Kechi looked at her filthy clothes and stood there somewhat awkwardly, speaking in a small voice.
"My lady, I... I don't have any change of clothes."
Only then did Tsunade realize the problem. She sat up from the bed, thought for a moment, then turned to Shizune.
"Shizune, go ask the owner for a set of clothes."
Shizune nodded. After sizing up Kechi's figure, she turned and left the room.
Before long, the door opened again. She'd returned with a set of clean clothes.
"Here, go take your bath."
Tsunade took the clothes from Shizune and handed them to Kechi.
Kechi nodded, quickly accepted the clothes, and walked into the bathroom.
When hot water poured over her body, and she watched the grime wash away in the flow, an indescribable sense of satisfaction filled her heart.
The only awkward part was that her original outfit had been gender-neutral combat wear, while what Shizune brought was women's clothing.
A dress, no less!
After finishing her bath, Kechi stared at the light blue dress before her and couldn't help falling into thought.
This is kind of embarrassing. Won't it feel all breezy down there?
But there was no helping it. Tsunade was still waiting outside.
Kechi bit down hard, then clumsily pulled the dress over herself.
Fortunately, the dresses here were more like the bathrobes from her previous life, no zipper, similar to Tsunade's outfit with the "gamble" character on the back. After pulling it on, she just needed to tie the sash, and she was done.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to put it on.
After getting dressed, Kechi let out a long breath, then pushed open the bathroom door and walked out.
"Wow!"
The moment Tsunade and Shizune saw Kechi emerge, their eyes lit up involuntarily.
The face previously covered by mud was now fully revealed.
That fair skin, those delicate features.
Especially those eyes, clear and bright, as if they held entire galaxies within them.
"So you're actually this beautiful." Tsunade couldn't help but praise.
Kechi's face flushed slightly red. She lowered her head, not knowing how to respond.
Seeing Kechi frozen in place, Tsunade quickly got off the bed, pulled her to the bedside, and asked while staring straight at her.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Kechi!" Kechi's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Seeing Kechi's nervousness, Tsunade smiled warmly.
"Don't be tense! I'm Tsunade. You've probably heard my name, right?"
Kechi nodded. "Yes. Tsunade-sama, one of the Legendary Sannin."
Tsunade laughed and patted Kechi's shoulder, then got up and walked toward the window.
Outside, moonlight poured like water over Tanzaku Town's rooftops, draping this noisy place in a layer of tranquil gauze.
"The moon is beautiful tonight," Tsunade said softly.
A gentle breeze brushed past the curtains, bringing a touch of coolness.
Inside the room, Shizune had already organized their luggage. Warm yellow lamplight illuminated the tidy space, making everything feel especially peaceful.
Tsunade turned back to the bedside and looked at Kechi again, her gaze filled with gentleness and curiosity.
"Kechi, how did you end up alone in Tanzaku Town? And why were you so filthy?"
Kechi lowered her head, fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her dress. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke.
"I... people were chasing me here. I barely dared to rest the whole way."
Tsunade nodded slightly, instantly understanding Kechi's situation.
After all, with a girl as beautiful as Kechi, honestly, this was her first time seeing someone like this being coveted was perfectly normal.
"Don't worry. You're safe now. What are your plans going forward?"
Kechi lifted her chin slightly, raising her head. Light flickered in her eyes like tiny stars.
"I'm planning to go to Yu no Kuni!"
The room fell quiet for a moment, with only occasional insect chirps drifting in from outside.
Tsunade looked at Kechi, a wave of tenderness rising in her heart. "Want me to take you there?"
Kechi shook her head and said, "No need, Tsunade-sama. I can manage on my own!"
Tsunade nodded slightly without insisting. At worst, she could secretly escort her for part of the journey.
Honestly, she didn't know why either, but looking at Kechi just felt right. She was afraid the girl might be in a bad mood, and something might happen to her on the road.
During this time, she hadn't even felt like drinking.
This situation made Tsunade quite uneasy. Best to part ways early once she confirms Kechi was safe.
Maybe after some time passed, everything would return to normal.
After a moment of silence, Tsunade had Shizune sleep on the inside, Kechi in the middle, and herself on the outside.
About this arrangement, Shizune felt a bit of petulant emotion. She tossed Tonton to the floor and climbed onto the bed huffily, facing the wall.
But Tsunade's attention was entirely on Kechi. She didn't notice Shizune's mood at all.
After seeing Kechi lie down in the middle, a slight smile appeared on her face as she lay close to her.
"Sleep now. Tomorrow will be a new day."
Kechi nodded and closed her eyes. Before long, she'd drifted into dreams.
The room was filled with a warm atmosphere. Moonlight streamed through the window onto the floor, as if guarding this moment of tranquility.
The next morning, Kechi slowly woke, adjusting to the brightness inside the room.
After a moment, she sat up and looked around, discovering that Shizune, who'd been sleeping on the inside, had already disappeared.
Meanwhile, Tsunade seemed to have been awakened by Kechi's movements. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and lazily propped herself up with both hands.
"What time is it?"
Kechi glanced at the time. "Nine in the morning!"
Just then, Shizune pushed through the door, both hands carrying bags of various sizes.
From the smell alone, Kechi could tell she'd brought them breakfast.
After eating breakfast, Kechi prepared to take her leave from Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama, thank you so much for taking care of me last night. I should be going now!"
Tsunade froze slightly. She drained the remaining soup in her bowl in one gulp, then nodded silently.
After a pause, she turned to Shizune and asked.
"Shizune, how much money do we have left?"
Shizune froze for a moment.
She understood Tsunade well. Naturally, she knew why she was asking about this.
She looked up at Kechi. That delicate face carried a hint of pitifulness.
For someone like this to travel alone, the outcome was hard to predict.
Pushing down that strange emotion in her heart, Shizune quickly rummaged through her pack. After counting the money, she answered.
"Tsunade-sama, we don't have much left, but we still have some."
Tsunade frowned slightly in thought for a moment, took a portion of the money from Shizune, then turned and walked toward Kechi.
"Kechi, you'll probably need money for a lot of things on the road. Take this."
She extended the money toward Kechi.
Kechi quickly waved her hands in refusal. "Tsunade-sama, I..."
"Consider it a loan. You'll have to pay me back later, so don't you dare forget!"
Tsunade interrupted, then gently took Kechi's hand and placed the money in her palm.
At this point, Shizune also walked over and handed Kechi a small bundle.
"This has some medicinal herbs for treating wounds and some dried provisions. Take these too."
Kechi accepted the bundle with a complicated expression, thanking both Tsunade and Shizune.
Before this, she'd experienced too much deception and coldness, witnessed the darkest side of human nature, and had long grown accustomed to viewing others with wariness.
But Tsunade and Shizune's care was like a beam of light shining into her long-darkened and isolated world.
Is it genuine?
Maybe... but it doesn't matter anymore.
After all... she can never go back to who she was before as the beyonder who will create chaos in this world.