Chapter 78 - Chapter 78 : Fear

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Finally, the Raikage plopped down on the ground, snot bubbles forming at his nose, and began snoring loudly.

At the same time, Uchiha Hikaru's mind began to blur. He staggered back to his tent.

As for A and Killer Bee—those two muscular monsters—they could sleep by the campfire clutching their sake jars. That should keep them warm enough.

Hikaru suddenly collapsed onto the bedding he had prepared earlier, and his mind began to drift back to Tsunade's earlier behavior.

Heh... that sensation—it was nice. Something he'd never experienced before.

But while Hikaru was still lost in thoughts of that kiss, inside the cave, Shizune had just finished surgery. She wrapped a bandage around Karai's chest, wiped the sweat from her brow, and turned to look at Tsunade.

Tsunade was already drunk by then, clutching her sake jar and muttering incoherently.

"￥@#...Hikaru!@#￥Impossible@#"

"No#%@#￥"

"Keep going#￥%...Keep going&@#..."

Shizune looked at Tsunade and couldn't help shaking her head.

"Where did this wine come from? I've never seen Lady Tsunade this drunk before. I can't even understand her gibberish…"

Mumbling to herself, she moved to support Tsunade.

Her movement roused the intoxicated Tsunade from her drunken slumber.

"Ah... Shizune... help me get to bed..."

Shizune sighed helplessly.

"Lady Tsunade... we're in the forest. There is no bed here."

Tsunade glanced up at her blankly, a flicker of lucidity in her eyes, before remembering they were out in the wild.

"Then make me a tent..."

But any fleeting clarity was instantly drowned in alcohol again.

Shizune helped her out of the cave. Outside, she saw the Hidden Cloud shinobi sprawled all around—some leaning against trees, others sleeping in pairs, limbs tangled together.

To the right, the Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki were lying by the campfire, both hugging their jars like lifelines. They looked like they'd passed out completely.

The air reeked of alcohol. Shizune fanned her nose in mild disgust.

She had assumed the sharp smell during surgery was strong medical alcohol. Turns out, it was just this group of hardcore drinkers stinking up the forest.

As Shizune paused to adjust Tsunade's weight, the older woman squinted ahead.

"A tent! Shizune, you already pitched one! You're the best…"

Before Shizune could react, Tsunade broke away and stumbled toward the tent on the right—Uchiha Hikaru's tent—without a second thought.

"Lady Tsunade! That's not your tent—someone's already inside!"

But her words fell on deaf ears. The only thing Tsunade saw was soft bedding calling her name.

Earlier, Shizune had moved slowly because of sheer exhaustion. Her legs were numb from standing through a surgery that had lasted six or seven hours.

So, by the time she caught up, Tsunade had already barged in. She didn't even bother to check if someone was lying there—just flopped right onto the bedding.

Hikaru, who had been about to fall asleep, suddenly felt something heavy land on his back.

At first, he assumed it was just the alcohol hitting harder—but then he became distinctly aware of two very soft, very warm masses pressing firmly against him.

Must be a dream, he thought groggily. After all, if I can travel to the shinobi world, why not another one in a dream?

Meanwhile, Shizune stood outside the tent. Her vision was foggy from fatigue, but she saw Tsunade peacefully lying inside and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, Hikaru had prepared bedding for her. It looked like Jiraiya and Naruto were in another tent, so she could just rest against a tree trunk for the night.

With heavy steps, she leaned against the nearest tree and fell asleep instantly.

By now, everyone had dozed off—even Naruto and Jiraiya were snoring from their tent a few meters away.

Tsunade cuddled into what she assumed was a soft blanket, nuzzling her face against it. She even drooled on it a little.

In his dream, Hikaru felt hot liquid sliding down his face. He struggled to lift his arm to wipe it, but…

Why can't I move my arm?

His eyes snapped open.

He turned his head and was met by Tsunade's soft cheek dropping against his shoulder.

That familiar, unmistakable feeling...

Tsunade?! What the hell is she doing here—why is she on top of me!?

Hikaru's mind screamed in panic. There was no bet involved this time—if he woke her now, she might unleash her monstrous strength and crush him like a bug.

Her strength could smash through even the third stage of Susanoo.

No, no, no—don't wake her. Don't die.

Trying to extricate himself, Hikaru carefully slid her arms off him.

Then, he braced one arm against the bedding, pushed himself up slowly into a push-up, and turned to help lift her off—

But the movement stirred Tsunade. Her face scrunched, and she instinctively batted away Hikaru's supporting arm. The next second, she dropped fully onto his chest.

Hikaru was caught between terror and disbelief.

Turns out, those "slime-like" things earlier weren't part of a dream…

He clenched his jaw in pain—but the corners of his lips twitched upward in spite of himself. He was risking his life, but damn it, it felt too good.

Finally, Hikaru gave up struggling. He closed his eyes and let exhaustion take him.

A while later, just as he was dozing off again, Tsunade murmured his name in her sleep.

"Hikaru…"

He forced his eyes open. The alcohol had fully dulled his brain by now—only a few scraps of instinct and rational thought remained.

He blinked at Tsunade's beautiful face.

Then, her hand started to move—groping upward in her sleep.

Every nerve in Hikaru's body lit up. His whole form stiffened.

She pulled his face toward hers, pressing their foreheads together—like she was checking his temperature.

But since both of them were drunk, their body heat was high. It was impossible to get a reading that way.

So Tsunade, Konoha's foremost medical ninja, seemed to subconsciously remember how to get a better reading: using an oral thermometer.

They began "measuring each other's temperatures" using the thermometer… over and over again.

As their foreheads finally separated and they gasped for air, it seemed they had finished their testing.

The mercury in the silver-white thermometer had stretched to its limit—until it finally broke off.

But oral measurements weren't precise enough.

Even in her dreams, Tsunade didn't abandon her professional rigor. She moved to test Hikaru's armpit temperature… and other areas.

As a Reincarnated ninja, Hikaru knew better than to resist now. Tsunade had been polite—he couldn't just act like some stingy old man.

He returned the favor and began testing her body temperature as well.

But of course… for accurate readings, clothes had to come off.

The thermometer needed skin contact.

And so, they placed their hands against each other's bare skin…

…

…

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