'Damn it, I was too obvious! I let my emotions get the better of me!'
Tsunade was a mess of mortification and frustration. If her brother realized she had feelings for his friend, if he thought she was some cougar chasing after a younger guy… how could she ever face him again?
Yet, beneath the shame and anger, a sliver of anticipation squirmed in her heart.
If Nawaki actually pointed out her feelings for Qianyu… then she'd know. She'd know how they both felt. Whether Nawaki would accept it. Whether Qianyu… liked her back.
The embarrassment would be brutal, but short. And afterwards? She wouldn't have to hide anymore. She could like Qianyu openly!
The thought washed away a good chunk of her panic. She looked at Nawaki and forced her voice into something resembling calm. "Nawaki. What did you want to say?"
"Sis, you were just trying to piss me off earlier, right?" Nawaki declared, wearing a triumphant 'I-see-right-through-you' grin.
"Huh… Huh?!"
Tsunade stared, dumbfounded. In her flustered state, she'd forgotten one crucial thing. She had vastly overestimated her little brother's intelligence.
What came next nearly made her see stars.
"You were mad and worried because I messed up again. So you hugged Qianyu instead of me to show your disapproval." Nawaki crossed his arms, pouting. "I know you've been sick of having a dummy like me for a brother. You want a smart guy like Qianyu instead, don't you?"
Tsunade's pretty face instantly darkened. Great. Just perfect. Forget boyfriend. Qianyu was now, apparently, her potential little brother.
"See? See? I knew it!" Nawaki huffed, smug. "That's why you look like you wanna punch me."
Convinced he'd cracked her code, Nawaki puffed out his chest, blissfully unaware of the impending doom.
"Na—wa—ki!!"
"Eh? Aah! Owww! Sis, why are you hitting me?! I'm your only brother! You'll have none left if you kill me!"
"You're exactly who I want to hit! 'I knew it,' huh? 'Self-proclaimed genius,' huh? DIE!"
"Ow! Sis, not there! Stop! Yamete! YAMETEEEEE—!"
Nawaki's screams of agony filled the tent. Orochimaru, standing to the side, massaged his temples and let out a soft, exasperated, yet fond sigh.
Nawaki-kun truly is as foolish as ever. But…
His golden eyes shifted to Qianyu, who stood frozen nearby, looking utterly lost. Orochimaru gave an almost imperceptible nod.
This might be for the best. Compared to Jiraiya, who's so consumed by his grand dreams of peace he has no room for trivial matters of the heart… this boy might be more suitable for Tsunade.
The problem was, the kid seemed just as clueless about romance as Tsunade and Nawaki, those two knuckleheads from the Senju clan. Who knew when these two would finally figure it out.
So… I misunderstood?
Watching the beating unfold—Nawaki wailing, Tsunade raging—Qianyu's brain, freshly labeled a 'knucklehead' by Orochimaru, struggled to process.
Lady Tsunade only hugged me to make Nawaki jealous. Then she felt awkward about it, so she got embarrassed…
The logic fit. A pang of disappointment hit him. For a moment there, he'd thought… she might actually like him.
But then, relief followed.
Thank the Sage Nawaki had interrupted him. If he'd actually blurted out "Do you like me, Lady Tsunade?" in front of everyone… he'd probably be the one getting pummeled right now.
Good brother. Thank you for taking the hit for me. You're a real pal.
Watching the howling, trapped Nawaki, Qianyu felt genuinely moved.
When it came to matters of the heart, Qianyu—possessor of Senju blood and a lifelong single status—could only say:
"I can't tell. I really, truly can't tell!"
…
Ten minutes later, Tsunade dusted off her hands, looking profoundly refreshed.
Nawaki lay sprawled on the ground like a beached fish that had given up on life, his face swollen into a puffy bun.
All things considered, having a brother who doubled as a stress-relief punching bag was pretty nice.
"Qianyu," Tsunade began, her composure regained. "On the way here, I heard about Rock shinobi spies trying to frame you. To get you kicked out of camp?"
"That's right." Qianyu nodded. "We decided it wasn't safe anymore. We were planning to have Uchiha Fugaku escort us to a different location."
"Sss… The Uchiha are not necessarily reliable," Orochimaru spoke up, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Tsunade and I will escort you instead."
"That would be ideal!" Qianyu agreed immediately. Compared to Fugaku, these two were far superior choices.
"Best not to delay. We leave now." Tsunade shot a glance at the groaning lump on the floor before addressing everyone in the tent.
…
Under the protection of Tsunade and Orochimaru, Qianyu's group slipped away from the camp unnoticed. Their destination was the same hidden mountain where Nagato and the others waited.
The location, carefully chosen by Jiraiya, was supremely secluded and self-sufficient. With the two Sannin masking their movements, the risk of being tracked was minimal. It was safe.
"We'll leave you here. We need to return to the front and assist that fool Jiraiya," Orochimaru said, stopping as the small cabin came into view.
"You stay put. Focus on your 'A-rank mission.' Don't go anywhere. You are not to leave until the fighting is over, understood?" Tsunade's gaze lingered on Nawaki and Qianyu, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade. We understand," Qianyu answered dutifully as Nawaki pointedly looked away, sulking.
How weird. Because of that unreliable guy Nawaki, Lady Tsunade seems to treat me like a kid too.
Honestly, Qianyu was more than happy to hole up somewhere and wait out the war. If he could go back to the village right now, he'd sprint all the way to Konoha!
Once Tsunade and Orochimaru had left, Qianyu and the others returned to the familiar cabin.
"Qianyu-nii! Nawaki-nii! Kosuke-senpai! You're back!"
The three children rushed out to meet them, faces bright with joy.
Konan practically launched herself into Qianyu's arms.
"Qianyu-nii! I missed you so much!"
"Heh, I missed you guys too." Qianyu grinned, ruffling Konan's hair. He'd been thinking about the rewards tied to these three day and night!
Although, the thought of exhausting himself every evening to satisfy Konan's… demands… did make him feel a bit weary.
For now, I'll use this time to consolidate my strength, he resolved.
The system had given him many skills. He needed time to integrate them, to grow stronger on his own merits, not just rely on the system. He planned to use his perfect chakra control to attempt merging fire and earth natures, to develop the Kekkei Genkai—Lava Release!
Of course, he'd still claim the rewards from Nagato's trio. Not using the system would be just stupid.
I wonder what I'll get this time. At least give me a rare skill! Qianyu thought eagerly.
…
Konoha, ANBU Headquarters.
In a dimly lit hall, a figure in white robes sat upon a high platform, his expression shifting in the shadows, lost in thought.
"Master strategist… inspires awe across three armies… the makings of a Hokage…"
After a long silence, the figure spoke slowly. "Ōnoki is trying to borrow my blade to kill a man. What do you all think?"
Danzō Shimura's voice echoed in the hall. Below, Root operatives knelt in perfect formation. Not one dared to make a sound. The air was thick with fear.
"Hmph. A hall full of mutes."
Danzō snorted coldly and turned his gaze to the woman kneeling on one knee before him. "Miko. Is there any other intelligence to report?"
"…No, Lord Danzō." Nonō Yakushi remained silent for a beat before answering, her face a placid mask.
She withheld the information about all three Sannin taking an interest in Qianyu's talent.
She didn't want that bright, sunny boy to catch Danzō's eye. To be dragged into the darkness like she was, with no escape.
The Sannin wouldn't spread that news. Kosuke and Nawaki wouldn't blab. Danzō shouldn't be able to learn of it from any other source.
"Very well. Dismissed." Danzō waved a hand at Nonō. "I have a new assignment for you. Depart when you're ready."
"…Yes, Lord Danzō." Nonō's knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists, accepting the order through gritted teeth.
"The rest of you, leave as well. I wish for solitude."
Once the hall was empty, Danzō's composure shattered.
With a furious snarl, he crumpled the intelligence report in his hand and hurled it to the ground.
"What a fine piece of work, Hatake Sakumo!"
"Rallying support on the battlefield, winning the hearts of the masses, gaining the backing of the Uchiha, the Nara, and other major clans… Do you aim to steal the Hokage's seat from me, Hatake Sakumo?!"
CRACK!
Danzō's grip was too strong. The armrest of his chair shattered into dust.
"Hatake Sakumo. You would do well not to stand in my way. Otherwise…"
A glint of cold ruthlessness flashed in Danzō's eye.
For the title of Hokage, he had already done many things he shouldn't have. One or two more would make no difference.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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