"What is this?" Li Shang asked, raising an eyebrow. On the table, there was a white cat mask with silver details.
Tsunade rested her chin on one hand and replied with a slight smile.
"I decided to recommend you for ANBU. And, besides, you'll act as my personal guard. Like them."
She discreetly pointed to the shadows of the office. The presences were almost imperceptible, but Li Shang noticed three hidden figures there — observing, silent.
He frowned. "I thought my performance as team leader on the last mission had been bad."
"It was terrible!" Tsunade replied mockingly, her smile widening. "But you have too many secrets, boy. And I don't want you getting into trouble without me knowing. That way I can keep an eye on you."
She crossed her arms, displaying a triumphant smile. The sparkle in her eyes reflected more than authority — there was curiosity.
Li Shang held the mask and analyzed it for a moment. 'She's more beautiful when she smiles.'
Since the first time he saw her, that smile intrigued him. Tsunade was strength and beauty, mixed in a presence that crushed and attracted at the same time. He knew that, trapped in a young man's body, he wasn't someone she would take seriously in this kind of game... but even so, his interest grew with each encounter.
'Well... she clearly has some interest in me. Even if it's just curiosity, that's a good starting point.'
He spun the mask in his fingers. "It's going to be a lot of work... at least the company will be good." He smiled slightly. "Do I really need to use this?"
Tsunade was surprised by the comment and looked away for an instant. An unexpected emotion crossed her, quick and silent.
'Is this boy really hitting on me?'
She disguised her blush and replied with a joke. "Of course. All ANBU members must keep their identity secret."
"Alright then..." Li Shang made the mask disappear with a subtle movement of his hand, and then asked with disinterest. "Hey, do I get anything out of this?"
Tsunade arched an eyebrow. "Why should you get anything besides your ninja salary?" She stared at him. "And what happened to the mask?"
Li Shang made the mask reappear in the palm of his hand, spinning it in the air before making it disappear again. "This?" he asked, provoking her.
Tsunade's eyes sparkled for an instant of surprise. "Is it some kind of secret technique too, that you can't tell me?" she asked, pouting.
Li Shang gave a slight smile. He was already used to how she reacted to his peculiarities. Then, without saying anything, he took a simple ring from his pocket and placed it on the table, pushing it towards her. "Actually, no. Take it."
Tsunade blinked, confused. Her eyes fixed on the ring. The blush returned — stronger this time. Giving a ring like that, without explanation... it was symbolic. Almost a proposal.
'Is this boy really so determined to win me over?'
The memory of his words — that he would only reveal his secrets to someone with whom he had a real involvement — came to mind, and her heart beat a little faster.
"What is this, Neji?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
He pointed to the ring, unaware of her thoughts. "Do exactly this: channel your chakra into the ring and create a simple fūinjutsu mark with your chakra signature."
Tsunade looked at him, stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or punch him. "What?"
Li Shang crossed his arms and explained patiently: "This ring is my creation. It's like a storage scroll, but more effective and faster. It can only be opened by whoever has your registered mark."
He watched her face intently as he spoke — and saw, for a brief instant, a trace of disappointment cross her gaze.
'Ah...' he realized. 'She really thought I was giving her an engagement ring.'
A slight smile appeared on his lips.
Tsunade looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"I see..." she murmured, fiddling with the ring between her fingers.
The silence that followed was light, almost comfortable. The distant sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, but no one dared to interrupt.
Li Shang took a step back and put his hands in his pockets.
"If you channel your chakra, the ring will react and create the seal. You can store things inside it, it has five cubic meters of space."
Tsunade stared at him, curious again. His technical tone brought naturalness back to the moment. Still, the idea of using something created by him... sounded more personal than any gift.
She took a deep breath, and then channeled her chakra. A golden glow enveloped the ring for an instant, before disappearing.
Li Shang observed satisfied. "Perfect." He smiled. "Now the ring will only respond to your chakra."
Tsunade spun the ring on her index finger and analyzed it carefully.
"So this is what you do when you lock yourself away for days? Create things like this?"
"Watching me again?" Li Shang asked with a provocative smile on his face. "I don't know if I should feel honored by your interest... or uneasy."
Tsunade looked away for an instant, but kept her tone firm. "What if I'm interested in your secrets? This ring in your hand is the greatest proof that you hide too many things. A simple tool like this could greatly help the village's shinobi."
Li Shang chuckled softly. The late afternoon light streamed through the window, reflecting in his blue eyes, making his gaze even more enigmatic. "Great. So why don't we go out to dinner sometime? I can tell you a thing or two... who knows."
Tsunade arched an eyebrow, between surprise and irritation. "Brat, are you listening to yourself? Do you know how old I am?"
Li Shang crossed his arms, pretending to reflect. "Old enough to know what you want. And enough to leave anyone breathless."
Tsunade took a deep breath, crossing her own arms — a gesture that, unintentionally, further highlighted her beautiful breasts. Li Shang's gaze shifted for a brief second before returning to her face with the same slight smile.
"Rejected without hesitation... how cruel." He commented playfully. "You, being so mature, should at least be gentler in your refusal."
"You really are incorrigible." Tsunade replied, trying to hide the blush that discreetly rose to her face. "You talk as if the world revolves around you."
"Not around me." He replied, taking a step forward. "But when you're around, it's hard to pay attention to anything else."
For an instant, silence dominated the room. Tsunade's gaze hardened, but her lips hesitated — a fine line between authority and curiosity.
Li Shang turned, walking slowly towards the door. "You know," he began, his voice calm and confident, "the difficult things to get are the ones that arouse the most interest. And you are, without a doubt, very challenging."
Tsunade remained silent. There was something in the way he spoke — neither flattery nor childish audacity. It was conviction.
He was almost out when he stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder, a slight smile on his lips. "When do I start?"
"Start what?" Tsunade asked.
"My job... Hokage-sama."