Haruto Saito's gaze turned sorrowful, filled with an infinite love and longing for Tsunade. Even though nothing had happened yet, the air around him carried the weight of an impending farewell, as if this were their final moment together.
Life is like a play, all about performance!
Haruto held Tsunade in his arms, their faces mere inches apart. Tsunade shot him a sidelong glance, a dangerous glint flickering in her eyes. But in the next moment, that sharpness faded, replaced by something more complex, something indescribable.
"Brat, I know you're trying to trick me, but..." Tsunade paused mid-sentence. Then, without warning, she reached out, cupped Haruto's face, and closed her eyes as she pressed her lips against his.
Soft. Warm. Clumsy. Tsunade's kiss was inexperienced.
It lasted only a few moments before she pulled away. Gazing into Haruto's eyes, she said earnestly, "I really do hope you survive."
Haruto was deeply moved. In that moment, he was almost certain—Tsunade might actually love him. Or at the very least, she liked him. Otherwise, why would she allow him to kiss her, even knowing he was fooling her?
"I'll do my best to survive. You've given me strength!" Haruto declared seriously. "Can you give me a little more strength?"
Before Tsunade could respond, he leaned in and kissed her again.
This time, he got bolder. His hands roamed, slipping under the fabric of her clothing—
"Mmm! Mmm! You little brat, get off me!" Tsunade finally "resisted," pushing Haruto away forcefully. Then, with a powerful punch to his stomach—
BAM!
Haruto doubled over, clutching his stomach, nearly collapsing to his knees. "Oww! Damn it! I'm not a masochist, you know! Do you have to hit me every time?!"
"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted, crossing her arms. "You got ahead of yourself, brat!"
"Don't be so mean!" Haruto groaned, gripping the edge of the table for support, pretending to struggle just to peek over at her. Then, with a forced smile, he said dramatically, "Being blessed by you is worth getting beaten to death!"
"Scram! Get away from me!" Tsunade snapped, clearly annoyed. She turned and walked toward a wooden couch, as if trying to put distance between them.
"Women, huh..." Haruto sighed theatrically, leaning against the windowsill and gazing outside.
Tsunade glanced at his back, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. Her eyes flickered with a mix of emotions.
About half an hour later.
"They're here!" Orochimaru suddenly appeared in the room, speaking quickly. "Kaguya Rakuba brought more than eighty men! They've entered the village and are heading toward the chief's mansion. Jiraiya is keeping an eye on them."
As he spoke, he pulled a map from his robe and spread it on the table. "This is the map of Ryusui Village I just obtained, but it's not detailed enough. I need to scout further to fully understand the layout of the chief's mansion."
Haruto and Tsunade immediately gathered around the table.
"The chief's mansion is here." Orochimaru pointed at a marked location. "The village chief is named Mudasai, a formidable samurai with nearly a hundred warriors under his command. Additionally, he has around five hundred regular soldiers. Together, they control all of Ryusui Village. The military barracks are stationed around the mansion..."
Around 3 PM, Jiraiya returned with the latest intelligence.
"Kaguya Rakuba has entered the chief's mansion, which is now heavily secured. Since it's daytime, there's no cover of night to mask our movements. Even I can't get close unnoticed."
"We wait until dark," Tsunade decided after scanning the group. "It looks like Rakuba won't be leaving Ryusui Village today."
"This is tricky." Jiraiya frowned. "His security is too tight, and Mudasai values him highly. The combined forces of their men make for an impenetrable defense."
"I'll go in once it's dark." Orochimaru's voice was cold and resolute. "I'll gather the necessary intel."
Among the three, Orochimaru was the most skilled at stealth infiltration, followed by Jiraiya, with Tsunade being the least suited for it. That's why she had been staying with Haruto while the others had been gathering intel.
Nightfall.
Orochimaru left again.
Back in the room, Tsunade and Jiraiya passed the time playing cards, though Tsunade seemed distracted. Meanwhile, Haruto leaned against the window, observing the lively nightscape below. He had nothing to do—training would generate unnecessary chakra fluctuations, which could draw attention.
Ryusui Village bustled with activity even at night. The streets were packed with people, their nightlife thriving. Taverns, teahouses, and gambling dens were all bustling.
At 8 PM, Orochimaru returned with key information needed for the assassination. The four of them huddled together, devising a plan. Mostly, it was Tsunade and Orochimaru doing the planning. Haruto lacked experience, so they had him listen to learn.
"If we enter from here, wait at this point until everyone is asleep..." Orochimaru pointed at the map. "Haruto moves in then—"
"No way. Too many patrols," Tsunade interjected. "If it were you, it wouldn't be a problem, but you need to consider Haruto's limitations."
"Hey! Can you have a little faith in me?!" Haruto protested.
Tsunade ignored him and continued strategizing. "We could use a decoy—Haruto's shadow clone—to distract them, then... No, that won't work either. If they have a sensor ninja, Haruto's real body will be detected."
Haruto sulked, feeling utterly unappreciated.
Tsunade and Orochimaru kept debating, rejecting one plan after another, even arguing at points.
"You guys figure it out and let me know when you have a plan." Haruto gave up listening and returned to gazing out the window, feeling frustrated. He was beginning to suspect that the reason Tsunade kept rejecting him wasn't because she disliked him—but because he wasn't strong enough.
While absentmindedly scanning the streets, he suddenly noticed a commotion.
"Watch out!"
"Step aside!"
"Sir!"
A crowd was parting, making way for a large group of people striding through the streets. Vendors hurriedly moved their stalls aside.
Haruto squinted. Leading the group were two figures: a pale-faced middle-aged man and an elderly gentleman. Behind them trailed five or six ninja and guards.
The pale-faced man was none other than Haruto's assassination target—Kaguya Rakuba!
"He's out in the open… Inspecting the area?" Haruto murmured to himself, eyes gleaming with opportunity.
This might just be the perfect chance to kill him!
Haruto's mind raced through the possibilities.
"Forget it!" Tsunade suddenly threw down her cards in frustration. "We should just storm in and kill Rakuba ourselves, then give Haruto the credit. This mission is too difficult for him—he can't do it!"
"But that's not fair to him," Jiraiya hesitated. "Isn't this mission supposed to train him?"
"Would you rather he die?" Tsunade snapped. "Haruto, give up. We'll do it for you. You'll still get the credit."
"Huh?" Haruto turned to stare at her, dumbfounded.
"I'm doing this for your own good. This mission was never meant for you."
"Ah..." Haruto stretched out the word, then glanced at the street below. "Uh, I'll be back in a bit."
With that, he hurriedly left the room.
Tsunade didn't think much of it—she assumed he was just going to the bathroom.