The news of Saiki slaughtering the Root operatives had been strictly classified by Jiraiya.
Only a handful of top-tier personnel knew; Tsume shouldn't have been one of them.
Since the information wasn't public, Hiruzen Sarutobi's claim that Saiki had caused a "grave incident" was pure political theater.
Leaf ninja killing Root or Anbu in the dark wasn't unheard of in the bloody history of the village.
The "incident" was just a convenient excuse to recall Saiki.
Previously, Hiruzen viewed Saiki as a useful prodigy within his control, even after the boy suppressed the Eight-Tails.
Because there were so few witnesses to that fight and the intel was vague, the Hokage assumed there was a lot of exaggeration involved.
But once Saiki butchered a dozen Root elites and countered Minato's Flying Thunder God, the gravity of the situation changed.
Reviewing Saiki's record and his blatant contempt for the village elders and the elite clans, combined with his status as an "outsider" and his failing grades in "Will of Fire" philosophy, Hiruzen was terrified. Saiki had to be caged.
After Saiki left the tent that evening, Tsunade and Jiraiya had a screaming match over his fate.
Tsume had overheard the truth: Saiki had slaughtered Root. She also heard that he was being forced into the Anbu where Danzo would likely have him assassinated or "reconditioned."
Hearing Saiki admit to the killings, Tsume flared with anger and anxiety.
She smacked his head again. "How could you be so reckless?! Why would you do something so insane?!"
Being hit didn't hurt; Saiki actually found the physical contact comforting.
Ordinary people were terrified of geniuses, especially when the genius outclassed them.
But Tsume was now comfortable enough to hit him, which proved how intimate they had truly become.
Her fear of him had been replaced by genuine maternal and romantic concern.
Saiki looked into her eyes. Tsume looked back, confused by his silence. "What? Say something!"
"Sensei... do you really want to know why?" Saiki asked with heavy solemnity.
His serious tone made Tsume feel a prickle of unease.
But as his teacher and his... lover, she felt she had to share his burden.
"Of course I do," she replied firmly.
Saiki smiled. He reached out and grasped her hand.
She instinctively tried to pull back, but Saiki's grip was a vice.
"What are you doing? Let go! We're talking! Why are you grabbing my hand?" Tsume asked nervously.
They were in the woods in the dead of night. If anyone stumbled upon them being this intimate, Tsume would never be able to show her face in Konoha again.
Saiki just laughed. "What are you afraid of, Sensei? It's not like I haven't grabbed a lot more than your hand."
Tsume's face burned. She glared at him. "Don't you dare mention that! I'll kill you!"
"I'd like to see you try," Saiki teased.
"You...!" She raised a hand to slap him, but then she caught his expression and let out a defeated sigh.
They had done everything there was to do. Fighting over a hand-hold was a bit ridiculous.
She had never won an argument with him, and she usually ended up being ruthlessly "bullied" in the end anyway.
"Fine. Just tell me. Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice softening.
Saiki rubbed her thumb with his. He hadn't intended to tell her; he didn't want her carrying the guilt.
But he realized this was a perfect opportunity—selfish as it was—to secure her heart.
"I did it for you, Sensei."
"For me?" Tsume was bewildered.
"Yes. Remember when we returned to the camp? The way we looked at each other at the tent entrance?"
Saiki explained everything: how the Root scum had noticed the lingering intimacy between them, and how they had tried to use the "scandal" of their relationship to blackmail Saiki into becoming Danzo's puppet.
Tsume was stunned. "You... you could have just ignored them. You didn't have to kill them all!"
Saiki shook his head. "No. Joining Root means nothing to me. They can't control me. But I couldn't allow them to touch your reputation. I'm a scumbag, Sensei. I forced you into this to satisfy my own desires. I have no right to act like a hero. But I love you. I won't allow anyone to hurt you."
Tsume's suggestion that he didn't need to kill them was for his sake; she wasn't even thinking about her own name.
Hearing Saiki prioritize her life and honor over his own safety moved her to her very core.
The fierce, boisterous woman with the predator's eyes suddenly looked fragile.
Her vertical pupils shimmered with unshed tears. "Saiki... do you have any idea how much danger you're in now?"
"I'm not afraid, Sensei!" Saiki said with absolute conviction.
The mood was perfect. Saiki shifted closer and wrapped his arms around her.
Tsume was lost in a whirlwind of emotion. Saiki was still a "child" in her eyes, yet he had committed mass treason just to protect her from a rumor.
She was deeply moved, yet her conscience was still screaming that this was all wrong.
It was late, and she wasn't on duty, so she wasn't wearing her flak jacket.
Saiki felt the two familiar mounds of softness pressing against his chest. Her embrace was warm, fragrant, and incredibly inviting.
Because of her canine-based jutsu, her sense of smell was too sharp for perfume, so she radiated a pure, natural feminine musk that sent Saiki's pulse into a frenzy.
Usually, as a man gains experience, he becomes more composed.
But for Saiki, as his power grew, so did his primal impulses. He felt like he needed a hundred more women before he could even dream of achieving "enlightenment."
Midnight. A secluded forest. A beautiful woman and a powerful boy.
It was a recipe for disaster. As Saiki's embrace tightened and his breathing grew heavy, Tsume felt her own heart rate spiking.
"Alright, Saiki... that's enough. Let me go," she whispered, her face glowing with a soft pink hue as she patted his back.
Saiki released her, making Tsume let out a breath of relief.
But before she could stand, Saiki cupped her face in both hands and captured her lips.
"Mmph!" It wasn't their first kiss, but her eyes still went wide.
The main Leaf camp was less than a mile away! Tsume was terrified of being caught.
She tried to push him away, but Saiki pivoted his body, pinning her flat against the cold, hard surface of the rock.
He didn't know if she'd chosen this spot on purpose, but it was a perfect location for a secret liaison.
Dense briars blocked the view, the ancient tree canopy hid the moon, and the flat rock acted as a natural bed for lovers in the night.
Pinned against the stone, she had no leverage to resist.
Saiki's tongue forced her teeth open, invading her mouth to tangle with hers.
Slowly, the frantic beating of her hands against his shoulders stopped, and she surrendered to the heat.