Takuya didn’t know many jutsus—only the ones he had picked up along his journey. He certainly wasn’t like Orochimaru, who seemed to be a walking encyclopedia of jutsus.
Still, the basic ones he did know could help Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato save some time on their path to strength.
“If fate allows, we’ll meet again someday,” Takuya said, his voice carrying a note of finality.
As all things must eventually come to an end, their time together was no exception. Without further delay, Takuya stood up and disappeared into the rain-soaked streets of Amegakure.
“Wahhh...” Konan was the first to break down, tears spilling from her eyes. She still clutched the money Takuya had given her. Takuya wanted them to focus on training and improving their skills without worrying about survival for a little while. Once they got through the early hardships, their natural talent would allow them to grow stronger quickly.
Yahiko felt conflicted, and Nagato was equally torn. However, neither could bring themselves to ask Takuya to stay. They simply watched as he vanished into the downpour.
“Do you know anyone else in Amegakure? Someone with red hair, like Kushina’s clan?” Tsunade asked, her brow furrowing in curiosity. She sensed that Nagato might be a member of the Uzumaki clan.
But if that were the case, why hadn’t Takuya taken him away? Surely, Hanzō wouldn’t have objected if Takuya wanted to bring a few people with him. And arranging for them to settle in Konoha wouldn’t be difficult, especially with Tsunade backing him up.
“Yes,” Takuya replied, his umbrella shielding him from the rain as he nodded slightly. “But his family was killed during the war, mistakenly by Konoha ninja. He wouldn’t want to go to Konoha, even if he had the chance.”
Even if Nagato had agreed to go, Takuya wouldn’t have taken him.
“I see...” Tsunade murmured, taken aback by the turn of events. She hadn’t expected such a complicated history. After thinking about it for a moment, she recalled something. “I think I remember seeing those three kids hiding in the woods the day we retreated. Jiraiya even left them some food.”
Did Konan and the others really cross paths with Tsunade and the Sannin back then? Takuya was surprised. He had always assumed that Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato had stayed hidden the entire time. It turned out that the two groups had encountered each other, with one party hiding and the other already aware of their presence, choosing not to intervene.
“How did the negotiations go?” Takuya changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the past.
“Quite well,” Tsunade said, her lips curling into a grin. Without warning, she grabbed Takuya by the neck and pulled him close. “Now, how about you come clean? When did you get so strong, huh? And what’s with this ‘Art is an Explosion’ technique? That thing is dangerous enough to be sealed in the Forbidden Scroll!”
“Whoa!” Takuya stumbled as Tsunade pulled him, causing him to lean against her. The real problem, however, was that his face ended up pressed against something soft. Very soft.
His entire face was buried in Tsunade’s... assets. A faint scent filled his nostrils as his face nestled against the plush, overwhelming softness.
My god, this is happening in the middle of Amegakure’s streets? People are watching, for crying out loud!
Behind them, Nara Shikaku could hardly believe what he was seeing. Tsunade had Takuya in a headlock, pressing his face against her chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.
This was beyond absurd!
He couldn’t help but wonder... what did that even feel like?
“Let go!” Takuya protested. Sure, the sensation wasn’t unpleasant, but being smothered wasn’t comfortable either. He quickly pushed away from Tsunade, standing upright once more. Tsunade froze, her face turning crimson.
In that brief moment of contact, she had instinctively let him go and—completely unconsciously—rubbed at the area.
Odd... It didn’t feel the same when she touched it herself. Why did it feel different when Takuya did it?
“Damn it, are you trying to smother me with those things?!” Takuya blurted out.
“Pfft!” Shikaku nearly choked trying to stifle his laughter. Behind them, the hidden ANBU members suddenly vanished into the shadows, becoming invisible onlookers.
Tsunade’s face turned a dangerous shade of red. In a fit of fury, she grabbed Takuya again. “I’ll kill you!”
“What the hell are you saying? Smother you with my chest? You’ve got some nerve, after getting an eyeful, and now you’re blaming me?!”
Realizing that Tsunade was genuinely angry, Takuya made a hasty retreat. It didn’t matter how old or what stage of life a woman was in; when they got mad, they were terrifying. And from the look on Tsunade’s face, she was ready to kill. Takuya wisely decided it was time to make himself scarce.
To be fair, the sensation wasn’t half bad.
And... wait. Did Tsunade’s face actually turn red? Had he imagined it?
Meanwhile, Shikaku was desperately trying to calm Tsunade down. “Tsunade-sama, I swear, I didn’t see anything. Really.”
Now you’ve done it. By explaining, you’ve just made it obvious you saw everything.
Tsunade’s eye twitched in frustration before she swung her fist at Shikaku, landing a solid hit.
“You seem to have quite a friendly relationship with Takuya-sama,” one of the ANBU commented quietly.
“Don’t start with that,” another snapped. “We’re not here to gossip. Let’s focus on gathering intelligence for the Hokage like we were ordered.”
“Still... I kind of envy Takuya.”
Once they left Amegakure, the ANBU quickly relayed their report back to the village using specialized methods, sending their scrolls to the intelligence division.
Tsunade’s anger had already cooled by the time they left the village. As usual, she fell into easy conversation with Takuya, discussing trivial matters, while poor Shikaku followed behind them, nursing a black eye.
“Why did you punch him?” Takuya asked, glancing back at Shikaku.
“High IQ, low EQ,” Tsunade muttered. “I was just giving him a lesson on what to say and what not to say.”
When Tsunade glanced back at Shikaku, the man flinched in fear, wearing a sheepish grin that only made her more exasperated.
Low emotional intelligence? Was she serious? Shikaku was a genius!
With their mission complete, the group made their way back to camp as the sun began to set, arriving just before dark.
“The negotiations are complete, sir,” one of the ANBU reported upon their return. He immediately vanished into the command center, recounting everything that had happened during the day.