The next morning, the world was flooded with brilliant daylight.
Saiki snapped his eyes open. Still basking in the sweetness of the previous night, he rolled over to wrap his arm around Tsunade's waist—only to hit an empty mattress.
"Sigh." Saiki let out a dejected breath. Once the Dual Cultivation had ended and the risk of Kushina waking up passed, Tsunade had fled back to her own room, no matter how much he begged her to stay.
"When will I finally be able to wake up next to her?" He lamented to himself, burying his face in the pillow she had used. He took a deep lungful of her lingering scent before finally forcing himself out of bed.
He stretched his limbs. Because Tsunade was so powerful, the treatment had been a massive success. In just one night, his Sage Chakra had recovered by more than half. The hollow, bone-deep fatigue of the previous night was almost entirely gone.
A few more sessions like that and he'd be back to 100%.
After tidying up, Saiki headed downstairs. Predictably, Tsunade and Kushina were still asleep. Only Shizune was in the kitchen, busy prepping breakfast.
"Good morning, Shizune!"
Hearing the footsteps and the greeting, Shizune turned around. Seeing Saiki looking refreshed and full of energy, her eyes lit up. "Saiki! You're okay!"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just a bit sleepy last night," Saiki said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. Shizune closed her eyes and let out a happy little sigh at the affection.
"I'll help you," Saiki smiled, tying on an apron and getting to work.
Saiki was oblivious to how truly "hollow" he had looked the night before, but Shizune had been worried sick. She fluttered around him like a bird, asking a hundred questions as she assisted.
By the time breakfast was ready, Kushina finally emerged from her room.
She looked... like she hadn't slept well at all. Her steps were a bit unsteady as she gripped the railing, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes.
"Morning, Sensei Kushina! What's wrong? Bad sleep?" Saiki asked, looking up from the table.
"Morning, Sister Kushina!" Shizune chirped.
"Morning..." Kushina mumbled. Then, her brain seemed to process Saiki's appearance. Her tired eyes went wide as she stared at the radiant, energetic boy. He looked like a completely different person from the half-dead zombie she'd seen the night before!
"Saiki? You're... you're better?" she asked in shock.
She practically ran down the last few steps, stopping in front of him to scan his face.
Seeing his eyes were clear and his complexion healthy, she let out a massive breath of relief.
"Thank god. You looked like you were about to die last night!"
"Oh, it was nothing. A good sleep fixes everything," Saiki said with a double meaning that Kushina completely missed.
"Sensei, go wash up. I'm going to go wake up Sister Tsunade."
"Ah... okay!" Kushina nodded.
Saiki bypassed Kushina and headed upstairs. Shizune watched him go with a puzzled expression. Wait, usually I'm the one who wakes up Lady Tsunade. Why is Saiki being so proactive today?
Upstairs, Saiki didn't knock. He pushed Tsunade's door open and walked right in.
The room was dim, the heavy curtains blocking out the morning sun. Only a few stray beams of light managed to pierce the gloom, illuminating the dust motes in the air.
Tsunade was lying on her side on the massive bed. The quilt only reached her waist, and her loose silk nightgown barely contained her plump, heaving curves.
The Dual Cultivation had been exhausting, and she was clearly still in a deep slumber. Unlike her usual habit of kicking the blankets off, she was actually sleeping quite still today.
In her sleep, she looked uncharacteristically gentle and vulnerable.
Saiki's gaze softened. He walked to the bedside and sat down, leaning over to study her face up close.
The faint, mature fragrance that was uniquely hers, mixed with the lingering musky scent of their night together, filled his nose.
He reached out, his fingertips carrying the cool morning air. He gently brushed a stray lock of blonde hair from her cheek, his movements so light he was terrified of waking her.
As his finger grazed her warm, delicate skin, Tsunade's eyelashes flickered. She didn't wake up, but she seemed to feel the touch; she let out a lazy, unconscious hum and rolled over, presenting an even more perfect silhouette to Saiki.
The movement caused the quilt to slip lower, exposing a smooth, rounded shoulder and her elegant collarbones, which glowed like fine porcelain in the dim light.
Saiki's heart skipped a beat.
He took a deep breath to settle the heat in his gut and whispered, "Sister Tsunade? Time to get up. Breakfast is ready."
He kept his voice low and incredibly tender. In the silence of the room, it was as clear as a bell.
The beauty on the bed finally reacted.
She let out a muffled "Nngh," her brow furrowing as if she were annoyed by the interruption.
Her long lashes slowly parted, revealing amber eyes that were still clouded with the heavy fog of sleep.
She stared blankly at Saiki's face for several seconds before her brain finally registered who he was.
Tsunade's pupils contracted instantly. The sleep vanished. Her first instinct was to grab the quilt and cover her "undefended" state.
But since she had kicked the blankets down to her thighs when she rolled over, there was nothing to grab.
"Morning, Sister. Something wrong?" Saiki asked, knowing exactly why she was panicking.
Her face turned red in an instant. Tsunade sat up frantically, pointing at the door. "Who told you that you could just walk in here?! GET OUT!"
Saiki just grinned. "Oh? Sister Tsunade, you were more than happy to sneak into my room last night. Why can't I come into yours?"
As he spoke, his eyes "accidentally" lingered on the neckline of her nightgown. The sheer volume of her snowy breasts was incredibly distracting in the low light.
Following his gaze, Tsunade yanked her collar shut, her face now a burning shade of crimson. The memories of the previous night's madness flooded her mind, leaving her a mess of shame and fury. She glared at him. "SHUT UP! Don't you dare mention that! Get out! NOW!"
She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.
Saiki caught it effortlessly and tossed it back onto the bed. Looking at her flushed, indignant face, he let out a helpless sigh. "So cold... using me and then throwing me away? You were literally begging for more last ni—"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, SAIKI!" Tsunade exploded. Her amber eyes were wide with a mix of terror and rage. She lunged forward to shove him out.
In this moment, there was no trace of the legendary Sannin or the Acting Hokage. She was just a woman struggling with her own mortification.
Saiki caught her wrists as she tried to push him. With a quick yank, he pulled her into his chest and wrapped her in a firm hug.
Tsunade had been so submissive the night before; Saiki wanted to see if that change would stick now that she was awake. He was willing to risk a beating to find out.
"Saiki! Let me go!" Tsunade thrashed, but her struggle lacked its usual bone-crushing force. It felt more like a pout than a genuine attempt to escape.
Her reaction emboldened Saiki. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but Tsunade happened to turn her head at that exact moment. Their lips met in a full, soft collision.
Tsunade went completely still. Her amber eyes widened, staring at his face from less than an inch away.
The soft, warm contact on her lips was like a spark dropped into a barrel of oil. Her blood set on fire instantly.
"Mmph—!" A short, shocked whimper was swallowed by the kiss. Tsunade's brain went offline. The only thing she could feel was the strange, electrifying pressure on her lips.
The fatigue of the night and the soreness of her body were forgotten, buried under a tidal wave of shame and panic.
A heartbeat later, her strength returned in a violent burst. She slammed her palms into Saiki's chest and shoved him back with all her might!
Saiki, caught off guard by the sudden Kage-level force, stumbled backward, his arms falling away from her.
"SAI! KI!" Tsunade practically shrieked. Her voice trembled with absolute mortification. Her entire face and neck were a dark, bruised shade of red.
She frantically wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, as if trying to erase the physical evidence of the kiss. Her eyes were burning with a fire that looked ready to incinerate him.
They had done everything there was to do during the Dual Cultivation, including a French kiss.
But this was different. This was their first "normal" kiss while fully conscious. Tsunade's reaction was catastrophic.
"Do you want to die?!" she screamed, her words jumbled and frantic. She grabbed anything within reach—pillows, a stray book, the end of the quilt—and hurled them at Saiki in a blind frenzy. "GET THE HELL OUT! NOW! OR I WILL KILL YOU!"
The pillow bounced harmlessly off Saiki's chest. He caught it, watching her act like an enraged kitten. He wasn't afraid; instead, a satisfied, triumphant smirk played on his lips.
However, he knew better than to push his luck any further. He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! I'm going! Sister Tsunade, don't be mad! Breakfast is getting cold. I'll be waiting downstairs!"
He took one last lingering look at her vibrant, expressive face before dodging another incoming pillow and slipping out the door. He made sure to close it gently behind him.
THUD!
The door clicked shut, but Saiki could still hear her ragged, frantic breathing and the sound of her grinding her teeth in shame.
Inside the room, Tsunade sat alone on her messy bed. Her chest heaved. A few locks of blonde hair were stuck to her burning cheeks.
The phantom sensation of his lips on hers wouldn't go away. Her heart was hammering like a war drum. She had completely lost her composure.
She gripped the bedsheets until her knuckles turned white.
That little bastard... he's getting way too bold!
Tsunade cursed him in her head, but deep down, beneath the embarrassment, she felt a tiny, terrifying flutter in her chest—a ripple in a lake that she knew she could no longer calm.
She shook her head violently, trying to cast the feeling out.