"Is that a lot?" Tsunade blinked innocently, looking at Hikari's stunned expression.
Anyone who believed that innocent look would be a fool.
"Not at all, not at all!"
Hikari clutched his chest, staring at Tsunade as if he was about to have a heart attack.
As for why he even had a heart condition in the first place—well, it was obviously thanks to Tsunade's astronomical figure.
"Hand over the money!" Tsunade said. "Money first, then the goods!"
She passed the IOU to Hikari, barely containing her eagerness to collect the cash.
"Uh... I think... the terms I mentioned earlier were a bit too much. You're the Hokage—such conditions would be an insult to your status!"
Tsunade smiled. "It's fine! I'm the Hokage, but I'm also a debtor. Isn't it perfectly reasonable for my creditor to make a few requests?"
Hikari continued to backpedal. "But you're the great Hokage in everyone's hearts! Forcing you to do all sorts of things... I should reflect deeply, repent for my past actions, and regret daring to disrespect you like that!"
"So," Tsunade's smile turned dangerous, "are you planning to bail without paying?"
"No way! Besides, nothing even happened between us! How could it be 'bailing'?"
Hikari would never admit such a thing.
As an honest and upright man, he would never do anything that compromised his character.
Just trust him on this!
"Really? Nothing happened?" Tsunade leaned closer to Hikari, the atmosphere growing ambiguously charged. "Are you saying you don't want something to happen?"
*Gulp.*
Hikari swallowed.
Tsunade stood right before him now, her alluring presence stirring something inside him, making him struggle against the impulse to just go with the flow.
"I just think... this whole thing feels a bit unclear..." he mumbled.
"Unclear how?" Tsunade smirked. "The whole village knows you're mine now. What's wrong with us... enjoying ourselves a little?"
"Or... do you dislike me?"
"Dislike? How could I possibly dislike you!"
Hikari said earnestly, "I just feel like maybe this is moving too fast."
"Fast? Shinobi are all about efficiency. Didn't you know?" Tsunade gently placed the IOU in his hand. "My leverage is in your hands now. What else do you want me to say?"
"Why don't you just give me the money... and we can move on to more interesting things?"
[...Interesting things?]
"Ahem, isn't this a bit inappropriate? It's still morning. Don't you have to go to work?"
"Work?" Tsunade grinned. "Compared to what's coming next? Be real."
Watching Hikari squirm made her inexplicably happy.
'Ahh, men. Clever as they are... in the end, they still fall for a woman's charm.'
'Face it—my appeal hasn't aged a day.'
"Ahem, let's stop here. I think we're about to cross a line."
Hikari wasn't made of stone. A man would have to react to this kind of temptation.
And he was a man.
A very normal man.
"Woman, you're playing with fire!" Hikari issued his final warning. "Leave now, and I'll give you your money later—"
"Money? Right now, money is not the issue."
Tsunade looked at him with amusement.
Now she understood why some men got such a kick out of teasing women.
'Damn, this feels so good.'
"How is money not the issue? Weren't you here for money?"
"It was. Not anymore." Tsunade's fingers lightly traced his chin. "Money's just worldly possessions. I suddenly realized—if I win you over, wouldn't all of it belong to me?"
Her logic was impeccable, and Hikari was speechless.
"So tell me," Tsunade continued, voice dripping with temptation, "just how much do you have?"
"Not much... just over a hundred million."
[Well, it's actually a hundred million plus another billion. But I'm definitely not telling you that!]
Holy—
How does this guy have that much?!
Hearing Hikari's inner monologue, Tsunade suddenly found him much more attractive.
'If I get that billion... how should I spend it?'
Wait—she was here to borrow money, not to throw herself at him!
Suddenly, the world spun, and when Tsunade regained her bearings, she was flat on her back with Hikari looming over her.
"Y-you—what are you doing?"
Regret welled up inside her.
Teasing him was one thing, but taking it too far wasn't fun anymore.
"Doing you!"
His answer was short.
—Thunder cracked.
—A storm burst forth over the village.
—The rhythm was passionate, relentless, like a battlefield anthem.
—Like rain lashing against a lute, each strike rang sharp...
---
In the yard below—
Nara Shikaku's face darkened.
Hearing the sounds from the second-floor window, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
'Hokage-sama... weren't you here to borrow money?'
'If you were just gonna deliver yourself why drag me here?'
'Were you hoping I'd witness your little escapade?'
'Seriously? Do I look like I got nothing better than eavesdropping on my Hokage's love life?'
'And honestly? Listening to this just leaves me dead inside.'
"Body Flicker Technique!"
In the blink of an eye, Shikaku appeared on the street.
It was still early morning. Aside from shinobi, only a few breakfast stalls were set up. Most civilians wouldn't be awake at this hour.
'Ah... what a beautiful day.'
As sunlight crested the horizon, Shikaku sighed internally.
'A wise man like me doesn't let trivial matters affect his mood.'
"Dad!"
Shikamaru's voice cut through his thoughts.
Glancing over, he spotted the young Ino-Shika-Chō trio waving at him.
"Shikamaru, you're up this early? Doesn't seem like you."
Watching his son's recent changes, a faint unease prickled at Shikaku.
'Huh. This kid... doesn't really act like me.'
*Yawn.*
Shikamaru stretched, walking over to his father.
"Dad, Mom got suspicious when you left with Hokage-sama before sunrise, so she yanked me out of bed. She told me to warn you—if you don't perform tonight, you'll be sleeping outside."
'Ah. There we go.'
'Definitely my son after all.'
'But... dear wife, maybe don't say that sort of thing in front of the child.'
'And at my age, could you show a little consideration for me?'
-----
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