A few days later, in the morning, at the capsule house, in Natsuhiko's room.
The early morning sunlight streamed in through the skylight, gradually dispelling the dimness in the room.
On the messy double bed, Tsunade, dressed in only a shirt, groggily sat up.
She lazily raised both arms, stretching wide, her figure forming a breathtaking curve beneath the white shirt.
Only then did she look around, slowly recalling why she was here.
Thinking of last night's madness, Tsunade blushed, licking her rosy lips with lingering satisfaction.
She hadn't expected someone as young as Natsuhiko to be so skilled.
Even a battle-hardened woman like her was left defeated every night, utterly disarmed...
—It's no wonder, he was the designer of Ninja Emperor 97.
Yes, what surfaced in Tsunade's mind at this moment were scenes of her playing Ninja Emperor 97 with Natsuhiko for several nights straight.
She had not anticipated that, despite being invincible in the arcades, she was powerless against Natsuhiko after several days of battles!
Even though Natsuhiko had designed the game, Tsunade was sure he hadn't used any unfair advantage to cheat.
It was simply that, as the designer, his understanding of the game far surpassed her own.
Of course, this also meant that the game's potential ceiling was higher than she had imagined.
Positioning, counterplay, options, pressure, punishes, frames...
A series of concepts that were vaguely similar to real combat, combined with various complex special systems, created a battle logic that, while distinct from reality, was internally consistent and intricate.
Even as one of the top fighters in the ninja world, Tsunade couldn't fully grasp it in a short time.
In fact, she even found some inspiration during gameplay, feeling that certain techniques might be adaptable to real combat.
Moreover, since the game allowed her to be immune to the accursed "Fat Sheep Curse," it was no wonder Tsunade had become so obsessed with it.
Playing in the arcade during the day wasn't enough—she pestered Natsuhiko every night for more matches.
As for why she was in Natsuhiko's room?
Well, on the first day she arrived, she had shamelessly claimed his room, using the excuse of "honoring the elder," relying on her status to take over his space.
Recalling Natsuhiko's defeated expression—this seemingly omnipotent young man—Tsunade couldn't help but smile.
Indeed, bullying a handsome young guy was so much fun.
After getting dressed, Tsunade opened the door and stepped out, catching the rich aroma of coffee in the air.
"Tsunade-sama, you're awake?"
Sitting at the dining table reading a book, Natsuhiko greeted her after taking a sip of his coffee.
"Mm…"
Still sleepy, Tsunade casually replied, then walked over, picked up Natsuhiko's freshly placed coffee cup, and drank it all in one go.
"Ah~"
With the caffeine kicking in, Tsunade finally felt more awake. She wiped her mouth and heavily set the cup down.
"Tsunade-sama, if you wanted coffee, there's more in the pot. Why drink mine…"
Natsuhiko helplessly took the cup, went to the sink to wash it, and then poured himself another cup of coffee.
Tsunade, who was clearly taking advantage of her special status, always found ways to tease him, leaving Natsuhiko speechless.
It was just a game—did she really need to retaliate like this because she never won in Ninja Emperor 97?
But Tsunade seemed proud of herself.
In response to Natsuhiko's complaint, she smugly said, "I just enjoy seeing you frustrated and helpless."
To be honest, the real reason she bullied Natsuhiko was because of his extraordinary talent and his status as the disciple of Grandma Mito.
This gave Tsunade a sense of being replaced by the new generation, and made her acutely aware that she was now thirty years old, no longer young...
Though she prided herself on being eternally eighteen, Natsuhiko's presence was a reminder of her advancing age, which only fueled her desire to bully him.
After leaving Natsuhiko speechless, Tsunade smiled triumphantly and headed towards the kitchen.
"What should I have for breakfast today?"
Humming a little tune, she opened the fridge with anticipation.
Although it looked like a fridge, the cabinet had no cooling function, since it didn't store food but rather stacks of small storage scrolls.
"Diced beef from Shortage Street, handmade tomato beef noodles, Senju-style braised rabbit head, spicy tofu from Yangquan Restaurant..."
Tsunade picked up the scrolls and checked the labels, her expression conflicted.
Clearly, these storage scrolls contained the food listed on them.
These were delicacies Natsuhiko had collected from various places, preserved with special storage techniques that kept the food in its freshly made state, ensuring the flavor was just as good as if it were eaten on-site.
Even for Tsunade, the princess of the Senju clan who had tasted all kinds of gourmet food from a young age, she never imagined she could have access to the best foods from all over the Land of Fire at any time.
Especially now, with her constant travels to evade debts, often surviving on military rations or simple snacks, Tsunade found Natsuhiko's convenient and delicious scroll-stored meals irresistible.
After rummaging through the scrolls for a while, Tsunade still couldn't make up her mind.
There were just too many things she wanted to eat, making it hard to choose.
For someone who had recently been camping out in the wild, Tsunade never thought she'd one day have such a luxurious dilemma.
It even made her wonder if she was becoming too decadent.
Though she had already been quite decadent before…
But these days, traveling with Natsuhiko, she had fresh gourmet food from all over whenever she was hungry, and a warm bed in a spacious house whenever she was tired.
More importantly, right outside the door was an arcade filled with all kinds of fun games.
Inside, she could challenge players from across the land in Ninja Emperor 97, without being affected by the "Fat Sheep Curse"!
Every day now felt like paradise—the life she had always dreamed of.
It was so wonderful that she even wondered if the heavens were compensating her for all the pain she had suffered in the past.
However, Tsunade also knew that such a wonderful time had an expiration date.
Whether Natsuhiko intended to lure her back to the village with the arcade or not, once spring break ended, he, as a teacher at the ninja academy, would undoubtedly return to the village.
So one way or another, she would lose this life by then.
While she had initially planned to enjoy Natsuhiko's bait and then make a break for it, now she wasn't so confident.
After experiencing such a comfortable life, could she really go back to the days of wandering, gambling, and losing?
Just thinking about it made Tsunade shudder.
Was it an addiction? Had Natsuhiko laced his bait with opium...?
But Tsunade wasn't one to sit idly by, and she had already started her own plan for salvation.
She sat beside Natsuhiko with a pot of steaming sukiyaki, and asked, "So, have you thought about my proposal?"
"Why not skip returning to Konoha as a teacher and just continue your promising career as the owner of this mobile arcade?"
Natsuhiko rolled his eyes slightly and replied, "So you can keep freeloading along the way?"
Though she was called out on her little scheme, Tsunade remained unfazed.
Her "self-rescue plan" was indeed to not only eat the bait but also drag Natsuhiko, the fisherman, into the water with her.
That way, she could continue living this carefree life!
The only problem was that Natsuhiko, this fisherman, was too steady, and she couldn't budge him at all.
After all, she didn't have much leverage to convince Natsuhiko to continue their journey.
Money? Though she had recently made an unprecedented amount, it was nothing compared to what Natsuhiko made from owning an arcade.
As for strength, Natsuhiko was already an elite jōnin at a young age, and as Grandma Mito's disciple, he didn't need her help.
After thinking it over, Tsunade realized she had only one remaining card to play that might sway Natsuhiko.
From the window, she could see Kakashi and Shizune still training outside.
So Tsunade decided to use this chance to tempt Natsuhiko with her last bargaining chip.
Scooting her chair a little closer to Natsuhiko, she seductively said in a sweet, tempting voice:
"Natsuhiko, what's so bad about this?"
"After all, I could teach you some important things about... the body every night~"
What Tsunade was referring to, of course, was medical ninjutsu.
Given Natsuhiko's talent in developing jutsu, she was genuinely curious to see what innovations he could come up with through the fusion of his creativity and medical ninjutsu.
Although Natsuhiko quickly grasped what Tsunade meant, her suggestive tone triggered memories of certain doujinshi from his past life where she was the protagonist.
So, was she doing it on purpose, or was it accidental?
(T/N: Aite, even if the author does not add her to Natsuhiko's harem? I will)
Moreover, Lady Tsunade's proposal was indeed very attractive. If he could communicate with her, Natsuhiko's training in Yin Sealing and the development efficiency of the Healing Arts would improve significantly.
Unfortunately, his foundation was in Konoha. If he had to temporarily leave Konoha, it would have been more of a loss than a gain.
Additionally, Natsuhiko was not a child; naturally, he did not make a choice but intended to have it all.
As long as he could persuade Tsunade to return to Konoha, her extensive medical ninjutsu would eventually be his as well.
Thus, Natsuhiko decided to politely decline Tsunade's proposal, giving up the opportunity to learn about medical knowledge from her.
By the way…
"Lady Tsunade, I remembered that you are about a generation older than me…"
As soon as Natsuhiko's words came out, he noticed Tsunade's expression freeze instantly.
However, it seemed he did not see it and continued to seriously correct Tsunade's mistake regarding her title.
"With such a large age difference, was it not a bit inappropriate for you to still call yourself 'sister,' Lady Tsunade?"
(T/N: Ah, Fuck….)
(End of chapter)