Tsunade ate the food Ryōsuke had brought her, a look of pure bliss on her face. As she ate, however, her expression suddenly soured. She realized it was already the second day.
There was no way Shizune wouldn't have come to call her for a meal; she must have already visited. If that was the case, didn't she already know about her involvement with this Uchiha youth?
Tsunade's face instantly flushed crimson. She was an older woman, yet she was entangled with a young man like Ryōsuke. She couldn't begin to imagine what Shizune would think of her. Although she was confident that she didn't look her age, the numbers didn't lie. Besides, Ryōsuke was probably even younger than Shizune herself.
Thinking of this, she let out a heavy sigh. She had to instruct Shizune strictly—this matter could not be spoken of. The secret had to be kept. If the villagers found out she had become the woman of a young Uchiha brat, she didn't know how she would ever face them.
'A forty-year-old woman feasting on a young sprout of the Uchiha clan... I'd become the laughingstock of the village.'
Tsunade had no desire to become a joke. After finishing her meal and resting for a short while, she dressed and went to find Shizune. She walked straight to Shizune's quarters and pushed the door open, only to see two people sleeping soundly on the bed.
Involuntary rage flared in her heart.
'That damnable Uchiha brat! Not only did he toy with me, but he even laid hands on my subordinate, Shizune!'
The Uchiha clan truly was evil. Her first instinct was to give that hateful fellow a few heavy rounds of her fists. He was simply too much. She clenched her teeth and prepared to strike, but then she hesitated.
Shizune had already been defiled by this guy. If she disciplined him now, would Shizune have any dignity left? She might even do something drastic out of shame. Shizune was not just her apprentice and subordinate; she was also the niece of Dan Katō. Tsunade felt a deep sense of guilt toward Dan.
She couldn't allow anything to happen to Shizune, so for now, she had to let it go. She would let this wicked Uchiha brat off the hook today and settle the score with him slowly in the future. Helplessly, she closed the door and retreated.
Ryōsuke, of course, had noticed Tsunade enter. If she had dared to make a move or be disrespectful, he would have subdued her right then and there. In his mind, it was normal for women to throw tantrums; as long as he asserted his dominance and conquered them a few more times, they would eventually become obedient. Even someone like Tsunade was no exception. He could turn her into a well-behaved kitten.
However, since Tsunade had left without interrupting them, Ryōsuke simply pulled Shizune closer and went back to sleep. He decided to rest a while longer before heading back.
Early the next morning, having spent the night at the Senju Clan compound, Ryōsuke felt his body had mostly recovered. It was time to get back to training and increasing his attributes. Yesterday's dalliance had actually granted him a significant amount of chakra, which was a great harvest. He now had quite a few women in the Leaf Village, all of whom were capable kunoichi. The rewards for his progress were bound to remain high.
Shortly after Ryōsuke left, Tsunade stepped into Shizune's room. She had been keeping a constant eye on the place. She felt she had to comfort Shizune, believing the girl had suffered a terrible, unforeseen disaster. Tsunade assumed that if Shizune knew about her own relationship with Ryōsuke, Shizune would never have given him a chance. It couldn't have been voluntary; it must have been forced.
At the same time, Tsunade sighed deeply. If only her own body were stronger, if only she could have endured Ryōsuke's intensity better. She blamed herself—it was because she couldn't satisfy Ryōsuke's demands that Shizune had fallen victim to his "vicious hands."
But in truth, she couldn't really be blamed. Although she had neglected her training for a long time, her physical strength hadn't decreased much. It was simply that the "evil" Ryōsuke was too powerful in that regard—perhaps the strongest in the entire ninja world. As a medical ninja herself, she was naturally well-versed in such physical matters.
Other men couldn't even manage half of what that Uchiha youth was capable of. His vitality was simply too overflowing. She couldn't let him ruin Shizune any further; she would just have to sacrifice herself a bit more. Truth be told, she actually enjoyed the feeling to some extent. It made her body feel as if it were truly coming alive again.
'Of course, it's just a normal physiological need,' she told herself. 'How could I ever actually fall for a playboy like him?'
Before long, Shizune woke up naturally. She felt as though she could still smell the man's scent on her skin. She hadn't realized that such things could be so thrilling and comfortable. It had hurt a bit at the start, but fortunately, Ryōsuke had been quite tender with her.
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of Lady Tsunade sitting on the other side of the room. Fear instantly gripped her heart.
'Lady Tsunade found out I snatched her man! Am I going to be beaten to death?'
Even though Shizune felt she might have actually been "first" in a sense, she knew Tsunade's explosive temper wouldn't care about such details. She looked visibly terrified.
Seeing Shizune's expression, Tsunade's heart ached with pity. She couldn't help but pull Shizune into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Shizune. It's all because of my mistake that you had to go through this."
"Don't worry," Tsunade continued firmly. "I will never let you be hurt again. I won't let him lay a finger on you ever again."
Shizune was completely stunned. 'Did Lady Tsunade misunderstand something?'
She hadn't been forced at all; she was entirely willing. However, she realized this misunderstanding wasn't necessarily a bad thing—at least she wasn't getting hit. She felt a wave of relief.
Tsunade, seeing Shizune remain silent, assumed she was in too much pain to speak. "Shizune, I will protect you from now on. I won't let that brat bully you anymore."
Shizune started to feel a bit uneasy. 'Lady Tsunade, that's really not necessary.'
She was completely voluntary. She had found unprecedented happiness through this experience and she still wanted Ryōsuke. It was just that Ryōsuke was so "sturdy" that she couldn't even handle a few of his moves. But she couldn't exactly explain her inner thoughts to Tsunade. That would be equivalent to admitting she was competing for the same man, which was definitely not okay.
Suddenly, Shizune had an idea.
"Lady Tsunade... yesterday when I passed by your room, I heard your loud cries. You must have been enduring a great deal of pain. As your subordinate and student, I have an obligation to help share this burden for you."
Shizune couldn't help but mentally give herself a thumbs-up for her quick thinking.
Tsunade's face went blank. Shizune had actually heard those shameful sounds? It was beyond embarrassing. However, she hadn't expected Shizune to have such a level of devotion. She truly was a loyal subordinate. Tsunade felt she had been too harsh, shouting at Shizune so often in the past; she vowed to treat her better from now on.
But then she thought of that brave, invincible, and hateful Uchiha brat. If she agreed to let Shizune share the pressure, wouldn't that just be a massive win for that bastard? It would be like a "buy one, get one free" deal. It was too generous for that little man.
Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she feared she could never keep up with his intensity. He was still young and hadn't even reached his physical peak. The thought made her feel a genuine trace of fear. Perhaps letting Shizune share some of the pressure was for the best, especially since Shizune was willing.
But even if Shizune was willing, could she really bear to let the girl endure that kind of "pain"? Tsunade's head throbbed with the complexity of it all.
"Shizune, just get some rest," Tsunade said finally. "We will consider it later."
Shizune was overjoyed. It seemed Lady Tsunade wasn't opposed to the idea. That meant she would have more opportunities in the future. Although serving the same man as Lady Tsunade felt a bit strange, thinking about it was actually quite stimulating.