"Shizune!"
Yūhi Kurenai shouted.
Shizune turned her head and, after seeing Sarutobi Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai, was stunned for a moment before quickly greeting them.
At the drinking table, after greeting Shizune, Sarutobi Asuma, with thick skin, greeted Tsunade: "Sister Tsunade!"
Tsunade was Sarutobi Hiruzen's disciple, and he was Sarutobi Hiruzen's son, so Tsunade was essentially his senior disciple. Calling her 'sister' now was perfectly reasonable, right?
Besides, Tsunade was only in her early thirties now.
Hearing someone call her name, Tsunade looked up at Sarutobi Asuma with drunken, hazy eyes.
In her blurred vision, two figures overlapped.
"Nawaki... Nawaki!"
Tsunade looked at Sarutobi Asuma, muttering almost deliriously.
Huh?
Yūhi Kurenai and Shizune exchanged glances.
Sarutobi Asuma was also taken aback. She thought he was Nawaki?
The difference seemed quite significant, considering how manly he was.
But...
Looking at Tsunade, who was drunk and filled with deep sorrow, Sarutobi Asuma thought for a moment, sat opposite her, and said, "Let's have a few drinks with you, Sister Tsunade!"
"Ah?"
Yūhi Kurenai and Shizune exclaimed in unison.
They weren't of legal drinking age yet.
"Asuma, this isn't quite right, is it?"
Yūhi Kurenai hesitated, but looking at the wine pot on the table and smelling the aroma, some kind of gene within her seemed to activate, making her involuntarily swallow.
Shizune next to her nodded vigorously.
They had come to persuade Lady Tsunade to go back; how could they drink with her?
"There's nothing wrong with it. We're official ninjas now. Although we're not adults, we've already stepped out of our ivory towers, so we should naturally do the things adults do!"
Sarutobi Asuma said with a smile.
Hearing this, Yūhi Kurenai immediately remembered their recent kiss, her face flushed. She then nodded in agreement and sat on the other side.
Shizune looked dumbfounded and had no choice but to sit opposite Yūhi Kurenai.
Sarutobi Asuma had already poured a full cup of wine.
However, Tsunade was now a little more sober. She looked at Sarutobi Asuma, her breath reeking of alcohol: "You... are the old man's second son?"
Second son?
Sarutobi Asuma's mouth twitched. He then smiled: "Yes, Sister Tsunade, I'm Asuma!"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade immediately waved her hand: "Kid, hurry up and leave. This isn't a place for a kid who hasn't even grown all his hair."
Sarutobi Asuma, however, acted as if he hadn't heard her. He picked up his cup and clinked it against Tsunade's: "Sister Tsunade, I toast you!"
Gulp!
Sarutobi Asuma finished it in one go.
He then poured another cup and clinked it against Tsunade's again: "Sister Tsunade, this cup is for Senior Dan!"
Gulp!
Another cup was downed.
"Asuma!"
Yūhi Kurenai exclaimed.
Shizune stared blankly.
Tsunade was also staring at Sarutobi Asuma at this moment.
Sarutobi Asuma poured another cup and continued: "Sister Tsunade, this cup is for Brother Nawaki!"
He finished it again.
The hand Tsunade had resting on the table had already clenched into a fist.
Sarutobi Asuma saw this out of the corner of his eye, his heart pounding.
But he continued nonetheless.
"Sister Tsunade, this cup is for all the fallen seniors!"
After another cup went down, Sarutobi Asuma decisively tilted his head and collapsed.
Tsunade looked at him, her eyes already reddening. He was afraid of getting hit!
Yūhi Kurenai and Shizune looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
Tsunade suppressed her emotions and looked at Sarutobi Asuma, muttering, "Cunning brat!"
"Shizune, take this kid home with you."
Tsunade stood up.
"Huh?"
Shizune was startled.
Tsunade ignored her and looked at Yūhi Kurenai, "You..."
"Lady Tsunade, I am Yūhi Kurenai!"
Yūhi Kurenai quickly replied.
"Yūhi Kurenai, from the Yūhi Shinkō family..."
Tsunade muttered, then said, "Go tell the Third Hokage's family that I've taken Asuma."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"
Yūhi Kurenai nodded.
After leaving the tavern, Yūhi Kurenai came to her senses, stopped, and turned to look at Shizune carrying Asuma on her back and Tsunade holding the sake bottle, "Why didn't Lady Tsunade take Asuma home herself?"
With a trace of inexplicable worry in her heart, Yūhi Kurenai leaped away.
Senju Ancestral Home.
After Shizune put down Sarutobi Asuma, Tsunade said, "You should go back and rest. You still have team assignments tomorrow!"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade, I'll leave Asuma to you!"
Shizune nodded, glanced at the drunk Sarutobi Asuma, and then turned to leave.
After Shizune left, Tsunade took a sip of sake and snorted, "Alright, brat, she's gone!"
Sarutobi Asuma reluctantly opened his eyes.
His original plan was to make a deep impression on Tsunade, then slowly pursue her and win her over to stay in Konoha.
He never expected Tsunade to see through him so easily and bring him back to her home.
This...
Sarutobi Asuma sat up, looking at Tsunade staring at him with a slightly unnerved feeling, and managed a smile, "Sister Tsunade."
Tsunade leaned against the doorframe, appearing tipsy yet graceful. She looked at Sarutobi Asuma and asked, "I heard your graduation assessment was outstanding?"
Sarutobi Asuma nodded and smiled, "If you only look at the written scores, I should be the highest since the establishment of the Konoha Ninja Academy."
Tsunade pouted upon hearing this, "The old man is still as skilled as ever at teaching people!"
Sarutobi Asuma, however, shook his head, "Although my father taught me a lot, seventy percent of my current achievements are due to my own efforts."
This answer surprised Tsunade. She suddenly remembered what Shizune had told her about Sarutobi Asuma's obsessive training.
She nodded in approval inwardly, but said aloud, "Some things cannot be achieved just by effort!"
"Sister Tsunade is right!"
Sarutobi Asuma agreed with a nod, but then changed his tone, "However."
"If you don't even try, won't there never be even a sliver of a possibility?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, took a sip of sake, and asked, "What if you try and still can't do it?"
Sarutobi Asuma replied without hesitation, "Then it means you haven't tried hard enough!"
"Tch!"
Tsunade disliked such meaningless words; she wasn't a three-year-old child.
Sarutobi Asuma was well aware of Tsunade's inner turmoil.
The death of her brother, the death of her lover, the rejected proposal for medical ninjutsu during the Second Ninja World War.
And hemophobia.
All of this made her weary of war, disgusted by the internal power struggles within Konoha, and even dissatisfied with Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage and her teacher.
These were likely the reasons Tsunade left Konoha during the Third Ninja World War.
From an outsider's perspective, or from Tsunade's perspective, Sarutobi Asuma naturally understood and supported her.
If it were him.
Even if there was the slightest possibility of a conspiracy regarding Nawaki's death, he would definitely have investigated it to the fullest, stirring up a huge storm.
Was there really a conspiracy?
Sarutobi Asuma didn't know.
Considering his current position in Konoha, his father, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, had no motive to harm Nawaki.
Because in the current situation, the best candidates for Fourth Hokage were Hatake Sakumo and the Sannin.
Nawaki wanted to be Hokage, so that would make him the Fifth.
From the current perspective, Sarutobi Hiruzen would likely be long dead.
However.
Danzō, the "Pot Shadow," was highly suspect.
This was because that guy wanted to be Hokage himself.
Secondly, it was uncertain if Danzō had already secretly started experimenting with Hashirama Cells and wanted to obtain something from Nawaki.
Another thing.
It was uncertain if Nawaki's death was related to Black Zetsu.
However.
None of the above were important to Sarutobi Asuma.
Your position determines your perspective.
Since his father was Sarutobi Hiruzen, Nawaki's death had nothing to do with him.
As for Tsunade, she was a target he needed to win over.
With Tsunade around, if her hemophobia could be cured, Konoha would have another capable individual for the upcoming Third Ninja World War.
Therefore.
Sarutobi Asuma's original plan was to first get acquainted, leave a deep impression, and proceed slowly.
But given the current situation, it would be better to cut the Gordian knot.
Thus, Sarutobi Asuma stood up, walked in front of Tsunade, snatched the wine bottle from her hand, and looked at her with incredibly determined eyes.
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