"Stop moving! Hey, I said don't move!"
"What is it?" Tsunade looked puzzled at the running Haruki.
"You have white liquid on your shoulder."
Haruki pointed to her off-shoulder pajamas, where there was foam on her smooth, white skin.
"It's probably toothpaste."
He wiped it off and pointed to her mouth, "It must have dripped from here."
"I thought it was something serious."
Tsunade's face fell, "You made it sound so serious, and it's just a small thing."
"How is it a small thing?"
Haruki crossed his arms, speaking seriously, "Anything that affects your beauty is a big deal."
"Pooh!"
Tsunade spat out some toothpaste, giving him a sideways glance, "Don't say such things while I'm brushing my teeth."
But the slight smile on her lips showed her good mood.
"My bad."
Haruki raised his hands in surrender and joined her in brushing his teeth.
After setting his toothbrush and glass aside, he asked, "What do you want for breakfast?"
"Noodles."
"Alright." Haruki glanced at her and said, "We'll have Sichuan's famous Dandan noodles."
Tsunade was intrigued, as she hadn't tried it before: "What a strange name."
"In Sichuan, this type of noodle was originally sold by vendors carrying poles, hence the name."
Haruki explained briefly, taking pork, noodles, bean sprouts, and other seasonings from the fridge.
First, he made the sauce.
He minced the pork, adding green onions, ginger, and garlic to stir-fry. When done, he added sesame and Sichuan pepper.
Then he cooked the noodles in boiling water, pouring in broth and the stir-fried sauce.
"Do you like cilantro?"
"No, no, I don't like its taste."
Tsunade, sitting at the table, shook her head quickly at the mention of cilantro.
Haruki didn't insist. Some people indeed couldn't handle it, and Sichuan cuisine had even more challenging ingredients like fishwort.
He added some cabbage leaves and brought over a bowl of noodles.
"Smells great!"
Tsunade felt her mouth water, grabbing her chopsticks to stir and slurp the noodles.
Seeing her enjoy the meal, Haruki smiled.
He continued to eat unhurriedly.
"I forgot to ask yesterday, how was Kushina after meeting her grandmother?"
"She was very happy." Tsunade replied, "Grandmother was also delighted to see her only remaining family member."
"Good."
Haruki nodded. Regardless of the original story, his student being happy now was what mattered.
He hoped Kushina could coexist with the Nine-Tails like her son, maximizing her potential.
"Are you full?"
Tsunade's bowl was empty. Haruki pushed his bowl over, "You can have mine."
"No need." She shook her head, "I've felt like I've gained weight since meeting you."
"Where's the weight gain?" Haruki picked up some noodles, "Want me to feed you?"
Tsunade snorted, "I'm not a child."
"..." Haruki was silent for a moment, "Indeed, you're not a child, but your emotional intelligence..."
"Hey, don't think I can't tell you're calling me dumb!"
Tsunade rose on tiptoe, bit his chopsticks, and slurped the noodles into her mouth.
She squinted her eyes in satisfaction, "I don't need you to feed me!"
Haruki thought for a moment.
This girl was hopeless.
He continued eating his noodles.
"I'll wash the dishes."
Tsunade took the dishes and chopsticks to the sink.
Haruki stood behind her, smiling, "Need help?"
"I may not cook often, but I can wash dishes."
Tsunade didn't look back, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Haruki stepped forward, massaging her smooth shoulders gently.
"Hey, don't mess around!"
Tsunade felt the warm touch, her voice trembling slightly.
"How is this messing around?"
"It's very ticklish!"
Tsunade stopped her actions, turning to glare at him, "Take your hands off."
"Okay."
Haruki let go of her shoulder and blew warm air into her ear as she turned back.
Crash!
Tsunade's body went limp, instinctively tightening her legs, but the dish in her hand slipped.
"Haruki!"
A loud, angry voice rang out.
Haruki had already run away.
Tsunade stomped her foot, sweeping the pieces into the trash and finishing the remaining dishes.
Haruki was already dressed and waiting in the living room.
Tsunade huffed, but quickly changed out of her pajamas into her usual outfit.
"Transformation Jutsu." Haruki reminded her.
"I know."
Tsunade performed the seals, transforming into a petite, fair-skinned girl with silver hair and blue eyes, looking very cute and delicate.
Haruki's eyes brightened.
Transformation Jutsu was indeed a wonderful thing.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Tsunade saw through his thoughts, giving him a sideways glance.
But now, her stature and appearance lacked any intimidation, instead adding a touch of cuteness.
"Ahem, no one should recognize you now. Let's go."
Haruki held her small hand, heading out of Konoha.
"I thought Lord Haruki wouldn't dare to come."
Sand Shinobi representative Higashino Hayashi had been waiting, his tone mocking.
Seeing Tsunade, he frowned, "You seem to be enjoying yourself, bringing three children on a trip."
"It seems you have a lot of resentment."
Haruki remained calm, "You're defeated soldiers, so where's the room for complaints?"
Higashino's face darkened.
But he didn't dare to act, feeling frustrated but maintaining composure.
"Lord Haruki, if you're ready, let's go."
"That's more like it. It's good to get along."
Haruki patted his shoulder as he passed, speaking earnestly.
Higashino trembled slightly but said nothing.
"Lord Haruki."
Two Hyuga clan members greeted him.
A man and a woman, both with average talent but notable business acumen.
The man, Hyuga Aoi, dealt in fruits, and the woman, Hyuga Saori, was in the jade business.
Their work coincided with Haruki's plans.
Along with them were Minato Namikaze and Mikoto Uchiha.
Seeing Haruki with three children was what had triggered Higashino's sarcasm.
But after Haruki's lesson, he was now outwardly compliant.
Given the long journey and the two Hyuga's abilities, they had prepared a carriage.
"Uh... teacher... who is this?"
Minato finally couldn't hold back, seeing Haruki holding a small, silver-haired girl on his lap.
"Tsunade."
Since the carriage was filled with Konoha ninjas, Haruki didn't hide it.
The others widened their eyes.
With Tsunade also present, their anxiety increased.
One Haruki was enough to make them nervous, and adding Tsunade made them worry for their lives if discovered.
But with the two highest-ranking members, they dared not object.