"Waaaaah!"
Tsunade woke up relaxed and snuggled into Li Shang's soft chest. For a moment, the feeling of peace was absolute. Then her eyes opened completely and she froze.
"Aaaah!"
She jumped up startled, her heart pounding. The reality of what had happened hit her like a lightning bolt.
"Did you sleep well?" Li Shang got up, stretching with the naturalness of someone who had just had the best night's sleep in years.
"We... yesterday..."
Tsunade blushed completely, her face burning with shame. It was then that she noticed the cold air against her skin. She looked down. Nothing. Absolutely nothing covering her body.
"DON'T LOOK!"
The scream echoed through the clearing as she desperately tried to cover herself with her arms.
Li Shang calmly took a new set of clothes from his storage ring. As he dressed with calm movements, he couldn't resist the provocation.
"I already saw everything yesterday."
"Oh my God, what have I done?" Tsunade muttered frantically as she quickly put on her clothes, her hands trembling with nervousness. "I must have gone crazy... I... with a boy..."
"I already told you I'm older than you." Li Shang adjusted his cloak, his casual tone contrasting with her emotional chaos. "Let's go back, the village must be a mess."
"Mess? What do you mean?"
Tsunade, who was lost in embarrassing thoughts, suddenly focused upon hearing about the village. The Hokage within her instantly awakened.
"We've been gone for a day."
"A day? We stayed..."
The blush on the Fifth Hokage's face increased exponentially as she remembered. Flashes of memory hit her in waves. The heat. The intensity. The way he...
'It was so good that I lost track of time.'
She shook her head violently, trying to disperse the thoughts.
"Tsunade," Li Shang approached, his voice becoming serious for the first time since they woke up, "I hope you can keep everything you saw here and what I told you a secret."
She straightened her posture, trying to regain some dignity as he approached to prepare the return jutsu.
"I should be saying that!" Tsunade pointed her finger at him, trying to sound authoritative despite her face still red. "No one can know what we did."
Li Shang stopped a few centimeters from her, that teasing smile returning to his lips.
"I was talking about cultivation and another life." He began to form the seals for the Reverse Summoning, but couldn't resist adding: "What we did after that you can announce to the whole world."
"YOU...!"
Tsunade turned even redder, if that was possible. Before she could punch him to the next dimension, the jutsu activated.
The two disappeared from the forest in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind only the memories of a night that would change everything between them.
And Tsunade was still trying to process how the hell she, the legendary Sannin, had succumbed to the charms of a boy.
'Except he's not really a boy...' a small voice in her mind reminded her.
But that was a problem for future Tsunade to solve.
— — — —
The Hokage's office was in turmoil. The tension in the air was palpable, with all the important members of Konoha's administration gathered in a heated discussion.
"It's inadmissible!" Koharu slammed her hand on the table, her face red with anger. "The Hokage disappears for an entire day without giving explanations! In times like these!"
Homura adjusted his glasses, his voice filled with disapproval. "The village needs constant leadership, Tsunade. Your irresponsible behavior..."
"Enough."
Danzou's voice cut through the air like a blade. The old man stood in the center of the room, his single eye fixed on Tsunade with calculated intensity.
"I always knew this idea was wrong." His tone was firm, almost paternal in its condescension. "Tsunade has no commitment as Hokage. She acts on impulse, disappears when she wants, puts her personal desires above the village."
Li Shang, leaning silently in the corner of the office, felt his irritation grow. The old man's tone was loaded with something beyond simple criticism. There was poison there.
'He's testing the limits. Seeing how far he can push.'
Tsunade clenched her fists, ready to explode, but Danzou continued.
"Therefore, I officially inform you that I will resume the activities of the Root."
"That's absolutely impossible!" Tsunade stood up, chakra pulsating around her. "My master dissolved the Root, and so it will remain forever!"
Danzou remained impassive, adjusting the bandages on his face.
"The world situation has changed, Tsunade. The Akatsuki hunts bijuus. Other villages are mobilizing. We need an extra force, without the moral restraints that prevent necessary actions."
"No!" Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, cracking the wood. "As long as I'm Hokage..."
"Think again, Tsunade."
Danzou's voice subtly changed. It became softer, more persuasive. Li Shang immediately noticed the change in the air.
Tsunade, who had been inflexible a moment before, began to relax. Her shoulders dropped slightly. Her clenched fist opened.
"Perhaps..." she began, her voice strangely calm, "perhaps we should consider..."
Li Shang's eyes widened.
'What is this? Is this old man using some technique on her?'
He discreetly focused his Tenseigan, and then he saw. A subtle thread of chakra emanated from Danzou's bandaged eye, snaking through the air to envelop Tsunade's mind. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there.
'Genjutsu... no, it's something deeper. More invasive.'
Without anyone in the room even understanding what happened, Li Shang activated his Steps Between the Void.
In an instant, he disappeared.
In the next, he was in front of Danzou.
Li Shang's fist, charged with concentrated Yuan Qi, struck the old man's chest with devastating force.
BOOM!
The side wall of the office exploded. Danzou was thrown through the rubble, his body disappearing into the cloud of dust and debris.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Koharu screamed, terrified.
"This is treason!" Homura recoiled, pointing at Li Shang with a trembling hand.
The shadows around the room came alive. Four ANBU from Tsunade's personal guard materialized, surrounding Li Shang with kunais in hand.
"Don't move!" one of them ordered.
Li Shang ignored them completely. He walked slowly to Tsunade, who still seemed stunned. Gently, he placed his finger on her forehead, sending a pulse of Yuan Qi.
Her eyes instantly cleared.
"Huh? Neji, what happened?" She blinked, confused, looking around the partially destroyed office.
"That old man was using some technique on you and controlling your mind." Li Shang announced calmly.
Gasps of shock echoed through the room. The ANBU hesitated, uncertain. Homura and Koharu exchanged alarmed glances.
Before any other word could be said, a figure emerged through the destroyed wall.
Danzou appeared, his clothes torn but his body seemingly unharmed. Two masked Root shinobi flanked him, their presences emanating lethal threat.
"BRAT!" Danzou roared, all his composure lost. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?"
Li Shang slowly turned, his Tenseigan now shining openly. A cold smile curved his lips.
"I know exactly what I did, old man. The question is... do you want me to tell everyone what you were doing?"