In the bathtub.
Tsunade's golden hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders, and her beautiful face was flushed with a deep crimson.
Her cheongsam was in disarray, with the top clasps undone, revealing a large expanse of pale skin.
The black stockings clung tightly to her long, slender legs, running from her waist to her shapely hips.
There were visible tears at the thigh area.
"I'll carry you back to your room," said Shinho, lowering his head to press a soft kiss on her rosy lips.
"Clothes," Tsunade reminded him, her gaze weary.
Shinho understood immediately.
The cheongsam and stockings were indeed beyond repair.
He reached out, undoing the last two clasps.
Freed from its constraints, the cheongsam drifted apart, floating on the water's surface.
Her delicate face and voluptuous figure combined to create an overwhelming visual impact.
Shinho exhaled slowly, his hands moving to her waist as he began removing the black stockings.
Her shapely, smooth thighs came into view.
Starting from the soft soles of her feet, he traced the elegant lines upward, experiencing the silky texture transitioning into fullness.
He paused, then slid one arm behind her back and the other under her legs, lifting her up effortlessly.
Activating his chakra, he channelled his primaeval Essence to clean the water droplets from both of their bodies.
Back in Tsunade's room, he placed her gently on the bed.
For a moment, he froze.
Tsunade had opened her eyes at some point and was smiling at him, her expression sultry and her flushed cheeks adding to her allure.
"Your turn," she murmured, curling her finger toward him. Her eyes glistened with a teasing light.
Shinho chuckled inwardly.
Even without using her Yin Seal, Tsunade wasn't someone who'd stay down after a single fall.
It was merely a shift in the balance of power.
The autumn sunlight streamed through the window, casting long, overlapping shadows of their figures.
Tsunade's breathing grew uneven, her lips trembling slightly as fine beads of sweat covered her flushed face.
Shinho buried his face in her chest, his actions tender, yet with a firmness that added to the experience.
Tsunade trembled slightly, her gaze softening. She wrapped her pale arms around his head, holding him close.
After a muffled groan, she activated her Yin Seal.
At that moment, Shinho kissed her again.
A faint sweetness lingered in the air.
Tsunade shot him a dissatisfied glance.
"Even the taste changes under the Yin Seal?" she muttered.
But Shinho, wasn't fazed by her sharp glare.
Looking at the stunning woman before him, he couldn't help but laugh.
"You're asking for it now!" Tsunade pushed him away, annoyed.
With the power of her Yin Seal, she regained her composure.
"Are you a dog or something? Why bite me?"
Shinho inhaled sharply.
"A dog?"
Tsunade's expression darkened, and she activated her Yin Seal again.
"You're so done for!"
Shinho froze, sensing imminent danger.
He felt as though he were lost in a maze of twisting caves, unable to find his way out.
The autumn wind swept in, carrying a refreshing coolness.
The sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the heavens with the colors of dusk.
…
Meanwhile, Shizune stretched her arms, relieved that the workday was finally over.
She locked up the Hokage's office after finishing the paperwork.
With Shinho away at the Fire Temple, her workload had decreased somewhat, and the Finance Department was running smoothly on its own.
Today, she had processed the profits from the first batch of jewelry sold by the Konoha Jewelers.
The next batch would involve larger-scale production, which meant longer settlement times.
Shizune couldn't help but marvel.
It was her first time handling such a significant amount of money.
"How long is Shinho planning to stay at the Fire Temple?" she wondered aloud while walking down the street.
Normally, that troublemaker would take every chance to tease her, sometimes even in public, leaving her both irritated and excited.
At the Senju residence, Shizune unlocked the door and entered.
"Lady Tsunade must be out gambling late again," she muttered, shaking her head.
She bent down to remove her high heels, the tight pencil skirt accentuating her form as her black stockings stretched slightly.
As she entered the living room, she heard faint noises coming from Tsunade's room.
Shizune paused, then walked toward the sound.
The noise suddenly stopped.
She was about to knock when the door opened on its own.
Tsunade, dressed in a kimono-style sleepwear, appeared with her golden hair cascading down and her face flushed as though she'd just woken up.
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune frowned, "Have you been sleeping all afternoon?"
"No," Tsunade replied calmly, stepping aside.
Shizune froze in place.
Inside the room, Shinho was sitting at a desk, writing something.
"You... you two..." Shizune stammered, confused as to what was going on.
"That brat's working on a new version of the Will of Fire," Tsunade yawned, "I was about to nap, but he's been at it all afternoon."
"Shizune-nee," Shinho walked over, handing her the revised text, "This is my proposed update to the Will of Fire."
"Let me see," Shizune said, interested.
In Konoha, what was most important?
Talent? Bloodlines? No, it was the Will of Fire.
The village's major policies and actions revolved around it.
High-ranking officials like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura constantly invoked it in their rhetoric.
As the Hokage's assistant, Shizune had to master its nuances.
Sitting on the living room sofa, she began reading the document.
The opening sentence alone made her heart skip a beat.
Such a unique perspective, it was undeniably Shinho's work.
His unconventional approach to Konoha's administration was already apparent in his previous reforms, and while unorthodox, his ideas often proved effective.
Back at the doorway, Tsunade let out a breath of relief.
That had been too close.
Ordinarily, with her skills, she would have noticed Shizune the moment she entered the house.
But given that she was reaching for the high heavens at the moment, she only realised it when Shizune was right outside.
Still, she had acted quickly enough to cover it up.
Even so, her racing heartbeat added an unexpected thrill.
"You're as cunning as ever, Sensei," Shinho whispered, his hand resting on her hips.
Tsunade swatted his hand away with a glare.
"There's no next time!"
Before he could reply, she headed toward the bathroom.
Her stomach felt a little unsettled.
Shinho shook his head helplessly.
What a ruthless woman.
"Shizune-nee," he said, walking over to Shizune.
"Mm," Shizune responded without even looking up.
The newly revised Will of Fire had completely absorbed her attention. It felt as though it had opened the door to an entirely new world.
Shinho raised an eyebrow.
So captivated?
As expected of the diligent secretary to the Hokage.
He reached out and gently brushed her thigh, encased in black stockings.
Shizune snapped out of her reverie, glanced around to ensure Tsunade wasn't present, and then gave Shinho a side-eye.
But she didn't push him away, allowing his hand to linger.
Such was the power of habit.
Shizune took a deep breath and continued reading.
Shinho, for his part, was calm and collected.
Though the sensation of soft skin and silky stockings under his fingers was undeniable, his focus didn't waver.
The new Will of Fire was a full book and would typically take an hour or two to read thoroughly.
After toying with her for a while, Shinho withdrew his hand and took a seat across from her.
The next moment, Tsunade walked into the living room.
She had already cleaned up the remnants of what didn't belong to her and returned with a hairdryer in hand.
Back in her room, she began drying her hair, her thoughts wandering.
The near-discovery earlier had made her realize something important.
Both she and Shinho had immense stamina.
With Shizune living in the house, it was only a matter of time before they got caught.
Tsunade pondered for a while.
Shizune was at the age to marry. Perhaps she had someone she liked?
Shinho glanced at the time and decided not to disturb Shizune. Instead, he headed to the kitchen.
A few dozen minutes later, the table was set with food.
"Shizune-nee, how much have you read?" Shinho asked, casually picking up a piece of fried shrimp with his chopsticks.
"About halfway," Shizune replied, studying him closely, "How... how did you come up with all this?"
"Knowledge is power," Shinho said with a grin. "Read more books."
"..."
Shizune was speechless.
What books could possibly contain this knowledge?
Certainly, there was none in Konoha that held these kinds of content.
Tsunade, observing from the side, was curious.
She hadn't read the revised Will of Fire yet.
What could possibly have shocked Shizune so much?
She made a mental note to read it later.
After dinner, Shizune prepared to clean the table, but Tsunade stopped her.
"Kid, you do the dishes," Tsunade said flatly.
Shinho looked confused but didn't question her.
"Lady Tsunade, is there something you need?" Shizune asked once Shinho left.
"Shizune, do you have someone you like?" Tsunade asked bluntly.
"Eh?!"
Caught off guard, Shizune froze.
As the question sank in, a certain someone's image popped into her mind—Shinho.
Her face grew conflicted.
If it were anyone else, she wouldn't mind telling Tsunade.
But this was Shinho, someone she had grown up with.
They had an age gap, and their relationship was that of senior and junior.
Shizune suddenly felt too embarrassed to speak.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, surprised by her reaction.
Even though Shizune hadn't spoken, the fleeting expression on her face was enough to confirm Tsunade's suspicions.
There's something going on!
"It's fine, just say it," Tsunade said with a small smile "Liking someone is normal. If you tell me, I can help you."
After all, she was the Fifth Hokage and one of the legendary Sannin.
With her assistance, success was practically guaranteed.
"N-no," Shizune stammered, shaking her head.
"Really?"
Tsunade studied her intently. "I know you better than anyone, Shizune."
Under her scrutinizing gaze, Shizune instinctively looked down, biting her lip uncertainly.
"Don't you trust me?" Tsunade asked, her smile growing wider.
The shy response was endearing.
Tsunade had once worried about Shizune, who spent most of her time by her side with little opportunity to socialize.
"I… I'm not sure yet," Shizune said hastily, coming up with an excuse. "Once I'm sure, I'll let you know."
She knew she had already exposed herself.
It was impossible to hide it now, so she opted to delay instead.
"Alright," Tsunade said after a moment's thought, dropping the topic.
"I'll go back to my book," Shizune said, quickly excusing herself and practically fleeing the room.
Tsunade chuckled softly.
Ah, the bashfulness of young love.
But who could Shizune like?
Not being Hokage anymore, Tsunade rarely went to the Hokage's office and wasn't familiar with who Shizune interacted with.
Perhaps she could get that kid to investigate.
Tsunade was quite interested in this matter.
…
When Shinho returned to the living room after washing the dishes, Shizune was gone, leaving Tsunade alone on the sofa.
He walked over and sat beside her.
"There's something I want to ask," Tsunade said, letting him toy with her fingers.
"What is it?" Shinho asked, rubbing her hands gently.
"Do you know who Shizune likes?" Tsunade asked, catching his mischievous hand.
"Ah?"
Shinho froze, a chill running down his spine.
What's going on?
Did she figure it out?
"I just asked Shizune," Tsunade explained, oblivious to his reaction. "She said she's interested in someone but hasn't decided yet."
"I see," Shinho replied, shaking his head. "I'm not sure either."
"Keep an eye out for me when you can," Tsunade said casually.
"Sensei, why the sudden interest in this?" Shinho asked, puzzled.
"Why do you think?" Tsunade turned to him with a displeased look. "Do you want a repeat of last time?"
Shinho quickly understood.
From a normal perspective, it was indeed an issue.
But their relationship was far from normal.
For now, he could only take things one step at a time.
The night passed uneventfully.
Having had his fill in the afternoon, Shinho had one of his rare restful nights.
…
The next morning, Shinho headed to the research building near the Hokage's office.
To facilitate Orochimaru's experiments, Shinho had assigned him an entire building, also placing him in charge of the Science Division.
With the Slavery Gu controlling him, Shinho wasn't worried about betrayal.
Unless Orochimaru's soul strength surpassed his own, which was impossible.
Shinho's strength continued to grow steadily, and once he reached the sixth rank, betrayal would be a zero probability.
"Hokage-sama!"
A young ninja greeted him upon entering the research building.
"Take me to Orochimaru," Shinho said directly.
"Yes!"
The young ninja led the way upstairs.
On the second floor, inside a surgical room, Shinho found Orochimaru.
He was wearing a white lab coat, his hands drenched in blood.
Behind him lay an all-too-familiar figure, Fuka.
However, the beautiful kunoichi now looked pitiful, her head shaved completely bald.
Her fiery red hair was sealed inside a transparent container, writhing madly.
The scene was nothing short of bizarre.
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