Saiki assumed his passionate confession would finally break her.
But he had underestimated the Sannin's iron will.
Suddenly, Tsunade's eyes turned stone-cold.
Her racing heart settled, and the fire in her blood cooled.
The blush on her face vanished, replaced by a mask of freezing indifference.
Saiki watched the shift in horror. He felt his victory slipping away.
"Let go of me. I won't say it again."
Her voice was flat and detached. It was a bucket of ice water over Saiki's head.
The physical weakness he felt was nothing compared to the soul-crushing impact of her rejection.
His confidence shattered.
The blow to his ego was so severe that even his "little brother"—previously ready for a third round—went limp.
"Impossible... this can't be happening."
He was crushed, but Saiki wasn't a man who gave up easily.
He muttered to himself, replaying every detail of her earlier reactions.
Slowly, the despair in his eyes was replaced by a dark, manic fire.
Tsunade saw the change in his gaze and her cold facade flickered with a moment of panic.
Saiki had felt her excitement. He had felt her heart hammering and her body slick with need. He knew she was lying.
Suddenly, his calm aura vanished, replaced by a violent, oppressive energy.
The air in the room grew heavy, making it hard to breathe.
"Saiki? What the hell are you doing?" Tsunade gasped.
Saiki just stared into her eyes, his gaze threatening to pull her into an abyss.
Being watched by him like that made Tsunade feel a deep, physical sense of guilt.
"Tsunade. You're lying to me. I felt your heart. I felt your body. You love me."
Saiki's words were a razor, slicing through her layers of self-deception.
"No! Let me go! What is wrong with you?!" she screamed back.
Saiki leaned in closer, his gaze predatory. "You're panicked. Your body is screaming the truth. You love me, and you're terrified to admit it."
The pressure was too much. Tsunade turned her head away, unable to maintain eye contact.
"Who would love you?! GET OFF ME!"
She tried to push against his chest with all her might, but in Saiki's eyes, her struggle looked pathetic and amateurish.
He felt a surge of relief. She was lying.
If she truly didn't love him, Saiki wouldn't have known how to handle the rejection.
But seeing her "act," his rage evaporated, replaced by a deep tenderness.
He slumped back onto her, hugging her tight and pressing his face into her ear.
"Sister Tsunade... I love you so much."
"I don't love you!" she snapped back.
But Saiki could feel it. Her pale, silky skin was burning up again, and her heart was racing like a trapped bird.
Saiki wasn't angry. He nuzzled her cheek, his voice infinitely patient.
"Tsunade... did I do something to make you unhappy?"
Silence for a few seconds. "No!" she hissed.
"No? Then why? Why do you keep pushing me away?"
Like a pair of lovers in a domestic spat, Saiki used his words to probe for the wall in her heart.
If they couldn't communicate, their relationship was a dead end.
Finally, she managed to squeeze out a bitter sentence. "Everything about you is wrong."
Hearing her "pouting" tone, Saiki's mood lightened instantly.
"Oh? Is it because I didn't make you feel good enough?"
The teasing remark made Tsunade freeze for a heartbeat. Then she roared, "SCUM!"
She started to thrash again. But as she moved, Saiki's weapon—still deep inside her—stirred.
Her body went instantly soft. Her skin began to radiate a feverish heat.
Saiki began to move his hips in a slow, agonizingly deep grind.
Tsunade officially panicked.
"Stop... wait... PLEASE STOP!"
"Mm." Saiki obediently stopped, pushing himself up to look her in the eye.
Tsunade bit her lip, her eyes darting everywhere but at him.
Seeing her act like a shy schoolgirl made Saiki want to burst out laughing.
He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her pale cheek.
She gave him a murderous look, but Saiki didn't flinch.
"Tsunade... is it really that hard to just accept me? Face your heart. You love me. You want me. You're just worried about your 'face', aren't you?"
In the past, a comment like that would have resulted in Saiki's death.
But now, Tsunade just stayed silent.
Finally, she let out a long, weary sigh.
"Saiki... you're just a kid. You don't understand. I can't let myself ruin your life."
She spoke in a low, broken whisper—the first time she had ever used such a defeated tone.
"I just don't know what to do with you."
"Sister Tsunade!" Saiki hugged her fiercely. "I understand everything. And I'm not a kid!"
"You understand SHIT!" Tsunade exploded, her voice trembling. "I'm in my thirties! You're what... ten?! I'm old enough to be your mother! What happens in ten years? What do people say when they see us? Do you even care about your future?!"
Tsunade thought logic would win. But Saiki's reply nearly drove her insane.
"I love it when you call me 'Son', Mom."
The utter shamelessness, the total lack of regard for social norms—it finally broke Tsunade.
She snapped.
She began to pummel Saiki's face and head with her fists.
"You bastard! Do you ever listen?! Are you insane?! Do you have no sense of reality?! Do you want to throw your life away for a fantasy?!"
Tsunade was truly frantic. She didn't hold back.
Each punch carried a weight of "why won't you listen to me" fury.
Despite his iron skin, Saiki's face turned purple and blue. A massive lump grew on his head, and blood began to leak from his nose.
Saiki didn't fight back. He knew she needed to vent.
Finally, her chest heaving, Tsunade stopped.
Drip... drip...
Hot blood fell onto her own face.
Seeing Saiki beaten into a "pig's head," Tsunade's rage evaporated into a cloud of horror and regret.
"I... oh god... are you okay?" she whispered, her hands trembling.
Saiki wiped the blood from his nose, his gaze incredibly calm.
With his regeneration, the bruises were already beginning to fade.
If she hadn't hit him with Kage-level force, he wouldn't have bled at all.
He reached out and wiped a stray drop of blood from Tsunade's cheek.
"I know all of that," Saiki said softly. "But we aren't siblings. We aren't blood-related. Why does it matter?"
"The age? It's just twenty years. I don't give a damn."
"Listen to me, Tsunade. Life is about happiness. If you can't be with the person you love because you're worried about what some strangers think... then what is the point of living?"
"For years, you've been tortured by rules and expectations. Hasn't your life been miserable enough?"
"I am telling you now, one last time: I love you. I am obsessed with you. I cannot live without you. And I don't care if the whole world watches."
Staring into Saiki's unwavering, burning eyes and hearing his "madman's" logic, Tsunade's heart finally, quietly, surrendered.
The wall was gone. The Sannin had fallen.