Tsunade's question was like a stone tossed into a still lake, sending ripples through Chigen's heart.
"My dream?"
Chigen repeated it softly. Leaning back against the trunk of the cherry blossom tree, he clasped his hands behind his head and gazed up at the night sky.
Moonlight filtered through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows across his face.
"Hm… probably just this—living long enough to die a natural death."
He said it in an almost lazy tone, voicing an answer that, in the world of shinobi, could only be called a luxury.
Tsunade froze.
She had imagined countless answers.
Becoming Hokage. Gaining fame across the ninja world. A vow of revenge for someone lost.
But never this.
Simple. Plain. Yet far harder to achieve than any grand ambition.
She looked at Chigen's profile. His eyes—usually half-lidded—were now fixed on the moon, devoid of the sharpness he showed by day. What remained was a calmness that felt as though he had already seen through the world.
In that moment, Tsunade suddenly felt that the boy standing before her—twenty-one years her junior—might be living more clearly than any man she had ever known.
Something tight deep in her chest loosened, just a little.
At the very least, he wasn't a fool who would lose himself to the title of Hokage.
While she was lost in thought, Chigen's gaze drifted down from the moon.
It passed over Tsunade's breathtakingly beautiful face under the moonlight, over the striking curves her simple home clothes couldn't conceal, and finally came to rest on her bare feet standing on the wooden corridor.
The moonlight wrapped her slender ankles in a soft glow. Her toes were smooth and delicate, like polished pearls.
Tsunade noticed his gaze.
There was no lewdness in it—only an almost obsessive focus, like that of a perfectionist appraising a flawless work of art.
Heat crept uncontrollably onto her cheeks, and her toes curled slightly in response.
"Ahem."
Chigen coughed lightly, withdrew his gaze, and looked back up at the night sky. It sounded like he was speaking to himself—or perhaps to her.
"The moon looks beautiful tonight."
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.
She wasn't some clueless fool. She understood perfectly well what those words implied.
A rush of emotions—embarrassment, irritation, panic, and something she couldn't quite name—flooded her chest all at once.
"Y-you… idiot."
She muttered it under her breath, so softly it was almost inaudible. Even she didn't know whether she was cursing him—or herself.
"I—I'm tired!"
She tossed out the words and practically fled, turning and hurrying into the darkness at the far end of the corridor, her retreating figure rushed and a little flustered.
Chigen watched the direction she disappeared in, the curve of his smile quietly widening beneath the moonlight.
…
The next morning.
In the overly spacious kitchen of the Senju estate, Shizune was staring at an utterly empty ledger, looking like she was on the verge of tears.
"Lady Tsunade… we're out of money."
She clutched Tonton in her arms, her voice trembling.
"Yesterday, you gave all the money Lord Orochimaru gave you… all of it… to that guy. We don't even have enough to buy groceries now."
Tsunade sat cross-legged by the table, yawning. She froze mid-yawn.
She remembered.
Yesterday… she really had shoved Orochimaru's entire wallet into his hands.
"Th-then… what about the clan's reserve funds?"
Tsunade asked weakly.
Shizune looked even more despairing.
"Lady Tsunade, don't you remember? The last time you came back, the money you borrowed from the Third Hokage… and the final reserves left in the clan estate… you lost all of it at the—"
She didn't dare finish the sentence.
Tsunade covered her face.
She remembered. All of it.
She—princess of the Senju clan, one of the legendary Sannin—was now completely broke. So broke she couldn't even afford a meal.
Just as teacher and student sat in silence, sinking into despair—
The kitchen door opened.
Sakuya Chigen walked in carrying a wooden tray, three steaming breakfasts laid out on top.
Simple white rice porridge, a few refreshing pickled side dishes, and golden-brown tamagoyaki.
The aroma instantly chased away the gloom in the kitchen.
"Morning."
Chigen set the tray on the table and casually pulled out a chair to sit down.
Shizune looked at him, her expression complicated.
Tsunade cleared her throat, trying to maintain her dignity as the landlord.
"Ahem… hey, kid."
"Hm?"
Chigen took a sip of porridge and looked up at her.
"I… lend me some money."
Her cheeks warmed as she said it.
"How much?"
Chigen asked without hesitation.
Tsunade glanced at Shizune, who discreetly held up one finger.
"Ten thousand ryō."
Without a word, Chigen pulled out that familiar thick wallet, counted out a stack of bills, placed them on the table, and slid them toward Tsunade.
The entire motion was smooth and unhesitating.
Tsunade stared at the money—and somehow felt even more uncomfortable.
"Just consider it payment for the next month's food and lodging," Chigen said calmly as he picked up a piece of tamagoyaki.
"After all, I can't just eat and live here for free… right, Lady Tsunade?"
"Pfft—!"
Shizune nearly spat out the porridge she'd just swallowed.
Tsunade's face turned completely red.
This brat—was he indirectly mocking her?!
She grabbed the money and stuffed it into her robe, lowering her head and drinking her porridge without saying another word.
Seeing her clearly furious yet unable to explode, Chigen was in an excellent mood.
Only after breakfast did he casually reveal his real purpose.
"Lady Tsunade."
"What now?"
She snapped irritably.
"I want to learn medical ninjutsu from you."
The kitchen fell silent.
Shizune stared at Chigen in shock.
Tsunade also stopped eating. She raised her head, those brown eyes finally filled with scrutiny.
Medical ninjutsu.
Those words were like a key, unlocking the deepest chamber of her heart—a room long sealed, filled with blood and trauma.
Her face visibly paled.
"Why?"
Her voice came out dry.
"To survive."
Chigen's answer was as simple and direct as it had been the night before.
"My secret jutsu puts a heavy strain on my body. Learning another way to stay alive can only help."
He looked at her, his gaze clear and sincere.
"And I want to become stronger. Strong enough that… I won't ever have to watch my comrades die right in front of me again, unable to do anything."
That final sentence struck with pinpoint accuracy, piercing the softest part of Tsunade's heart.
She looked at the boy before her.
There was no obsession with power in his eyes. No hunger for authority.
Only a pure, stubborn desire to protect something.
At that moment, he looked exactly like Nawaki once had.
And just like… Dan.
Tsunade was silent for a long time.
So long that Shizune thought she was about to refuse.
At last, Tsunade spoke, her voice carrying a faint hoarseness she herself didn't notice.
"…Alright."