The shop owner received them with eager hospitality. In Konoha, everyone was familiar with a celebrity like Tsunade.
Tsunade's well-known vices were gambling and drinking, and her comfort food of choice was usually fried chicken. She wasn't particularly fond of overly sweet things, especially dango. However, that didn't mean she rejected sweets entirely; she quite enjoyed yōkan—a dense jelly made of sugar, adzuki beans, and chestnuts.
But Three-Color Dango? That was never on her daily menu. She had only ordered them today out of a nagging curiosity, wondering why Hiruko was so obsessed with them.
"Boss! Give me fifty skewers of Three-Color Dango and a bowl of red bean soup!"
A boisterous teenage girl burst into the shop, wearing her signature fishnet top under a tan overcoat with intricate patterns. She moved with the ease of a regular.
That's Orochimaru's disciple, Tsunade noted, glancing at the girl. She had a vague impression of her but couldn't quite fathom what Orochimaru saw in the kid. Given Anko Mitarashi's current level of talent, it was natural for someone of Tsunade's caliber to look down on her, though she figured it might have something to do with the girl's father having ties to the snake Sannin.
Anko was bold, playful, impulsive, and crude—possessing almost none of Orochimaru's refined traits and zero talent for scientific ninjutsu.
Come to think of it, Orochimaru's disciples were all a bit "reckless" in their own way:
Nawaki: The first hothead, who charged into a trap so fast Orochimaru couldn't even attempt a rescue.Anko: The second, who would later try to commit double-suicide with her master during the Chunin Exams, eventually losing her ambition and spending her days eating dango until she became the "Plump Anko" of the Boruto era.Kabuto Yakushi: The third, who would go so far as to graft Orochimaru's cells into his own body to overcome rejection. Talk about reckless.Sasuke Uchiha: "The sky has cleared, the rain has stopped, and Sasuke thinks he's the boss again." He'd charge at anyone without knowing the heights of heaven, only to get thoroughly thrashed.
At this stage, Anko was only in her early teens—unlike an "expired" old woman, she was a girl still well within her "shelf life." As a young Chunin, while she couldn't compare to geniuses like Kakashi, she was certainly at the top of her peer group.
"Lady Tsunade! Can I sit here?" Anko spotted Tsunade and ran over excitedly. After all, Tsunade was her master's teammate.
Tsunade, who hadn't yet left the village to become the "Legendary Sucker" wandering the continent, enjoyed the rare peace. She wasn't as mythical as she would be in a few decades, appearing quite approachable to the villagers.
"No problem, join me," Tsunade said with a dismissive wave. Out of respect for her old friend Orochimaru, she was willing to give the girl some face.
Soon, the mounds of dango arrived. Anko ate with abandon, a blissful smile on her face as she downed them one by one. Tsunade watched from across the table, unable to comprehend why Hiruko and Anko shared this obsession with cloying sweets.
Tsunade tried a bite, but the slick, sugary texture made her frown. She just couldn't get used to it. Some things you can't force yourself to love. Despite her distaste, she had the shop owner wrap up the leftovers to take home.
"Lady Tsunade, let's eat dango together again next time!" Anko called out enthusiastically as Tsunade reached the door.
Tsunade waved without looking back. As she walked, it seemed she had resolved some inner conflict, making a firm decision in her heart.
As evening fell and the sun dipped below the horizon, Hiruko and Orochimaru concluded their day of intense research on Kurama Chiaki. Following a day of intellectual sparring, Hiruko dragged his exhausted but satisfied body home. It had been a productive day.
Only Orochimaru truly understands me. He's the real genius, Hiruko thought as he fumbled for his keys.
In the entryway, he spotted a pair of black leather sandals kicked off haphazardly. He sighed; he knew exactly what the house would look like. As expected, the air was thick with the scent of sake. Tsunade was drunk again. On the table sat a bag of Three-Color Dango.
"You're back..." Tsunade's voice drifted over, slurred and drowsy.
At that moment, the bathroom door swung open, and a cloud of hot steam billowed out.
Tsunade stepped out, wrapped only in a white bath towel that was clearly a size too small. It strained to contain her curves, leaving a generous amount of her porcelain skin exposed. She walked barefoot, a towel in her right hand, her gait swaying slightly from the alcohol.
With every step, she was a literal force of nature—a "surging wave" of beauty that made it impossible to look away. Beneath the towel, the ivory cleavage was mesmerizing, inviting a touch. Having just bathed, her body temperature was high, and her usually pale skin was flushed with a seductive, rosy hue.
Hiruko fought to keep his heart rate under control. Tsunade possessed an absolute, undeniable attraction for him.
"I'm hungry. Go make me something to eat," Tsunade said, tossing her head. Her golden hair shimmered with the movement, and her chest rose and fell slightly, anchoring Hiruko's gaze.
She hung her towel on a hook and sauntered toward the fridge with total nonchalance. Since the previous bathroom incident, she seemed to have abandoned all modesty around him.
Hiruko watched her, pretending to be unbothered on the surface while his inner turmoil reached a fever pitch. He suddenly felt a desperate need for a cold cola to soothe his parched throat.
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