Damn it, Tsunade, this woman who only thinks with her fists, actually pulled out the "sexy uniform" card. Where did she even learn that?
But that's not the point. The point is, this hits just the right spot for his XP. Who could possibly resist this?
Tsunade is rich, fair-skinned, drop-dead gorgeous, and to top it off, her chest muscles are so developed they could be used as face wash—removing mites, cleaning pores, and fighting acne.
Honestly, seeing Tsunade take such an initiative, Tōshirō's heart skipped a beat.
As the saying goes, "When a man pursues a woman, it's like crossing a mountain; when a woman pursues a man, it's like passing through a veil."
Should I just... accept her?
Anyway, I'd eventually have to chase her, so why not start now? Who knows, I might even enjoy the journey of nurturing those cup sizes.
And Tsunade's a rich woman. If I go along with her, wouldn't she help me pay off all that debt I owe to Elder Itachi?
Hehe...
Tōshirō's grin stretched almost to his ears.
But.
The moment this bold idea popped up, Tōshirō squashed it immediately.
What a joke. Confessing to Tsunade? That's practically a death wish.
Let's not forget, back then, two guys who didn't even get serious with Tsunade both ended up six feet under. One stepped on an explosive tag and got blown up, and the other lost his mind and became a vegetable. Now their graves have grown layers of grass over the years.
If it were me? Oh boy, forget the preliminaries—I'd skip straight to the boyfriend stage.
And that result would probably be a death even worse than theirs.
Tōshirō decided to play dumb—or rather, act "wisely oblivious."
Besides, thinking about Tsunade's motivations gave him chills.
She likely thought confessing to him would be too embarrassing, so she adopted this strategy instead.
This makes sense. In Tsunade's eyes, Aokiji is no better than Jiraiya. It's hard to imagine her taking the initiative to confess to someone like him.
Her plan must be to make Tōshirō confess first so that she could reluctantly "accept." That way, Tsunade would preserve her pride while also securing the upper hand in their future relationship.
In the long run, if Tōshirō ever cheated, Tsunade would still hold all the cards.
Imagine this scenario:
"Tsunade, let me explain!"
"Huh? You dare cheat on me? I only agreed to be with you out of pity, and now you're two-timing me? Pathetic! Scumbag!"
Tōshirō shuddered.
Previously, he refrained from confessing to Tsunade to save his own skin. But now, realizing this, not confessing also became a matter of retaining the upper hand.
Hmph, if you want me to confess, dream on. Absolutely no way.
Back in the day, Madara Uchiha may have lost to your grandfather in battle.
But in this battle of confessions? I won't repeat Madara's mistake and lose to you, a Senju.
...
The next day, the weather was nice.
Tōshirō, still asleep, was jolted awake by a commotion outside. Bleary-eyed, he opened the door. "What's going on? Oh, it's you, Jiraiya. What's the matter?"
"Don't tell me you forgot! You promised to help me find that bastard Tsunade likes!" Jiraiya fumed, looking ready to catch someone red-handed.
"Uh..."
Tōshirō snapped awake. Crap, he'd forgotten all about it.
"You didn't forget, did you?"
"No, I just wasn't fully awake."
"Good."
"Uh, do you have a specific plan?"
Jiraiya wiped his nose with his thumb and grinned. "Of course! After years of following her, I know all her usual hangouts."
Wait a minute, how is that something to brag about?!
That's downright creepy!
Tōshirō couldn't help but roast Jiraiya internally. It's no wonder Tsunade avoided him and downright hated his guts.
Over breakfast, Tōshirō and Jiraiya discussed strategies. Long story short, it came down to tailing her.
The two staked out one of Tsunade's frequent spots. Before long, they spotted her and began sneaking behind her, keeping their distance.
"What are you two doing?"
Caught red-handed, both of them froze as if struck by lightning, goosebumps prickling their skin.
Seeing the person's delicate face, Tōshirō and Jiraiya heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just you, Orochimaru. Could you stop sneaking up on people like a snake? You scared us half to death."
Orochimaru gave a faint smile.
"I'm a snake by nature, after all."
Tōshirō chuckled.
"Well said."
Thanks to Tōshirō's influence, Orochimaru's personality wasn't as extreme as in the original story; he was more akin to his future son, Mitsuki.
With curiosity, Orochimaru asked, "So, what exactly are you two watching?"
Jiraiya blurted out a name: "Tsunade."
"Tsunade?"
Orochimaru looked back and forth between the two, puzzled. He knew Jiraiya often tailed Tsunade for fun, but what was Aokiji doing involved this time?
Orochimaru's gaze shifted to Tōshirō full of inquiry.
Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Tōshirō smiled. "How should I put this…"
Jiraiya pouted dramatically, his tone full of grievance: "Tsunade's sneaking around with another man behind my back!"
Orochimaru: ...
Tōshirō sighed and shook his head, exasperated, and explained the situation from start to finish.
After hearing the explanation, Orochimaru paused for a moment, then recalled something. "Last time, I saw Tsunade sneaking off to buy a book. I think it might be related to this."
"What?!" Jiraiya was shocked. "What was the title of the book?"
Orochimaru thought for a moment. "I believe it was called Love Guide."
Jiraiya's heart shattered. After all this time nurturing the metaphorical cabbage, someone else had come and stolen it right out from under him. Based on Orochimaru's information, it even seemed like Tsunade might have a one-sided crush on this person.
Jiraiya clenched his teeth in frustration.
"That damned bastard—whoever he is—I'll find him, and I'll kill him!"
Tōshirō, who was clearly the "damned bastard," patted Jiraiya's shoulder with a sympathetic smile. "My condolences…"
Hearing this, Jiraiya only grew more despondent.
Worried Jiraiya might lose his composure, Tōshirōcautiously asked, "S-so, just hypothetically, if Tsunade and that person are truly in love, what would you do?"
"What could I do…"
Jiraiya lowered his head, seriously pondering the question. With a heavy sigh, he finally muttered, "I guess I'd have to give them my blessing…"
Hearing this, Tōshirō felt slightly relieved and nodded with approval. Despite his usual antics, Jiraiya could be quite mature at times.
"I'd bless that man to step on an explosive tag and get blown to bits."
Tōshirō: ???
Jiraiya's expression darkened, his face twisting into a sly grin.
"Then my chance would finally come!"
Tōshirō was speechless.
"How is that a blessing? That's clearly a curse!"
Orochimaru cut in coldly. "Are you two done chatting? Tsunade's already gone."
Startled, both men quickly responded, "Oh, right! Let's go!"
...
At a cafe.
Tsunade sat on a chair, sipping a pale yellow drink through a straw.
It was papaya milk, a beverage known for its anti-aging and beautifying properties, calming the liver and stomach, promoting circulation, and, most importantly, its supposed bust-enhancing effects.
As she sipped her drink, Tsunade fiddled nervously with her fingers.
What do I do?
I really want to go see Tōshirō.
What's he doing right now? Training? I wish I knew…
But I just saw him yesterday. If I go today, won't it make me look like I'm overly interested in him?
The Love Guide book she had read clearly stated: "Love is a shallow pool—don't dive in headfirst. To tame your partner, you must take it slow, maintain a sense of mystery, and avoid being too clingy."
Tsunade, you've got to keep your cool~~
As Tsunade clenched her fists, repeatedly psyching herself up, a shadow suddenly appeared across from her.
She froze.
"Who are you?"
The person in front of her was a young man, about two or three years older than her. He had blue hair, a warm smile, and a decent appearance—though not as good-looking as Tōshirō. Still, his first impression was solid; he seemed dependable.
Judging by the forehead protector he wore, he was clearly a ninja.
With so many ninjas in Konoha, even someone like Tsunade, who grew up there, didn't know everyone.
"My name is Dan Kato," the unfamiliar ninja introduced himself.
(End of Chapter)
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