For the next few days, Naruto found himself immersed in a honeymoon-like joy. He and Ino met up frequently, and their relationship also heated up rapidly.
It's not like Naruto has been completely idle these past few days.
He had met with Kiba and tested the waters regarding the Inuzuka Clan's leak scandal from years ago, confirming that it was indeed related to the Root. However, it was too sensitive to discuss openly, so they planned to meet again at another time.
Ino, meanwhile, didn't remain lost in the warmth of romance for long. After a few days of affection, she returned to her work, fully focused.
With Ino back to being busy, Naruto found himself with more free time, so he decided to visit Tsunade.
This was the first time he had met Tsunade since returning from the mission. He wanted to finalize the funding source for the communication devices. Konoha wouldn't let such a large sum of money slip by without asking questions, and Naruto didn't have a clear explanation for it.
The only reasonable option was for Tsunade to provide the funds, as no one would question the wealth of the Senju Clan. His goal was simply to make a secret deal with her and use her name to cover the expense.
Knock, knock, knock!
Since it was Shizune's office, Naruto chose to show some respect.
"Come in." Tsunade's voice came from inside, sounding a bit lazy.
Naruto pushed the door open and walked in. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw Tsunade looking up at him. Her gaze was filled with resentment, mixed with a hint of restrained anger, making Naruto's scalp tingle instantly.
"Whoa, Tsunade-sama, what are you doing..." He couldn't help but take two steps back.
"Oh, it's you." Tsunade muttered, as if she had mistaken him for someone else, and her expression suddenly turned indifferent.
Naruto's heart pounded nervously. He was sure Tsunade had recognized him before showing that strange look. It was unsettling, as though there was some deep-seated grudge between them.
But now seeing that she looked indifferent again, Naruto didn't dare press further. After being nervous for a while, Naruto finally asked tentatively, "Tsunade-sama, are you busy right now?"
"Not busy. What do you need?"
"I do have something." Naruto scratched his face and prepared to explain.
Just then, there was a loud noise, and Tsunade stood up abruptly, about to head out. She glanced at Naruto and said nonchalantly, "Wait here for a moment, I have something to take care of."
Naruto: "…"
If he didn't notice something strange going on, his eyes might as well be useless. Tsunade's attitude was clearly signaling that she was about to make things difficult for him.
However, he was still confused.
Half a month ago, everything had been fine. Tsunade had even made a sneaky agreement with him regarding some rather... adult matters. They had been plotting to take down Danzo together, with Tsunade being the main strategist while he acted as the frontman to smear Danzo's name.
But no matter what, they had been on the same side… a close alliance, if not exactly friends, at least trustworthy partners.
But now... Naruto really didn't understand Tsunade's situation. Sitting in the chair, he racked his brain trying to remember anything that might have offended her, but he came up with nothing.
Afraid to speak further, he could only sit quietly in the chair and wait.
Naruto waited almost the entire day before Tsunade finally returned. Just as he was about to stand and speak, Tsunade ignored him again, heading back out. Naruto was left breathless with frustration, nearly choking on his exasperation.
"Tsunade-sama, did I offend you somehow?"
"No, why would you say that?" Tsunade looked at him with genuine confusion and explained, "I've just been really busy lately. Don't take it the wrong way, give me a bit longer."
With that, Tsunade left again.
Naruto waited from morning till noon, then went out for lunch. When he came back, he decided to take a nap on the desk, and soon it was afternoon. During this period, Tsunade never showed up.
"Damn it! That woman is totally messing with me!" He muttered through gritted teeth and swore secretly in his heart, 'A gentleman's revenge would be worth it.'
It wasn't until evening that the elusive Tsunade finally reappeared. When she saw Naruto, she was visibly surprised, and her first words nearly gave Naruto a stroke.
"What are you doing here?"
Naruto shot up from his chair, pointing at Tsunade with a trembling finger, "Tsunade-sama, you're definitely doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
"I'm not." Tsunade said, striding forward, her high heels clicking as something almost… teetered, like a snowdrift about to collapse.
"Then why have you left me hanging? Three times! Three whole times!" Naruto, now visibly agitated, almost rushed up to her.
"I didn't. I already told you, I've been busy."
"Busy, my ass! I'm not an idiot." Naruto snapped, "Tsunade-sama, I haven't offended you recently, so what's with all this?"
"And how do you know you haven't offended me?" Tsunade crossed her arms and stared him down.
Naruto suddenly recalled something, and his face went pale with guilt. The situation had suddenly turned awkward. Now he really wanted to bail, sensing an ominous tension in the air.
"Figured it out, have you?" Tsunade sneered, staring at him straight in the eyes, "How? Did you enjoy it, Uzumaki Naruto."
"N-no, it wasn't fun at all." Naruto stammered, taking a few steps back, his face flushed with embarrassment. "So... Tsunade-sama, you've known for a while that I... traveled through time?"
"I didn't know. To be precise, it only became clear to me after you finished that mission." Tsunade said coldly, her eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists, clearly on the verge of losing her temper.
"Wait, wait, wait, Tsunade-sama, calm down, please." Naruto pleaded as he backed away, his forehead beading with sweat.
'It's all Danzo's fault, otherwise I wouldn't have accumulated conflicts with Tsunade. If I hadn't accumulated conflicts with Tsunade, I wouldn't have even considered time-traveling to get back at her.'
'And now? Now I'd been caught red-handed, with no way to talk my way out of it.'
Naruto felt thoroughly embarrassed, rubbing his hands together, unsure of what to do, 'Apologizing? It seemed useless.'
'I was just acting on impulse at the time, without considering the consequences. Now that I think about it carefully… it's terrifying to think that I trained Tsunade to be a gambling addict.'
Now, facing the consequences, Naruto could only look helplessly at Tsunade, the very person he had once toyed with.
"Calm down? You want me to calm down?" Tsunade grabbed Naruto by the collar, lifting him up so their faces were inches apart, their noses almost touching as she snarled, "Uzumaki Naruto, you deserve to die!"
"I was wrong, Tsunade-sama." Naruto's teeth were chattering in fear. He knew Tsunade's fury was real this time.
"You've got some nerve, don't you, Uzumaki Naruto? You thought you could make a fool out of me, huh? Because I'm all alone and easy to trick?"
"How many lies have you told me, huh? Speak up, Uzumaki Naruto! You were always so quick with words before, weren't you? How come you're not talking now? Come on, let's hear it?"
"I-I don't dare anymore." Naruto replied meekly.
"Oh? So there is something you don't dare to do, huh?" Tsunade's anger flared even hotter, "You said we'd meet again… This is how you wanted to meet again, is it? Say something."
Naruto stood there, head down, like a scolded child. He had completely given up. He knew he had been caught and had no way to weasel out of this one. The fear of being beaten to a pulp gnawed at him.
Fortunately, Tsunade didn't actually hit him. She simply tossed him aside and sat back in her chair, closing her eyes to rest. She glanced at him with a cold, indifferent look as he slowly picked himself up from the floor.
The twenty-year gap between them was undeniable, and with it, the last glimmer of hope in her heart faded. Tsunade realized that life was like a farce, destined to end in absurdity.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Tsunade asked, rubbing her temples.
"No, nothing else." Naruto hesitated for a moment. Realizing that Tsunade was still in bad mood, he knew this wasn't the time to discuss anything serious. So without hesitation, he made his escape.
"Tsunade-sama, I'm going back first." After saying that, he slipped away immediately.
Tsunade sat alone in the vast office, watching as the light slowly dimmed. Her eyes remained fixed on the desk, lost in thought.