🚨Insert Some Funny Memes or GIF🚨
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Bonus Chapter
The sky gradually turned dark and overcast. The sun dipped lower, and the evening clouds bathed the horizon in a rare pink hue.
The beautiful scenery lifted the spirits of Hikaru and his group as they continued their journey at a swift pace.
At the edge of their vision, the gates of Konoha finally came into view. The familiar stone walls soon followed.
They had finally returned to the Hidden Leaf Village.
Naruto, spotting the familiar surroundings, excitedly leapt off Jiraiya's back and shouted with glee.
"Hey, you pervy sage! I'm starving! Let's go get some Ichiraku Ramen!"
He grabbed Jiraiya's hand and tugged him down a path they both knew by heart.
Jiraiya looked down at Naruto with affection, a gentle smile forming on his face.
He turned to wave goodbye to Tsunade, Shizune, and Hikaru.
His gaze lingered for a moment on Tsunade and Hikaru, but in the end, he said nothing.
Suddenly, Hikaru turned to Tsunade, a thought hitting him like lightning.
"Where are you planning to live now that you're back?"
Tsunade instantly puffed up with pride, placing her hands on her hips and lifting her chest. The sight made her bosom bounce twice as if startled.
"Of course I'm going to stay at my house. The Senju clan's ancestral estate is huge! My grandmother, Kushina, and I all lived there—"
She trailed off.
Her voice weakened, and the confident expression faded.
Right... What's the point of a big ancestral estate now? Her grandmother was gone. Kushina had given her life for the village. And now, Tsunade was all alone.
Her head lowered slowly, and a deep loneliness settled over her.
Hikaru stepped closer, crouched slightly to meet her gaze.
"Now that our future Godaime Hokage has finally returned to the village," he said softly, "shouldn't she invite the one who helped bring her back to be a guest?"
Tsunade looked up, surprised, and saw the warm smile on Hikaru's face.
She suddenly laughed, grabbed his hand, and started running down the road like a young girl swept up in a memory.
"Hahaha! You're right! My place is huge—I'll take you to see it!"
Tsunade sprinted ahead, her hand tightly wrapped around his. Hikaru followed, feeling the warmth in her grasp.
Shizune blinked in surprise and immediately took off after them.
"Lady Tsunade! Wait for me! You're too fast! Slow down!"
Villagers passing by turned to look at the green figure racing down the street.
"Did I just hear that girl in black call the one in green 'Lady Tsunade'?"
A pale-haired old man turned from a vegetable stall and glanced at his wife with a questioning look.
The old woman, her white hair pinned back neatly, nodded slowly.
"I think I heard the same..."
The old man's eyes grew distant, recalling memories buried deep in time.
"The Senju clan... once said they'd dissolve and integrate fully into the village, into Konoha..."
"Only the Senju had any real hope of mastering Wood Release. Brother... as a shinobi, I'll give it a shot—for the village..."
"Are you really leaving, Lady Tsunade? You're the last of the Senju bloodline. What if something happens to you...?"
Tears shimmered in the old man's eyes. In the next moment, they overflowed, trailing down his weathered cheeks as he whispered hoarsely:
"First Hokage... Second Hokage... gone. The family scattered, the clan buried... but now..."
"...you're back, Lady Tsunade."
His wife gently dabbed his face with a sleeve.
"Come now, it's been so many years. You're not a shinobi anymore. Don't dwell on the past."
"Lady Tsunade is home again. That's all that matters."
Arm in arm, they picked up their baskets and slowly walked away, vanishing into the flow of people in Konoha's busy streets.
Countless descendants of the Senju line—those whose ancestors had once taken on the Senju name for protection—felt tears welling in their eyes. Though the clan had long vanished into the folds of the civilian world, Tsunade's return meant something.
Their benefactor's blood still lived on.
Tsunade dragged Hikaru excitedly to a red-roofed mansion that looked regal even from a distance.
She shoved open the gate, only to be greeted by waist-high weeds choking the yard, wild and unruly from years of abandonment.
Only then did she realize—it had been more than a decade since she'd returned to Konoha.
This estate... it had been left to decay, forgotten.
She stepped back awkwardly.
"...Oh."
Then she promptly closed the gate again and turned to Hikaru, grinning sheepishly.
"Why don't we go to your house instead? As the great Fifth Hokage, shouldn't I be the one getting invited over by the man who saved the day?"
She mimicked Hikaru's earlier tone with exaggerated confidence.
Night had fallen. The moonlight painted Tsunade in a soft, silver glow.
Hikaru looked at her—at that flawless face, that radiant, mischievous smile—and knew he had no resistance to her.
"Then let's go, Godaime-sama."
He clasped Tsunade's hand, their fingers intertwining.
Under the moonlight, Tsunade's cheeks turned a faint pink. Unfortunately, Hikaru was facing forward and didn't catch it.
Shizune finally caught up, hunched over and panting heavily, her hands on her knees.
"Lady Tsunade... please slow down..."
Without looking back, Tsunade waved her arm like she was dismissing her.
"Shizune! Go post the mission request tonight and help clean up the estate tomorrow. Stay at a hotel tonight!"
Shizune stared at their backs, emotions swirling—joy for her teacher, but also a pang of envy.
She was already twenty-three. Lady Tsunade had finally found someone like Hikaru...
How long would she have to wait for someone like that?
A sigh escaped her lips. No, don't overthink it. First, get that mission posted and help clean tomorrow.
Hikaru led Tsunade toward the southeastern part of the village—the Uchiha clan district.
When the clan's shinobi spotted Hikaru, they gathered around, excited and cheerful.
"Deputy Clan Leader Hikaru! Is this your girlfriend? She's gorgeous! When are you two having kids?"
"Deputy Leader! The clan's only standing strong today because of you! Even my useless son finally found a girlfriend!"
"Deputy Captain! Our neighbors treat us way better now!"
Tsunade looked around in surprise.
She hadn't known the Uchiha could be so warm and open. When she was little, the Senju clan had been like this too...
Voices of gratitude kept washing over Hikaru.
Wait—did someone just mention a weird name? Bob? That sounded... off.
No way. Maybe he'd just misheard. Although... wasn't there an Uchiha Bob?
Hikaru shook his head, scooped Tsunade into his arms, and darted off across the rooftops.
In his arms, Tsunade looked up at him—at his profile under the moonlight—and her voice grew soft.
"...Do you think I'm old?"
Hikaru nearly stumbled.
Tsunade let out a startled yelp and tightened her arms around him instinctively.
He looked down at her and smiled.
"You'll always be eighteen to me."
Tsunade smiled too. That answer was enough.
Hikaru stifled the grin tugging at his lips.
Hah. You think you can trip me up with that kind of question?
I've watched plenty of dating advice videos online.
…
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Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
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