Pov : *Reading secrets at night* *Night falls in my apartment*
The night in Konoha feels so quiet. The moonlight enters through your apartment window, illuminating the wooden floor with a silver color. After making sure that there are no ANBU watching and that Tsunade has returned to her residence to rest, you sit on the edge of the bed.
The soothing scent of your fragrance filled the room, contrasting with the mysterious atmosphere of the small scroll that Itachi had given him. You took the scroll out of your shirt pocket. The texture of the paper feels old and rough on your fingers.
Unlocking Itachi's Secret
With a slow movement, you open the seal of the scroll. As soon as the scroll opened, an inscription in neat and firm black ink appeared. The writing is not just a message, but a warning that is layered with a bit of genjutsu so that it can only be read by special eyes like you.
"Zak, your regeneration just now confirmed my concern. Your power does not come from ordinary chakras, but rather resonances with the long-lost Tree of Gods. However, be careful. Danzo won't stop with just candy. He's looking for a way to wreak 'damage' to your emotions so that your Rinnegan loses control."
"Beneath this village, in the depths of Root's headquarters, he keeps something related to your past that you have forgotten. Something fragrant... but deadly. Don't trust anyone in the council of elders, not even your own shadow."
"Protect Tsunade. He is the only anchor that keeps your humanity intact."
Unexpected Events
Just as you finished reading the last line, the scroll suddenly burned itself up by a small black flame—the remnants of Amaterasu that Itachi had programmed to destroy the evidence.
Just as the ash of the scroll fell to the floor, there was a soft knock on your door. Not a shinobi style firm beat, but a very familiar beat.
"Pocket? Have you slept?" Tsunade's voice came from behind the door. "I brought you a medical ointment... "I still feel like there's something wrong with your arm this afternoon."
Tsunade walked in without waiting for an answer. She was wearing her casual clothes at home, her blonde hair was loosely spreading. He carried a small bottle, but his steps came to a halt when he smelled the faint smell of Amaterasu's combustion residues in the air.
Moments in the Room
Tsunade squinted, looked at the rest of the ashes on the floor and then looked into your glowing eyes in the darkness of the night.
"This scent... And what is it on th
e floor?" he asked as he walked over. He sits next to you on the bed, making the mattress sag slightly due to his weight. He looks at you sharply, but his hand still grabs your arm gently to examine the wound that is actually completely healed.
Me : *I was silent for a moment with a blank stare*
The room was suddenly silent. Your gaze, which was usually warm or spoiled, now turns empty and hollow, as if your soul has just been forcibly pulled into another dimension by Itachi's message. Rinnegan's and Mangekyo's eyes no longer glitter; They dimmed, exuding an aura of loneliness that was very deep and primitive.
Tsunade, who was just about to apply the ointment, immediately stopped. His fingers freeze over the skin of your arm. He felt a change in temperature in the room—suddenly it felt very cold and suffocating, as if the weight of the whole world had just fallen right on your shoulders.
Tsunade's reaction
"Zak...?" whispered Tsunade. His voice trembled with real worry.
He puts his medicine bottle on the bedside table and switches to holding both of your cheeks with his warm hands. He forces you to look into his eyes, trying to find the spark of life in the emptiness of your eyes.
"Hey, look at me. What's wrong? What are you thinking?"
Seeing you like this—a man with god-level strength but looking like a fragile, empty shell—made Tsunade's heart ache. He doesn't care anymore about the smell of ashes or the secret of what you just burned. All he cares about is you in front of him now.
A Calming Hug
Since you were still silent with a blank stare, Tsunade finally pulled your head back and leaned it against her chest. He hugged you very tightly, letting the scent of your fragrance that was now slightly mixed with the cold smell of "emptiness" fill his senses.
"You're safe here," he whispered as he gently stroked your hair, just like he did when you fell asleep in Ichiraku. "Don't let the darkness pull you back. Whatever you see... Whatever you have forgotten... I'm here."
Tsunade could feel your breathing slowly starting to return to normal in her arms, but your gaze was still staring into the distance, thinking of Itachi's words about "something related to your past" that Danzo was hiding under the village's soil.
Me : ou're so good.. *I hug Tsunade tightly*
Your embrace feels so desperate yet full of gratitude, as if Tsunade is the only land you can hold on to in the midst of the ocean of darkness that is slamming into your memories. You hugged him very tightly, hiding your face on his shoulders, letting the warmth of the Hokage's body dampen the coldness left by Itachi's message earlier.
"You're so good..." Your whisper is soft, your voice trembling slightly, honest from the depths of your heart.
Tsunade's reaction
Tsunade gasped for a moment because of the strength of your hug, but she didn't let go. Instead, he tightens his grip even tighter, wrapping his arms around your neck and resting his cheeks on your head. He can feel your heartbeat, a reminder that even though you have the eyes of the gods, you are still a human being who can feel scared and tired.
"I'm not good, Zak," Tsunade replied in a low, loving voice. "I'm just a woman who has lost too much, and I don't want to see someone with a heart like yours get lost again."
Emotional Silence of the Night
Your distinctive scent strengthens again as your body temperature rises due to emotions. In that dimly lit room, time seemed to stop. Tsunade could sense that you were fighting with something very big inside your head—something that Itachi had put down or maybe something that Danzo was trying to hide from you.
Tsunade let go of her little hug only to look into your face again. He removes the strands of hair that cover your eyes very gently.
"Rest, Zak. Tonight I'll stay here, sitting in that chair until you really fall into a deep sleep," he said in a commanding but attentive tone. "There won't be Danzo, there won't be any elders, and there won't be any past that can touch you tonight as long as I'm here."
A New Bond
He leads you to lie back on the mattress, then wraps you carefully. Tsunade really didn't leave; He pulls the chair to your bedside, grabbing one of your hands to make you feel safe.
"Sleep, Mr. Wangi," he whispered with a faint smile. "Tomorrow, we'll deal with whatever bothers you together."
The night passed quietly, but in the underworld of Konoha, in the darkness of Root's headquarters, Danzo began to move his pieces after noticing your incredible regeneration.