Yujin had just returned from Tsunade's training facilities. He had completely demolished the hall where he was training. Tsunade had previously mentioned that the place was meant for such destruction, and it wouldn't be a problem even if he destroyed everything.
However, she hadn't mentioned anything about other areas. Some rooms near the hall had their walls knocked down, and the floor was cracked. Yujin planned to discuss this with her the next day after a night's rest.
Yujin didn't know if it was due to the training, but he felt better. He was at about 40% of his strength, a significant improvement.
Aside from the physical improvement, he also felt more at peace. Only he knew the terrible things he had seen, remnants of the war in his previous world. These were things he would have to carry for the rest of his life, the burden of what he had witnessed.
Thinking about the future, however, gave him a natural peace and tranquility that he hadn't felt in a long time. It was clear to him what he wanted and what to do to achieve it.
More than ever, he understood his feelings for Tsunade.
Yujin was in love with her, more than he realized. Unfortunately, they had met at a challenging time in her life.
He didn't know what the future held for him, but he was willing to fight for these feelings.
***
When he arrived at his apartment, Yujin took off his clothes and wet a clean cloth with water, wiping away the sweat.
In Yujin's world, ordinary people cleaned themselves in a pond or with a basin of well water and a cloth. Although he knew about the village's bathhouses, he hadn't had the opportunity to go yet, but he was looking forward to the experience.
One thing he found useful, however, was how all the village houses had water. He just needed to turn an object, and clean water would flow continuously. Even with Tsunade's explanations, he still found it impressive how different this world was.
After cleaning himself, Yujin put on clean clothes, sat on the bed, and picked up a book to read.
It was the book Jiraya recommended called "Her Needs." It seemed quite simple compared to the other books he saw in the store with images on the cover. He didn't mind, though, and opened the first page.
The book began with the story of a Queen and how she was unhappy with the King for not paying attention to her. He was always focused on work or some concubine, leaving her neglected.
She began to question her own beauty. Despite her subordinates constantly telling her she was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, she couldn't believe it when she saw the King mesmerized by the concubines, completely ignoring her.
Then she made an effort to become even more beautiful, but the King still ignored her. Better makeup, a different hairstyle, different clothes, a change in tone of voice; she tried everything she could think of and couldn't get her husband's attention.
During her attempts, she noticed that one of the soldiers stationed near her room was constantly aroused in her presence. When Yujin reached this part of the story, he found it strange.
'It can't be, right?'
Yujin had never read this type of book, and in fact, didn't even know that such a book existed, but he wasn't foolish. In fact, he had an way above-average IQ and quickly understood what was about to happen.
His prediction was correct. The Queen became even bolder around the soldier, enjoying his shy reactions and the "enormous package" in his pants. It reached the point where she created a situation where he saw her almost completely naked just to see his reaction.
Finally, she devised a plan, and the two slept together.
The scene was incredibly detailed, leaving Yujin speechless as he read. He was expecting the development, but even when it happened, he didn't know what to say. Betrayal went against every instinct within him, but the author did such a good job making the King seem like a fool and the soldier appear as a good, kind, and caring young man that, although he disagreed with the events, he couldn't be angry with the Queen.
The continuation was about how the two were becoming even more intimate, and how the sex was good. Yujin continued reading because he wanted to know where this immorality would end. He skipped almost entirely through the various explicit sex scenes, mostly just reading the dialogues, which became increasingly bizarre.
Yujin finally stopped reading the book when the soldier's friend discovered what was happening and declared that unless the Queen allowed him to join in the obscenities, he would expose everything to the King.
Without a second thought, Yujin closed the book.
***
It was nighttime, and some people were still passing by on the street. They watched Yujin burning the book but continued on their way.
A few minutes later, while Yujin still silently watched the book burning, Tsunade appeared and joined him, observing the book.
"What book is this?"
Yujin didn't look at Tsunade for a few seconds, lost in thought. He was trying to understand why Jiraya would recommend this book to him, but considering the history, it made sense. If he had known about the existence of such books, he would have been alarmed when Jiraya recommended it, and he wouldn't have bought it.
Yujin respects books a lot for being sources of knowledge, so he really didn't expect this kind of book and content. It wasn't the most respectful story either. An adulterous woman, engaging in a lot of obscenities, and then being blackmailed. He didn't even reach the halfway point of the book, so just imagining what would happen next if he continued reading sent shivers down his spine.
Finally acknowledging Tsunade's presence and her question, he replied.
"Jiraya recommended this book for me to read."
He didn't say anything more, and he didn't need to. Tsunade watched the book silently burning; her eyes gleamed coldly.
***
After the book turned to ashes, Yujin invited Tsunade inside, realizing she had something to say.
She sat on the floor, and Yujin sat across from her. He offered a drink, but she refused, saying she hadn't come to drink. With just that, he knew his plan had worked; they were more distant now. After all, Tsunade had never refused sake before, something completely abnormal for her.
The two remained silent, Tsunade thinking about how to say what she wanted. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke.
"About what you said to me before... I just need to confirm. Was that a confession? Were you asking me to be your girlfriend?"
Yujin only responded with a "yes," and the two fell silent again. Finally, Tsunade gathered what she wanted to say and began speaking.
"I don't think I've talked much to you about Dan, but I loved him a lot, still love him. We dated for a long time. He was a wonderful person. Smart, kind, strong, and had a wonderful dream that I wanted to support."
Tsunade then took out a pendant from her pocket and showed it to Yujin. He took the pendant with her permission and examined it closely. It looked like a smooth stone, similar to jade.
"My grandfather gave me this pendant when I was a child. When my brother, Nawaki, was twelve and told me about his dream of becoming Hokage, I gave him this pendant. A way of saying that I trusted he could achieve his dream. The next day, he died."
Yujin remained silent, listening to the story, not interrupting her at any point.
"After Nawaki's death, I couldn't shake the thought that if he had a medical ninja on his team, he would be alive today. I proposed a plan, and spoke to Sensei for it to be accepted. But even though the Hokage has a lot of power, he doesn't have absolute power. Since it was a significant reform, changing the foundation of how the village operates today, even with his support, I couldn't make it work."
"After he knew about my proposal, Dan was one of my biggest supporters. He had also lost someone important, his sister, Shizune's mother, and agreed with my proposal. Because of that, we became friends, and our friendship turned romantic."
Tsunade smiled as she remembered this; they were good moments in her life, all the while looking at the pendant in Yujin's hand.
"Months ago, he told me about his dream. He also wanted to be Hokage, like Nawaki. He wanted to use the power as Hokage to make reforms in the village and end wars to reduce the number of deaths. I did the same thing then. I handed the pendant to him as proof that I supported him in pursuing this dream. I was ready to help him achieve it and be by his side during all the time."
Tsunade's smile slowly faded.
"And you know what happened, and again, I can't help but think that if I had arrived a little earlier or if there was a medical ninja on the team, he could be alive today."
Her mood worsening as she spoke. Yujin watched her this way, but he didn't say or do anything. Despite every fiber of his being wanting to hug and comfort her, he knew he shouldn't.
Tsunade took a deep breath, trying to suppress the emotions welling up in her chest. She knew it wasn't time to cry.
"That's why I can't accept your feelings."
She couldn't look Yujin in the eyes when she said this. Deep down, she had feelings for him, but because of what she went through, she couldn't accept them or act on them.
"I know."
Yujin finally spoke and closed his hand holding her pendant.
"I know you can't accept my feelings right now, but I'm willing to wait. Even if I have to wait a hundred years, you're worth all the waiting in the world."
Tsunade lifted her face to look into Yujin's eyes, to confirm the truth of his words. When she saw the determination in his eyes, she knew he wasn't lying and sighed quietly.
"How can you be so sure? Time washes everything away."
She asked, looking for any sign of hesitation in his eyes, but all she found was a loving smile that made her tremble.
"One day, I'll prove it to you."