It was late at night, but the lights in the Hokage's office were still on. Tsunade sat facing a pile of documents, though she had no intention of reading them. Anya and Hakuto had been missing for most of the day, and even after sending numerous Anbu to search, there was still no trace of them.
They had vanished from Konoha without leaving a single clue about where they were going. Thinking about everything that had happened today made Tsunade inexplicably restless.
"Granny Tsunade, are you not mad anymore?" A lively voice reached her ears.
Tsunade immediately stood up. In this entire world, there was only one person who used that nickname for her.
Sure enough, Hakuto entered through the door with a smiling face.
Tsunade quickly walked forward and tightly embraced Hakuto. It had only been a day, but Tsunade had been worrying herself sick—now all her emotions came rushing out.
She anxiously asked repeatedly, "Where did he take you? I looked everywhere for both of you. I nearly died worrying. Do you know how anxious I've been?"
Hakuto grinned while replying, "Dad took me to a fun place."
[After the Rinnegan was sealed by Moon in the Well], Anya directly began teaching Hakuto Sage Art at Ryuchi Cave. Of course, he didn't want his daughter to go through the traditional initiation bite from the White Snake Sage either.
Therefore, he gathered a seed of Sage Chakra himself and implanted it inside Hakuto's body. Once she gradually mastered the wild Natural Energy, the seed would bloom naturally, allowing her to learn Ryuchi Cave Sage Art effortlessly.
When the White Snake Sage saw Anya's technique, his expression completely shifted. If previously he had held an air of superiority, now he treated Anya as an equal, even subtly showing some flattery.
After calming down somewhat, Tsunade carefully observed Hakuto's eyes. Seeing nothing unusual, she sighed with relief and asked, "When did you get the Rinnegan? Why did I not know anything about it?"
"As for this, I don't really understand either—the old man didn't say," Hakuto also showed a bit of frustration, as if blaming Anya for not clearly explaining things, treating her like a child again.
Tsunade hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, "Where is he now?"
Hakuto handed over a scroll saying, "Here, Dad told me to give this to you—and forbade me from peeking."
Tsunade turned around and carefully unrolled the scroll. Written on it were only four simple words: Meet me at the Old Place.
"He didn't even have the decency to write down the exact location. Now he wants me to guess," Tsunade muttered discontentedly under her breath before tossing the scroll carelessly onto the desk and disdainfully stating, "I'm not interested in meeting him right now."
Seeing her mother acting so stubbornly affectionate, Hakuto—who had worried endlessly about her parents—sighed helplessly and said, "Alright then, do whatever you want. As for me, I need to catch up with Team 7 and complete my mission."
"No way," Tsunade instinctively refused, "We haven't figured out your physical condition yet. From now on, you're not allowed to leave Konoha. As for that mission, Jiraiya has already gone. Nothing will go wrong with him there."
Hakuto shrugged and asked, "Then what should I do if I stay in the village?"
"You'll naturally take care of your younger brothers and sisters," Tsunade confidently nodded after speaking, adding decisively, "That's settled. Go ahead."
Hakuto let out a warm smile upon hearing this and replied, "Alright then, I admit I've missed them too."
After Hakuto left, Tsunade hesitated for a moment before quietly sneaking out of her office.
In Konoha, there was only one old place where the two of them had stayed together for a long time—it was the only spot left like that.
Making her way through the quiet village under the cover of night, Tsunade approached the luxury mansion—one now turned into a prison—especially built for Anya. Only one lamp was lit inside, as if waiting for someone's return.
A sudden warmth stirred in Tsunade's heart as she walked in.
Pushing open the door, Tsunade was met by a rich, inviting aroma. The Grand Hall's dining table was laden with steaming dishes. Anya, smelling of the kitchen, appeared to have made everything himself.
Seeing Tsunade enter, he calmly said, "Sit down. Let me get us some drinks."
Anya's busy figure stunned Tsunade, giving her a strange feeling of coming home.
When Anya placed the wine in front of Tsunade, they sat facing each other.
He spoke first, "It's been more than two years. Even though I've been in Konoha all along, we've rarely had meals face-to-face like this. You've been busy with your work, and so have I. Even our conversations went through Hakuto as a middleman. Our bond somehow faded over time."
"Is that so?" Tsunade responded with realization—she hadn't noticed until now.
"I lost my temper today," Anya continued, "and I apologize. Let me take this glass for myself." He drained his cup calmly. "Still, it wasn't easy for me to stay calm when you confronted me alongside another man."
"I..." Tsunade began to protest.
Anya raised his hand to stop her. "Let me finish. Since childhood, I've always been extremely self-centered. That has never changed. But now, I'm not alone anymore. So, this selfishness of mine expands—toward everyone I care about. And only these people can easily stir emotions within me."
Tsunade understood—she was among those people who mattered most to him.
"Time has passed, and I've kept losing things all along the way. But thankfully, I've reunited with most of those dear to me—and gained even more, like Hakuto, Bai, and Rainbow. Yet, there is one person's passing that I've never been able to forget." He finished off the bottle in his hand, voice low and heavy. "And my plan—it revolves around him."
Tsunade couldn't help but sigh. "Even after all these years, you still haven't forgotten your master's death. It seems what Great Grandfather said back then was true—your Uchiha Clan's depth of emotion surpasses even ours."
"As for Akatsuki, I've known about them all along. But I never cared. They were merely part of my plan from the very beginning. As for your suggestion of cooperation, let me be clear—I won't do it." Looking straight into Tsunade's eyes, Anya added sincerely, "I don't want any misunderstanding between us. Ask me anything you want to know—I won't hide anything from you. We've already lost so much time with each other..."
"Stop."
Tsunade stepped forward, covering Anya's mouth with her hand, and gently pulled them into a hug. "Thank you for being honest with me," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "You're right; I shouldn't have doubted you. From now on, I won't ask anymore."
"This place used to be my cage, but I've never felt any pain here. On the contrary, every time I come back, I remember all the things you've done for me. This is where we spent the happiest and longest time together. After you left the Village, I moved in and often look back on those memories," Anya said, stroking Tsunade's beautiful hair. "I've finally fallen for you, like Gekko's glow stretching across the night to light up this courtyard."
Soft moonlight seeped quietly through the treetops, spilling gentle beams across the ground.
As Tsunade looked at Anya bathed in moonlight, she found herself completely captivated. She drifted into a whirlwind of emotions as the warmth of their breath brushed her ear. The last words faintly echoed in her mind: "Let's give Hakuto a younger brother."
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