Saiki closed the bedroom door behind him, hearing the faint sounds of Tsunade's muffled, indignant protests from within. A satisfied smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Even though he had been scolded and unceremoniously kicked out, her reaction—furious yet stopping short of actually trying to pulverize him—was proof enough.
Tsunade had begun to accept him. It was a massive leap forward.
Feeling like he was walking on air, Saiki hummed a tuneless little melody and practically skipped down the stairs.
In the dining room, the air was thick with the savory aroma of a fresh breakfast.
Shizune had already set the table: steaming soup dumplings, fried eggs, and cold milk were waiting.
Kushina was already there, freshly washed and sitting at the table.
She rested her chin in one hand while poking at a dumpling with her chopsticks, her emerald eyes still carrying a trace of morning grogginess as she glanced toward the stairs.
Seeing Saiki descend looking refreshed and energized, her eyes brightened.
"Saiki! Is Lady Tsunade awake yet?"
"Yeah, I woke her. She'll be down in a minute." Saiki pulled out a chair on the left and made himself comfortable.
Shizune poured him a glass of milk and handed it over with a sweet, dimpled smile. "Here you go!"
"Thanks!" Saiki nodded, grinning back. "Eat up. Sister Tsunade will be here shortly."
"Finally! I'm starving!" Kushina's spirit returned in an instant.
She dipped a dumpling in sauce and stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out. A look of pure bliss spread across her face.
The trio began to dig in.
A moment later, the sound of rhythmic footsteps echoed from the stairs. Tsunade had arrived.
She was dressed in her standard, efficient attire.
Her golden hair was tied back in high twin-tails that swayed behind her as she walked, radiating her usual aura of absolute authority. On the surface, she looked no different than any other day.
Except for the fact that the moment her gaze brushed past Saiki, she immediately jerked her head away.
"Lady Tsunade! You're finally up! Come eat while it's hot," Kushina called out, her mouth full of food.
"You guys start without me. I need to wash up," Tsunade replied flatly, heading straight for the bathroom.
By the time Tsunade emerged, Saiki was already finished with his meal.
"Lady Tsunade, sit down! These dumplings are incredible today!" Kushina urged enthusiastically.
"Mm," Tsunade grunted. Her voice was steady and professional.
However, instead of taking her usual seat next to Saiki, she pointedly avoided him.
She took a chair further down the table, leaving an empty seat between them as a buffer.
Kushina didn't think much of it, but Shizune's brow furrowed in confusion.
Regardless, she hurried to place a plate in front of her master.
"Milk, Sister Tsunade." Saiki chuckled, sliding a glass of warm milk toward her.
She spared him a single, guarded glance but didn't refuse the gesture.
She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat with uncharacteristic speed.
She was late, and she had a mountain of village affairs waiting for her at the office.
Kushina finished her meal shortly after.
Watching Saiki lean back with a relaxed, satisfied expression, Kushina couldn't help but notice he had finished his massive portion twice as fast as she had.
"Saiki, you're a literal bottomless pit!" she complained.
Snapped out of his quiet observation of Tsunade, Saiki grinned.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
His casual response made her feel a bit childish. Kushina pouted, muttering under her breath, "Are you a pig or something?"
"Hey, I can hear you, you know," Saiki said, giving her a mock-offended glare.
"Hmph!" Kushina huffed. Then, a thought occurred to her. She looked at Saiki curiously.
"Wait, are you really okay? You were out cold last night, but I thought I heard some weird... noises coming from your room?"
THWACK. Tsunade, who had been taking a delicate sip of her milk, nearly sprayed it across the table.
Instead, the liquid went down the wrong pipe.
"Cough! HACK! COUGH!"
Tsunade doubled over in a violent coughing fit.
Her pale face turned a vibrant shade of crimson in a heartbeat.
Tears prickled her amber eyes from the irritation as she frantically covered her mouth with her hand.
Shizune jumped in alarm, dropping her chopsticks to pat Tsunade's back.
"Lady Tsunade! Are you okay? Take a breath! Here, drink some more!"
She frantically held the glass of milk up to her master's lips.
Saiki and Kushina both stared at her. Kushina was genuinely confused as to why a simple question would cause such a dramatic reaction.
Saiki, remembering the "exciting" events of the previous night, understood perfectly.
The memory of how terrified she had been when Kushina paused outside his door made him want to laugh out loud.
After several long seconds and a few gulps of milk, Tsunade finally stabilized.
"Lady Tsunade, are you alright?" Kushina asked, her eyes wide with worry.
Tsunade shook her head, her face still burning. "I'm fine!"
She turned a sharp, lethal glare toward Saiki.
Her eyes, still watery from the coughing, carried an absolute warning: If you say one word, I will end you. Kushina, distracted by the drama, forgot about her original question.
The conversation drifted into idle chatter until Tsunade and Shizune finished their breakfast.
Because of the administrative crisis, Tsunade had zero time for domesticity.
She dumped the dishwashing and house chores on Saiki and dragged Shizune off to the Hokage Building to help organize files.
The kitchen was soon filled with the sound of running water.
Saiki, tied into an apron, moved efficiently through the dishes.
Despite the manual labor, his lips were curved into a faint, lingering smile.
Thinking back to the morning's "greeting" in the bedroom, he felt a blissful certainty that Tsunade was truly his now.
In the living room, Kushina sat on the sofa with nothing to do.
Listening to the water in the kitchen, her boredom gradually transitioned into a restless, boiling irritation.
Finally, Saiki walked out, wiping his hands.
Kushina looked up at him, her expression thunderous.
"What is it, Sensei? You look like you're ready to punch a wall."
Saiki teased. "You didn't sleep well. I still have some meal prep to do, but you should probably go take a nap."
"Prep?! What prep?! It's barely morning!"
Kushina lunged off the sofa, planting her hands on her hips.
Her long red hair swayed violently with her movements, her emerald eyes sparking with fire.
"I am bored to death, Saiki! You said you'd spend the day with me! The dishes are done, so why are you still standing there? Let's go! Take me shopping! If I stay in this house for one more hour, I'm going to lose my mind!"
Saiki chuckled at her "rampage," but kept his face straight to avoid making her even angrier.
He untied the apron and draped it over a chair.
"Fine, fine. Don't blow a fuse, Sensei. I'll take you. But are you sure you don't want to rest? Those dark circles under your eyes aren't a great look."
He headed for the entryway to change his shoes.
"Shut up!" Kushina barked, grabbing his arm with a strength that was frankly terrifying.
"Keep talking and I'll throw you out the window!"
She practically dragged Saiki out the front door.
The sun was high and bright, but the atmosphere of Konoha felt stifling.
Whether it was the cramped layout of the village, the tension of the world war, or just the underlying rot of the village's soul, the streets felt heavy and grey.
Kushina, however, was radiant.
The freedom of being outdoors had washed away her gloom.
She moved through the crowds like a bird freed from a cage, her eyes darting everywhere.
Even the occasional cold stare from a passerby couldn't dampen her spirits.
Saiki followed her, musing to himself: Women really are all the same. Whether they're young or old, shopping is the ultimate medicine. Watching Kushina's vibrant smile and the way she laughed at the street performers made Saiki feel a genuine sense of warmth.
But as they wandered deeper into the commercial district, Saiki's mood began to sour.
His Divine Sense picked up a presence.
A pair of eyes was fixed on them from the shadows—eyes filled with the cold, greedy, and lethal glint of a predator tracking high-value prey.