Under the locust tree, on a long wooden bench, Little Tsunade sat with her head in her hands, holding a self-reflection session.
"Idiot, idiot."
"Am I an idiot? How could I say something like... kissing?"
She sighed. Clearly, she should have been more reserved; the books all said so. She must have been blinded by desire to blurt out such words.
The situation afterward was just too awkward—she wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.
Little Tsunade placed her hands on her inward-turned knees and whispered to herself in a voice so soft only she could hear:
"But even so, I still want to try cuddling in his arms, kissing him, and acting all cute…"
"Ah, so this is where you are."
A sudden yet familiar voice rang out.
Little Tsunade jumped in surprise, looking up. Her gaze met his dark, ink-like eyes. A blush spread across her face, turning it as red as a cooked crab. She stammered nervously, "W-why are you here?"
Standing in front of her, Tōshirō raised one hand and made a seal, pretending to perform a technique. "Ice Release: Ice Eye."
"That's so unfair," Little Tsunade pouted.
She remembered how Tōshirō had used the same trick to track her down before. A sweet smile appeared on her lips, a smile so charming it could brighten anyone's mood.
On any other day, Tōshirō might have teased her about it. But today, he chose not to ruin the moment. He got straight to the point.
"Can I hug you?"
"Eh?" Little Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise.
"...May I?"
"You can— Wait, why would you do that?" She didn't seem resistant, just a little shy, turning her face slightly to the side.
"Because I like you. That's all."
"You're way too direct." Little Tsunade puffed out her cheeks adorably. "That's sneaky of you. You know I can't say no right now."
"If I'm not direct, my feelings might not fully reach your heart."
"That's true. If you weren't so upfront, who knows how long we'd both keep waiting." Little Tsunade chuckled softly, stood up from the bench, spread her arms, and made a small "hmph" sound through her nose as if to say, "What are you waiting for?"
Tōshirō stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her back, and pulled her tightly into his embrace. Their eyes met.
A blush spread across Little Tsunade's face, and her eyes shimmered with a tenderness so deep it could melt anyone's heart.
Almost as if bewitched, Tōshirō found himself unable to look away from her bright, lively eyes.
Thump thump thump... His heartbeat thundered like a drum, and his fingers trembled slightly with nerves.
"You seem really nervous," Little Tsunade said softly, trying to soothe him with her awkward attempts at patting his back.
"And you're not?"
"I'm not."
"Oh, really? Then why is your face red?"
"W-well…"
"…"
"…"
The silence hung in the air, making it even harder to breathe. Finally, Little Tsunade gathered her courage, gently closed her eyes, her long lashes quivering slightly. She tilted her head up, her soft, pink lips pursed ever so slightly.
Summoning all his nerve, Tōshirō leaned in slowly. As he got closer, he felt the tickle of her hair against his nose and caught a faint, unique fragrance—her scent.
As if afraid she might suddenly pull away, his arms instinctively tightened around her.
Their chests and cheeks nearly touched as the warm breath from their noses mingled, brushing against Tōshirō's lips and sending shivers down his spine.
"I like you…"
Struggling with his limited ability to articulate emotions, Tōshirō couldn't think of anything else to say.
But just as he was about to speak, a soft, warm, feather-like sensation brushed against his lips, sealing them shut.
Tōshirō: ???
Little Tsunade crossed her arms and locked them around Tōshirō's neck:
"So this is what a kiss is? Turns out it's nothing special. I thought it was supposed to be something amazing…"
Maybe even she didn't believe the nonsense she was spouting. Feeling shy, Little Tsunade turned her face away, and her voice became quieter and quieter...
You idiot, at least say something—this was her first kiss!
While thinking this, he suddenly felt a light pressure on both cheeks.
A pair of hands held her face from either side, straightening her head, and their eyes met.
"How about this, then?"
Σ(°△°|||)︴: What are you trying to do…?
"What do you think?"
Tōshirō smirked mischievously.
...…
The red sun set, and evening approached.
Tōshirō and Little Tsunade wrapped up their day together and returned home. "We're back."
Big Tsunade and Shizune glanced at them, their eyes landing on the several large bags of groceries Tōshirō was carrying.
"I remember you saying you'd cook tonight, right?"
Before leaving earlier, Tōshirō had promised to cook dinner to thank Big Tsunade and Shizune for taking care of them over the past few days.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then," Big Tsunade said with a smile. "I'm curious to see your cooking skills."
Tōshirō gently pried the clingy Little Tsunade off of him, seated her on a chair, and patted her forehead.
"Be good, okay? I'm going to make a few dishes."
"Okay~~"
Little Tsunade dragged out her response, her eyes full of reluctance.
Tōshirō nodded, grabbed the groceries, and headed to the kitchen.
Little Tsunade stared at the ceiling, the bright light reflecting on her flushed face. Her cherry-like lips opened and closed as she made strange "mwah mwah" sounds.
Big Tsunade glanced at Tōshirō's retreating figure before walking over to Little Tsunade. She waved her hand in front of her face and held up one finger.
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Mwah mwah…"
"Hey, snap out of it. Are you still mentally okay? If your brain's fried, it'll affect me too, you know." Big Tsunade grabbed Little Tsunade by the shoulders and gave her a gentle shake to snap her out of it.
However, Little Tsunade responded with a dazed expression. "Huh~~? What did you say? I can't hear you…"
She's already this out of it? Big Tsunade raised her voice in exasperation. "I asked if you're still okay mentally!"
Little Tsunade's gaze was dreamy, hearts practically floating in her eyes. "Huh~~? Did you say you want more kisses? Ehehe, fine, I guess I can't say no to you. Mwah~~~"
Big Tsunade looked utterly speechless.
It's over. This little girl is completely head-over-heels for Tōshirō.
When Tōshirō came back and glanced at Little Tsunade, he asked, "What's wrong with her?"
Big Tsunade gave him an irritated look. "You really don't know? What did you do to her?"
Tōshirō, shameless as ever, said, "I guess it was something I did."
Maybe things got a bit too heated earlier because Little Tsunade's brain seemed to short-circuit midway, leaving her in this state.
"Mwah mwah…"
Little Tsunade made kissy sounds like a fish surfacing for air, occasionally even blowing tiny bubbles.
Big Tsunade: …
Little Tsunade: …
Shizune: …
After dinner, Tōshirō took a shower, changed into comfortable pajamas, and lay down on the soft bed with his arms crossed behind his head.
He didn't fall asleep, just stared blankly at the ceiling, muttering to himself, "I wonder what Tsunade is doing now. Is she asleep?"
"Knock, knock…"
There was a light knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
Tōshirō looked puzzled. Who would come at this hour?
"It's me."
After a moment of hesitation, the voice outside finally said, "Tsunade."
(P.S.: The author mentioned they had to make several edits to avoid getting banned, focusing solely on above-the-neck descriptions.)
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"