One evening in September, Year 26 of the Konoha Village, after days of arduous travel, Tsunade finally returned to Konoha with little Natsuka in her arms.
At that moment, Tsunade was walking slowly along the path to Arima's house, holding the sleeping child close to her chest.
The cherry blossom trees on either side of the road rustled gently as their leaves fell. This familiar sight pulled Tsunade's mind back to over a decade ago.
Back then, her elder Arima was just an ordinary shinobi in the village.
He used to take her along to the training grounds and would carry her on his back as they passed through this very cherry blossom path.
In spring, they admired the full bloom of flowers; in autumn, they watched the leaves fall in quiet beauty. Tsunade felt those were the most carefree days of her life.
Born as the princess of Konoha, Tsunade had grown into a striking young woman, brave, elegant, and sharp.
Now a mature, confident kunoichi, she was admired by countless people throughout the village.
Tsunade had always been decisive and capable, composed in demeanor and dignified in conduct. Only in front of Arima would she reveal her gentlest self.
Now it was autumn again, but without Arima by her side, the familiar scene before her felt far more desolate.
She adjusted the cloak covering little Natsuka, then picked up her pace toward the nearby house.
Just as she stepped into the courtyard, she noticed the light was on in Arima's room.
Her heart skipped a beat, excitement blooming in her chest. For a moment, she thought Arima had returned, and she hurried toward the room.
But when she pushed the door open, it wasn't the person she longed for who awaited her, it was her old rival.
The momentary hope was crushed, and her voice grew harsher than usual as she snapped, "What are you doing here?"
Inside Arima's room was Koharu, Tsunade's long-time rival in both politics and love.
Koharu, just into her early thirties, was in the prime of her life.
Many suitors pursued her within the village, but for years she had been quietly devoted to Arima.
She remained single to this day, pouring all her affection into that unrequited love.
When Koharu saw the shift in Tsunade's expression, from eager anticipation to deep disappointment, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement.
Perhaps it was something she picked up from being around her too long.
Ignoring Tsunade's sour mood, Koharu smiled teasingly and said, "What's this? No greeting for your senpai? Just questioning me like an intruder? Could it be that little Tsunade is upset because she didn't see her dear Arima?"
Tsunade didn't respond. Koharu had hit the mark, and she knew that no matter what she said now, Koharu would only mock her for it.
So instead, she gently laid the still-sleeping Natsuka down, then grabbed Koharu by the hand and led her out to the front courtyard.
Hearing the noise, Arima's mother arrived shortly after.
When she saw that the visitors were Tsunade and Koharu, her face lit up with a warm smile.
After exchanging pleasantries, she returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner for them.
To her, despite the age gap between these two girls, they got along surprisingly well. They bickered often, but it was usually just over trivial matters.
With the elder gone, Tsunade and Koharu's conversation grew louder. She wasn't just an elder to them, because of Arima, she held a special place in both of their hearts.
Tsunade sat casually on the porch, the setting sun casting a golden glow on her face. She turned slightly to shield her eyes from the light and glanced at Koharu.
Casually, she asked, "When did you get back? Why aren't you helping granduncle at the administrative hall?"
Tsunade had never paid much attention to village politics. Lately, she'd been filled with anxiety over Arima's safety and felt stifled by it all. She was eager to talk to someone, about anything.
Koharu immediately sensed the tension in Tsunade's voice and understood the source of it. She felt the same unease herself.
Instead of answering directly, Koharu sat down beside her and looked up at a lone wild goose flying across the twilight sky.
Ever since Arima's disappearance, tensions had risen across the shinobi world.
The alliance between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning seemed on the verge of war with the Lands of Water, Earth, and Wind.
And according to reliable intel, the hawkish faction within the Uchiha Clan was once again stirring.
This time, she had returned to the village along with Hiruzen, Danzo, and Homura, not just to maintain order, but also to temporarily take over the responsibilities of the Hokage.
After a long pause, Koharu finally said, "The higher-ups have already reviewed your team's mission report.
I came back with Hiruzen and the others partly to stabilize the village and partly to root out any hidden threats."
That last sentence made Tsunade's blood run cold.
"Do you have solid intel?" she asked quickly.
Koharu nodded, her tone laced with irritation.
"The Uchiha are acting up again. With Arima gone, there's no one to keep them in check.
They've even reached out to other nations, trying to shake the foundations of Konoha and rewrite history."
Tsunade's expression darkened. She would never allow anyone to destroy the legacy her grandfather, granduncle, and Arima had built.
Leaning in closer, she lowered her voice and asked, "Do we have specifics?"
Koharu replied, "We'll need your team's full cooperation on this operation."
She handed Tsunade a scroll she had prepared earlier.
She had originally planned to deliver it the next day, but since Tsunade was already here, she decided to entrust her with relaying the message to Jiraiya and Orochimaru as well.
Tsunade opened the scroll and, under the nearby Bonbori light, read its contents carefully. The shocking information within made her heart sink and her anger flare.
Closing the scroll with a sharp snap, she gritted her teeth and muttered, "Arima's been gone less than a month, and they're already scrambling to take over!"
Before they could continue their discussion, they heard footsteps approaching from the corridor.
Both women fell silent at once, turning to gaze up at the starry night sky.
Sure enough, Naomi appeared at the end of the corridor, calling them in for dinner.
They buried their frustration, plastering on smiles as they entered the dining room.
Throughout the meal, the two of them kept complimenting her cooking, joking about how lucky Arima was to live such a blessed life.
Naomi saw right through them. She knew these two young women deeply loved her son.
But she chose not to interfere, matters of the heart were for the younger generation to work out on their own.
They were clearly trying to distract her with jokes and praise, all to keep her from worrying too much about Arima.
Still, as a mother, how could she not worry about her son's safety? Yet deep down, she firmly believed he would return safely, no matter the danger.
Later that night, Tsunade lay sprawled drunkenly across Koharu's lap, her breath reeking of alcohol.
"Koharu-nee," she slurred, "why did you fall for Arima?"
Koharu had drunk quite a bit too, keeping company, though she was slightly more sober than Tsunade.
Resting her chin on her hand, Koharu's mind was hazy.
She glanced down at the intoxicated woman on her lap and replied lazily, "How would I know? By the time I realized it, I was already in too deep."
Tsunade chuckled, "What a coincidence! Me too."
Then she hugged Koharu's waist tightly, took a deep sniff, and wrinkled her nose. "For a girl, you sure don't smell as nice as Arima."
Koharu huffed, irritated. She tried to push Tsunade off, but the girl clung to her like a limpet and refused to budge.
With a sigh of defeat, Koharu muttered, "You're such a spoiled brat, Arima must've pampered you too much."
But Tsunade didn't answer.
When Koharu looked down again, she saw that Tsunade had fallen fast asleep in her arms.
Koharu sighed, giving up.
Feeling a little better, she poured herself another drink. Before long, she too was tipsy, and soon enough, she curled up beside Tsunade and fell asleep.
When Naomi returned to the hall and saw the two girls sleeping so peacefully, she murmured.
"Such good kids. If Arima messes things up with either of them, it'll be a real shame. Hurry back, son. Don't expect your mother to clean up your mess."
She fetched a blanket, gently covered the two of them, and tucked it in to keep them warm through the night.
Then she set aside a small meal for Natsuka, keeping it warm near the stove and leaving her a note, just in case the child woke up hungry in the middle of the night.
With everything done, she turned off the lights in the main hall and retired to her room.
As soon as she was gone, the room fell into a hush.
In the darkness, Tsunade and Koharu opened their eyes. Under the moonlight, they looked at each other and burst into quiet laughter.
Earning Naomi's approval, that was the happiest moment they'd had in a long time.
Finally at ease, they let their guard down and drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
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