"Since he's not coming, might as well keep taking it easy." He sank deeper into the couch, striking a lazy pose, comfortably closing his eyes.
Hearing this, Konan glanced sideways, 'Who was the one in a hurry just now?'
Naruto shifted positions and suppressed the anxiety in his heart. He had already decided not to drag the innocent Nao into this, but the matter still needed to be dealt with.
He closed his eyes and quietly went through all the people in his mind. Ajisai was too weak, Yakumo was too weak, and the Three Peaks of Kumogakure were too far away.
A strong and trustworthy woman, it seemed as if countless smiling faces flashed through his mind, and finally stopped at the face of a certain domineering yet exquisite woman.
He opened his eyes, watching the sunlight sway gently with the curtains on the balcony. Time seemed to slow down at this moment, and the autumn scenery was bright and captivating.
Click. The gears ground together, sparks flying.
The flame of a lighter flickered to life, igniting a cigarette while illuminating the face of a middle-aged man.
His sharp face showed a trace of fatigue, and he leaned against the corner and turned his head to look elsewhere.
A figure walked out of the darkness.
"Have you found out what happened?"
"We have found out that the group of people who are causing trouble for Tsunade-sama are a group of Rogue Shinobi. They have accepted money from the Aokage Family." The figure bowed his head and said respectfully.
"Tsunade-sama might not care about those trash, but our clan head won't stand for it." The man exhaled a puff of smoke and narrowed his eyes. "The young master's illness still depends on Tsunade-sama. There can be no mistakes."
After a pause, he spoke again, "Find someone to deal with them. I don't want to see them in the Land of Lightning again. Understood?"
"Understood." The black shadow retreated silently.
In a brightly lit hall, several high-ranking figures from the Land of Lightning sat together, chatting and drinking merrily. Tsunade leaned against a small table and drank a little, while Shizune knelt beside her and poured more sake for her.
"Tsunade-sama, please drink less…" Shizune lowered her voice and whispered.
"What are you talking about? I'm not drunk." Tsunade's face was flushed as she squinted. She picked up a piece of marinated beef with her chopsticks, opened her red lips and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Pour... pour me another one." Her cheeks puffed out and she looked somewhat comical.
Everyone present was looking over, but no one dared to make fun of Tsunade. All the famous figures in the Shinobi World's Medical Ninjutsu have passed away, and now, she is the only one left.
Ironically, Tsunade hadn't seriously studied Medical Ninjutsu for over twenty years. One blow after another had left her drifting through life in a daze.
She had finally met someone a little special, but in the end...
And yet, despite Tsunade's laziness, as she's spending two decades drinking and gambling, she had inadvertently become the leading figure in Medical Ninjutsu.
It could only be said that she owed it all to her peers being even worse.
What made it even more absurd was the reason behind this situation. Aside from Tsunade's own natural talent, it also had to do with the Shinobi World's hierarchy.
Over these twenty years, there had been no shortage of geniuses, but almost 99% of them devoted themselves to developing and mastering offensive Ninjutsu. They even looked down at Medical Ninjutsu and were unwilling to waste time learning it.
Over time, the top-tier Medical-nin advance higher and higher, while beginners found no path forward. If Tsunade had put in even a little more effort, she might have been able to find eternal youth before Orochimaru.
The nobles of the Land of Lightning looked at Tsunade with more and more respect, as if she were a living deity.
Money and status can bring them a superior quality of life, but the length of their lifespan couldn't be bought directly. Who wouldn't want to live a few more years? Who wouldn't want to be free from illness?
Normally, given Tsunade's background and strength, the nobles of the Land of Lightning could not afford to invite her. Only when Tsunade traveled around the world could they 'invite' her under the guise of sponsoring her journey.
After the banquet, both guests and host parted in high spirits.
Shizune supported Tsunade as they walked back to their lodgings. Away from the night's festivities, the surroundings grew quiet and empty. Tsunade hung her head, her mind floating in an alcohol-induced haze.
Her temples throbbed faintly, and there was a slight stinging sensation creeping in. A faint ringing in her ears made her irritable, and her eyelids kept fluttering restlessly.
By the time they returned to their room, Shizune turned on the lights and helped Tsunade onto the couch. The dazzling chandelier at the ceiling sparkled like gemstones, but Tsunade couldn't be bothered to look.
Shizune walked to the balcony and pulled open the curtains. Outside, the brilliant night sky stretched endlessly, dotted with stars against a deep blue-black canvas.
The soft light shone on Shizune's body, leaving her momentarily stunned. She tilted her head back, gazing at the sky in awe.
"Tsunade-sama, do you think there are people like us out there?"
"Hmm?"
Tsunade staggered to her feet and walked over to Shizune. Shizune was about to help her but was waved away by Tsunade, who leaned against the glass window of the balcony.
She squinted her eyes and looked up at the starry sky, still slightly drunk.
"The skies beyond the sky... might be something hostile to us." Tsunade said casually while drunk, "The unknown always carries danger."
As soon as she said it, she froze for a moment. It was as if she had forgotten something important. She had traveled the world for thousands of miles, but she still couldn't find happiness.
'What was it I had forgotten...?'
When Shizune saw that Tsunade suddenly fell silent, she looked at the golden hair hanging down on both sides of her cheeks, and couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
"What's wrong, Tsunade-sama?"
"Nothing." She waved her hand and turned back to rest.
Shizune could clearly sense that something was wrong with Tsunade, but subconsciously thought it was just the alcohol, so she didn't press further. Seeing Tsunade staggering into the bathroom, Shizune called out a reminder, "Tsunade-sama, remember to adjust the water temperature first."
"Got it." Tsunade replied lazily.