Tsunade held Kakashi while Nayuki walked beside her. The trio soon arrived at the shopping street and headed straight into a children's clothing store.
"Kakashi, do you like this outfit?" Tsunade asked, freeing one hand to point at a nice little kimono.
"It's nice," Kakashi replied, though he didn't really like the style. Still, he went along with Tsunade. For someone so young, he was already quite tactful.
"Then try it on," Tsunade said, calling the store owner before asking Nayuki to take Kakashi to try on the clothes.
As they went to the fitting room, Tsunade wandered around the shop, carefully selecting more clothes.
When Kakashi came out, Tsunade immediately praised him, her eyes lighting up. The store owner, seeing her reaction, knew the sale was secure and couldn't help but smile. His shop was known for its expensive but high-quality clothing, and Tsunade clearly appreciated that.
"Try these on as well," Tsunade said, handing over more outfits. She even negotiated with the owner, mindful of keeping Kakashi entertained.
"Okay, Auntie," Kakashi agreed without hesitation, fully aware that Tsunade was his greatest sponsor.
When they left the shop, Nayuki was carrying several bags.
"He's growing so fast now. There's really no need to buy this much," Nayuki said, not out of stinginess but concern over wastefulness.
"It's fine, as long as they look good," Tsunade replied nonchalantly. With her substantial income from rents, she didn't consider it a big expense.
"Auntie is the best," Kakashi said enthusiastically, planting a kiss on Tsunade's cheek.
"Our Kakashi is so good," Tsunade said, beaming with joy at his praise.
"Little flatterer," Nayuki teased, giving Kakashi a light slap on the head. This brat definitely takes after Kawakaze, she thought. Sakumo hadn't been like this as a child.
"I didn't flatter; I was just being honest," Kakashi said, pouting slightly as he rubbed his head.
"Haha, you've got a real silver tongue," Tsunade laughed heartily.
The three of them continued shopping, picking out clothes for both Kawakaze and Sakumo.
By noon, Tsunade wasn't hungry, having eaten late, but Nayuki and Kakashi still needed lunch. They found a restaurant serving child-friendly meals, and Tsunade ate casually with them.
Meanwhile, Kawakaze didn't return home and instead invited Shōta to dinner. Shōta, knowing Kawakaze was wealthy, saw this as an opportunity for revenge and ordered the most expensive items on the menu. Kawakaze noticed and found it amusing.
"Is that enough?" Kawakaze asked, glancing at the table overflowing with food. "If it's not, we can order more."
"That's enough. The table won't hold any more," Shōta replied, pretending not to hear the teasing tone in Kawakaze's voice.
"Okay, that's it then," Kawakaze said with a smile. He poured Shōta a cup of sake. "I'm sorry for what I did to you before. Consider this my apology."
The two men only poured small servings, knowing they still had work to do in the afternoon.
"Not at all. I didn't hold it against you," Shōta replied quickly, raising his glass in a toast. He hadn't expected Kawakaze to address the matter so directly.
"Anyway, you've been a big help. Thank you," Kawakaze said sincerely. He knew that without Shōta, Tsunade might not have remained as Hokage.
"It's nothing. You don't need to thank me," Shōta said, his earlier resentment fading. It wasn't the workload that had upset him, but Kawakaze's manipulative words. Now, with the apology made, he felt a weight lift.
"Forget it. Blame it on the sake," Kawakaze said, downing his drink in one go.
"Good," Shōta replied, following suit and finishing his own.
The two exchanged glances and broke into laughter. Friendship between men could indeed be simple. With Shōta not much younger than Kawakaze, they saw each other as peers.
After finishing their meal and paying the bill, they left the restaurant. Shōta, now reflecting on the evening, felt a little embarrassed—he might have gone a bit too far with his earlier antics.
"It's fine, we've also eaten quite a bit," Kawakaze said, patting Shōta on the shoulder, seemingly reading his thoughts.
After paying the bill, the two men walked out and headed toward the Hokage Building.
"Lord Kawakaze, next time I'll treat you," Shōta offered, scratching his head. "It's just that the food may be slightly lacking."
"It doesn't matter what we eat; I'll definitely be there," Kawakaze replied casually, not minding at all.
"Okay, then that's settled," Shōta said, already planning to invite Tsunade along next time.
Back at the office, the two resumed their tedious work.
Meanwhile, Tsunade and Nayuki were at a women's clothing store, trying on clothes. Kakashi sat alone in the store, and from time to time, noblewomen would come over and pinch his cheeks. Being good-looking was proving to be a burden.
When Tsunade and Nayuki returned after their shopping spree, they found Kakashi with several lipstick marks on his face.
"Our Kakashi is really popular," Tsunade teased, smiling.
"Boys have to learn to say no," Nayuki said as she wiped Kakashi's face, her tone half-scolding.
"I don't want to either," Kakashi said, looking a little aggrieved. "Those aunts pounced on me and kissed me. I couldn't stop them."
He sighed, still troubled by the memory of one particularly persistent woman who looked like she weighed 200 pounds. Her heavy makeup left him fearing he'd have nightmares. To calm himself, he thought about Kurenai Yūhi, which helped suppress the fear.
"Okay, okay, it's Mom's fault," Nayuki said, softening as she saw Kakashi's pout.
"Let's go, let's go home," Tsunade said, waving her hand.
The three of them headed home. The day was a success, with even Kakashi carrying two small bags of his own. He behaved the whole way and didn't ask to be carried once.
"Shiromaru, Shiromaru!" Kakashi called out loudly before they even reached home.
"Ooh~" A large white dog ran over. This was its nickname—and likely its official name as well. When Kakashi grew up, it was doubtful he would bother changing it.
"I'll go first," Kakashi announced as he climbed onto Shiromaru's back. In a flash of smoke, they were gone.
Only then did Onimaru approach, taking the bag from Nayuki's hand and staying close to the two women.
"Shiromaru is really good," Tsunade remarked casually.
"Kawakaze really made the right choice," Nayuki said, giving him the credit. Beside her, Onimaru rolled his eyes in a very human-like way.
If it weren't for Kawakaze's threats, Shiromaru wouldn't have ended up with Kakashi, a mere collateral family member.
After all, Shiromaru had managed to break through the Inuzuka family's defenses to become part of the Hatake household. Now, despite his remarkable story, the credit was being attributed to someone else. As a dog, where could he go to argue his case?
The day passed quietly. Tsunade took some time to rest at home but eventually gave in to her urge to gamble. She chose an upscale casino, ensuring the environment wouldn't harm the fetus.
Before dinner, Kawakaze returned home, and the family enjoyed a pleasant meal together. He thought his dull stint as the acting Hokage had finally ended.
However, unbeknownst to him, it was only the beginning.
The next morning, a tired Kawakaze woke from his dreams to find Tsunade staring at him with her eyes wide open.
"Honey, help me out for another day. My stomach doesn't feel very good," Tsunade said, pretending to be in pain as she rubbed Kawakaze's stomach with one hand.
"Come on. Your stomach hurts? No way," Kawakaze replied, immediately on guard. Things weren't adding up as he had imagined.
"I really don't feel well. Don't you believe me?" Tsunade's voice quivered, and tears began rolling down her face. Her acting skills, however, were starting to falter.
"I believe you, I believe you," Kawakaze sighed, covering his forehead. He wondered who he had offended to deserve this.
Playing the emotional card is simply too much!
"Then you go ahead. I'll wait for you at home," Tsunade said, her tone softening. "At worst, I'll promise you a few new positions tonight." She knew exactly how to manage her husband, throwing him just enough incentive to keep him obedient.
"No, this is the last time, okay?" Kawakaze said seriously, looking her directly in the eyes.
"Okay, I promise," Tsunade replied without hesitation, even raising her hand as if swearing an oath.
"Then let's agree," Kawakaze said reluctantly. He got up, dressed, and confirmed her promise again before slowly leaving the room.
"Last time, huh..." Tsunade murmured after hearing the door close. Pulling the quilt over herself, she laughed softly.
"I'm just a pitiful woman."
Today was shaping up to be another beautiful day!