Even though Tsunade demanded he walk in front of her, Saiki strolled along with a cheerful bounce in his step. The more nervous she was, the more smug he felt.
Tsunade's hyper-vigilance proved that she cared deeply about what had happened. If she had simply accepted that night as a medical necessity, shrugged it off, and treated it as no big deal, conquering her heart would be significantly harder.
"That damn, arrogant brat," Tsunade ground her teeth, watching Saiki's relaxed, leisurely gait ahead of her. Yet, there was nothing she could do about him.
She had intended to discuss the incident with Root tonight, and to ask him why his personality had changed so drastically recently. But her own lingering nervousness had ultimately kept her mouth shut.
During active combat, the Shinobi World doesn't strictly segregate the sexes on the battlefield. But during downtime at a major camp, male and female quarters are separated.
Given the lower number of female ninja, their barracks were located directly adjacent to the Medical Camp. It was the most heavily guarded and secure sector of the frontline base, while the male barracks were situated on the opposite side.
Reaching the fork in the road where they had to separate, Tsunade finally spoke up. "Alright, get some rest. We'll discuss tonight's events tomorrow."
Saiki stopped and looked at her, causing Tsunade to frown. "What is it?"
"Can I get a hug?" he asked boldly, having confirmed there was no one else around.
In the past, he wouldn't have even needed to ask; Tsunade would casually pull him into her chest and give him "benefits" all the time.
But ever since she returned, aside from that one desperate, relieved hug when she first saw him safe this afternoon, she had been incredibly guarded around him. That was why Saiki was asking tentatively now.
Looking at Saiki's expectant gaze, Tsunade felt a spike of panic. Hugging him used to be like hugging a little brother, but everything was different now. How could she possibly hug him casually?
Saiki's request instantly dyed her face a violent crimson. She scolded him, masking her shyness with anger, "What are you thinking about?! Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused tonight? Get back to your tent and reflect on your actions!"
"Oh," Saiki replied. He immediately put on an act, dropping his head in exaggerated disappointment. His previous arrogance when dealing with Jiraiya vanished, replaced by the picture of a dejected, heartbroken boy.
Seeing his reaction, Tsunade, who had assumed he was harboring dirty thoughts, felt a sudden twinge of hesitation and guilt.
After that fateful night, she had fled the village with Shizune the very next morning before Saiki even woke up. She had been genuinely worried that he might do something drastic or fall into despair.
Fortunately, he hadn't caused a scene. Tsunade had lingered in the towns surrounding Konoha, waiting to see if he would recklessly abandon the village to search for her, before finally moving on.
But upon reuniting with him at the front lines, she was deeply disturbed by his drastic shift in personality—especially his behavior tonight.
He used to be a bit reckless, yes, but overall, he was restrained and knew how to lay low. But tonight, his arrogant, borderline psychotic defiance made Tsunade wonder if she was to blame.
She was an adult woman. She could rationalize what happened that night as an unavoidable necessity. Of course, she hadn't actually processed it—otherwise she wouldn't have run away—but she told herself she had.
But in her mind, Saiki was still just a child, and she was his first woman. To wake up after his first time and find she had vanished without a word... he must have thought she was abandoning him. He must have been devastated, eventually giving up on himself and warping into this dark, arrogant version of himself.
Saiki had certainly been sad. If Nono'u hadn't been there to comfort him, he probably would have defected from Konoha right then and there.
But a drastic change in personality? Not at all. He had always been like this. He only laid low in the past because he was weak and afraid of being assassinated. Now that he had the power to back up his attitude, he naturally had zero patience for dealing with people he didn't respect.
Keeping his head down, Saiki continued to play the role of the heartbroken, abandoned puppy. In truth, he didn't actually expect Tsunade to pity him enough to hug him. He was just putting on a performance to test the waters.
Saiki's strategy for conquering Tsunade was simple: Stage 1, play the victim. If she remained stubborn, he would escalate to Stage 2: using his "childish immaturity" as an excuse to force himself on her.
The logic was entirely scummy: You abandoned me, so I'm going to take you by force.
However, to Saiki's utter surprise, the usually fierce and uncompromising Tsunade let out a long, helpless sigh, opened her arms, and pulled him into an embrace.
Wrapped once again in that warm, soft heaven, Saiki felt the difference immediately. Before, she had hugged him to tease him. This time, he could feel a genuine, maternal affection and guilt in her touch.
Saiki didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist, burying his face deep into her majestic cleavage. He relished the suffocating softness, breathing in her intoxicating, natural fragrance.
Being hugged back so fiercely caused Tsunade to panic again. She tried to maintain her stern tone, though her voice trembled slightly. "Alright, that's enough. Let me go."
Saiki ignored her, tightening his grip even further. When Tsunade realized he wasn't letting go, she actually got angry. She reached down, grabbed his ear, and pulled upward, her warning growing sharp. "Let go of me, do you hear me? Or I'll really get angry!"
Knowing when to push and when to retreat is crucial. Saiki knew he couldn't push his luck too far. He lifted his head from her massive "white rabbits," looking up at her with pitiful, puppy-dog eyes. "Sister Tsunade, I missed you so much. I thought you didn't want me anymore."
His pathetic expression instantly extinguished the anger flaring in Tsunade's chest. Still, she maintained a stern face. "Let me go first."
"No. Please, let me hold you just a little longer," Saiki pleaded, perfectly playing the role of a desperate, lovesick teenager, burying his face back into her snowy peaks.
Seeing Saiki act like a shameless rogue, Tsunade was so exasperated she almost laughed. She let him hold her for another few seconds before grabbing his ear again. "Alright, enough. If you don't let go this instant, I am truly going to beat you!"
Knowing she had reached her limit, Saiki reluctantly released her.
The moment he let go, Tsunade practically jumped backward, as if terrified he would pounce on her again.
The moonlight wasn't particularly bright, but Saiki's enhanced vision clearly caught the deep flush painting Tsunade's beautiful face, and he could hear her slightly elevated breathing.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps signaled a patrol squad nearing their position. Saiki realized with a sigh that his fun for the night was over.
"Who's there?"
"Ah, Lady Tsunade!"
The patrol, on high alert since this was a critical sector of the camp, hurried over. Upon recognizing Tsunade, they immediately bowed respectfully.
"Mm. Everything is fine here. I was just lecturing my little brother. Continue your patrol."
After dismissing the guards, Tsunade glared at Saiki. "Alright, get back to your tent and go to sleep! And don't cause any more trouble, or I swear I will tear you apart."
Saiki shrugged, feigning helplessness. "I didn't start the trouble!"
"Who else is to blame if not you?!"
After bickering for another moment, Tsunade rubbed her temples. "You're so annoying. Just go to bed!"
"Goodnight, Sister Tsunade!" Saiki waved, but before turning away, he dropped a final, serious warning. "If you run away and abandon me again, I'll desert the front lines and hunt you down."
Hearing his threat, Tsunade opened her mouth to retort, but the words caught in her throat. Could she really promise him she wouldn't run?
In the end, she just offered a cold snort, ignored him, and walked briskly toward the female barracks.
Once she was out of sight, Saiki frowned, muttering to himself, "Strange. Why are the Yin and Yang Qi levels in her body still so low?"
While hugging her, Saiki had covertly checked the "Heart Seal" he had inscribed on her abdomen. The results deeply confused him. He refused to believe Tsunade had found another man to satisfy the urges the seal provoked.
But Saiki was forgetting one crucial detail: Tsunade wasn't a cultivator of Pre-natal Qi like he was. When the seal on her Dantian flared, stimulating an unbearable, maddening lust within her, she didn't need another man to solve the problem. She had hands of her own.
"That damn, arrogant brat!" Walking away, Tsunade cursed Saiki under her breath, but her heart was hammering against her ribs, refusing to calm down.
Upon returning to her tent, she washed up and lay down on her cot. But sleep was impossible. Her pulse was erratic. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind was flooded with vivid, shameful memories of that night.
She tossed and turned, her body growing increasingly hot and restless. After confirming that Shizune, sleeping on the adjacent cot, was deeply asleep, Tsunade finally surrendered.
The blankets on her bed were soon kicked into a tangled mess. One hand climbed to massage her towering snowy peaks, while the other slipped down to explore her damp, aching valley. Her breathing grew heavy and rapid, hot breaths escaping her slightly parted lips. Her delicate nose, dotted with fine sweat, occasionally let out a soft, melodic, toe-curling moan that would melt any man's bones.