Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

Mid-November, winter.

The weather grew colder by the day.

A new restaurant had recently opened on the commercial street of Konoha Village. Since the quartet—Tōshirō, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade—rarely had the chance to gather, they decided to support the establishment and enjoy a hearty meal together.

As they waited for the dishes to be served, Jiraiya tapped his fork on the table rhythmically. Meanwhile, Tōshirō and Orochimaru were engrossed in a lively discussion about their recent observations and experiences. Tsunade, however, quietly pulled out a book and began flipping through its pages.

"What are you reading that's got you so absorbed?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

Without lifting her gaze, Tsunade replied with a calm tone, "A book about constellations."

"Constellations? What's so interesting about those?"

Jiraiya looked puzzled, remembering the last time he brought up constellations—it was during an unsuccessful attempt to impress Tsunade.

"It's nothing," Tsunade responded casually. "I just found myself curious about them lately."

Jiraiya was completely baffled.

"Sometimes, when you have nothing to do, looking up at the stars in the night sky makes you wonder about them, doesn't it?"

Discussing the vastness of the universe with someone like Jiraiya, who lacked intellectual curiosity in such matters, was akin to talking to a brick wall. Tsunade quickly shifted her focus to Orochimaru and threw him a sly glance. "Don't you agree, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "Indeed. When you put it that way, it does seem quite intriguing."

"Constellations, huh…"

Tōshirō lifted his head and sighed nostalgically.

Talking about constellations reminded him of his childhood, when he used to watch Saint Seiya. Back then, in his teenage phase, he would even argue with his classmates about it.

This led to the creation of a "zodiac hierarchy" of sorts.

If you were a Virgo or Gemini, congratulations, you were unmatched.

If you were a Leo or Sagittarius, you were still doing pretty well.

The next tier included Capricorn and Aries.

But heaven forbid you were part of the "Water Duo"—Cancer or Pisces. Those signs were seen as the disgrace of the Golden Saints due to their poor combat record, which left their associated zodiac signs stigmatized for generations.

Unfortunately, Tōshirō was one of those unfortunate souls.

He was ridiculed to the point of being unable to lift his head in school, forced to endure a quiet and submissive demeanor every day.

"Damn it, what did Cancer ever do to offend the author?"

A mischievous glint flashed briefly in Tsunade's eyes.

She had purposely brought out a book on constellations in front of everyone. Her true goal was to use the topic as a cover to glean information about Tōshirō's birthday.

"Each zodiac sign corresponds to a different birth date. What's your sign?" Tōshirō, caught up in nostalgia, suddenly asked his companions about their zodiac signs, curious if anyone among them represented Cancer or Pisces.

In any case, this time around, Tōshirō was no longer part of the Water Duo, so it was none of his concern.

"My sign?" Tsunade closed her book and answered, "I was born on August 2nd. According to the book, that makes me a Leo."

Tōshirō nodded. Considering Tsunade's fiery temper, "Leo" was a fitting description.

After her, Jiraiya and Orochimaru revealed their birthdays: November 11th and October 27th, both falling under the sign of Scorpio.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged glances, surprised to discover they shared the same zodiac sign.

"What about you?" someone asked Tōshirō.

After a moment of thought, Tōshirō replied, "February 7th, which makes me an Aquarius."

In a way, his sign matched his abilities quite well.

"Just wait," he thought to himself. "Once I develop my S-class ice release, I'll call it Ice Release: Aurora Execution!"

Wait, no, that lacks sophistication. Better call it:

Ice Release: Aurora Goddess's Forgiveness!

Tsunade perked up, replaying the name and the date in her mind. She quietly noted Tōshirō's birthday.

Her plan was simple: prepare a thoughtful birthday gift for Tōshirō on that day and leave him deeply moved.

Wait a second… If she were the only one to give a birthday gift, wouldn't that make it seem like she cared too much about him?

While she was troubled by this thought, Orochimaru gave her an unexpected assist. "If I'm counting right, your birthday's in a few months, Tōshirō. I'll get you a gift then."

"Good job, Orochimaru," Tsunade thought, masking her intentions with a calm facade. "Well, if Orochimaru is doing it, I might as well join in. You'd better appreciate it when the time comes."

She suddenly noticed Tōshirō giving her a peculiar look, which made her feel a bit embarrassed. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Tsundere attitudes are so outdated these days," Tōshirō chuckled, shaking his head. "Nothing, I'm just surprised you're actually giving me a gift for once."

Tsunade fought to keep her lips from curling into a smile, her face feigning indifference as she raised her brows and glanced aside. "Huh? Don't push your luck, alright?"

"I only decided to get you something because Orochimaru is giving you a gift. If I don't, it'd make me look like the odd one out. Don't tell me you seriously think I like you? No way, absolutely not."

Classic tsundere.

Tōshirō raised an eyebrow and, with a smirk, retorted in an exaggerated drawl, "Even if all the women in the world disappeared, I still wouldn't go for you."

"I'm not like Jiraiya. I don't care about looks—I'm face-blind. Beauty doesn't matter to me. What matters is a big bust! And you… well, you're like someone who's holding a pair of aces but still can't play the hand."

Tsunade gritted her teeth, her eyebrows furrowing as a vein bulged visibly on her forehead. Her face flushed with volcanic fury.

The thing she hated most in life? Being called flat-chested.

Damn Tōshirō, she thought. Just because I like you doesn't mean you can say whatever you want!

With a thunderous crash, Tsunade flipped the table and hurled it across to the opposite side.

Tōshirō barely dodged, narrowly avoiding being hit in the face. "Are you insane? Can't you take a joke? This habit of throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat—I've been tolerating it for a long time!"

He began retreating as Tsunade advanced.

In high emotional intelligence terms, this was called a "tactical withdrawal."

In low emotional intelligence terms, it was simply "running away."

Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Orochimaru shook their heads, unfazed. The two of them frequently clashed over trivial matters, so this was nothing new. Just as they were about to chase after them, two large hands clamped down on their shoulders.

Turning their heads with a creak—like gears grinding—they were met with a smiling tiger whose eyes were narrowed to slits.

"I see you're their friends. Kindly settle the bill for the damages, will you?"

Jiraiya: …

Orochimaru: …

....

Uchiha Clan Grounds

In a secluded training field surrounded by trees and rivers, an old man and a young boy stood watching intently as two figures sparred.

"Fire Style: Crimson Lotus Fang!"

Uchiha Kira gritted his teeth and let out a low growl. Flames danced along his palms as he lunged forward, his fist wreathed in fire. The flames shot out, forming a snarling dog's head that charged toward its target.

"Ice Style: Diamond Star Fist!"

Tōshirō's arm transformed into a massive ice fist, meeting the fiery attack head-on.

Fire and ice clashed violently, neither yielding ground. The collision produced a dense cloud of white mist, which slowly dissipated as the two combatants leapt apart, creating some distance between them.

Tōshirō's hands moved in a rapid flurry of hand signs.

From the sidelines, Elder Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly.

He recognized all of Tōshirō's hand signs for ice-style jutsu—he had seen them before.

But this sequence was unfamiliar, sparking a glimmer of intrigue in his gaze.

A new technique, huh?

(End of Chapter)

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