Chapter 72: I'm Still Just a Kid
"Whew... I'm stuffed."
Perhaps due to blood loss, Tsunade devoured the entire roasted chicken—even the head and rear end.
She tossed the final bone into the fire, face radiating satisfaction after such a feast.
Watching Tsunade wipe grease from her mouth, Yoru produced a sake bottle from seemingly nowhere and smiled. "Now that you're full, want a drink?"
Staring at the gently swaying bottle in Yoru's hand, Tsunade's eyes lit up. Her voice came out almost desperately excited. "Give it to me! Give it now!"
The phrasing carried unfortunate implications. Only her last shred of adult dignity kept Tsunade from pouncing on him like an eager puppy.
Yoru didn't tease her further. He tossed the bottle over.
"Ahh..."
Catching the sake, Tsunade twisted it open and tilted her head back for a long drink. Her expression shifted from satisfaction to pure bliss.
Yoru asked with a smile, "Not angry anymore?"
In considerably better spirits, Tsunade shot him another look while continuing to drink. "Since you're being so considerate, I suppose I can grudgingly forgive you."
"Should I say thank you?" Yoru's tone turned teasing. "Oh, and I haven't thanked you for the second viewing yet."
"Pfft—"
Tsunade spat sake everywhere, choking and coughing violently.
Unable to catch her breath, she fixed Yoru with a murderous glare. "Listen, brat—do you want me to kill you?!"
Her flushed face could have been from choking or embarrassment.
"Okay, okay, I'm scared..." Yoru raised his hands in mock surrender, though his tone remained infuriatingly smug.
Remembering she carried one of his Flying Thunder God kunai, Tsunade had nowhere to direct her frustration. She could only glare at him through gritted teeth.
That bared-teeth expression resembled Kushina Uzumaki remarkably—like an adult version of the redhead.
Yoru knew when to quit. His expression instantly turned serious as he changed subjects. "You've been unconscious for hours. Hanzo of the Salamander saw both of us, and I left Flying Thunder God kunai in that bamboo forest. Our identities and techniques have probably already been exposed and are spreading."
"Like you said—Konoha has essentially declared war on Amegakure. Did we get equivalent returns for that cost?"
Tsunade understood Yoru's meaning and replied with matching seriousness. "That underground facility hadn't been ransacked. It contained medicinal herbs, medicines, equipment, and a formula section. Definitely a pharmaceutical workshop."
"I had Katsuyu-sama transfer most of the contents to Shikkotsu Forest."
"If the antidote formula is in there, even split into hundreds of pieces, give me one bottle of antidote and enough time—I can reconstruct it."
"Even without the formula, as long as those medicines include the antidote in sufficient quantities, I just need time to develop a cure for the salamander poison."
Tsunade's voice carried absolute confidence. "I already know what toxins the salamander poison contains. Even starting from scratch, I'll develop the formula faster than that old hag Chiyo."
"Then we should return and report to Orochimaru-sensei and the others immediately. I'm worried delays will create problems." Yoru made the suggestion.
Realizing they'd been exposed, Tsunade nodded. "We should notify them quickly. Wait a moment."
Rolling up her sleeve to check the wrist-mounted storage scroll was intact, Tsunade shot Yoru a look. "Turn around. If you dare peek, I'll kill you!"
"Tsunade-sama, you're slandering me again." Yoru protested. "If I wanted to see, I would have looked my fill during treatment. I could have done far worse while you were unconscious."
"You did something?!" Tsunade's voice turned deadly.
"It's a hypothetical! Just a hypothetical..." Yoru played his trump card. "I'm still just a kid. You're accusing a child of impropriety. What are you, some kind of pervert?"
As a medical ninja, Tsunade seemed to realize something. Her aggressive momentum deflated instantly. Looking at Yoru, who stood slightly taller than her, she couldn't help muttering, "With your height, who'd believe you're a child?"
"Apologize. Apologize right now."
"Apologize my ass. Just turn around already."
Tsunade raised her fist in mock threat.
Yoru turned around with obvious contempt.
A sound like deflating balloons quickly emerged from behind him.
Moments later, an arm suddenly attacked from behind, locking around Yoru's neck.
"Can't let this go without hitting you at least once."
Now dressed in fresh clothes, Tsunade applied a chokehold while complaining. "You're younger than my brother but your mouth is so foul. What does Kushina even see in you?"
"Violent woman. This is pure ingratitude."
Yoru teleported free of the chokehold, then slapped the back of Tsunade's head with his palm.
"You actually hit me?!"
Tsunade clutched her head, staring at Yoru in disbelief.
"What, I can't defend myself?" Yoru's tone carried complete righteousness. "Don't think being my senior lets you act unreasonably. If something bothers me, I won't give face to anyone."
"Then let me see what you've got!"
Tsunade threw a punch that hit empty air.
This time, prepared for the Flying Thunder God, she jerked her momentum backward, redirecting her remaining force behind her.
Still nothing.
Smack!
A hand came from the left, slapping her head sideways.
Yoru's smile turned mocking. "Violent woman, are you performing circus tricks for me?"
"Damn Flying Thunder God! Why did Second Grandfather have to invent such an obnoxious technique?!"
Tsunade's composure shattered. She grabbed the Flying Thunder God kunai and threw it down hard.
Then she folded her arms across her chest, glaring at Yoru with puffed cheeks. "You brat—do you dare stand still and let me hit you once?"
"How childish. When did our ages swap?" Yoru rolled his eyes at Tsunade and urged her forward. "Stop fooling around. We need to report back to Orochimaru-sensei and the others."
Having completely lost her adult dignity before Yoru, Tsunade could only resign herself to picking up the Flying Thunder God kunai. She walked over with gritted teeth. "Remember—everything that happened here stays between us. Tell anyone and I'll kill you."
"I don't respond well to threats." Yoru's voice turned ominous. "You scare me like this, I might have nightmares every night and accidentally talk in my sleep."
A red "#" symbol bulged on Tsunade's forehead. With a forced smile, she requested through clenched teeth: "Please keep this secret. Don't tell anyone about today—especially my embarrassing moments. Don't let Orochimaru, Kushina, or Sarutobi-sensei find out."
"So you can speak nicely. Good, good..."
Using his height advantage, Yoru patted Tsunade's shoulder like an elder, wearing an expression of relief that threatened to ignite the powder keg.
Before Tsunade could explode, Yoru doused the fire with cold water.
"About to teleport. Control your expression."
Tsunade immediately adopted a serious demeanor. Both vanished from the cave without a trace.
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