Tōshirō raised an eyebrow. "You dared deceive my pure love? Looks like our little love boat is about to capsize."
Tsunade teased, "You're just too dumb. Can't even tell which of your girlfriend's words are jokes and which are sincere."
Tōshirō insisted he wasn't really dumb. "I was just pretending to play dumb."
"Yeah, keep making excuses."
"Hmph, believe it or not. Anyway, did you finish cooking? I'm starving."
"Ah~"
"What is it?"
"Talking to you made me forget to turn off the stove..."
Tsunade suddenly remembered and rushed back to the kitchen.
Fortunately, she caught it in time—nothing was burned.
Letting out a breath of relief, Tsunade shot him a glare. "It's all your fault."
Tōshirō protested, "How is that my fault?"
"You were rolling all over my bed for no reason, leaving your scent behind."
Women are illogical carbon-based lifeforms. If a man argues with them, he's already lost.
At moments like this, all they want is an apology, not a debate.
"Alright, alright, I admit I was wrong."
Tsunade playfully sighed. "Fine, I'll be the bigger person and forgive you."
Tōshirō: "..."
Trying to change the subject, Tōshirō said, "Anyway, the food smells great. Let me try your cooking."
He reached for the tomato and scrambled eggs with his chopsticks. The color was vibrant, and it looked like it'd taste great.
Smack!
"Ow, what was that for..." Tōshirō's hand was slapped by Tsunade's chopsticks with a sharp crack.
Tsunade, in a motherly tone, scolded, "Wash your hands before eating."
Tōshirō groaned in annoyance and muttered something lazy under his breath.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "What kind of attitude is that?"
"..."
"Hurry up and wash your hands." She grabbed Tōshirō's hand and led him to the sink.
"This is such a hassle..."
Being dragged along, Tōshirō felt Tsunade was making a big deal out of nothing. He waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine."
"Fine? If you get sick from eating with dirty hands, I'm the one who has to treat you, remember? I'm a medical ninja."
Tsunade's logic was so solid that Tōshirō was left speechless.
Splash...
The faucet ran with the sound of water.
Tsunade grabbed a bar of soap and began scrubbing Tōshirō's hands, producing lots of bubbles.
During the process, the soft and delicate touch of her hands was unexpectedly enjoyable.
Being treated like a kid was both pleasant and a bit frustrating. Tōshirō finally protested, "Wait a sec, I'm not a child. I can wash myself."
"Stop whining. With how careless you are, I bet you'd just rub the soap once or twice and call it a day. That's as good as not washing at all."
Tōshirō: "..."
"All done."
Tsunade handed back his now-fragrant, clean hands.
"All this just to eat." Tōshirō grumbled.
"Then don't eat." Tsunade huffed. "I was kind enough to help you wash, and all you do is complain."
Tōshirō quickly tried to make amends. "I was joking. I love it when you wash my hands. In fact, I hope you'll keep doing it forever. Maybe even help me bathe too."
A blush crept up Tsunade's neck to her cheeks. The suggestion of helping him bathe was a bit much.
"In the bathroom, wearing a school swimsuit, scrubbing my back... and when you're done, we press skin to skin, your soft chest gently rubbing..."
Tōshirō pushed the envelope, even acting it out excitedly. The vivid detail and animated tone clearly showed he had experience.
Tsunade looked at him like he was a worm crawling on the ground. "I knew it. Living together with you was a mistake."
She realized she might've just invited a wolf into the house. A very pervy wolf.
Tōshirō froze. "Wait, are you joking again?"
"No. I'm serious."
After several sincere apologies from Tōshirō, Tsunade finally let him stay and didn't kick him out on the spot.
Tōshirō was moved to tears and vowed never to say such shameless things again. With her permission, he finally picked up his chopsticks to try the tomato and egg stir-fry.
"So? How is it?"
Tsunade, wearing a pink apron, her brown eyes shimmering, looked over with hopeful eyes.
It tastes awful.
Of course, such words must never be spoken aloud under the gaze of a hopeful girlfriend. So, against his conscience, he said, "It's delicious."
If Tsunade had tasted it herself, she never would've served this dish to him.
"So fake," Tsunade said, catching the expression of pain on Tōshirō's face.
"No, really, it's very tasty." Tōshirō picked up the tomato and scrambled eggs and stuffed them into his mouth like a starving man.
Tsunade snatched the plate away and took a bite herself. Her face contorted in pain—it tasted so bad even she couldn't bear it. "W-Water..."
"Here."
Tōshirō had already prepared a glass of water the moment she took a bite.
Tsunade gulped it down and finally recovered. "Why did you force yourself like that? If it's bad, just say so. Or were you trying to spare my feelings? Don't worry, I'm not that fragile."
Tōshirō scratched his cheek with a finger. "Well, yeah, that was part of it. But more importantly, I think encouragement builds more confidence in cooking than just pointing out flaws."
Tsunade's cheeks reddened slightly. "You sure know how to say the right things... You're making me fall for you again. Don't eat that tomato and egg dish anymore—I'll make you some noodles instead."
When it came to noodles, she was pretty confident—it didn't require much skill, after all.
"Seriously?"
"What else?" Tsunade asked in confusion. "How can giving you noodles not be serious?"
She had a vague feeling Tōshirō was teasing her—but lacked any proof.
Tōshirō: "..."
"Wait a moment, it'll be quick." Tsunade headed into the kitchen and then let out a small gasp of surprise.
"What's wrong?"
"We're out of noodles."
"Then let's have something else."
"I looked around, and the kitchen's almost out of ingredients. Perfect timing—you can come grocery shopping with me."
Tōshirō didn't hesitate and raised both hands and feet in support.
They locked the door and were just about to step out when Tsunade suddenly stopped and didn't follow along.
Tōshirō turned with a curious look. "What's wrong?"
"I feel like... I forgot something important."
"Something important?"
Tsunade didn't think much of it and brushed off the unease. "Forget it. Let's go shopping—we'll deal with it later."
Nawaki: "???"
The two of them headed straight to the local market, casually strolling through the streets. Along the way, passersby cast curious glances at the striking couple.
Tsunade was a well-known figure in the village, practically a celebrity. Now, seeing her out grocery shopping with a strange young man naturally drew attention. Many couldn't help but wonder who this guy was to be walking around so intimately with their Princess of Konoha.
After going public with Tsunade, Tōshirō had anticipated this kind of attention and was mentally prepared. He didn't take it too seriously. Pointing to a nearby stall, he called out excitedly, "Tsunade, look! Those crabs and lobsters look pretty cheap—let's have those tonight!"
"Hmm…"
Tsunade stared at the crabs and lobsters scrapping in the basket. For some reason—perhaps because nothing really appealed to her—she had a somewhat conflicted look in her eyes.
Tōshirō asked, "What's wrong?"
Tsunade said softly, "Can I be the one to cook dinner again tonight?"
(End of Chapter)
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