"Minato, is this your first time traveling this far from the village?" Haruki asked as he caught sight of the Hokage Rock in the distance. Even from afar, it gave him a familiar sense of home.
The village had its fair share of problems, but for Haruki, it was the only place that truly felt like home.
"Yeah, Sensei," Minato nodded.
As they got closer, Minato's tense expression softened. Since he hadn't graduated yet, he had barely ever left the village, let alone traveled to far-off places like the Land of Rain.
Once they reached the village gate, Haruki turned to him with a smile. "Minato, go home and get some rest. Training officially starts tomorrow."
"Yes!" Minato's eyes lit up with excitement.
Haruki chuckled. At this moment, he was just like any other ten-year-old kid.
When Haruki arrived home, he found the place empty. Tsunade wasn't there.
She was probably still at the academy, he figured. Checking the time, he decided to head out again.
—
The Medical Class, a newly established course in the academy.
The medical department itself was still far from complete.
Haruki remembered that in the original timeline, the medical corps would eventually be divided into several specialized units.
Emergency response, corpse disposal, and even animal rehabilitation. But for now, the only functioning branch was emergency care.
Standing outside the classroom, Haruki closed his eyes and listened. Inside, Tsunade was in the middle of a lecture.
Just then, a voice came from the side.
"Haruki-sama?"
He opened his eyes and turned to see a young woman with a gentle face and glasses.
Haruki held up a finger to his lips. "Shh." He lowered his voice.
It was Nono Yakushi, the current head of the medical class.
She was young, but her medical ninjutsu skills were impressive. She and Haruki had fought side by side before, she was someone he trusted.
"When did you get back?" Nono asked curiously.
"Just now," Haruki answered calmly.
"So, the first thing you do after coming back is visit the academy? You and Princess Tsunade really are close," Nono said, a hint of envy in her eyes.
Haruki smirked. "If you wanted, you could have the same. But from what I hear, your admirers could probably form a line from one end of the village to the other."
"Haha, good joke," Nono adjusted her glasses and replied seriously, "But I have no plans to get into a relationship."
"You don't want romance, but you love taking care of kids? Well, either way, I have to thank you for helping me run the orphanage," Haruki said with a warm smile.
Just as he finished speaking, he turned his head, and met Tsunade's gaze. The moment their eyes locked, her expression softened, and a warm smile spread across her face, almost like the arrival of spring.
The students who noticed were stunned.
During lectures, she was strict. If someone messed up, she'd knock some sense into them.
If they got injured, she'd call it learning through experience.
"Focus!" Tsunade slammed her hands on the podium, crossing her arms. "Class isn't for you to sit there gawking!"
The students quickly looked away, lips twitching as they tried to process how fast her expression had changed.
Haruki just smiled and shook his head. He had always liked how she was tough on others but gentle with him.
Nono let out a small sigh.
She never wanted to pursue romance, but watching them, she couldn't help but feel a little envious.
—
Once the lecture ended, Tsunade stepped out of the classroom and immediately asked, "What were you two talking about?"
Her gaze briefly flicked to Nono before she casually reached out and took Haruki's hand.
Haruki, noticing the gesture, quickly replied, "We were just talking about how serious you look when you're teaching."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I don't act serious any other time?"
Haruki shrugged and leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "That's not what I meant... And I just like the way you usually are."
Nono, who definitely heard that, quickly said, "Well, Lady Tsunade, Haruki-sama, I'll be heading out now."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.
Even if Haruki whispered, she was a ninja. There was no way she wouldn't hear it. And frankly, she didn't want to listen to whatever came next.
"You talk too much! You deserve a beating!"
Tsunade's face turned slightly red as she flicked Haruki's forehead with her finger.
"I came straight to see you as soon as I got back to the village, and this is how you treat me?" Haruki placed a hand on his forehead, looking hurt.
"Well, who told you to talk nonsense?" Tsunade huffed, turning her head to the side but the small smirk on her lips gave her away.
Haruki caught it instantly. "What nonsense? I was just telling the truth!"
Tsunade snapped back at him. "No! This is your fault! Who told you to flirt in front of Nono?!"
Haruki blinked. "Flirt? What did I even do? You were the one who got jealous over me talking to Nono, so I just—"
He stopped mid-sentence as Tsunade turned to him with that look. The one that said if you say another word, you'll be seeing my fist up close.
"...So cute." The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Ba-dump!
Hearing that, Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. The fierce look in her eyes faltered, and she quickly turned her head away. "Hmph, finally something nice came out of your mouth."
Before she could react, Haruki suddenly stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace.
"Wha... what are you doing?!" Tsunade's breath hitched.
Haruki leaned in, his lips brushing close to her ear as he whispered, "You're keeping your promise tonight."
Tsunade's whole body tensed. Her ears turned bright red as the words sank in.
A few seconds later, she snapped out of it, broke free from his arms, and marched forward at a very brisk pace, clearly flustered.
Haruki just grinned and followed after her.
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