Tsunade struggled hard, but even after several attempts, she still couldn't shake off Uchiha Yuzuru's grip. Realizing it was pointless, she finally fell quiet.
Compared to others, she didn't especially mind physical contact with him. After all, this bastard had taken advantage of her for years—holding hands and such barely counted anymore.
"What are you trying to do? Even if you insist on settling the score now, I don't have any money to pay you back."
"Tsunade, I can waive the interest. But you still have to pay back what you owe."
"Don't make that face. I doubt there's a more generous creditor in the entire ninja world."
Seeing he wasn't going to drop the subject, Tsunade simply gave up resisting.
"I don't have money. Do whatever you want."
Yuzuru's eyes lit up. "Do whatever I want? That makes things simple."
With that, he scooped her up by the waist, and the two vanished on the spot.
"Where is this? What are you doing? Put me down!"
Inside the Kamui space, Tsunade struggled free from his arms and covered her chest defensively, glaring at him.
"You said to do whatever I want," he replied calmly. "You owe me a mountain of debt—so pay with your love. Fair and reasonable."
"Like hell!" Her face flushed bright red. "You bastard! This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
"Correct."
Yuzuru nodded without hesitation.
Realizing she had stepped right into his trap, Tsunade gritted her teeth. "You shameless pervert!"
She had been a fool to think he'd lend money out of kindness. Obviously it had all been a setup.
"Tsunade, it's not like I wanted things to go this way. But we've known each other for so many years, and you still wouldn't budge."
"We've already done everything except the last step—"
"Shut up, you bastard!"
Shame and anger burst out at once. Chakra surged wildly around her as she rushed him and swung a punch with all her might.
Yuzuru neither dodged nor flinched. He simply smiled and caught her fist mid-air.
Smack.
Tsunade stared in disbelief—her punch had been stopped cold.
"Tsunade, I can use monstrous strength too. You taught me, remember?"
Back when she arrived in the Hidden Cloud, he'd learned the method directly from her. So even a head-on clash posed no problem for him.
Tsunade glared. "Don't get cocky! Even if it's the same technique, differences in physical strength and chakra make all the difference!"
"True," Yuzuru said, grin widening. "By the way, in both categories, even the Third Raikage would look like a little girl next to me."
He wasn't bragging—he was stating facts.
His body carried the Senju physique of the Uzumaki lineage and a fully evolved Yotsuki bloodline.
His mind carried the Uchiha bloodline and a fully evolved Chinoike bloodline.
Combined, there was simply no one in the world who could rival him in raw physical strength and chakra reserves.
"Enough! Heavenly Kick!"
Tsunade yanked her hand back and raised her leg high before slamming it down.
Again, Yuzuru didn't dodge—he countered with monstrous strength.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The two quickly plunged into a fierce close-quarters brawl, each clash blasting waves of air outward.
Within minutes, several kilometers of terrain had been torn apart.
The longer she fought, the colder Tsunade's heart became—her strongest physical attacks weren't leaving a single mark on him.
Yuzuru, on the other hand, only got more excited.
This kind of raw, bone-crushing combat was exhilarating.
After half an hour, he finally stopped, not because he was tired, but because he'd had his fill.
He slipped into Kamui to dodge her next strike, then sealed her chakra with a single motion.
Panting, drenched in sweat, Tsunade lay in his arms as he held her.
"Wait a moment!" she managed, forcing a smile for the first time in her life. "Yuzuru, can we talk this over?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm taking you to wash up first."
He said it, lifted her again, and carried her out of the Kamui dimension.
——
——
Uchiha Compound.
Clan Leader's Courtyard.
Tsunade adjusted her clothes angrily and shot him a glare. "Uchiha Yuzuru, I don't owe you anything anymore!"
Seeing her march away, Yuzuru followed leisurely.
"Tsunade, just move in with me."
"No chance. I'm Kushina's older sister—you can't let a third person know about this!"
"It's fine. Kushina and Mikoto grew up together as best friends."
Tsunade huffed. "Are you proud of yourself?"
She walked faster, but Yuzuru stayed beside her.
"I'm serious. From now on, you're my woman. You can't stay outside forever."
She didn't argue further.
Truthfully, she didn't dislike him.
He was stronger than her, smarter than her, handsome, and well-built.
And over the years, he had gone out of his way again and again to slowly deepen their relationship.
Now that things had progressed this far, she didn't really have a reason to refuse anymore.
Except…
"Yuzuru… you know my past. I'm a woman who brings misfortune to the people around me. I don't want—"
"I told you," Yuzuru cut in firmly. "If a curse truly exists, I'll break it myself."
"This necklace has been on me for so many years; that should be enough to prove everything, right?"
Tsunade stared at the necklace he had stolen from her the day they first met, and memory after memory washed over her.
At last, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, she nodded. "Give me a little time. I'll move in."
"Plus I have one condition. Shizune has to come with me."
Her voice softened. "She's been traveling with me since she was a child…"
"Deal," Yuzuru said with a bright smile. "Whatever you want."
"I'll be going now."
Watching her hurriedly slip away, Yuzuru didn't chase her.
He was still in sage-like calm—not easily swayed by Tsunade's lethal figure.
And now that they had broken through the final barrier between them, there was no need to rush.