After the battle ended, Tōshirō took several deep breaths. Not being able to go all out made the victory a bit difficult.
Once the referee announced his win, Tōshirō formed a hand seal and released his jutsu.
Crack! The ice pillar shattered, and Uchiha Tsuchien collapsed to the ground. Tōshirō stepped forward, extending his right hand to help him up.
"No need, I can stand up by myself."
Uchiha Tsuchien waved off the offer, pressing his hands to his knees as he slowly stood.
With a tone of mild admiration, Tōshirō said, "Your Sharingan is really impressive. If it had been just a little stronger, I would've lost."
This wasn't false humility. His opponent was truly skilled. Without his Sharingan, Tōshirō's victory had been somewhat lucky.
"A loss is a loss. I gambled and lost—nothing to be ashamed of."
Uchiha Tsuchien accepted his defeat openly.
Losing wasn't the problem—refusing to acknowledge it was.
His Sharingan hadn't lost to Tōshirō's Ice Release. It had lost to him.
He had fought Ice Release users before, but never had he encountered someone who wielded it like Tōshirō.
"I'll defeat you next time."
Uchiha Tsuchien's eyes burned with determination.
Tōshirō welcomed the challenge. "Doesn't matter. I'll just win again."
Uchiha Tsuchien's Sharingan flared red as he stared at Tōshirō, as if trying to see through him.
Tōshirō, feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, asked, "What? Do I have something on my face?"
Uchiha Tsuchien averted his gaze and shook his head. "Nothing. Just realizing how much time can change a person."
The Tōshirō he remembered wasn't like this. Now, he was becoming someone reliable.
At the same time, Uchiha Tsuchien felt it was a pity—Tōshirō's talent was wasted on something as simple as Ice Release. If he had the Sharingan, he might've been a future Clan Head.
As they spoke, a young boy, Fugaku, ran up to them, his black eyes filled with curiosity.
"Tōshirō, what was that jutsu you used just now?"
Tōshirō shamelessly took credit for the Rasengan's creation. "Oh, that? That's an A-rank jutsu I recently developed. It's called Rasengan. Pretty impressive, right?"
Fugaku, only eight years old, was an easy read. Tōshirō smirked. "Want me to teach you?"
"Really?!" Fugaku nearly jumped in excitement.
"Of course! Just call me 'Big Brother Tōshirō' a few times—let's hear it."
Fugaku immediately became suspicious, recalling past times he had been tricked. "Hmph! You're trying to fool me again. I'm not falling for it!"
Tōshirō sighed, spreading his hands. This time, he actually had meant it. But if the kid didn't believe him, oh well.
As they chatted, Tōshirō noticed Elder Itachi approaching with his cane.
"Tōshirō, how did I do just now? I wasn't slacking off during my travels, you know."
Elder Itachi replied flatly, "Not bad."
Tōshirō's face fell. "Come on, not bad? Elder Itachi, aren't you being a little too strict?"
"A shinobi can never be too strict with themselves."
Tōshirō sighed in defeat. "Man, you really don't let up… Anyway, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Where are you going?"
On a date, obviously…
But saying that aloud would cause unnecessary trouble.
Like a student trying to impress a teacher, Tōshirō put on a serious expression. "To train, of course! You're the one who said I shouldn't slack off, right?"
Elder Itachi nodded in approval.
"Alright then, I'll be off…"
As Tōshirō's figure disappeared into the distance, Elder Itachi began planning. The time was almost right—he needed to head to Iwagakure soon and set his sights on the Five-Tails.
If everything went as planned, he could discard the identity of Itachi altogether.
The Forest of Death
In a secluded corner of Konoha lay a vast forest.
Towering trees stretched high, their thick branches blocking out the sun. The area teemed with venomous creatures and fierce beasts, making it a death trap for ordinary people.
For safety, the forest was surrounded by barbed wire—to prevent villagers from wandering in, and to stop wild beasts from escaping and causing harm.
To further discourage reckless adventurers, the place had a chilling name:
The Forest of Death.
Anyone with common sense would turn back the moment they saw the ominous sign at the entrance.
This place was practically deserted.
But precisely because of that, it had become the perfect secret meeting spot for Tōshirō and Tsunade.
For ordinary people, this forest was deadly.
But for shinobi of their caliber?
It was nothing more than their private dating spot.
The sun hung high in the sky, its light filtering through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows that swayed with the wind.
Under a large tree, Tsunade paced back and forth, looking somewhat anxious.
As if trying to relieve her frustration, she untied the red ribbon from her head, shaking her head slightly. Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulders, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.
A large snake, coiled around a tree, noticed Tsunade's presence. Silently, it slithered closer, waiting for the perfect moment before suddenly lunging at her with its jaws wide open.
At that moment, Tsunade was already irritated from being stood up. This foolish snake was simply offering itself up for a beating. Without even turning around, she swung her fist backward, striking the snake's head.
Boom!
The snake's eyes rolled back as it lost consciousness. It fell from the tree, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud, sending dust flying.
Still fuming from being stood up, Tsunade closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and steadied her emotions.
Just then, a playful voice sounded behind her. "Wow, you really are impatient."
Tsunade opened her eyes. At first, she looked pleased, but in the next second, her expression twisted into one of anger as she furrowed her brows. "Do you even realize you're late?"
Tōshirō smoothly slid forward. "Sorry, I was stuck dealing with clan matters and couldn't get away."
"Flattery won't work on me."
Seeing that he admitted his mistake so quickly, Tsunade's anger mostly faded. Still, she had to keep up appearances—she couldn't let him off too easily.
Tōshirō casually slung an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, don't be mad. I had important things to handle, but see? As soon as I was done, I rushed over to be with you."
Just then, he noticed a delicate flower tucked in Tsunade's golden hair. It was a simple bloom he had seen before while exploring the Forest of Death.
The flower exuded a faint fragrance, a common scent, yet at this moment, in Tōshirō's eyes, it was more beautiful than any flower in the world.
"Can you get your filthy hands off me? Thanks. We're not that close."
Tsunade's tone was cold, but despite her words, she made no effort to push him away.
"You're really mad, huh…"
With a pout, Tsunade huffed, "You said, 'Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothing.' How could I possibly be important? Who knows when I'll just get tossed aside like trash, right?"
Tch, you're really holding onto that…
Tōshirō played along, putting on an apologetic look. "Come on, you can't take it like that. Think about it—how much does a pig's trotter cost? And how much does a piece of clothing cost? Obviously, one is more valuable than the other, right?"
"You're really good at twisting things around, aren't you?"
Tsunade couldn't help but laugh, letting out a soft pfft.
But she quickly forced a frown back onto her face, as if silently demanding, I'm still mad! Keep coaxing me!
Tōshirō got the message and pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box from his pouch.
"Hmph. At least you have a conscience." Tsunade glanced at him, a smile flickering at the corner of her lips. "What's inside?"
Tōshirō smirked. "Open it and see for yourself."
Tsunade unwrapped the box and found a star-shaped blue gemstone inside.
She gasped, covering her mouth. "It's beautiful…"
"This is called the Ocean Star," Tōshirō said with a soft smile. "It represents my love for you—deep and vast like the sea."
Hearing this, Tsunade abandoned all pretense and threw her arms around him in a big hug. "I accept your gift. You're forgiven."
"As long as you like it, that's all that matters."
"…But wait."
Just as she was feeling touched, something occurred to her. Could Tōshirō even afford this?
Tōshirō tilted his head. "But what?"
"With your money, could you actually afford this?"
"Of course not."
"...Uh, then where did it come from?"
"I found it."
Tsunade: ???
Tōshirō chuckled. "Haha, just kidding. Well… sort of. I actually discovered it by accident while traveling. Nearly lost my life in the process, too."
"Were you hurt?" Tsunade's expression instantly turned serious. "Is it bad? Take off your shirt so I can check—don't want you suffering any lasting effects."
Tōshirō froze. "Wait… You actually believe me?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I? What other explanation could there be?"
Tsunade giggled. "It's not like you robbed someone for it… right?"
Tōshirō broke into a cold sweat.
Well… in a way, she wasn't exactly wrong.
The gemstone was something he'd come across during his first mission with Kakuzu. They had raided a noble's estate, and among the treasures, Tōshirō had taken a liking to this unpolished gemstone. Later, he had it refined by a master craftsman, turning it into the beautiful gem Tsunade now held.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Tsunade wasn't focused on the gem anymore. She was more worried about Tōshirō's injuries.
"I'm fine, really. I've long since healed."
"Good. But if you ever feel any pain, don't try to tough it out. Tell me immediately."
At this moment, Tsunade sounded just like a concerned parent, reminding him over and over again. In the end, she seemed to decide she couldn't trust him and changed her mind.
"You know what? You're too forgetful. I'll just check myself."
The problem was… Tōshirō wasn't actually injured.
This was about to get awkward.
"Hurry up and take off your shirt. I need to do a full-body check."
Tōshirō clutched his chest. "I don't think that's appropriate. Men and women shouldn't casually see each other's bodies. What if you see me and I can't get married in the future?"
Tsunade stared at him in disbelief. "Can you be serious for once?"
"Fine, fine."
"Are you taking it off, or should I do it?"
"…You do it. I prefer to be passive."
"You're so lazy."
"Hehe…"
"Tōshirō."
"Hmm?"
"…Don't you think our conversation just now was a little weird?"
"?"
(End of Chapter)
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