorry, Lady Tsunade! It won't happen again! Please let me off the hook!"
A low chuckle rumbled from her throat. "Ooh? What's this? Are you finally realizing the gravity of what you've done?" Her hand drifted toward her lap, pressing against the outline of her crotch through her pants. Her expression sharpened, amused, almost cruel.
"Well," she said, voice dropping lower, "I suppose I can hold off on punishing you. But…" Her eyes lingered deliberately over his form, dragging down from his chest to his crotch before snapping back up to lock with his gaze. "You'll be doing something on my behalf instead."
Ryoku's pulse spiked. "Something?"
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, the authority in her posture unmistakable. "Lady Hiashi came to me recently. She claimed she needed a sparring partner for her heir, Hinata Hyūga. I'm sure you're aware of her."
Ryoku's stomach sank. His breath caught. 'No. No, no, no.' He knew immediately it wasn't what Tsunade thought. It wasn't a simple training request. If Hiashi was involved, it was far more. Much more. 'Does Tsunade even know?'
His nervousness must have shown, because Tsunade tilted her head, expression softening into a mock confusion. "It's just a sparring partner, nothing more. No need to get all flustered. Or…" she smirked faintly, "perhaps you have a crush on this Hinata girl? She is about your age, after all."
Ryoku's eyes went wide. He shook his head furiously. "What? No! You're misunderstanding!" His body twitched, betraying his nerves.
"What am I misunderstanding exactly?" Tsunade pressed, her grin widening. "You're the one overreacting to a sparring session. Despite the girl being the Hyūga heir, she isn't a prodigy or anything. You'll do fine." She tapped her pen against the desk with finality. "If you're quitting, you'll have plenty of time. When she requested, we looked through the candidate list. She thought you were best suited, but I thought you were too busy. Now that your schedule is freed… you'll be Hinata's sparring partner for as long as she wishes."
Ryoku's jaw clenched. His patience snapped. "I don't work for you anymore! I don't have to do it!"
The boldness of his words only drew a sinister grin from her. She leaned forward, eyes glinting. "Forging official documents. That could put you away for quite a long time… Who knows what else you've done behind my back? Perhaps you ought to spend a few years in jail."
The color drained from Ryoku's face. His knees trembled beneath him. "J-j… jail…" His voice cracked, small. "N-no…"
Her voice cut him down with finality. "Meet with Lady Hiashi. Introduce yourself to her family. You're not working the rest of the day, so don't waste time." She paused, lips curling. "That is, of course, if you don't want to go to jail."
Her smile was as sharp as a knife.
Ryoku shook his head violently. "Ahhh… why… why is it always me?!" His body collapsed forward, falling onto his hands and knees. He pressed the rag hard into the planks, scrubbing frantically, his breaths ragged.
'One slave master, to another.. I can't catch a break..'
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Sometimes I feel like you guys can get burned out from giving powerstones, is that possible? I mean it's just a button, but idk we humans are weird. Feel free to comment and leave a review if you haven't! We've been getting more reviews as of late, and it's greatly appreciated! Also I appreciate the comments genuinely, they make me feel good and they gives me ideas.