"Welcome—oh! Lady Tsunade?!"
The shop owner was visibly surprised to see her, then quickly stepped forward to greet her.
Tsunade's gaze wandered around the shop as she picked up a bottle of aromatherapy oil and brought it to her nose.
The scent was quite strong—not her type.
She picked up another one—it had a fruity fragrance, much fresher.
"Lady Tsunade, are you here to pick up the aromatherapy for Lord Hokage?" the shop owner asked respectfully.
Tsunade's motion paused.
She frowned and looked at the man.
"I'm buying for myself. Is that a problem?"
The shop owner quickly shook his head. "Of course not! I just heard that you were working by the Hokage's side, so I assumed…"
Only then did Tsunade realize—her position as the Hokage's assistant had apparently spread throughout the village.
It made sense—she was a well-known figure, so it wasn't surprising.
But the thought of people tying her to the Hokage in this way made her incredibly irritated.
There was no point in lashing out at a shop owner, so Tsunade suppressed her frustration and continued smelling different scents.
After a while, she started to feel like her nose was going numb.
The shop owner recommended a few options, but none were quite what she was looking for.
The one scent she truly liked was still the one on the Hokage's bed.
But just earlier, she had been annoyed at being mistaken for running errands for him…
There was no need to be angry at herself—Tsunade convinced herself of this and cleared her throat before asking, "Samui told me that the aromatherapy you provide for Lord Hokage is specially made."
"Please wait a moment." The shop owner immediately returned to the counter and took out a more exquisite-looking bottle.
Tsunade opened the lid, and that familiar scent instantly spread through the air, refreshing her spirits.
The lingering undertones of the fragrance made her feel deeply relaxed.
Letting out a long breath, she shamelessly added, "Samui said… you could give me some for free."
The shop owner smiled. "Of course."
He took out a beautifully packaged gift box and handed it to her with both hands.
Tsunade's face lit up with joy. "Thanks a lot."
The shop owner chuckled. "Our little shop has always been honored by Lord Hokage's patronage. This is nothing at all. Lady Tsunade, you're welcome here anytime."
Having obtained what she wanted, Tsunade's mood lifted considerably.
Thinking about it, today was a day worth celebrating.
She then went to buy a few bottles of sake and headed to the Sarutobi residence.
Biwako was a bit surprised to see her, but Tsunade grinned and said, "I just bought some good stuff and thought I'd bring some over for you."
"This fragrance is quite special," Biwako remarked as she took a sniff. "And very pleasant."
"The shop owner said it helps with relaxation and sleep—you can put it in the bedroom," Tsunade explained.
Biwako smiled. "I'll have to visit the shop and get some myself."
Tsunade said, "This is a special supply for the Hokage—it's not for sale."
Biwako raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? Is that so?"
Tsunade suddenly remembered that the woman before her was also the wife of a former Hokage.
She quickly added, "But if you go, the shop owner will definitely sell it to you."
At noon, Biwako prepared a few extra dishes, and the two women shared a meal together, even opening a bottle of sake.
"Asuma isn't home?" Tsunade asked.
"He's on a mission. Most of the village's Jonin have been sent out to suppress the rebel, and even the Chunin are busy," Biwako replied.
Tsunade suddenly remarked, "The capital fell earlier… I heard the entire royal family was wiped out."
Biwako took a sip of sake, pondering for a moment before saying, "You've been by the Hokage's side this whole time. Shouldn't you know more about this than I do?"
The Land of Fire had been plagued with rebellions, and Konoha had remained indifferent.
It wasn't until the royal family was completely exterminated that the village sent ninja to clean up the mess.
The Hokage's intentions were obvious.
Tsunade mused, "So he wants to become the Daimyo."
Biwako, however, shook her head. "I don't think a mere Daimyo's position would be enough for him."
Tsunade let out a dry chuckle. "True. That guy is insatiable."
As the bottles of sake emptied, a pleasant warmth spread through her body.
Loosening up, Tsunade finally let go of her restraint and began venting to Biwako, complaining at length about all the things she found unbearable about the current Hokage.
Biwako simply smiled faintly as she looked at her. "Since you hate him so much, yet you still tolerate staying by his side… that's quite rare."
Tsunade replied, "It's all for Shizune."
Biwako said, "Even if you hadn't repaid that debt, the Hokage would've cleaned up the mess for you. No matter what, your grandfather was the First Hokage—there's no way he would've actually let you sit in prison."
Tsunade tilted her head, looking pained. "Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"
Biwako, however, responded, "Repaying a debt is only natural. What, did you want me to encourage you to default on it? Consider it a lesson learned."
Tsunade let out a heavy sigh. "I'm never gambling again."
But to Biwako, those words carried little credibility.
She thought for a moment and said, "If you plan to continue living in the village, you should restrain your temper and make more friends. The village is expanding, and soon, a large number of outsiders will be moving in. You're called 'Princess Tsunade,' so act the part."
Tsunade found it all rather troublesome and replied perfunctorily, "Got it."
Biwako said, "If you don't take my words to heart and something happens again, you'll have no choice but to beg that Hokage you despise so much."
Tsunade countered, "Isn't that what I have you for?"
Biwako chuckled and shook her head. "I'm just an old widow, carrying the title of the Third Hokage's wife. What can I do? The best thing I can do is live quietly and wait for my time to come."
Friends...
Most of Tsunade's peers, the ones she was familiar with, were already settled down with families, their children no longer young.
As for the younger generation, she wasn't willing to lower herself to their level.
She thought of Orochimaru, thought of Jiraiya—these were the only people she could truly call friends.
Then, unexpectedly, she thought of Mabui.
Letting out a long sigh, Tsunade irritably ran a hand through her hair, then lifted her cup and downed the rest of her drink.
"Just let things take their course," she muttered.
After lunch, having drunk quite a bit, Tsunade ended up dozing off at Biwako's place.
By the time she woke up, the sky had already darkened.
She dragged her heavy, sluggish body out of the Sarutobi household.
In the distance, the Tower of Solarity glowed with a soft, warm light, and the Hokage Building's windows were still illuminated.
For some reason, Tsunade stopped in her tracks, quietly gazing in that direction.
"What are you looking at?"
A familiar voice suddenly pulled her from her thoughts.
Not far from her, Makoto stood there, having appeared at some unknown point.
Tsunade glanced again at the Hokage Building, still lit, then turned her gaze to Makoto.
"Samui is inside, tidying things up."
"Oh..."
"Seeing me, you won't even bother greeting me?" Makoto said calmly.
"..."
Tsunade unconsciously tensed up and lowered her head slightly as she spoke.
"Lord Hokage."
Makoto asked, "What's this? Are you reluctant to leave this job?"
Facing him, Tsunade instinctively lowered her voice.
She averted her gaze and said, "No."
Makoto suddenly asked, "What's in your hand?"
She was holding a gift box containing the scented sachets.
Reflexively, she moved it behind her back and awkwardly replied, "Nothing."
"You can return to work at Konoha Hospital now."
"Got it."
Makoto left, and Tsunade let out a quiet sigh of relief—only to be immediately irritated by her own reaction.
The job was already over, so why was she still afraid of him?!
Damn it...
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