The heavy door of the Hokage's office closed quietly behind them, sealing away the suffocating atmosphere and the weight of the old man's deliberation.
Dusk had fallen.
The lights of Konoha flickered to life, casting long shadows of Tsunade and Ryo across the quiet streets.
They walked in silence, one ahead, one behind, heading toward Ryo's house, the home Kushina had rebuilt for him.
Their footsteps echoed in the cooling night. Tsunade had her hands stuffed deep in the pockets of her cloak. Her steps lacked their usual sharpness. She seemed distracted. Ryo trailed half a step behind, his eyes fixed on the tense line of her shoulders and the sway of her golden hair.
A strange silence clung to the space between them. The smell of tobacco from the Hokage's office still lingered. So did an awkward air, unspoken but present.
Once they turned a corner and stepped out of the Hokage Tower's line of sight, Tsunade's rigid shoulders loosened slightly.
She stopped walking.
Without turning back, her voice came quietly, awkward and soft.
"… Thanks. You damn brat."
Ryo also stopped, gazing at her profile under the amber glow of the streetlamp. Her cheek, half in shadow, looked pale under the night wind. A few strands of golden hair danced in the breeze. She was still pretending to be her usual self, but that small thank you exposed a vulnerability beneath the surface.
The calm mask Ryo wore earlier finally faded. A teasing smirk tugged at his lips.
"Heh, that's not like you at all, crazy woman."
Tsunade turned around sharply. Her blue eyes glinted in the dark, full of irritation.
"What do you mean not like me?"
Ryo met her gaze directly.
"You heard me. Doesn't matter what you said. I don't care. I've only ever stood on your side."
The sentence was simple, but it rippled through Tsunade's chest like a stone dropped into deep water. She froze for a moment, then turned away, as if scorched by the directness of his words. Her voice lowered, filled with a mixture of embarrassment and deflection.
"… Give me my emotional moment back."
She turned away again, biting her thumbnail, a habit she only showed when thinking hard. They continued walking, now side by side. Her pace was slow, weighed down.
After a long silence, she finally spoke. Her voice was soft and uncertain, carrying a hint of reliance even she didn't notice.
"Brat… do you think the old man will agree?"
She didn't look at Ryo. Her eyes were fixed on the house ahead, its silhouette under the lantern light, as if it might offer an answer.
Ryo rolled his eyes.
"How would I know? I'm not the Hokage. I'm just a Chūnin."
His hands stayed in his pockets. His stride was easy, relaxed. Completely different from the worry in her tone.
But deep inside, he understood Hiruzen's hesitation all too well.
The old man's hesitation wasn't indecision. It was a deliberate pause, a calculated delay. It was the response of someone who had long since learned to weigh politics above emotion.
Still, Ryo didn't say that. Tsunade didn't need to hear it. Not now.
So he changed his approach. His tone turned casual, but with purpose.
"If you want to make the decision… it's simple."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The lamplight cast faint shadows on her face.
"Knock Hiruzen out of that chair and sit in it yourself."
A small smirk rose at the corner of his lips. A half-joke, half-challenge.
Tsunade stopped again and looked at him like he had lost his mind.
Then she bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Shut up. Don't tempt me. I'm not interested in being Hokage."
Her tone shot up in volume, trying to drown out the idea entirely.
"I'm not spending my days buried in paperwork without time to gamble. What, are the bars out of sake now? Am I supposed to stop sleeping until noon too?"
She let out a loud huff, trying to drive away the absurdity of the suggestion.
Ryo watched her outburst with growing amusement. His smirk deepened. His voice lowered, slow and meaningful.
"Some things, crazy woman… fate decides for you."
"Stop calling me crazy woman! It sounds terrible!"
Tsunade whirled on him with a furious glare. Her hands landed on her hips, posture brimming with indignation.
"Say it again, Kamiyama Ryo. Just try me."
Her blue eyes sparkled with dangerous mischief.
"… You wouldn't want me telling Kushina, would you? Hm?"
She stretched the last syllable with exaggerated sweetness.
Ryo froze.
Tsunade's grin grew broader. She had caught a crack in his armor. Her voice turned mockingly soft.
"Oh yes. Especially about what happened at the inn. That one little touch…"
She didn't say where or what. She didn't need to. The mention alone was enough to make both of them uncomfortable.
Her expression gleamed with wicked delight.
"Now imagine if I accidentally let that slip to Kushina. What do you think she'd do? What would Kushina say?"
She beamed with unrepentant joy, fully savoring the shift in balance.
Ryo's brow twitched.
He hadn't told Kushina about Mikoto yet. He planned to let things settle first. Gradually. Gently.
If Tsunade ruined that now…
He didn't say anything, but she saw it. She felt it. And that was enough. The brat had finally lost one.
A surge of joy bloomed in her chest.
After so many times being outwitted, finally, payback.
She tapped her fingertip against his chest once, satisfied.
"Now. Say it."
Her eyes were full of anticipation, shining with devilish glee.
"One sweet little 'Tsunade-onee-chan,' please."
Ryo looked at her smug face. A vein on his temple twitched.
He took a deep breath. He clenched his jaw. And through gritted teeth, he growled:
"Tsunade… onee… chan."
"Pffft—bahahaha!"
Tsunade burst out laughing.
She doubled over on the street, clutching her stomach, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Oh my god. You brat. You actually said it. Totally worth it. I can die happy."
She cackled shamelessly, completely unrestrained.
Ryo's face darkened.
He turned around and walked off in silence.
"Wait! Ryo-kun? Haha…"
Tsunade wiped her tears and jogged after him, still laughing.
Their bickering continued, or rather, her teasing and his silence.
Eventually, they reached the last corner. The street opened up, revealing a newly built courtyard.
Blue tiles. White walls. Elegant eaves.
A house clearly shaped by Kushina's bold personality.
Tsunade stopped in front of the gate and took in the scene. Her mind flashed back to all the times she had asked Kushina to lend her money. Never once did the girl let her off easy.
The envy in her heart began to boil.
She pointed at the grand gate and yelled dramatically.
"You damn brat. And that little fox Kushina!"
She placed her hands on her hips and huffed.
"She treats you like a king. Look at this mansion. And me? I raised her. From when she was tiny. And now every time I ask to borrow a few ryo, she lectures me like I'm some freeloader. She's stingy!"
Tsunade's rant became more and more impassioned.
"No. I can't accept this. I need to have a serious talk with her. She's too biased. Ignoring her sister for some punk boyfriend. What kind of logic is that?"
She clenched her fists and faced the house like Kushina might hear her through the wall.
"Just wait. I'll make sure she understands exactly how I feel."
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)