As night fell, Shizune helped a drunken Tsunade back to their inn. After carefully tending to her and making sure she was settled, she sighed and returned to her own room.
Some time later, in the darkness, Tsunade, who was lying on the bed, suddenly began to stir. Her eyelids twitched and she groggily opened her eyes.
What caught her eye was an unfamiliar room. Having spent years in Konoha, she had grown unaccustomed to life on the road. It was called traveling, but it was almost like wandering, except that she never lacked money.
Her mind was a little muddled. Lying on her back made her chest feel heavy, but turning to her side made her throat uncomfortable. Half-awake, she sat up and fumbled for some water.
As she moved, the room swayed around her. She nearly lost her balance and fell face-first from the force of habit. After finally managing to take a sip of water, she gazed out at the night beyond the window, only to lose interest instantly.
Konoha was not the hometown of her dreams. Decades had passed, and all that remained was a place filled with sorrow.
If only she hadn't given that necklace to Nawaki back then. If only her Medical Ninjutsu had been more advanced at the time, perhaps she could have saved him.
Dan had also died wearing that necklace. They had promised each other that when the war ended... But everything was irreversible now. That bloodstained necklace truly seemed cursed, forever bringing tragedy.
The only one who had survived after wearing it was that blond brat. However, Tsunade had clearly seen Orochimaru stab Naruto straight through the heart that day… yet he had survived.
Calling it strange would be an understatement. It was outright unnatural.
At the time, she had nearly lost her mind, convinced that he was beyond saving.
And yet, before long, the wound in his heart had healed. Healed completely.
Who would believe such a thing? After all, it wasn't just any wound… it was his heart. It was as if someone had chopped off a kunai and it had grown back instantly. It was absolutely absurd.
'That brat seemed nearly impossible to kill. With his shameless, despicable, and downright rotten personality, the chances of someone outmaneuvering and killing him were slim… more likely, he'd be the one doing the scheming.'
"Tsunade-sama."
At some point, Shizune had arrived outside the door. Pushing it open, she saw Tsunade staring blankly at her cup of water and softly called out to her.
"Hm?" Tsunade came back to her senses.
"Are you alright? Do you want some sobering tea?" Shizune asked, already moving toward the kettle. She poured the tea effortlessly, then glanced at Tsunade. "What were you thinking about just now, Tsunade-sama?"
"Naruto." Tsunade murmured, rubbing her temples.
"Him?" Shizune was surprised. She turned on the lamp with a click. Though the darkness didn't hinder her vision, she still preferred the room to be well-lit.
"Naruto should have left the village by now, right? I wonder if we'll run into him along the way."
"Unlikely. The chances aren't high." Tsunade replied, taking a sip of water before shifting her gaze to the steaming teapot. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Keep an eye on any recent news from Kumogakure. Wherever things are the most chaotic, that's probably where he is."
"The most chaotic?" Shizune was confused.
"Well, do you really think he left the village just to travel peacefully?" Tsunade sneered, "That brat is probably targeting Kumogakure, or maybe Iwagakure."
…
The next day.
When Naruto woke up, he found Yugito sleeping shamelessly in his bed, with her back facing him. His eyelids twitched uncontrollably as he thought to himself, 'This woman was really… unfathomable.'
'After sleeping on the floor a few times and realizing that he was restraining himself around her, she just decided to let loose, huh?'
He smacked his lips in annoyance, got out of bed, and went to wash up. He didn't take the cat girl too seriously. Even if he was desperate, he wouldn't use her to relieve himself. After all, he has a clear distinction between a tool and a stand-in.
Once things were set in motion, there would be no turning back from squeezing every ounce of usefulness out of Yugito.
'The path to becoming the Raikage was indeed full of thorns… was she already trying to lure him into a trap?'
'What a joke. How could a woman be more fun than becoming the Raikage?'
Sitting at the dining table, he noticed that the mess from last night's hot pot feast had been cleaned up and thrown away. He was poor, but not so destitute that he couldn't afford a meal.
The problem was, his recent supply purchases had drained almost all his funds. The one million ryo from Yugao was barely enough to cover their expenses, and now, most of it was gone.
If he were frugal enough to last until Kumogakure, where he could start spending Yugito's money, then maybe he'd be fine. But the issue was… frugality didn't account for unexpected circumstances.
'I'm running out of money… What should I do?' Naruto muttered to himself as he returned with two servings of food. As he headed upstairs, he caught sight of Yugito coming out from the bathroom.
Stare~~ Ignore.
Yugito curled her lips, walked into the room and started to change clothes as if no one else was present.
Through careful observation, she had discovered something… this man was actively restraining himself. That meant, to some extent, he needed her to act a certain way.
After further analysis, she concluded that from the very start, he never treated her as some breeding mare, but rather, as a pure workhorse.
In the past two days, she had pushed herself to the limit, desperately keeping up with the journey and was exhausted beyond belief. But, the fact was that… this person was just trying to squeeze every bit of her usefulness.
She was the one doing chores, and she was also the one fighting.
Aside from not warming his bed, she was doing everything.
Unacceptable!
A rebellious spark ignited in Yugito's heart. If she had to submit, it didn't mean she had to act like some overworked mule. Who could tolerate this kind of treatment?
If the other party was just an ordinary Jonin or even someone near Kage-level, Yugito wouldn't have found the missions too difficult.
But unfortunately, he was a Jinchuriki, just like her.
It only took two days to get from the border of the Land to the Land of Waterfall… this level of intensity was absurd! Even if she could fly, she wouldn't have been able to go that fast!
"Today, same as usual, we keep moving."
Naruto had already sat down and ate his breakfast with a composed expression.
He made a point not to look at anything inappropriate, as there's no need to make sleeping at night any harder. They were still on the road, after all. Once they reached Kumogakure, things would be different.
Hearing this, Yugito's legs almost gave out. She looked at the blond sitting there casually, stretching his long legs as he ate his breakfast. Forgetting about changing clothes, she opened her mouth and asked, "Can we… slow down a little today?"
"Slow down? No way." Naruto didn't even lift his head as he refused outright. There was no way he was wasting unnecessary time on the road, "The sooner we reach Kumogakure, the sooner we can get things done."
"…Alright." Yugito sighed deeply, thinking what sin she had committed, "Can't you just put me back in that space of yours?"
"No."
"Is it because once I'm out, I can't go back in?" Yugito asked, still clinging to a last shred of hope before resigning herself to this miserable fate.
"No, it's too exhausting to travel alone, and I don't want you slacking off." Naruto said lightly.