Tsunade was dressed in a set of emerald-green outer robes, her sleeves rolled up. Her expression was calm, betraying no emotion, as she focused intently on sharpening the blade. Haruto Saito watched her, but she didn't look back at him. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the blade, occasionally lifting it to run her thumb along the edge, testing its sharpness.
"Crazy woman, I think there might be some misunderstanding here," Haruto said, scooting further into the bed, trying to put some distance between himself and Tsunade.
"A misunderstanding? Hah!" Tsunade didn't even glance at Haruto, her tone cold and detached. There was no visible anger on her face.
Tsunade was usually the type to wear her emotions on her sleeve—when she was angry, she showed it; when she was about to explode, it was obvious. But now, her calm demeanor felt like the eerie quiet before a storm.
"Can't you remember what happened yesterday? Think about it! You were the one who initiated it!" Haruto blurted out. "You were the one who stripped me! You even said I was cute! Don't you remember?"
"What does it matter if I remember or not?" Tsunade replied indifferently, holding the kunai up to the window and squinting to check the sharpness of the blade. "What's done is done. What shouldn't have happened has already happened. No amount of talking can change that."
"I think you should untie me first. We can have a proper conversation," Haruto said earnestly.
"What's there to talk about?" Tsunade placed the kunai back on the stone and continued sharpening it. "Just close your eyes. It'll all be over soon."
"Don't say things like that! It's terrifying!" Haruto shivered.
The ropes binding Haruto were specially made, but they couldn't truly restrain him. He could use his Barrier Removal Technique to transform the ropes into a medium for teleportation, allowing him to escape instantly.
However, Haruto didn't dare to do so lightly.
He was afraid of provoking an extreme reaction from Tsunade. It would be best to resolve this calmly and clearly. If things remained unclear, Tsunade might just stab him, and he wouldn't even have a chance to explain himself.
"Hey! Crazy woman, stop sharpening that blade, okay? Let's talk this through," Haruto spoke up again. "Tsunade! Last night, you barged into my bathroom. I was about to take a bath, but you were drunk and insisted on bathing with me. Later, you fell asleep, and I carried you back home. You held onto me and wouldn't let go, hugging me like that. You should know that at my age, it's hard to resist. And you didn't exactly refuse me either…"
Tsunade, who was still sharpening the blade, didn't respond. She merely tilted her head slightly to glance at Haruto before turning her attention back to the blade.
But in that brief moment when Tsunade turned her head, Haruto noticed a faint redness in her eyes.
She had been crying!
She had cried earlier but had wiped away her tears.
Tsunade was someone who appeared soft on the outside but was strong-willed inside. For her, something like this happening out of the blue could feel like a bolt from the blue.
"Crazy woman, Tsunade, say something! Don't scare me like this. You're really creeping me out," Haruto said, wriggling like a worm on the bed to get closer to Tsunade. "Can't you remember? Try to recall. It really wasn't me…"
"So you slept with me, and now you're trying to deny it?" Tsunade snapped quickly, though there wasn't much anger in her voice. She was clearly suppressing her emotions.
Haruto shut his mouth, momentarily stunned.
He realized he had made a mistake. Out of fear of Tsunade's violent tendencies, he had been trying to make her remember what happened last night, to make her understand how things had unfolded. But he shouldn't have done that.
If Tsunade truly remembered everything from last night, she might feel even more humiliated.
This wasn't about who was right or wrong!
It was about Haruto taking responsibility!
He shouldn't be trying to shift the blame. No matter what, what had happened had happened. Tsunade was clearly the "victim" in this situation. No matter how much he tried to explain, if Haruto had truly wanted to escape Tsunade's grasp last night, he could have done so. Tsunade had been out of her mind—it wasn't her fault!
"I was wrong. I'm sorry," Haruto said.
Tsunade didn't respond, still sharpening the blade. The kunai had become much thinner, gleaming like a mirror, so sharp it could probably cut through hair.
"Tsunade, honestly, from the moment I first saw you, I've liked you. I admit, I've always had feelings for you. You might think it's ridiculous because I'm so young, but everything I'm saying is true!"
"Even though you have many flaws—you're violent, you love gambling—you also have a gentle side. You're kind-hearted, cold on the outside but warm on the inside. And you're beautiful. To me, you're the most beautiful girl. For a long time, my mind was filled with thoughts of you. Your carefree, cheerful demeanor—it's the most adorable thing to me…"
Haruto's words grew increasingly sappy, to the point where even he felt a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't usually the type to say such things, but his feelings for Tsunade were genuine!
Tsunade showed no reaction, still focused on sharpening the blade.
"Tsunade, since what's done is done, maybe we can let things develop further. Hey! Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? Put the blade down first!" Haruto suddenly shouted.
Tsunade had stood up, gripping the kunai as she took two steps toward the bed.
Haruto had already rolled to the far side of the bed, his face filled with terror, clearly showing how scared he was.
He had no choice but to be scared—he couldn't beat Tsunade!
"Hey! Crazy woman! Calm down! Calm down! Acting on impulse is the devil's work!" Haruto tried to reason with her.
Tsunade stared at Haruto, then suddenly pounced.
Haruto instantly freed himself from the ropes, planning to use his Barrier Removal Technique to escape through the wall. But Tsunade was too fast. She grabbed his shoulder and pinned him down, pressing the kunai against his neck with her other hand.
"Hey… you're not really going to…" Haruto glanced sideways at the kunai pressed against his neck. It was unnervingly sharp.
"If you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll slice you into pieces and turn you into sashimi!" Tsunade growled through gritted teeth.
"I won't say a word, I promise! I swear!" Haruto quickly replied.
Tsunade stared into Haruto's eyes, her expression unreadable. Slowly, she moved the kunai away from his neck, then with a flick of her wrist, she embedded it into the pillow beside Haruto's head. Still seeming dissatisfied, she gave Haruto's shoulder a hard shove before getting up to leave.
Seeing Tsunade like this, Haruto, for some reason, found the courage to act. He suddenly sat up, wrapped his arms around Tsunade, and kissed her fiercely on the lips.
"What are you doing… let go… mmm… you little brat… mmm…" Tsunade struggled, but her strength seemed to have diminished. She couldn't push Haruto away.
Haruto grew even bolder, flipping Tsunade onto her back and daring to slide his hand under her clothes.
Thud!
A heavy punch landed on Haruto's stomach, bending him over like a shrimp. He rolled off the bed, his face contorted in pain.
"Ugh…" Haruto spat out a mouthful of blood. Despite his strong physique, Tsunade's punch had been enough to make him bleed.
"You little brat! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Have you lost your mind?" Tsunade sat up abruptly, scolding Haruto while adjusting her clothes and retying the sash Haruto had loosened.
"Damn, you're ruthless!" Haruto clutched his stomach, unable to get up.
"Ding! Host has established a 'Rivalry Bond' with Tsunade. Current bond level: 60 points." The system's notification suddenly rang in Haruto's ears.