Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

Tsunade froze for a moment and turned to see a white-haired boy storming toward them angrily. Beside him were two other boys who seemed unable to hold him back no matter how hard they tried.

It was Orochimaru and Tōshirō.

"Jiraiya, calm down," Orochimaru urged.

"Calm down?! My heart's already frozen! How can I calm down?!" Jiraiya roared.

Dan Kato was momentarily taken aback upon seeing them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Tsunade asked, surprised.

The three stayed silent. They couldn't possibly admit they were following her—that would only invite trouble.

Oblivious to the tension, Dan joked, "Looks like your friends might have been eavesdropping on our conversation this whole time."

Tsunade's face darkened as she swept her gaze over the three of them. Her eyes finally landed on Jiraiya—it didn't take much to figure out that this was definitely his terrible idea. She knew him all too well.

"Well, you guys can chat. I won't stay and intrude," Dan said, sensing that his presence might only make things awkward. He decided to tactfully retreat.

He had already planted the seeds of his impression, and now all he needed to do was wait for the right opportunity in the future.

Jiraiya glared fiercely at Dan as he left.

Tsunade stepped in front of Jiraiya's line of sight, blocking him. Her voice was cold. "Alright, spill it. Why were you following us? And you even brought…"

She glanced at Tōshirō and Orochimaru as she spoke their names.

Jiraiya whistled nonchalantly, feigning ignorance.

"Oh? Not going to talk, huh?"

Tsunade cracked her knuckles, her fists clenched tightly as her joints popped. She exuded a dangerous aura, her eyes gleaming menacingly.

Jiraiya instantly gave in, dropping to his knees and spilling everything. He even ratted out Orochimaru without a second thought.

"You idiot! I already told you, we're just friends—it's not me!" Tsunade scolded him harshly.

But even as she scolded Jiraiya, her gaze darted toward a certain someone. Seeing no reaction from him, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, a trace of resentment welled up in her heart.

I've just been confessed to, and you don't feel the least bit anxious?

What if I run off with someone else?

Hmph. Annoying.

Still, she wasn't worried.

After all, The Love Manual had something to say about this situation.

It explained that the allure of the unattainable was a powerful motivator. The book even provided a vivid example: receiving 100,000 ryo from one's parents doesn't evoke the same sense of accomplishment as winning even a fraction of that in a casino.

Similarly, a romantic relationship is more rewarding when it begins with some emotional distance. This principle of starting cold and building heat resonated deeply with Tsunade.

In the past, she had felt indifferent toward Tōshirō, but now that she genuinely liked him, her feelings had grown uncontrollably intense.

Plus, there was another benefit to this strategy—it created anticipation. She found herself eagerly imagining how Tōshirō, who was so distant now, might behave once they became closer.

On the other hand, relationships that started out overly passionate often fizzled quickly, lacking the thrill of expectation.

And this was precisely why Jiraiya's fiery approach felt so dull to her.

How boring.

But Tōshirō's calm and indifferent demeanor? That was exactly what Tsunade found captivating.

The more indifferent he acted toward her, the more she liked him—and the more she looked forward to his eventual confession.

In short, it all boiled down to one word: like.

At this moment, Tōshirō remained silent, unsure of what to say. Sometimes, silence truly was golden.

Jiraiya, however, wasn't buying it. "You say you're protecting your friend's privacy? Fine, let me put it this way—you must've met that man, right?"

Tsunade stammered, "O-Of course."

Jiraiya pressed on relentlessly, determined to get to the bottom of it, even if it meant enduring a beating from Tsunade. "Alright, then introduce him to us. If you do that, I'll believe you."

Tōshirō's fingers trembled slightly—he was nervous.

Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on Jiraiya and Tsunade, so no one noticed his unusual behavior.

Tsunade huffed, "Why should I explain anything to you?"

"If you don't explain, it just means you're guilty and trying to hide something. That means you've got someone you like," Jiraiya pressed.

Tsunade clicked her tongue internally. If she didn't come up with an explanation, Jiraiya would probably pester her endlessly, and things would get awkward if he discovered she had feelings for Tōshirō.

"He's not from this village," she lied.

Jiraiya wasn't buying it. "What does he look like?"

Tsunade froze.

If she claimed she hadn't seen him, Jiraiya would surely think she was lying.

"Answer quickly," Jiraiya urged, not giving Tsunade time to think. Any hesitation would confirm his suspicions.

"What's the rush? I'm just organizing my thoughts," Tsunade said, carefully choosing her words:

"His complexion is fair with a hint of red, standing above all others.

His hair is like the finest gold.

Thick, flowing locks, black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves by streams of water, washed in milk and perfectly set.

His cheeks are like fragrant beds of spices, like towers of perfumed herbs.

His lips are like lilies, dripping with myrrh.

His hands are like rods of gold, set with topaz…"

The poetic description flowed effortlessly from her lips.

Not only was Jiraiya dumbfounded, but Tōshirō himself was stunned.

What on earth?

Is this… me?!

Tsunade, are you overestimating me? And did you just write a whole poem for me?

Sigh… this troublesome charm of mine.

Still, Tsunade's flustered demeanor was undeniably adorable.

Who could resist a woman like her?

Tōshirō's heart skipped a beat—thumping loudly for a moment. He quickly composed himself, masking his reaction from everyone.

Damn, is this what falling for someone feels like?

"This has to be a joke. There's no way someone like that exists," Jiraiya exclaimed, his disbelief evident.

"And how did your description sound so polished, like you prepared it ahead of time?" he added, his tone accusatory.

"If you don't believe me, whatever," Tsunade replied coolly. "That's just something a friend told me once. I just repeated it, that's all."

Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya, then her gaze shifted—just briefly—toward someone else.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now. As your companion, let me give you some advice: stop filling your head with ridiculous fantasies. Spend your time training instead—before you end up stepping on an explosive tag without even realizing it."

"Tsunade, wait!"

Ignoring him, Tsunade walked away briskly.

When she finally returned home, the emotions she had been suppressing erupted. Her cheeks flushed red like a boiled crab.

Ahhh! I'm going to die of embarrassment!

She had recited a poem—practically on impulse—and in front of Tōshirō, no less.

Good thing he doesn't know the truth…

But what if he did know? Wouldn't that mean she was hopelessly in love with him—so much so that she'd write him a poem? Then Tōshirō would have her completely under his thumb!

She knew her behavior was strange, but she couldn't help it. She just… liked that damned man so much.

Tsunade splashed her face with cold water to calm herself and opened The Love Manual to search for a plan.

Flipping through a few pages, her eyes landed on a section: "Key Moments: Birthdays."

Her eyebrows raised, and she nodded in agreement.

A birthday—such an important day in someone's life—was the perfect occasion. If she could give Tōshirō a meaningful gift, it might just push him to confess his feelings.

She realized she'd known Tōshirō for so long but had never seen him celebrate a birthday.

If I give him a gift, he's bound to be so moved he won't know what hit him!

Energized by the idea, she immediately began brainstorming gifts.

Wait.

She clutched her head in frustration.

I don't even know his birthday!

How could she give him a birthday gift if she didn't even know when it was? Should she just ask him?

The thought crossed her mind but was quickly dismissed.

No, that would be too obvious. A birthday gift works best when it feels effortless and spontaneous.

Tsunade mulled it over for a moment, then murmured to herself, "Anyway, first step—find out Tōshirō's birthday."

(End of Chapter)

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