The sun had already set by the time Tsunade was free. Reaching the inn where Akane was staying, Tsunade made her way to his room.
As she stepped inside, she found him lying peacefully on the bed, appearing asleep. Yet she knew better. He was in the dreamscape with Kaguya.
"Hmph."
The clone stationed in the room acted as though she didn't exist. It didn't even bother dispersing to notify Akane of her arrival.
Clicking her tongue, Tsunade walked over and tried to wake him.
She poked his head once, but nothing happened.
She did it twice, but still he didn't wake up.
For the third time, she hit him with much force. Moments later, Akane opened his eyes with a guarded look, but it quickly faded when he recognised her.
His gaze shifted to the clone, and a deadpan expression crossed his face.
The clone chuckled before dispersing. The memories immediately flowed back into Akane, and as he processed them, he looked at Tsunade. Remembering her earlier antics, a laugh escaped him.
"So, how was your DATE?" Tsunade asked, placing particular emphasis on the word.
Akane's grin widened.
Before he could even answer, Tsunade already knew the answer from his expression alone. She clicked her tongue again.
"You know, the bet was..." Akane began as he pulled her down to sit beside him.
Tsunade almost protested, but the excitement on his face stopped her.
He looked like a child eager to tell someone about the best day of his life. Swallowing her jealousy, she decided to hear and let him speak.
As Akane recounted everything that had happened, Tsunade gradually realised what thrilled him most wasn't the date itself.
Neither was the onsen nor the scene. But it was Kaguya's trust.
The way he described her made it clear he believed she had finally lowered all the walls around her heart.
Understanding that, Tsunade became even more curious about Kaguya's past.
'Who exactly was she? Taking control of the Land of Wind's Daimyo position just to help her wasn't a small matter.' Tsunade thought, and she wondered what absurd things Akane has planned for Kaguya.
What Tsunade didn't know was that Akane intended to do something similar with the Land of Fire.
Eventually, he finished speaking.
Silence settled between them, and they simply stared at one another.
A strange expression appeared on Akane's face as he suddenly realised what he had just done. He had spent all that time excitedly talking about a date with another woman to Tsunade. He was so lost that he didn't even think before doing this.
As he stared at her, what surprised him even more was the calmness in her eyes.
He had expected jealousy or a complaint, or maybe even a demand for an immediate date of their own.
Instead, she simply looked at him.
"What?"
Unable to understand her silence, Akane finally spoke.
Tsunade didn't answer. Instead, she reached forward, pulled him closer, and kissed him.
Akane's eyes widened at her response.
From such a close distance, he could clearly see the emotions in her gaze. There were many, but one stood above the rest.
Love.
For a brief moment, he wondered what thoughts were running through her mind. Then he abandoned the idea.
Trying to understand a woman's thoughts felt like attempting to solve a puzzle specifically designed to have no solution.
Even if he somehow gained the ability to read minds, he was convinced he would still lose every argument.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
Tsunade instinctively closed her eyes. The kiss between them deepened. The days of restraint and the times they had to hold back melted away.
Though they had met often in their dreams, both had carefully maintained control, focusing on missions and responsibilities. Neither had wanted distractions not something unexpected.
But now, there were no missions. No pressure or watchful eyes.
Only them and the moment between them.
The room was soon filled with the soft sounds of their kisses as they poured every unspoken emotion into the moment.
Akane held Tsunade tightly, savouring her warmth.
Meanwhile, her hands slipped beneath his shirt, tracing the muscles of his back. When they finally separated, both were breathing heavily.
Their eyes met. Neither of them said anything. Instead, they simply leaned forward and kissed again.
As the minutes passed, the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, and so did they.
In the middle of it all, Akane remembered something Mito had told them. A memory came to him, and it struck him like cold water.
Clarity returned to his eyes, and he was also reminded of other things, such as their position, Kaguya and other things.
Slowly pulling away, he noticed Tsunade still had her eyes closed.
A mischievous smile formed on his face. Leaning closer, he whispered into her ear.
"Grandma said not to do this."
Tsunade's eyes snapped open instantly. She remembered Mito warning about the physical intimacy between them because of Akane's overstimulated body, and even if they did something, they had to maintain restraint.
Moreover, Tsunade also remembered about their positions.
But as she stared at him, the expression in his eyes told her something else. He didn't care about Mito's warning or his body. Instead, he had done this on purpose.
But annoyingly enough, he wasn't wrong.
'He is acting on purpose. Alright, I will let him go for this time.'
The haze clouding her mind disappeared as well. Unfortunately, so did her dignity.
She suddenly became aware that she'd allowed her emotions, and perhaps her hormones, to completely take over. Learning about Kaguya and the events of their date certainly hadn't helped.
"But in the dreams..." Akane began to suggest an alternative. But Tsunade immediately cut him off, immediately. She knew that if he heard his complete words, many things would happen, which would lead to many more things.
Also, the look on his face made it obvious he was just enjoying himself now, though the mood had already been thoroughly murdered.
"So, what do you plan to do now?" Tsunade asked while straightening her clothes. She took a deep breath and controlled herself.
Akane looked at her, and as he noticed her expression, he understood immediately that teasing time was over.
Important matters awaited, and now it was time for discussion.
"I don't know. I don't really have anything important planned."
Tsunade stared at him flatly. The look in her eyes made Akane pause, and a moment later, realisation dawned on him.
"Oh? You mean regarding the Daimyo?"
She nodded.
"That's not important. I thought you were asking about something else."
Watching his indifferent expression, Tsunade once again realised how little importance Akane placed on the Daimyo system.
It puzzled her.
From childhood, people were taught that Daimyos were powerful and important figures. Had she not become a ninja, she probably would have thought the same.
But elite shinobi viewed them differently.
To most high-level ninja, Daimyos were little more than sources of funding for their villages.
Their lives revolved around missions, training, spending their earnings, and repeating the cycle. Very few had the time or reason to think deeply about politics.
"Even if you don't consider it important, tell me what's going through your mind. Maybe I can help."
Akane looked at her for a moment. He knew she genuinely wanted to help. The fact that she was also curious about his plans was simply a bonus.
A chuckle escaped him, and he said, "Fine. I'll tell you everything. But only if you don't interrupt until I am finished."
Tsunade nodded as if she surely wouldn't do otherwise.
Both of them knew perfectly well that she would interrupt the moment she disliked something.
"So, you know how I plan to use Himari to take control of the Land of Wind as a country, right?"
"As a country, huh?" Tsunade murmured.
Akane rolled his eyes.
Realising exactly why he had done that, Tsunade gave a wry smile.
"For now," Akane added.
This time, Tsunade rolled her eyes.
Still, she remained silent and allowed him to continue. She wanted to understand why he intended to seize control of the Land of Wind and what his larger plans truly were.
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I started an original novel. Wish me luck and help me out there!