Sunlight slipped slantwise through the half-drawn curtains, stinging Tsunade's eyes and making her frown.
She pushed her heavy body upright, messy blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. The bitter aftertaste of last night's sake still lingered in her mouth.
Stumbling into the bathroom, she let hot water wash over her skin, gradually rinsing away the lingering drunkenness. Tilting her face up, she let the stream beat against her cheeks, droplets sliding down along her collarbones. When she pressed her fingers against her temples, the dull hangover headache made her click her tongue in annoyance.
She shut off the water and yanked a towel over her body. Her bathrobe hung loosely, tied lazily at the waist, a deep shadow visible at the opening of her collar, wet hair clinging to her back and darkening the fabric wherever it touched.
Barefoot on the wooden floor, the leftover water traced down her calves and left a trail of damp footprints behind her.
Tsunade grabbed the glass bottle from the bedside and dropped into the armchair, running her fingers back through the bangs on her forehead. She pulled out the cork and took out the two rolled letters inside.
She unrolled the first sheet—and its contents snapped her fully awake in an instant.
[Tsunade's Drifting Bottle]
[1. Tests show that this bottle can only be used by Tsunade, and can only be received by Tsunade.]
[2. The bottle travels between different Tsunades from different worlds and different timelines.]
[3. Each Tsunade can give herself a unique name. If you write that name in the "recipient" field, the bottle will be delivered to that specific Tsunade. If left blank, the drifting bottle will randomly reach any Tsunade.]
[4. After you finish writing, put in the cork, then silently recite "throw the drifting bottle" in your heart to send it.]
[5. Please include these rules with every random drifting bottle so the next Tsunade can use it.]
"I must still be drunk…"
Tsunade muttered with a frown, tossing the sheet aside and unfolding the second letter.
[Jiraiya is dead.]
Those few simple words were like a knife thrust straight into her eyes.
[I don't know which timeline's Tsunade will read this letter, or whether, in the world you're in, that idiot is still alive. But right now, I just want someone to vent to.]
[That kid Naruto cried and questioned me—why didn't I stop him, knowing how dangerous that mission was.]
[The truth is, I tried to say it. But we both knew Konoha had no choice left. Akatsuki's threat was at our doorstep, and Konoha was already drained of talent. The Uchiha were wiped out, the Hyuga half-crippled, and as for the others… sigh. The only ones still capable of stepping forward were me and him.]
[Before he left, Jiraiya was still joking around, saying: "Just bet I won't come back. Aren't you the one who always loses her bets?"]
[But this time… I won.]
[I can't cry. I can't show even a shred of weakness in front of anyone. If even the Hokage looks afraid, then this time, Konoha really will be finished.]
[This village is the precious treasure Grandpa left behind. I absolutely… absolutely have to protect it.]
[To:]
[From: Like Hell I'll Be Hokage]
Tsunade crushed the letter in one hand and flung the wadded paper away. It rolled and bounced across the floor before finally stopping against a corner of the wall.
"Heh." She let out a cold laugh. "Jiraiya dies? The Uchiha wiped out? The Hyuga half-crippled? Konoha on the brink of destruction? Me as Hokage?"
"Which idiot came up with this ridiculous story? Seriously… what a waste of time."
Her throat felt tight. She reached for the bottle of sake she'd tossed on the table last night, tipped her head back, and poured—
Not a single drop came out.
She froze for a moment, then remembered that she'd won big at the casino yesterday and got a little too into celebrating. On the way back, she'd already drained the whole bottle dry.
She slumped back in the armchair. Morning light spilled over her, but that strange, baseless chill wouldn't go away.
After a long silence, Tsunade stood, grabbed a hairdryer, and roughly blasted her damp blonde hair. Hot air roared past her ears, but she still couldn't stop her gaze from drifting again and again to the crumpled ball of paper on the floor.
If… and it was a big if… if it was real?
But almost immediately, she twisted her lips into a mocking smile. What a joke. How could something that absurd possibly be real?
"Good morning, Tsunade-sama."
Shizune came shuffling out from the inner room, rubbing her eyes. She stood by the door, stretching and yawning.
Suddenly, she noticed the crumpled paper ball on the floor. "What's this?"
The moment Shizune bent down, Tsunade's figure flashed forward. She practically snatched the paper ball right out from under her hand and crushed it in her fist.
"It's nothing!"
Her voice was so sharp it startled even herself.
Shizune blinked, staring in shock at Tsunade's completely abnormal behavior.
Tsunade took a deep breath and forced her tone to ease. "Forget it. Go wash up—we're heading out soon."
"…Yes, ma'am."
Shizune obeyed and turned away. She knew Tsunade didn't want her to know.
As soon as Shizune left, Tsunade slipped back into the room, quickly digging through Shizune's bag until she pulled out a stack of stationery and a fountain pen.
Tsunade sprawled across the bed, thumb unconsciously rubbing the pen barrel as her gaze grew heavy.
Testing whether this so-called [Drifting Bottle] was real or not was actually simple—she'd know just by trying it. If it was fake, she could toss it out of her mind. But if it was real… then what was she supposed to write?
After thinking for a while, she filled in the recipient field with the name:
[Like Hell I'll Be Hokage]
Then, in the sender field, she scribbled in bold strokes:
[I'm Gonna Be the God of Gambling]
[Hello, other me.]
[It's Year 54 of Konoha here. Based on what you wrote, you're probably my future self.]
[This is my first time receiving the drifting bottle, so please tell me—what exactly is a "timeline"? And what do you mean by "different worlds"?]
[Also, about what you said—about the Uchiha massacre, the Hyuga being half-crippled, the threat of Akatsuki, and Konoha on the verge of destruction—what is all that about?]
[Please tell me. Thank you.]
By the time she finished the last line, the pen tip was almost stabbing through the paper.
She stared at the still-wet ink and let out a short, self-mocking chuckle. "I've really lost it… actually taking this nonsense seriously."
A moment later, there was a rustling sound from outside the room—Shizune finishing her bath and getting dressed, by the sound of it.
Tsunade quickly rolled up the letter, stuffed it into the strange [Drifting Bottle], and jammed the cork back in. The instant the cork sealed, she took a deep breath and silently thought: Throw the drifting bottle.
In the very next moment, the [Drifting Bottle] standing on the table vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there.
Tsunade instinctively patted her pocket. The two letters were still there, as if to remind her that everything that had just happened was not some drunk hallucination.
Her throat bobbed, and a suffocating pressure suddenly crashed down on her chest.
If that bottle really could cross time… then everything written in that letter was the future…
Tsunade felt a fierce urge to drink—drink until she didn't have to think about anything at all. But right now, an even more tangled emotion was tearing at her rational mind.
As disappointed as she was in that place… it was just like the letter said.
Konoha was the precious treasure Grandpa had left behind.
~~~
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