Danzo asked expectantly, "Well?"
Tōshirō replied, "I can't give you an immediate answer, Lord Danzo. Please allow me to go back and think it over properly tonight."
"Alright."
Danzo nodded.
If it were anyone else, Danzo wouldn't be so polite.
If he told them to go, they would have to go. Bargaining? No way.
But Danzo had carefully studied Tōshirō's temperament.
If he tried to suppress him with the authority of the Hokage, it would only provoke his rebellious side.
If he said he wouldn't go, he wouldn't go.
So, he could only humor him as much as possible.
After leaving the Hokage's office, Tōshirō headed to the training grounds.
At the training grounds, Tsunade had already been training by herself for some time. Noticing Tōshirō's arrival, she stopped her training and walked towards him. "Are things settled over there?"
"Yes."
Tōshirō glanced around; the ground was riddled with craters. It seemed Tsunade had gotten bored and started training by herself when he didn't return.
Tsunade asked with curiosity, "What mission did that person assign you?"
Tōshirō cast a glance around them. Being cautious, he said, "Let's not talk about that for now. Let's train first."
His implication was that they would discuss it privately when they got home.
Tsunade understood the hint. "Okay, let's train then."
"Today, let's focus on taijutsu."
Tōshirō and Tsunade moved apart. His eyes turned red, with three tomoe swirling around his pupils, activating his Sharingan.
Then, he extended his right hand, curled his index finger inward, and teased, "Ladies first."
Feeling underestimated, Tsunade was a little annoyed. She closed the distance at full speed and threw a punch at his ribs.
Tōshirō skillfully dodged.
Missing once, Tsunade pressed on.
Tōshirō only defended, patiently waiting for an opportunity for Tsunade to expose a weakness.
After several rounds of exchange, Tōshirō, through his Sharingan, saw Tsunade's opening. Her guard was wide open, presenting an opportunity.
A fist came soaring, aiming straight for his face. Tōshirō abruptly squatted, dodging the attack, and launched a counter-attack.
Damn it...
Tsunade's heart tightened.
By the time she reacted, it was too late. She could only watch as his two palms came together, striking her.
Uh...
The expected fierce blow wasn't painful at all.
Huh?
Tsunade reacted, lowering her head slightly, her gaze shifting downward. She saw two "wolf paws" grabbing something.
Even through the fabric, Tōshirō could feel the silky smoothness, like eating Dove chocolate.
Tsunade's eyes widened, glaring. The desire to "knife" someone couldn't be hidden.
Tōshirō quickly raised his hands, his expression serious, and said earnestly, "Uchiha Taijutsu Secret Art: The Hundred-Strike, Heart-Piercing Dragon's Claw Hand..."
"Go to hell!"
Tsunade was merciless. She raised her leg and kicked straight out, ready to stomp this guy to death. How dare he grope her when she wasn't paying attention...
After training, it was already late.
"Let's call it a day." Tōshirō signaled the end of their session.
"Okay."
The two returned home, ate dinner, bathed, and had a brief moment of intimacy.
In bed, Tsunade, nestled in Tōshirō's arms, suddenly remembered something she had almost forgotten. "Oh, right, why did Danzo look for you this morning?"
"Nothing much, he just wants me to assassinate the Second Kazekage."
Tōshirō spoke casually, as if discussing tomorrow's weather. So much so that Tsunade didn't react immediately and, following Tōshirō's lighthearted tone, murmured, "Oh, so it's to assassinate the Second Kazekage, that's really..."
"What did you just say?"
Tsunade's eyes widened, suspecting she had misheard.
Tōshirō patted his girlfriend's "mounds," trying to soothe her. "Calm down..."
Tsunade was in no mood to address his lewd behavior. She sat up. "Why would Danzo send you on such a dangerous mission out of the blue?"
Tōshirō let out a breath and relayed what Danzo had told him.
After listening, Tsunade looked worried. "Even so, that's still very dangerous."
"He's just an old geezer with one foot in the grave. Nothing to be afraid of."
Tōshirō acted as if he didn't put the Second Kazekage in his eyes.
It wasn't that he looked down on the Second Kazekage.
He had his own considerations.
He planned to use this opportunity to go with Kakuzu and kill the person who knew his secret, to eliminate future worries.
As for the Second Kazekage, he could go chill somewhere else.
Tōshirō had no intention of dealing with him. He planned to skip work; at worst, the mission would just fail.
Tsunade detected the underlying attitude in his tone. "So, you plan to take this mission?"
Tōshirō admitted, "Sort of."
Tsunade got out of bed.
Seeing her about to leave, Tōshirō was startled. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to Danzo's house to drag him out and beat him up, kick his butt hard. That guy actually assigned you this mission."
Tsunade was furious.
It wasn't that she didn't believe in Tōshirō's strength; she just didn't want him to be in danger.
Tōshirō grabbed Tsunade's delicate wrist. "Tsunade, let it go, let it go. Danzo is the acting Hokage after all; we should give him some face."
"But..."
Tsunade hesitated.
Tōshirō embraced Tsunade's soft body from behind. "Don't worry, don't you know me? I'm a very cautious player."
Tsunade was still worried. "Who else is on this mission besides you?"
"Just me."
"Just you?"
"Everyone else would be a burden to me."
Tōshirō's condition for accepting Danzo's mission was to carry it out alone.
On one hand, it was to prevent Danzo from playing tricks behind his back. On the other hand, it was also to skip work and do other things.
"You're too arrogant."
"It's not arrogance, I'm just speaking the truth. If the assassination fails, and I'm alone, no one in this world can stop me from escaping. But with companions, it would be troublesome." Tōshirō shook his head, sighing, "Tsunade, you wouldn't want to see me abandon my comrades, would you?"
After speaking, Tōshirō added, "Of course, personally, I wouldn't mind doing something like that, but I don't want to make things difficult for you, understand?"
There was no point in saying more. Seeing his insistence, Tsunade sighed heavily and rambled on, giving him her final instructions.
Tōshirō found her nagging annoying and waved his hand as if shooing away a mosquito: "I know, I know, Tsunade, why are you as nagging as a mother..."
Tsunade raised her voice, pouting, "Whose fault do you think this is?"
Tōshirō put his hands together, "Sorry, sorry..."
Tsunade made a bold decision, her ears turning red, and gritted her teeth, "Just remember to come back. When you do, my... my body, you can touch it however you want."
Tōshirō's eyes sparkled, like a lustful, no, an aloof lone wolf howling at the full moon from a cliff: "Ooh-ooh-ooh, if you say so, then even if I die, I'll crawl back from the underworld to find you!"
Tsunade covered Tōshirō's mouth with her palm, her eyes filled with tenderness, "Don't say such unlucky things."
Tōshirō grinned naughtily, "Are you worried about me?"
Tsunade's face changed like turning a page in a book. "Nonsense! Why else would I be saying all this to you?"
Tōshirō stuck out his tongue and licked her palm. "Does that mean I can touch it however I want from now on?"
"Idiot! Of course, it's only for that day."
Tsunade turned her palm into a clamp and squeezed hard, making Tōshirō's mouth look like a duck's beak. "And don't get carried away and push your luck!"
Tōshirō, with his duck-like mouth, couldn't speak properly, but he was compliant, nodding repeatedly.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Soul Land 2: Golden Dragon King]."