"That's what you get for drinking so much! Serves you right!" Kushina grumbled as she dragged Tsunade into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face.
The cold water seemed to sober Tsunade up a bit as she started to remember what had just happened.
"Alright, alright, enough already. We're both girls. What's the big deal about a kiss? I didn't do it on purpose, you know," Tsunade protested.
"If you get drunk and act up like that again, I'll throw you into the fish pond!" Kushina threatened, pouting in annoyance. But, of course, Tsunade didn't take it seriously.
She knew Kushina would never actually do that.
Once Tsunade was cleaned up, she and Kushina stepped out of the bathroom, only to be met with Takuya's teasing.
"Drinking so much, huh? Did you blow all your hard-earned money at the casino again?"
Never underestimate Tsunade. When she wasn't being lazy, she could make money faster than almost anyone.
If you asked anyone in Konoha, they'd tell you that people lined up for miles just to have Tsunade treat them at the hospital.
But seeing her wasn't just about having money. It also depended on her mood. Sometimes, after blowing all her cash at the casino, Tsunade would knuckle down at the hospital for a few days, and her wallet would be full again in no time.
But her gambling habit was a problem. The moment she had money, she'd feel the itch to gamble.
And then, her "big sucker" reputation would kick in.
In no time at all, she'd lose everything she had just earned.
"..."
Tsunade's smile froze, her teeth grinding in frustration as she glared at Takuya.
"You little brat, do you feel better now that you've said that?"
"No, I was just testing a theory. Oh, and let me guess, the booze was 'borrowed' from the casino too?"
"..."
With her sore spots thoroughly poked, Tsunade decided to ignore Takuya altogether. This kid was way too good at getting under her skin.
And what made it worse was that she couldn't beat him in a fight, which just made her frustration even worse.
"The Nine-Tails hasn't been causing any trouble lately, right?" Takuya asked, turning to Kushina now that Tsunade was ignoring him.
"It's been really quiet," Kushina replied, a little embarrassed as she remembered the incident from before.
Takuya chuckled softly, reaching out to ruffle her smooth red hair. "Don't worry about it. It was the Nine-Tails that made a fool of itself, not you. That big fox doesn't define you, Kushina."
Could the Nine-Tails be charmed?
Takuya had thought about it and figured probably not.
As for why the Nine-Tails had acted so foolishly, Takuya suspected that it had something to do with the scent on Snowy.
That might explain why a creature as ancient as the Nine-Tails had behaved so strangely.
It had been quiet lately, which was proof enough.
The Nine-Tails was probably sulking, embarrassed by its own behavior, so it was hiding in the sealed space, taking a nap in silence.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kushina said, scratching her head and laughing.
"So, you're not mad at me, Takuya?"
"Why would he be mad at you? You didn't do anything wrong," Tsunade interjected from the side, unable to stand watching the usually feisty Kushina turn into a flustered mess around Takuya.
This girl is done for, Tsunade thought to herself. She's completely wrapped around Takuya's little finger.
"Oh, by the way, I'll be heading to the battlefield in the Land of Rivers tomorrow. The enemy's been pushing hard lately, and the old man wants me to help out," Takuya said.
"Make sure to keep Nawaki at the camp. Don't let him go on missions. I'm worried he'll end up being an easy target for the enemy."
Takuya didn't want to outright say that he was afraid Nawaki would get blown up by an explosive tag, so he used a different excuse.
After all, Nawaki was the direct grandson of Hashirama Senju. If he showed up on the battlefield, the enemy would have no problem targeting him first.
The excuse was reasonable.
"I'll think about it," Tsunade replied, considering her hot-headed younger brother's impulsive nature. Keeping him in the camp did seem like a smart idea.
When he had been with Takuya, it wasn't a problem—Takuya would handle things if anything went wrong.
But now, with Takuya back in the village and only Nawaki and Minato on the front lines, if Nawaki got too fired up, Minato wouldn't be able to rein him in.
Even though Tsunade said she'd "think about it," she had already decided to keep Nawaki at the camp.
Training didn't necessarily mean fighting on the front lines all the time.
Her main concern was simply his safety.
This whole situation with the old man is so frustrating. He left Takuya in the village, and the kid just went along with it. What's he thinking? Tsunade wondered.
"What's on your mind?" Takuya asked, noticing the frown on Tsunade's face as she stared at him.
Should I ask? she thought. Something just doesn't feel right.
After a brief hesitation, Tsunade decided to voice her thoughts.
"Takuya, don't you have any thoughts about the old man's decision?"
"Not really. What's there to think about? I'm just following the village's orders," Takuya said with a grin.
Tsunade was speechless. She could tell that Takuya understood why the village had assigned him to be a teacher.
But why, even after figuring that out, had he gone along with it?
Whatever. As long as you know what's going on, I guess I'll stop worrying about it.
If Takuya was clear on the situation, then there was no point in her stressing about it. Even if she did worry, it wouldn't change anything—Takuya wasn't the type to follow her advice anyway.
Besides, Tsunade wasn't exactly in a position to give Takuya orders.
This brat is always making me mad.
I must've done something to you in a past life.
"As long as you know what you're doing, I'll leave it at that. But remember, if something doesn't sit right with you, you have every right to say no."
After chatting for a bit, Tsunade's drowsiness started to kick in again, and she sprawled out on the couch, falling asleep almost immediately.
The weirdest part? She snored louder than Takuya ever had.
With Orochimaru back in the village, Tsunade was now heading to the front lines to take over his duties.
Knowing that Takuya wasn't upset with her, Kushina bounced back quickly, showing up bright and early the next morning at Takuya's place with a homemade breakfast.
In the Hokage's office, Orochimaru had just returned to the village and was sitting across from Hiruzen.
Looking at Orochimaru's tired eyes, Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy as he sighed, "You've worked hard these past few weeks."
Relaxing in his chair, Orochimaru allowed himself a small smile. "It wasn't too bad. Not as tiring as dealing with certain other people."
"..."
That was clearly a jab at Hiruzen's decision to put Danzo in charge of the war effort in the Land of Rain.
"Ahem!" Hiruzen coughed, quickly steering the conversation away. "So, what's your plan this time? The Cloud Village is very protective of their Jinchuriki. It won't be easy to get close to them."
"Since I've accepted the mission, I've already got a plan. Just have your operatives assist me when the time comes."
"Oh, and I'd like to bring someone along with me to the Cloud Village for this mission," Orochimaru added.
He wanted to bring Takuya along, thinking the boy would be interested in something like this.
After all, with Takuya's connection to Kushina, and the fact that the Cloud Village had targeted her, Orochimaru figured Takuya wouldn't sit this one out.
"Who do you want to bring?" Hiruzen asked.
"Takuya Yagami."
"Takuya?" Hiruzen frowned.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to suggest taking Takuya on this mission to the Cloud Village.
If this mission succeeded, the recognition would be enormous. This clearly went against the council's decision to cool things down with Takuya.
They had assigned him to be a teacher precisely to keep him out of the spotlight.
If Takuya went with Orochimaru to the Cloud Village and completed this mission, all their efforts to keep him out of the limelight would be in vain.
"Takuya out of the question. He's currently a Jonin instructor, responsible for training three students. Why don't you pick someone else?" Hiruzen said, immediately rejecting Orochimaru's request.
**********
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