Chapter 93: A Sister's Kiss, An Idol's Reality
The expected earth-shattering punch didn't come. Instead, Tsunade stepped forward, the terrifying chakra aura around her fist dissipating. She reached out, not to strike, but to gently place a single finger against the center of Ragnar's forehead.
The gesture was startlingly familiar. A ghost of a future memory, of a different boy in a different time, flickered at the edge of his consciousness.
He didn't flinch.
Tsunade's anger seemed to have evaporated, replaced by a complex look of exasperation and curiosity. "Why didn't you dodge?" she asked, her voice much quieter now. "With your speed, it would have been easy."
Ragnar met her gaze through the eyeholes of his mask. "In Konoha, you are one of the few who has ever been kind to me," he said simply. "I won't hide from you."
It was the truth. For anyone else, the accidental intrusion would have been a minor tactical blunder, forgotten. But Tsunade was different. She'd pulled him from the rubble as a child, gifted him her knowledge, called him 'little brother.' Her goodwill was a rare currency in his life of survival, and he wouldn't disrespect it by treating her like just another volatile variable.
Tsunade's expression softened further. A genuine, warm smile touched her lips. "Call me Sister," she insisted, the command now fond.
The remaining tension bled away. She'd been impulsive. This wasn't Jiraiya, the incorrigible peeper. This was Ragnar, pragmatic to a fault, and despite his terrifying power, still somehow… hers to look after.
"Ragnar," she said, her tone becoming serious. "No matter the circumstances, you saved my life. Name your reward. If it's within my power, I'll grant it."
Ragnar was taken aback by the offer. The Tsunade before him seemed softer, more vulnerable. He studied her. Wrapped in his oversized black cloak, her form was still elegant, a testament to her strength and vitality. A different kind of awareness, one not tied to battle, flickered within him.
"Anything?" he asked, the word hanging in the warm cave air.
Tsunade was about to confirm, but then she caught the direction of his gaze—not lecherous like Jiraiya's, but a simple, almost clinical observation of her draped figure. She tapped his forehead again, this time with a knuckle. "Children shouldn't think about such things!" she chided, though her blush betrayed her own fluster.
"Tch. So insincere. Forget it then," Ragnar muttered, playing the part of the slighted junior.
What happened next froze him in place.
Tsunade leaned in, quick and decisive. Her lips, warm and soft, brushed against his forehead in a fleeting, chaste kiss. It was over before he could process it.
"There. That's all you get!" she declared, springing back several steps, her face now a brilliant scarlet as she tried and failed to look nonchalant. She herself seemed surprised by her own action, a spontaneous impulse born of relief, gratitude, and that confusing, sisterly affection.
"Oh," was all Ragnar could manage. A bizarre thought crossed his mind: Was that a forced kiss? Should I return it? A microsecond of tactical analysis later, survival instinct vetoed the idea. He let it go.
Tsunade took a few deep breaths, mastering her embarrassment. "So. What was so important you barged in earlier?"
"Right. While you were recovering, I encountered a Konoha ANBU operative outside. An Uchiha."
Tsunade's medical-ninja sharpness returned. "A descendant of Uchiha Kagami?"
"Yes. Should I allow her to enter?"
Tsunade looked at him, surprised. "Ragnar, you're asking me? Given your… history with the Uchiha, you saved one. If I said no, wouldn't I be the petty one here?" She smiled, a real one. "You're more considerate than you let on."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Ragnar's lips beneath the mask.
Tsunade saw it and clapped her hands lightly. "See? You look good when you smile. Much more… sunny. You should do it more often. Life isn't all rain and battlefields."
"..." Ragnar was momentarily speechless. He recovered, his tone dry. "Sister Tsunade, you are truly… magnanimous. A truly broad and great person."
"Of course! Don't forget who I—" Tsunade's proud retort died as she replayed his words. Broad and great… Her face flushed anew with a mix of indignation and utter humiliation.
"YOU LITTLE—!"
But Ragnar was already gone, having used Shave to vanish from the cave before the volcanic eruption could reach him.
Outside, Uchiha Mikoto stood with perfect ANBU decorum, her gaze fixed on the middle distance, giving no indication she'd heard anything. A good operative knew what to see and what to ignore.
"Inside is Konoha's Elite Jonin, Lady Tsunade. She's recovering from injuries," Ragnar stated without preamble.
"The one you rescued?" Mikoto asked, the question slipping out before she could stop it.
"Hn."
Mikoto fell silent, her mind recalibrating once more. He rescued Tsunade-sama too? The Sannin, the Hokage's disciple… Her estimation of 'Rakshasa's' capabilities, already sky-high, ascended into the realm of pure legend. The boy was a force of nature wrapped in human skin.
"Is Lady Tsunade really in there?" she finally asked, needing confirmation.
"Hn." Ragnar turned and ducked back into the cave. Taking a steadying breath, Mikoto followed.
She had an image of Tsunade in her mind: heroic, clad in a jonin vest, indomitable even in hardship. She was an idol to many Konoha kunoichi, a symbol that a woman could stand among the very strongest.
The reality inside the cave was… different.
The woman wrapped in a large black cloak, hair slightly disheveled, leaning against the wall with a tired but sharp expression… this was Tsunade?
"Lady… Tsunade?" Mikoto's voice was hesitant.
Tsunade, utterly unconcerned with appearances, pushed off the wall, adopting a casual, almost big-sisterly posture. "So, you're Kagami's granddaughter."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade. My grandfather was Uchiha Kagami."
"I remember the old man—the Third—mentioning him. Kagami was a student of my granduncle Tobirama, just like him." Tsunade cocked her head, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hmm. The Third is on the 'student' generation. With you, we're already at the 'grandchild' generation. Your clan… multiplies fast."
"I… beg your pardon?" Uchiha Mikoto was utterly lost, the conversation having taken a hard turn off the track of dignified hero-worship.
(End of Chapter)
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