After finishing his business, An Yan went home, took a shower, and changed into clean clothes before heading to the Senju compound.
The small courtyard of the Senju clan was as quiet and serene as ever.
Mito Uzumaki was also as peaceful as always. But what surprised An Yan was Tsunade, or more accurately, the child she was holding.
He was about one or two years old, with brown hair and a vibrant life force that manifested as two red clouds on his cheeks. He was affectionately hugging Tsunade, calling her "sister" in a soft, cute voice.
Grandma Mito had a constant smile on her face, and she was overjoyed when the child called her "grandma." She kept stroking his hair and praising him.
An Yan watched this scene with a smile, wondering how long this peace would last. The butterfly effect of his arrival seemed to be growing larger and larger.
Tsunade came over to An Yan, pointed at the child in Mito's arms, and said proudly, "This is my little brother, Nawaki. Isn't he cute?"
An Yan smiled and nodded. "Very cute. He's Tsunade's brother, after all. Your whole family is full of handsome men and beautiful women."
"Hahaha, you're too kind," Tsunade said, even happier now. She doted on her little brother.
The child's laughter seemed to bring a new vitality to this long-silent place.
But today didn't seem like the right time to discuss business. An Yan was tactful. He chatted with Tsunade for a while and then found an opportunity to say goodbye to Grandma Mito.
Mito's attention was entirely on her grandson. She just nodded absently. An Yan smiled and left, not wanting to disturb their family reunion.
Tsunade, however, was observant. The moment An Yan left, she followed him.
She tiptoed up behind him and suddenly clapped her hands on his shoulders. An Yan played along and jumped in surprise, which made Tsunade laugh heartily.
"Alright, spit it out. What is it this time?"
After their playful banter, Tsunade and An Yan walked side by side down the street, getting down to business.
An Yan said casually, "The project I'm working on requires me to practice the Summoning Jutsu, but I don't have a summoning beast. I was planning to ask Grandma Mito for her opinion, but it seems I'll have to wait."
Hearing his troubles, Tsunade immediately made a promise.
"A summoning beast? That's easy. You can just sign the same contract as me."
An Yan acted surprised. "Isn't that your Senju clan's summoning beast? Can you really pass it on to me?"
Tsunade punched him. "If you're going to pretend, at least make it believable. You can't even hide the smile on your face."
An Yan rubbed his shoulder in mock pain, looking innocent. "Did I? Hahaha, Tsunade, you're too good to me. How can I ever repay you?"
How about with your hand in marriage?
An Yan didn't say the last part out loud. As an air sign, he had always enjoyed the ambiguity of a budding romance. That was the most exciting part.
Saying some things out loud would ruin the feeling.
Tsunade was a straightforward person. She actually thought about his question and gave him an answer.
"Emmm... I've thought about it. An Yan, you're a genius, and you'll definitely achieve great things in the future. I hope you'll protect Konoha and my little brother, Nawaki."
An Yan smiled. "Why not say 'protect you'?"
Tsunade laughed heartily. "Would you not protect me?"
An Yan returned her smile. They looked at each other, and everything was understood without words.
They strolled to the Hokage Rock.
An Yan leaned on the railing, looking down at the village.
Konoha had just been through a war and was sparsely populated, not as prosperous as it would be in the future. There were empty, wooded areas between the houses.
They chatted casually. An Yan cherished these peaceful moments, knowing they were numbered.
"That idiot Jiraiya is so weak. He's been training hard on Mount Myoboku recently. I heard the food there is all bugs. His face turned green when he talked about it."
"Brother Sakumo's swordsmanship is truly amazing. We ran into a Jonin from the Stone Village the other day, and we only managed to kill him because of Brother Sakumo. Teacher Sarutobi said he's going to be promoted to Chunin in a few days. He's so cool."
Tsunade chattered on, and An Yan watched her with a smile, thinking how beautiful she was.
After a while, Tsunade noticed he wasn't responding. She stopped talking and nudged him. "An Yan, are you even listening to me?"
An Yan came back to his senses and smiled gently. "Of course. I remember every word Princess Tsunade says. Jiraiya ate bugs on Mount Myoboku, and Brother Sakumo is becoming a Chunin, right?"
Tsunade leaned in close, her expression suspicious. "What were you thinking about just now while you were staring at me?"
Seeing the girl so close, An Yan's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned red.
Tsunade stepped back and pointed at him, laughing. "You were definitely thinking about something bad."
An Yan, having lived two lives, quickly suppressed his feelings and gave her a bright smile. "Miss Tsunade is so beautiful, I was momentarily captivated. Your charm is truly great."
Tsunade blushed a little. She cleared her throat, trying to act calm, and took out the summoning contract scroll.
"Alright, we've talked for so long and haven't gotten to the point. Let's sign the contract, shall we?"
Tsunade squatted down and unrolled the scroll. A list of names was written on it. An Yan saw Tsunade's name, and before that, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
An Yan also squatted down. Following her instructions, he signed his name and pressed his handprint. He felt a faint, ethereal connection.
"Is that all?" he asked.
Tsunade shook her head. "Of course not. I'll introduce you to Sage Katsuyu."
She formed hand seals, placed her hands on the ground, and summoned a small slug.
"Sage Katsuyu, this is An Yan, my good friend. He'll be using the Summoning Jutsu to call on you from now on. Please get along well."
An Yan politely nodded to the slug. "Hello, Sage Katsuyu. I'm An Yan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Katsuyu's voice was gentle. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, little An Yan. I am a division of Sage Katsuyu, not the main body. You can just call me Katsuyu."
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