***
A boundless world of blue and white stretched out before her, empty and vast. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, yet she felt no cold as they landed on her skin.
Touye stood lost in this world. "Where... is this?"
She was certain she had never been here before, yet everything around her felt strangely familiar...
She focused, trying to grasp the feeling, and suddenly realized the familiarity came from the blood flowing in her veins. This was...
*The Yuki... bloodline?*
As she stood there, bewildered, the colors of the world began to fade. The entire realm slowly dissolved, and with a jolt, she snapped her eyes open.
"An unfamiliar ceiling... Man, I've always wanted to say that..." she muttered, slowly pushing herself up. Her body still felt weak, but her injuries had mostly healed.
"Why am I here...?" she wondered aloud, her mind still foggy. The room's furnishings suggested an inn or a tavern. From the room next door came a ruckus; it sounded like Tsunade and her apprentice.
Touye slowly got to her feet and, steadying herself against the wall, made her way next door.
When she slid the door open, the scene inside left her utterly speechless.
"Drink up, drink up! Have some more!"
A drunken smile was plastered across the blonde woman's face as she waved a sake bottle in the air. "Come on, drink!"
The dark-haired girl beside her looked as if she were about to cry. She grabbed the blonde woman's arm, her voice pleading. "Lady Tsunade! Please, no more. You've had too much already, you can't keep drinking..."
Tsunade, dancing with drunken glee, paid Shizune no mind. Instead, she tilted the bottle to her lips and began chugging. The bottle, still more than half full, was empty in moments. She tossed it aside and grabbed another, prying the cap off with her teeth.
"You can't drink anymore! You really can't!"
"Come on, Shizune! You drink too!"
"W-Wait, I don't drink... Gulp, gulp... Ah... Sake... Gulp, gulp..."
"Ahaha, Shizune, you can really hold your liquor!"
"O-Of course! Come on, Lady Tsunade! Bottoms up!"
"Alright! Bottoms up!"
"Gulp, gulp, gulp..."
"Gulp, gulp, gulp..."
"Hah..."
Both women set down their empty bottles at the same time, breathing out fumes of alcohol. They shared a foolish grin, then collapsed onto the tatami mats with a thud.
"..."
Touye stared, dumbfounded.
*This... must be an illusion! Maybe I just opened the door wrong...*
*Don't kid yourself, idiot.*
Touye watched the two collapsed figures, a dark cloud forming over her head. If someone were to walk in and finish them off right now, it would be all over.
She wanted to scream: *This is the Land of Water! Not Konoha! It's dangerous here, and you're getting wasted without a care in the world! Seriously, you weirdos, how have you survived all these years?!*
Resigned, she walked over, bracing herself against the overwhelming stench of alcohol. She separated the entangled pair, laid out futons for each of them, dragged them onto the bedding, and pulled the covers over them.
Shizune was manageable; once drunk, she slept like a log. But Tsunade was a different story. A lightweight who loved to binge, she was a terrible drunk. As Touye tried to tuck her in, Tsunade thrashed about, landing several punches on her head. Luckily, she didn't use much force—or perhaps she was too drunk to muster any. Even after being tucked in, she wouldn't stay still, kicking off the covers every few minutes. Touye, who had started tidying the room, had to stop what she was doing and run back to cover her again.
"Gods... I'm exhausted... This is more tiring than fighting a ninja..." Touye wiped the sweat from her brow, complaining as she looked at the now spotless room.
"...Huh? Why did I clean the room? No one asked me to... D-Damn it... Am I fated to be a maid? Curses..."
She promptly fell into a state of self-pity, slumping over in despair.
"Hey, hey! Kicking the covers off again!"
Seeing Tsunade kick off the blankets yet again with a grin on her face like a creepy old man spotting a little girl, Touye snapped out of it. Forgetting the despair she felt over her slavish nature just a moment ago, she ran over and tucked the covers back in securely.
*(You're doomed to a life of servitude!)*
After she had finished everything, Touye bundled up the trash and left it by the door for the staff to collect. Then, she found a corner, leaned against the wall, and slowly sat down.
She hadn't felt it while she was busy, but now that the work was done, a wave of weakness and fatigue washed over her. Leaning against the wall, her mind wandering, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Just then, Tsunade, who had seemed dead drunk, opened her eyes. Her face was still flushed from the alcohol. She climbed out from under her covers, grabbed another futon, and walked toward the girl. Her steps were steady, nothing like those of someone who had just been blind drunk.
She gently placed the blanket over the girl curled up in the corner. "Good night," Tsunade whispered, before returning to her own futon and lying down.
Soon, the sound of rhythmic breathing filled the room...
***
The next morning was a rare, beautiful day. The overcast sky had cleared completely, and warm sunlight bathed the land—a welcome sight in a place where such fine weather might not be seen more than once a year.
In that same small room at the inn, the girl and Tsunade's pair sat facing each other, a cup of green tea placed before each of them.
Touye bowed low to the ground. "Thank you so much for your help, my lady," she said, still in her male disguise. "I have no way to repay you!"
Tsunade, sitting primly, lifted her teacup. "Rise," she said slowly. "It was a small effort, nothing to thank me for. Besides, you paid, didn't you? You don't owe me anything."
"That may be, but what was a small effort for you was a matter of life and death for me. I will repay this debt one day if I have the chance!" Touye knew the gulf between herself and Tsunade was as wide as heaven and earth, so while she was determined to repay the kindness, she didn't press the matter, leaving it for the future. "However, I have a promise to keep. If you have no other orders for me, my lady, I will take my leave..."
Tsunade remained unhurried, taking a slow sip of her tea before breathing out a wisp of steam. "Leaving so soon? As you saw last night, I have... many faults. Shizune takes care of me most of the time, but sometimes even she can't manage everything. I was thinking of finding another servant to help out..."
Touye straightened up, staring at Tsunade in a daze.