"Well, the style and look seem like something you'd pick out… but this just doesn't feel like your kind of thing," Tsunade said as she took the dark red pendant from Haseo's hand. Holding it between her fingers for a closer look, she finally spoke those words.
Haseo had no sense of aesthetics whatsoever—this wasn't unusual or particularly important—but what stood out here was… Tsunade wondered if maybe he was on the wrong meds.
Was he really the kind of guy who would give her accessories? Probably not. So even though receiving a gift did make her somewhat happy, the whole situation itself felt absurd.
Still, despite how she felt in that moment, she reached behind her neck and fastened the pendant anyway.
This response made Haseo incredibly awkward because, truthfully, the so-called "pendant" had actually been made by Uzumaki Shikou—he hadn't cared about the design at all.
And worse yet…
"Er, Tsunade-chan, this isn't exactly a necklace or jewelry. It's...a ninja tool."
Giving this pendant to Tsunade wasn't some romantic gesture—it was like handing her a kunai knife.
"A ninja tool?"
Tsunade froze mid-motion. At that moment, her feelings weren't shifting from joy to anger—they were more like a sudden flash of clarity.
It hit her like a bolt of clarity—suddenly, everything made perfect sense. If this thing wasn't jewelry but a piece of ninja equipment, then everything clicked. Haseo wouldn't give people jewelry, but giving them tools made total sense—he'd always be that kind of person.
"A ninja tool."
Haseo nodded solemnly, keeping a completely serious face. What else could he do at this point besides pretend to act dignified?
No wonder their relationship had gone absolutely nowhere over the years. After finally giving someone a gift, he gave a ninja tool…If they were even dating—and honestly, it was hard to say—then Haseo was definitely one-of-a-kind when it came to romance.
Luckily, Tsunade had always been a 'mature' child—debatable, of course. Still smiling, she accepted it happily. "Alright then, how do I use it?"
"The usage is pretty straightforward, but don't activate it unless it's an emergency. Think of this as a secret trump card on the battlefield… Since it was originally me who brought you all onto the battlefield, and now there's not much more I can do to help you," Haseo explained while describing the pendant's function to Tsunade.
His explanation sounded noble enough, but who could predict how Jiraiya and Orochimaru would react? You give someone a gift, just give it—why drag everyone else into it?
By that logic, each member of the three—including Motoi—should've received a pendant. Then again, why didn't he get one?
Well, Orochimaru and Jiraiya had grown into capable men who could fully take care of themselves. Tsunade-chan, though… she was different—she was the sort of girl who naturally inspired concern.
Tsunade was naturally willing to accept Haseo's goodwill, but after hearing his explanation, the pendant's crafting and usage methods made her somewhat reluctant to accept... However, since it was already around her neck, she decided not to ruin the moment by making a fuss.
Although Haseo called this pendant a Ninja Tool, it was obviously much more than just that. Thus, Tsunade decided to reciprocate with her own "affection."
There's an old saying: Beauty hides danger... though in this case, blessings often come with hidden curses...
Hmm, no, that's not right either. There's always a catch.
Well, whatever—everyone knows what happened next: Haseo watched as Tsunade reached out and retrieved another pendant hanging from her neck. Now that she had a red one, she could give away her original blue one.
To someone incredibly important to her.
Yet this was the pendant First Hokage gifted to his granddaughter. It was said that the material itself was priceless—something that couldn't even be compared to the ninja tool Haseo had given. Even more importantly than its material value, this item was filled with First Hokage's chakra.
But here's the catch: This item only functioned as a lucky charm or protective amulet when worn by Tsunade herself; in anyone else's hands, however, it became pure curse instead.
Those with insufficient fate-resistance would die instantly upon possessing it; even those strong enough to survive its deadly effects would eventually see the pendant shatter on its own—it was simply that ruthless.
So Haseo quickly grabbed Tsunade's hand before she could pass it over.
"Tsunade, I've heard about this item's origins. It belonged to the First Hokage—perhaps it's just too valuable... It's not yet time for it to change owners."
Truthfully, Haseo felt his own life wasn't quite strong enough yet. He couldn't be sure he was strong enough to survive the First Hokage's curse.
Tsunade blinked her eyes thoughtfully, vaguely sensing something odd about Haseo's reaction, though unable to pinpoint exactly what. "Of course it's valuable—but besides giving it to you, would you rather have me hand it to someone else?"
Absolutely not, Haseo internally replied. Tsunade, don't drag others into this curse. I'll bear it alone.
"What I mean is... It's reserved already, but temporarily staying with you for now," Haseo finally said.
He couldn't exactly say something like, "Wait until after the war ends to return it to me," because that would practically scream death flag.
His words weren't very clear, yet Tsunade seemed to understand his concern—at least superficially (even if their actual concerns were completely different)—so she didn't insist further. Besides, forcefully thrusting an object into Haseo's hands wouldn't exactly seem proper either.
"What about things back home once you head out to the battlefield?"
Once sensing that Tsunade gave him a break, Haseo slightly changed the topic.
"My home affairs? You mean Nawaki? I've already found someone suitable to take care of him," Tsunade replied, understanding Haseo's meaning.
After Sansho's death, the entire family except for Tsunade had fallen into a state of "withdrawal mode," so Haseo hadn't seen Nawaki until now... In truth, he didn't especially want to meet Nawaki either.
The child was Sansho's hope. But regardless of anything else, she had been physically frail her whole life and died shortly after giving birth—naturally no one would blame the child; after all, it was Sansho who chose to bring him into this world. If anyone tried blaming an infant for Sansho's death, they'd do better to say it was simply her fate.
Yet reason was one thing, emotions another. That was why Haseo held such an evasive attitude… Moreover, the only time Sansho managed to make Haseo feel that she was "an important person" was at the moment of her death.
Before their last meeting, Sansho was just a respected mentor to Haseo—nothing more, nothing less. Only after her death did she become someone capable of influencing his entire life.
This was also why Haseo inwardly distanced himself from that child.
Nawaki was actually quite a bit older than people like Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. He should have been about ten years old by now. However, perhaps due to his special status, Haseo hadn't heard anything about him attending the Ninja Academy—he seemed to be receiving a more traditional form of home education...
Thinking about these things, Haseo appeared somewhat lost in thought.
"Haseo?"
"Eh? Oh, where were we again?"
"I said I've taken care of everything I needed to sort out. Is there anything else you want to say to me? If not, I'll be going to meet Jiraiya and Orochimaru now—we might receive orders to head to the Land of Rain anytime."
"Yeah, I just wanted to give this item to you, nothing else... Anyway, be careful on the battlefield."
"I know. So… can you let go of my hand now?"
"...Ahem, I just forgot for a moment. Slipped my hand, that's all."
Yeah, his hand had originally been placed atop Tsunade's pendant.
As ninjas, they didn't linger on goodbyes. Once their conversation concluded, Tsunade prepared to turn around and leave.
However, before departing…
"Tsunade… come back soon."
"I know, Haseo."
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