The Hokage's office was silent, except for the sound of papers being placed on the table. Kakashi had finished reporting everything – from the ambush to the involvement of Iwa ninjas. The atmosphere was heavy. Tsunade, arms crossed, looked out the tower window, watching the clouds forming over Konoha.
"So Iwa really took direct action against Konoha..." she murmured, her tone low and laden. "I wonder what gave them such courage?"
Kakashi said nothing. His gaze was fixed on the blood-stained reports, remembering the battles they fought in the desert.
After a few seconds, Tsunade turned, her gaze firm.
"Neji, I need to talk to you. The rest can leave. As soon as the intelligence division has the investigation results, I'll inform you."
The others nodded. Gai placed a hand on Lee's shoulder before leaving. Naruto yawned loudly, exhausted, and Sakura dragged him out. Sasuke glanced at Li Shang, but preferred not to say anything. There was something in that Hyuuga's gaze that bothered him – a calm that seemed to hide something much deeper, reminiscent of Itachi.
When everyone left the room, only Tsunade and Li Shang remained.
The Hokage leaned against the table, crossing her arms.
"Neji, as promised, when you're ready I'll send a clone to accompany you to Shikkotsu Forest."
"I'm ready to go." Li Shang replied quickly.
His thoughts turned to his spiritual beasts – the beasts he had created in the Forest of Death. The bond through the soul stigma had grown stronger recently.
'Sixth Order... and yet, they continue to evolve. These two are far beyond my expectations.'
The answer came quickly, directly. Tsunade raised her eyebrows, surprised by his readiness.
She analyzed him in silence. The young man before her did not act like a teenager. Not just in power, but in presence. There was something in his posture that did not match his age – and remembering the recent report, she knew it wasn't just a facade.
"Are you sure?" she asked, walking slowly to the center of the room. "You just returned from a mission that would exhaust even an experienced jounin. The Hyuuga clan is very concerned about your well-being. I myself wonder the reason for such insistence... do you have any idea?"
Li Shang looked away, looking out the window.
'Worried? I doubt it.'
Since the awakening of the Tenseigan, the Hyuuga clan had completely changed their attitude towards him. He received constant visits, training offers, excessive attention – something he had never experienced before. But everything had a purpose.
'They don't care about me... they care about what I represent.'
He turned his gaze back to Tsunade. "I imagine it's because of my eyes."
"Your eyes?"
Tsunade's voice sounded curious, almost instinctive. She took a step closer, observing him closely. From the moment she saw him, she had noticed something different about Li Shang – the calm and impenetrable gaze, the almost imperceptible chakra, the confident demeanor too much for a young man of his age. But now, so close, she perceived something more.
There was an abnormal glow in his eyes, a depth that made even a Hokage hesitate for a second.
"Yes," he replied lightly, his lips curving into a contained smile. "Let's just say I'm a little special. Don't take it too seriously."
The provocative tone was enough to intrigue her even more. Tsunade narrowed her eyes, studying the boy.
'He's not afraid, he doesn't even try to maintain a submissive posture. How can someone his age look at me like that?'
She took another step, almost without realizing it, her gaze fixed on his face.
But before she could say anything, Li Shang leaned forward and spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper:
"Tsunade, could you step back a little? I'm young, and having such a beautiful woman so close makes my blood boil."
The choice of name – Tsunade, without the title – fell like a stone in the silent room. The Hokage blinked, surprised. A blush rose to her cheeks before she could even control herself.
"Naughty boy..." she murmured, looking away as she took a step back.
Li Shang's smile remained, calm and confident. He didn't seem to be mocking, but there wasn't a drop of regret in his expression either.
Tsunade sighed, trying to disguise the slight embarrassment she felt. Since Dan's death, she had avoided any emotional proximity with men – she had built a wall around herself. But the young man in front of her... had a presence that subtly destabilized her.
'Wake up, Tsunade. He's just a boy.'
Even so, it was impossible to deny the fact: Li Shang was beautiful in a way that bordered on dangerous. His serene face, the grave and paused tone of his voice, the haughty air that contrasted with the humility of his words – everything about him seemed carefully balanced.
"Really... you are something, boy," she finally said, crossing her arms and looking away, trying to mask her embarrassment.
Li Shang just smiled. "I'm glad you think so, Hokage-sama."
"Don't try to change the subject." Tsunade forced an authoritative tone, still a little annoyed by her own blush. "I was going to give you some time to rest, but because of your little stunt, let's go."
Li Shang maintained a neutral expression, but inside he laughed at her reaction.
'She's easier to provoke than I imagined.'
Tsunade sighed and performed a sequence of seals. A clone formed beside her with a puff. Then, the clone summoned a large scroll and opened it on the floor, the summoning runes beginning to glow.
"Put your hand on my shoulder," she ordered.
Li Shang obeyed without hesitation, and the light touch of his hand made Tsunade freeze for an instant. The warmth of his skin was strange – intense, firm, as if his vital energy was much denser than that of a common human being.
She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sensation.
'Control yourself, Tsunade...'
Tsunade concentrated and began to form seals again, channeling chakra with precision.
"Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
An intense light exploded in the center of the room, and a thick cloud of smoke enveloped the two. The air distorted, the ground seemed to disappear beneath their feet, and in a blink of an eye, both vanished.
The hall was empty for a few seconds.
Then, from the shadowed corners, two ANBU partially emerged, observing the still smoke-covered area. One of them let out a contained laugh.
Far away, in a completely different place – surrounded by thick mist and the distant echo of colossal creatures – Li Shang and Tsunade materialized on a moss-covered stone.
The air was heavy, saturated with natural chakra.
Li Shang slowly opened his eyes, feeling the world around him pulsate with living energy.
'So this is... Shikkotsu Forest.'
A slight smile crossed his face.
"Spiritual Root..." Li Shang murmured in surprise.