Hiruko spoke up, "Well then, I just happened to pass by a very nice-looking izakaya earlier. Business seemed to be booming."
Tsunade didn't object. She simply adjusted her stride and followed him.
If Shizune had been the only one there, she would have habitually tried to talk Tsunade out of it. After all, every time Lady Tsunade got drunk, Shizune had to haul her back to the hotel, and more often than not, she'd have to clean up the mess after Tsunade smashed up the shop. But with Hiruko along, Shizune felt a sense of relief—with him there, Lady Tsunade wouldn't be a problem.
Hiruko quickened his pace to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Tsunade. She let out a soft "humph" and turned her head away petulantly, but she didn't actually push him away. They stayed close, and along the way, Hiruko chatted incessantly about the state of Konoha. Initially, Tsunade pretended not to listen, but in truth, every word and gesture from him was quietly chipping away at her defenses.
At the izakaya, Tsunade ordered several bottles of specialty shochu. Before long, food and drinks were served at their corner table. As two "old salts" of the shinobi world, Hiruko and Tsunade had no fear of alcohol and began drinking heartily. The adorable Shizune, naturally, couldn't drink, so she took on the role of the designated observer.
Tsunade's affection for Hiruko was actually quite high. Her outward displays of disdain and wariness were mostly born of a fear that he'd push things further—she truly struggled to handle his overwhelming physical stamina. However, the longer they spent together, the more she appreciated the person he had become, especially his encyclopedic knowledge of the changes in Konoha.
Hiruko described the village's transformation as nothing short of earth-shattering. Dilapidated shacks were being replaced by high-rises, the Ninja Theme Park was a sensation, and factories were springing up like mushrooms around the village outskirts. Consequently, the population had exploded, likely reaching four to five hundred thousand.
Tsunade and Shizune listened in shock, Tsunade's drinking even slowing down as she processed the news. They hadn't been traveling that long, yet the Konoha they knew was becoming unrecognizable. Hiruko even mentioned that some merchants tried to establish a "noble district" by demolishing the Senju compound, only to be beaten half to death by the Uchiha.
Tsunade let out a cold laugh, her face flushed from the alcohol. "Oh? The Uchiha are usually so arrogant. I'd expect them to enjoy a laugh at the Senju's expense, given our history."
"The Uchiha 'tsunderes'? They'd never let an outsider insult the Senju. If anyone's going to insult your clan, they feel it has to be them!" Hiruko chuckled.
After several rounds, Tsunade was in high spirits, having polished off dozens of small bottles. By the time they stood to leave, she was swaying on her feet. Shizune, having stuffed herself with food, looked at her mistress with a pinched expression. "My Lady, you did it again. You didn't control yourself at all."
"Shizune, you lead the way. I'll bring Lady Tsunade home!"
"I see! Thank you, Lord Hiruko." Shizune was secretly relieved to be off duty and hurried ahead.
Tsunade grumbled, "I don't want you to carry me, let Shizune do it. I could fall asleep standing right here."
As they left, Hiruko simply scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Tsunade weighed about 60kg, but her figure was... exceptional. The "assets" in front were quite heavy, and Hiruko immediately felt the immense pressure of those two mounds against his back. Tsunade, either truly drunk or just too lazy to fight, lay docilely against him.
One reason she had fled Konoha was that Hiruko was simply too "energetic" in certain departments. She found it hard to keep up. Plus, after losing face in front of her "sisters" in the village, she had grabbed Shizune and bolted. The thought that she was about to be thoroughly "loved" again tonight left her feeling helpless.
When they reached their lodgings, Hiruko followed Shizune's directions and laid Tsunade on the bed, tucking her in. Just then, Tonton the pig began to oink. Shizune slapped her forehead, realizing she'd forgotten to buy food for the pet. "Lord Hiruko, I'm going to take Tonton out for a bite. Please look after Lady Tsunade."
With Shizune gone, Hiruko naturally sought to get closer. "Tsunade, I heard a massage can help with a hangover. Let me help you."
"I'll take your silence as consent." Hiruko's eyes drifted to Tsunade's porcelain-pale feet. When she tried to tuck them under the covers, he caught them in a firm grip.
Tsunade let out a soft whimper as she felt her feet pulled into his warm embrace. Her white skin flushed pink, and her ten toes curled like pearls as Hiruko's warm palms began to knead them. The sensation was electric, sending a surge of heat from her soles straight to her heart. Her face, already red from the shochu, grew even more radiant with bashfulness. Despite their history, doing this in broad daylight felt different.
As her breathing grew shallow, she stammered, "Hey... you!"
"I've researched a way to bring people back to life," Hiruko interrupted her protest.
The words made a specific image flash through Tsunade's mind. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and her face went from hot to deathly pale in an instant. She glared at him. "Don't let your strength go to your head. Resurrecting the dead? Do you have any idea how impossible that is?"
"My Grand-uncle Tobirama researched it, and all he achieved was a hollow imitation. He gave it up because bringing back the dead is not a feat for mortals. It requires horrific human experimentation that warps the link between body and soul."
She huffed, but before she could finish, Hiruko's warm hand slid up to her calf, pressing down firmly and coaxing a shameful moan from her throat. She tried to pull away, but Hiruko held fast.
"It's not impossible," he said calmly. "The Reanimation Jutsu the Second Hokage developed is essentially a low-budget resurrection. And the Rinnegan possesses a technique that can restore life to many at once, though at the cost of the caster's life."
"The difference is that Reanimation uses a living sacrifice as a vessel for a departed soul. When the seal breaks, the soul returns to the Pure Land. But I have a better way." He looked at her shocked expression, his hands continuing their "work." "We don't have a Rinnegan, but we have a substitute!"
Tsunade's mind went quiet as memories of her brother Nawaki and others she missed flooded her heart like a rushing river. She bit her lip and asked with a trembling voice, "Why are you telling me this? What do you want?"
Hiruko looked at her seriously. "To heal your regrets, of course. You are my woman. I was sorry about Nawaki; back then, I wasn't strong enough..."
He produced a scroll from his pouch. "There is a chance now to see your brother again. Tell me: do you want to try?"
Silence fell over the room. Tears pooled in the corners of Tsunade's eyes. "Is it true? Can I really see Nawaki again?"
More than a decade had passed, but her longing for the boy who wanted to be Hokage had never faded. It had only grown more intense. "I want to see him... to watch him grow up, to see him become Hokage..." her voice was so faint it was almost a whisper.
"Then it's settled," Hiruko nodded. He tilted her chin up, looking at her tear-streaked, blushing face. At this moment, she wasn't the legendary Sannin, but a woman haunted by grief. He leaned in and pressed his lips against her soft, red mouth. He pulled her waist close, ensuring she couldn't retreat.
Outside the door, Shizune caught a glimpse through the crack and slapped a hand over her mouth, not daring to make a sound. After a long kiss, Hiruko pulled back. Tsunade, flushed with shame and irritation, threw a punch—but it was weak and chakra-less, more a gesture of embarrassment than an attack.
"This is the Reanimation scroll I got from Orochimaru," Hiruko explained, holding up the scroll. "And I brought a sample of Nawaki's DNA. Tomorrow, we prepare a 'vessel,' and you can see him. And don't worry about the ethics; I'll clone a real body for him later and use a Curse Mark to bind his soul to it. It will be a true resurrection."
With that, the bickering resumed, and they "clashed" once more. Shizune, watching the intimate interaction, gritted her teeth and headed downstairs to book herself a separate room for the night.
The next morning, Hiruko woke Tsunade early. To his surprise, she was already wide awake. She shot him a glare and brandished a fist, her expression saying, Don't you dare think I was into it last night. But her rosy cheeks told a different story. Her tone with him was becoming increasingly affectionate, almost childlike.
Shizune was dragged out of bed before she knew what was happening. They headed into a nearby forest, where Hiruko had a man bound to a tree.
"This is a death-row inmate from the Land of Fire," Hiruko explained. "A bandit who preyed on commoners. He's making his first useful contribution to society today."
Tsunade looked at him curiously. "You went to the Land of Fire in the middle of the night? Using the Flying Thunder God? How's your mastery of that jutsu coming along?"
Hiruko scratched his head. "I can use it now. I'm not as nimble as Minato yet, but for point-to-point transport, it works well enough."
Tsunade was stunned. "You actually learned Grand-uncle's jutsu? With your talent, you might truly become a figure like my grandfather." She thought of Orochimaru. "Orochimaru tried to learn it for a long time but eventually gave up. Without the innate talent for it, it's a lost cause."
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