Naruto: A New Life with Tsunade

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Tsunade crossed her arms, her golden eyes narrowing at Natsume. "Have you used that line on other girls before?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Natsume shot up from his seat, his voice resolute.

"Hmph, typical man." Tsunade's glare softened, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Come on. Let's head out."

Natsume eagerly extended a hand to help her up, but Tsunade ignored him, walking to the door. She leaned against the wall to balance herself as she slid into her heels. The high slit in her cheongsam revealed her toned legs, and Natsume couldn't help but glance, swallowing hard.

I should've helped her earlier. Now I've lost my chance.

As she slipped on her left heel, Tsunade caught his gaze and smirked. "Enjoying the view, are we?"

Natsume froze, then nodded a little too quickly. "Always."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You're just like every other guy."

He grinned, effortlessly turning the conversation. "They can't compare to me. After all, today, I'll treat you to my cooking."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Your cooking? Since when do you cook?"

Natsume scratched his cheek nervously. "I've picked up a few things. Definitely not from you, though."

That earned him a sharp glare. Tsunade raised her right leg and pinned him to the wall with her foot, her strength keeping him firmly in place. "So, my cooking isn't good enough for you?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

"It's not that!" Natsume protested, wincing as her strength pressed into his chest. He silently thanked his time in Shikkotsu Forest—anyone else would've been crushed under her strength.

His eyes drifted briefly to the silk stockings that framed her leg before darting away.

"Ahem…" A voice broke through the tension.

Both turned to see Shizune standing in the doorway, looking perplexed. "Is everything... okay here?"

Tsunade calmly put on her second shoe, her demeanor unbothered. "Everything's fine. I'm taking Natsume out for the day. We won't be back for lunch or dinner."

Shizune blinked, her confusion deepening. "Uh… alright. Be safe."

As they stepped outside, Natsume followed behind Tsunade, his gaze inevitably drawn to the graceful sway of her hips as the cheongsam accentuated her figure.

"Where are we going?" Tsunade asked abruptly, pulling him from his thoughts. "Want me to summon Katsuyu to get us there faster?"

"Just by the river," Natsume replied, his voice steady despite his wandering mind.

Moments later, with Katsuyu's assistance, they arrived at a serene valley. A crystal-clear waterfall cascaded into a wide river, framed by a small forest in the distance. The air was fresh, and the sound of flowing water filled the peaceful scene.

Natsume quickly unfurled a storage scroll, summoning camping gear, cooking supplies, and a picnic mat. He set up everything with practiced efficiency, refraining from using Mokuton to keep the experience authentic.

Finally, he pulled out two fishing rods and handed one to Tsunade. "Let's fish."

Tsunade eyed the rod skeptically. "I don't know how."

"It's easy," Natsume assured her, demonstrating the technique. "Bait the hook, cast the line, and wait for a bite. Here, sit down."

He patted a small bench, inviting her to sit close.

Tsunade humored him but quickly grew frustrated as minutes passed without a single catch. Meanwhile, Natsume reeled in two fish with ease.

"Forget this," she muttered, tossing the rod aside. "Fishing's boring."

Natsume bumped her shoulder playfully. "You're just mad because I'm better at it."

Tsunade smirked. "Better? We weren't even competing."

"You picked up the rod, didn't you? That's when the competition started," Natsume said, his grin widening. "Don't underestimate me."

Tsunade chuckled at his seriousness. "Alright, so what's my punishment for losing?"

Natsume didn't miss a beat. "I need a soft seat."

Before she could respond, he slid onto her lap, leaning back comfortably.

Tsunade blinked in surprise but didn't push him away. Instead, she adjusted her position slightly, her arms encircling him in a surprisingly gentle embrace.

"Relaxing already?" she teased lightly.

"You're too distracting," Natsume admitted with a cheeky grin. "But I'll focus now."

In a flurry of swift movements, he caught five more fish in minutes.

Tsunade's eyes widened. "How did you—?"

"Skill," Natsume replied smugly, his grin widening.

Tsunade shook her head, amused. Men and their need to show off.

---

As the fish grilled over the fire, the air filled with a tantalizing aroma. Tsunade took a bite of the freshly cooked fish and froze, her eyes widening.

"This is incredible! When did you learn to cook like this?"

Natsume waved off the praise. "It's just a hobby."

Tsunade eyed him suspiciously. "You're not secretly trying to avoid eating my cooking, are you?"

Natsume flinched. "Of course not! I'd eat your cooking every day if I could!"

Tsunade tapped his forehead lightly, a playful smile on her lips. "You're such a smooth talker. I bet you'll charm plenty of girls in the future."

"I only want to charm you," Natsume muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing! Try the grilled meat!" Natsume said quickly, holding out a skewer to change the subject.

Tsunade took it, her smile softening. As they continued eating, she couldn't shake the warmth spreading through her chest.

---

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha compound, unrest simmered.

"Clan leader, Orochimaru attacked our forces! This cannot go unanswered!"

"This is further proof that Konoha cannot be trusted!"

"We must take action now!"

Uchiha Fugaku listened in silence as the room erupted in anger. The radicals outnumbered the conservatives now, their calls for rebellion growing louder with each passing day.

Finally, Fugaku turned to his eldest son. "Itachi. What do you think?"

Itachi's expression remained stoic. "Words are meaningless now. Only action will determine the outcome."

Fugaku's gaze hardened. The future of the Uchiha rested on a knife's edge.

---

Night had fallen.

Natsume and Tsunade lay side by side on the soft grass, gazing at the clear night sky. The air was crisp and cool, the perfect respite after the sweltering day. Above them, countless stars twinkled like scattered diamonds.

A gentle breeze swept through the hillside, rustling the leaves and carrying a sense of calm that Tsunade hadn't felt in years. She chuckled softly, almost surprised by the lightness in her chest. It had been far too long since she'd allowed herself to simply relax like this.

This isn't so bad, she thought, glancing at the young man beside her.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she realized Natsume was holding her hand. Without thinking, she gave his hand a firm squeeze in return. But Natsume wasn't one to stop there—he began tracing lazy circles on her palm with his fingertip.

"Hey!" Tsunade narrowed her eyes and swatted his hand with her free one. "What do you think you're doing? Behave yourself."

Natsume only grinned, his expression mischievous. "What? There's not much to do out here anyway. Just making the most of it."

"You're the one who wanted to come out here in the first place," she huffed, though a faint smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "Keep it up, and I'll throw you off this hill."

"Relax, Grandma. It's not like I'm—"

Tsunade shot him a withering glare. "Call me 'Grandma' one more time and see what happens."

Natsume wisely fell silent, though his teasing grin remained. He shifted closer, resting his head against her shoulder. Tsunade sighed but didn't push him away.

Where does he get this boldness? she wondered, sneaking a glance at his face. He looked peaceful, almost boyish, despite the maturity his recent Sage Mode training had brought to his features. Before she could think better of it, she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

Natsume's eyes snapped open, wide with shock. "Wha—did you just—"

"Go to sleep," she said firmly, cutting him off as she closed her eyes.

Flustered, Natsume sat up, his face red. "How am I supposed to sleep after that?" he muttered under his breath.

Tsunade ignored him, already drifting off.

---

The next week flew by in a whirlwind of training. When Natsume returned to Konoha, the tension in the air was palpable. The Uchiha clan's unrest had reached new heights, and whispers of rebellion rippled through the village.

Natsume, however, had no interest in the clan's infighting. His focus was on forming alliances with individuals like Shisui and Izumi—people who could be pivotal in shaping the future.

One afternoon, deep in the Forest of Death, Natsume approached Hinata Hyūga, who was just regaining her senses after a rigorous genjutsu exercise he'd put her through.

"Hinata," he called out, a warm smile on his face as he held out a delicate bracelet. "Here, I made this for you."

Hinata's face turned a vivid shade of red as she hesitantly accepted the gift. "T-Thank you…" she murmured, clutching it nervously.

What she didn't realize was that the bracelet concealed a Flying Thunder God seal, allowing Natsume to teleport to her side in an instant if needed.

As he fastened the bracelet around her wrist, Natsume said, "Make sure you keep it with you. It's important."

Hinata nodded, too flustered to respond. To ease her nerves, Natsume casually asked, "How's Neji been doing? Still giving you a hard time?"

Hinata blinked, grateful for the change in topic. "N-Neji-nii-san has been sparring with me more, but… I've been winning lately."

"Winning, huh?" Natsume raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "That doesn't sound like the Neji I know. You're not holding back on him, are you?"

"No." Hinata shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "He… he told me not to."

Natsume chuckled. "Good advice. I'm sure you've been amazing. Too bad I missed seeing my Hinata in action."

The words my Hinata were enough to make her knees buckle. Before she knew it, she had fainted, leaving Natsume scrambling to catch her.

"What just happened?" he muttered, utterly bewildered. With a sigh, he decided to carry her home, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport directly to the Hyūga compound.

After settling Hinata in her room, Natsume prepared to leave when a knock sounded at the door.

"Hinata, are you awake?" came the voice of her mother, Rinka Hyūga.

Acting on instinct, Natsume hid in the closet, watching as Rinka entered and tucked her daughter in. Once she left, Natsume stepped out quietly, only to find Hinata awake and staring at him, her face glowing red.

"N-Natsume…" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Natsume grinned, biting back a laugh at her adorably flustered expression. "Go to sleep," he said gently before vanishing in a flash of light.

---

Later that night, Natsume moved to his next objective: the Uchiha compound. With the clan's unrest nearing its peak, it was time to place his Flying Thunder God seal in a secure location.

Under the cover of darkness, Natsume infiltrated the district, his movements undetectable to all but the most skilled shinobi. He decided to approach Uchiha Izumi, whose peripheral status within the clan made her an ideal ally.

Appearing in her room, he immediately sensed her Sharingan activate. "Who's there?" she demanded, stepping into a defensive stance.

"Relax," Natsume said calmly, raising his hands in a show of peace. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"What do you want?" Izumi asked warily, her crimson eyes fixed on him.

"Just a precaution." He stepped closer, extending his hand. "Hold out yours."

Though suspicious, Izumi complied. Natsume gently held her wrist, channeling his chakra to place a Flying Thunder God seal disguised as a honeysuckle flower.

"What's this?" she asked, staring at the mark.

"It's so I can protect you, if the need arises," he said, offering her a reassuring smile before vanishing into the night.

From a distance, Natsume spotted three familiar figures: Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Inabi, and Uchiha Tekka. Their presence sparked a new thought.

Let's see where this leads.

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