Tsunade leaned against the wooden railing of the hotel balcony, her brow furrowed with concern.
It was getting late, and Gojo had been away longer than expected.
She crossed her arms, tension coiling tightly in her chest like a storm cloud ready to burst.
What could be taking him so long? she wondered, glancing down at the bustling streets below.
Just as doubt began to creep in like a shadow sliding across her thoughts, she spotted Gojo returning.
But he wasn't alone.
The sight of him walking beside a woman and a little girl made her pulse quicken, the tight knot in her stomach twisting deeper.
She focused hard on their approach, her gaze like a hawk zeroing in on its prey.
When they finally reached the hotel entrance, Tsunade stormed down to confront them.
"Why did you arrive so late?" she demanded, her voice a storm cloud of annoyance tinged with worry.
Gojo opened his mouth to explain, but Tsunade's piercing gaze shifted toward the unfamiliar faces behind him.
"Uh, these are—"
Before he could finish, Tsunade lunged forward like a thunderbolt and grabbed Gojo by the collar, her expression fierce.
"You bastard! You're already hooking up with this woman while I'm right here for you?"
Her words carried a teasing sting, like thorns hidden in a rose bouquet—mock accusation with a flicker of true feeling behind them.
"Wait! No! How could I do that?" Gojo protested, lifting his hands like a guilty samurai surrendering his blade.
"Does my body even support that?!"
Tsunade paused, her breath catching like a gust halting mid-swing.
"Okay, good point. For a moment there…"
"Just now, what did you say?" Gojo teased, a mischievous smile curling like moonlight over his face.
Tsunade's cheeks flushed a faint rose, the heat of embarrassment dancing across her skin.
She quickly redirected the conversation.
"Who are they?" she asked, stepping back with all the authority of a queen evaluating her court.
Gojo gestured with open hands, proud and welcoming.
"This is Uzumaki Kioko, and this is her daughter, Uzumaki Karin."
His voice carried pride like a flag raised to the wind.
Kioko and Karin bowed slightly, smiles blooming like cautious flowers in early spring.
Tsunade froze.
"Uzumaki?" she murmured, her voice touched by revelation.
The name struck her like a forgotten melody suddenly remembered.
The bloodline she had long respected now stood before her—alive, breathing, real.
Excitement bubbled in her chest like a shaken bottle ready to burst.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kioko.
"From this moment on, we are sisters!"
Kioko's eyes widened, stunned, but her heart opened like a window to sunlight.
The warmth in Tsunade's embrace was undeniable—a kindness they had not felt in years.
She nodded slowly, tears brimming behind her lashes, hope flickering to life like a candle in darkness.
As Tsunade released Kioko, Karin approached Gojo hesitantly.
"Um… can I stay with you from now on?" she asked shyly, her voice soft as a breeze.
Her cheeks turned crimson, eyes glowing like lanterns of innocence.
Gojo's smile lit up like a sunrise.
"Of course, you can!" he replied, gently ruffling her hair with affection that wrapped around her like a comforting blanket.
Karin inhaled deeply, secretly cherishing the scent of his presence.
Gojo-kun smells so nice… like warmth and safety.
Her thoughts wandered into soft meadows of youthful infatuation.
But Tsunade's attention snapped sharply toward Kioko.
She noticed the faint imprint of teeth marks on her neck—crimson scars like faded tattoos of pain.
Her expression darkened, and her voice became steel.
"What happened?!" she asked, her tone thunderous as she rushed forward.
"What are those marks? Who did this to you?"
Kioko flinched but found her voice.
"We were held captive by ninjas in this village. They…"
Her words trailed like broken glass on tile.
Rage surged through Tsunade like wildfire.
She spun on her heel and stormed toward the Grass Village head's office.
Her anger was not a spark but a blazing inferno—fueled by injustice and the betrayal of her kin.
"You need to explain what happened to Kioko and her daughter!" she demanded, each word laced with molten fury.
The village head was sweating bullets, his confidence crumbling like a mud wall in a flood.
"I-I will pay compensation!" he stammered.
"But I can't just give up the human pillars, you know!"
The term "human pillars" fell from his mouth like poison-tipped darts.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed, her fury magnifying.
"You can't be serious!"
"You're putting these women at risk! Releasing Uzumaki Kioko and Uzumaki Karin is non-negotiable!"
"Please, just—"
Tsunade slammed her palms onto the desk, the room trembling as if the Earth itself responded to her wrath.
"You will not continue to treat them like this!"
"Gather your shinobi now!"
The air in the room crackled with tension.
Then, the door creaked open.
Gojo stepped in, his gaze steady and his aura radiating purpose.
"Let's make it clear that we are here to protect Kioko and Karin," he said, his voice like the calm before a decisive storm.
He looked back, eyes locking on the two redheads standing in the hallway.
"Stay here and find a secure spot," he instructed, his voice filled with unwavering reassurance.
They nodded, hearts thundering in unison.
For the first time in a long while, they felt truly shielded.
Kioko felt the heavy weight of years of fear begin to lift, like shackles breaking one by one.
Gojo and Tsunade were her salvation carved from flesh and steel.
Karin looked up at Gojo, admiration radiating from her like sunlight through glass.
This wasn't just gratitude—this was hope reborn.
As Tsunade and Gojo faced the growing storm of resistance, they stood side by side like twin titans ready to defend what mattered most.
The promise they made was simple, but sacred: Protect them.
The battle was no longer just a confrontation.
It was the forging of legacy, the binding of fates by crimson threads stretching across lifetimes.
Gojo glanced one last time at Kioko and Karin, his eyes speaking silent oaths.
They would not be harmed again.
He would make sure of it.
Tsunade nodded to him, her golden eyes ablaze with resolve.
Together, they stepped forward to face the crowd assembling in the office.
No fear.
No retreat.
Only forward—into the fire.
Their shared purpose now forged an unbreakable bond.
And so, the storm gathered.
But Gojo and Tsunade would not falter.
For the sake of blood.
For the sake of honor.
For the sake of family.
---
Chapter 41 Ends.