Midnight.
Not long after falling asleep, Namikaze Kirito became aware of soft breathing by his ear.
"You little brat…"
Tsunade's voice was low.
At this moment, there was no trace of drunkenness in her eyes. Her delicate cheeks carried a mix of emotions—confusion, hesitation, and something far more dangerous.
She stared at the sleeping young man before her, and her thoughts grew increasingly chaotic.
She had accepted Kirito as her student not only out of sympathy.
It was also because of those words of his—words that made her believe, truly believe, that resurrection might be possible.
As time passed and they stayed together, she slowly realized something she hadn't expected.
Namikaze Kirito had become her emotional anchor.
Just like Senju Nawaki once had.
He had become family.
And yet...
Kirito grew too fast.
In the blink of an eye, the child who once served as her "pillow" had turned into a man.
Now, the two of them lay together like this.
Tsunade couldn't deny it anymore.
There was an inappropriate affection growing in her heart.
And realizing that was what sent her thoughts spiraling.
Kato Dan… her so-called former lover—
When she thought about it calmly, it wasn't love so much as longing. Perhaps there had been a heartbeat once, but it was built on years of companionship and shared ideals.
And now…
She was being tempted by her own student.
A real temptation.
That handsome profile—combined with the lingering warmth of alcohol—made Tsunade lean closer without even realizing it.
Their faces drew nearer.
And nearer.
Suddenly—
Kirito turned over.
Their eyes met.
"brat, you—mm…"
The words died on her lips.
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock.
She never expected this.
Her first truly intimate contact with a man—
And the distinctly masculine scent flooded her senses.
Time seemed to freeze.
After a moment, as if surrendering to fate, Tsunade closed her eyes.
Her long lashes trembled slightly.
In the quiet courtyard outside, the chirping of insects became painfully clear.
Then...
Their lips parted.
Slowly, Tsunade opened her eyes and stared at Kirito.
"Sensei, you can't blame me," Kirito said softly.
"It's just… the wine earlier was too much to my taste so...I suddenly got thirsty."
This was also Kirito's first time.
In his previous life, he'd been a shut-in.
In this world, he'd spent over a decade buried in plans and survival.
Aside from being used as Tsunade's pillow, he'd never had intimate contact like this.
The sudden closeness left him flustered.
"brat… how dare you disrespect your Sensei!"
Tsunade said it fiercely but there was no real anger in her voice.
"Then why was Sensei staring at her student's face in the middle of the night?" Kirito countered, leaning closer instead of backing away.
The distance between them vanished.
"That—that's because…"
Caught off guard by his bluntness, Tsunade—who was nowhere near as thick-skinned as Jiraiya—felt her composure crumble.
Her face flushed deeper by the second.
Kirito, meanwhile, felt distinctly uncomfortable—
Because Tsunade was simply too… majestic.
The pressure was impossible to ignore.
Oh no.
As Tsunade searched for words, she suddenly felt something very wrong.
"…brat," she said slowly, eyes narrowing,
"do you sleep with ninja tools on you? What is this—this—"
"This is—?!"
Realizing what it was, Tsunade's face turned so red it looked ready to steam.
Kirito wasn't doing any better.
She'd reached out to confirm it—
Who could stay calm in that situation?!
For a moment, Tsunade was frozen.
Then...
She burst out laughing.
In the darkness, her smile was as bright as a flashlight.
Beautiful and blinding.
"Sensei, I—"
Before Kirito could finish, a slender white finger pressed gently against his lips.
Tsunade smiled.
"I understand."
"But right now… I'm not ready."
"Still—seeing you like this, brat… that's rare."
Usually, it was Kirito's occasional fluster that left Tsunade embarrassed.
Now that she had the upper hand, how could she not enjoy it?
With the mischief of a devil, her hands moved—very deliberately.
"Haah—!"
Kirito sucked in a sharp breath.
"brat," Tsunade teased,
"let's see if you dare act arrogant again in the future."
…
The night passed without further words.
Morning.
Shizune woke early and immediately spotted Tsunade rushing out of Kirito's room and into the bathroom.
The sound of running water followed.
Not long after, Tsunade emerged.
Noticing Shizune's strange stare, she subconsciously wiped her hands against her clothes.
"L-Lady Tsunade, you…"
"It's nothing," Tsunade replied stiffly.
"My hands are a little sore. Must be from sleeping."
Shizune looked at her suspiciously.
Something was definitely off but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Seeing Shizune's gaze linger, Tsunade felt a flicker of panic, but quickly suppressed it.
"What are you staring at, Shizune?"
Shizune snapped back to attention.
"Ah—nothing! Since Kirito-kun is here, should we leave together?"
From Shizune's perspective, Kirito's personal arrival meant Tsunade would finally agree—to bring back the loved ones she had lost.
"No," Tsunade said firmly.
"We're not leaving. Let that brat handle things on his own."
Shizune froze.
"Why?! Lady Tsunade, you know Kirito-kun has been researching this for years. It's finally succeeded—"
"Shizune."
Tsunade interrupted, her voice serious.
"No one is happier than me... that this is possible."
"But I haven't reached a conclusion yet."
"Is bringing back those who've gone to the Pure Land truly a good thing?"
"Are we… playing with the dead?"
This question had haunted her from the very beginning.
As the true inheritor of Senju Hashirama's will, Tsunade understood better than anyone—
Resurrecting the dead meant disturbing the natural order.
If death lost its meaning, the world would descend into chaos.
And after last night—
Her thoughts were even more tangled.
This wasn't something she could decide impulsively.
She needed time.
Let Kirito complete his plan first.
She would think it through.
Just then...
The door opened.
Kirito stepped out.
What caught Shizune's attention immediately was the light blue crystal necklace resting against his open chest.
"K-Kirito-kun… Lady Tsunade, she—"
Shizune froze.
That necklace—
It was Tsunade's most treasured possession.
And now, it was around Kirito's neck.
Tsunade, seeing him, felt an imperceptible heat rise to her cheeks.
As if remembering something she desperately wanted to forget.
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