Faced with Saiki's forced strength, Nono'u felt her heart ache even more.
She pressed his head back down, burying his face deep into the warm, impossibly soft, spring-like canyon hidden beneath her baggy nun's habit.
In terms of raw combat power, Nono'u was well aware she couldn't defeat Saiki; she would likely be killed instantly.
But when it came to understanding human nature and reading people, even with the memories of his past life, Saiki was nowhere near the level of Nono'u—a veteran female spy who had survived countless conspiracies, betrayals, and lethal intelligence missions.
Saiki wore a smile, but she could clearly see the deep sadness lingering in his eyes.
Nono'u only knew that Tsunade had left; she had no idea what had actually transpired between them. She simply knew that right now, her job was to comfort him.
Faced with Nono'u's overwhelming tenderness, Saiki was genuinely at a loss. Because he retained the memories of his past life, his subconscious firmly rejected the idea that he was actually a child. But to Nono'u, he was simply a hurting boy in need of comfort.
Having recently engaged in dual cultivation with Tsunade, Saiki's already far-from-pure thoughts had become significantly more corrupt and prone to arousal.
Breathing in Nono'u's faint, intoxicating scent and feeling the scalding, incredibly soft pressure against his face, Saiki realized to his absolute shame that his body was actively reacting.
Desperate to maintain his composure, Saiki shifted his head, forcefully extracting his face from the suffocating softness of her cleavage.
If he didn't possess an innocent, youthful face, someone would undoubtedly be screaming for his execution right now, much like the infamous Momonosuke.
"Sister Director, relax! I'm really fine. What happened earlier? Was it Danzo?" Saiki asked, quickly changing the subject.
The mention of Danzo pulled Nono'u out of her maternal trance.
However, she simply smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing. Danzo wanted me to return to Root, but I refused."
Hearing this, Saiki frowned deeply. "What exactly does Danzo want you to do in Root?"
"Just some intelligence gathering matters. Don't worry, it's fine."
Nono'u maintained her gentle smile, but this only made Saiki feel more anxious. However, he also understood that if Nono'u didn't want to tell him, no amount of pressing would force it out of her.
Ultimately, he could only offer a stern warning: "Sister Director, if anything happens, you must tell me. That old dog Danzo doesn't have a single good intention in his body. Who knows what kind of twisted scheme he's plotting in the shadows!"
Seeing Saiki looking so serious and angry on her behalf, Nono'u found it incredibly endearing. She spoke to him as if soothing a child, "Don't worry. I know how to protect myself."
After having dinner with the children at the orphanage, the combination of Tsunade's departure and Danzo's sinister motives convinced Saiki to spend the night there.
Children who left the orphanage rarely had the opportunity to return, but Nono'u thoughtfully maintained a spare room for any who wished to visit and rest—perhaps as a symbol of hope.
However, since Saiki visited so frequently, that small room had essentially become his personal bedroom.
The orphanage was filled with young children. The older ones who hadn't been sacrificed by the Leaf had already left to make a living elsewhere, so the facility naturally settled down and went to sleep very early.
Deep into the night, Saiki lay in bed, completely unable to find sleep.
Given Tsunade's brash, careless personality, it was completely normal for her to disappear for three or five days on a whim. But she had deliberately taken Shizune and formally "left," and Saiki was genuinely missing them.
To Saiki, they were his only real family in this strange, violent world.
Thinking of Tsunade only made it harder to sleep. He kept replaying every single moment of their time together, especially the moment he woke up to find her riding him, gasping and panting as she delivered wave after wave of exquisite pleasure.
Recalling those scenes, Saiki desperately wanted to know what it felt like when he was the one taking the initiative—what it felt like to slowly break past her pure defenses while she was fully conscious, and what her reaction would be. Would she be in pain, furious, shy, or desperately craving more?
As his mind wandered further down that erotic rabbit hole, the Pre-natal Qi within his body began to stray from its proper path. Recalling the intense dual cultivation session with Tsunade, the Qi within him began to circulate automatically.
However, while his body was attempting to circulate energy according to the dual cultivation pathways, Saiki wasn't actually engaging in dual cultivation with Tsunade. Without realizing it, because he lacked the Yin-Yang cycle provided by a partner, the Yang Qi within him began to accumulate rapidly, pushing his internal energy to the absolute brink of a violent rampage.
Having traveled for half a day, Tsunade and Shizune hadn't actually gone very far.
Inside a tavern in a small town within the Land of Fire.
"Sake! Where's my sake?! Owner, bring me more!"
Watching Tsunade drowning her sorrows yet again, Shizune was on the verge of tears. She missed Saiki horribly.
The moment they arrived in town, Tsunade had plunged straight into the tavern and had been drinking non-stop ever since. They hadn't even secured a place to sleep for the night.
After a full day of traveling, Shizune was exhausted and incredibly sleepy. But she couldn't just abandon Tsunade, which made her feel incredibly aggrieved. If only Saiki were here, everything would be so much easier.
"Lady Tsunade, please don't drink anymore!"
Shizune had always been the submissive target of Tsunade's bullying, and Tsunade's inherent aura of authority was overwhelming. Even with Tsunade this catastrophically drunk, Shizune could only offer a meek, quiet plea.
In truth, Tsunade had already accepted everything that happened last night.
Dan Kato's memory had grown increasingly blurred over the years. But the fact that Saiki was a child—over two decades younger than her, and someone she had treated almost like family—was a mental hurdle she simply couldn't clear.
Any normal woman with a shred of decency and shame would find it impossible to accept a romantic or sexual relationship with a boy that young.
Yet, Tsunade also knew she shouldn't have run away. She knew her flight would deeply hurt Saiki.
Guilt, self-blame, deep regret, and the agonizing confusion over whether she actually loved Saiki or not were tearing her mind apart, driving her to the tavern to seek oblivion.
Glancing at Shizune, who had been constantly begging her to stop drinking, Tsunade flashed a wicked, drunken grin. "Shizune... you miss Saiki, don't you? You really like him, huh?"
Having spent the entire time trying to stop her master from drinking, Tsunade's sudden, blunt question caused Shizune's brain to short-circuit. She had absolutely no idea how to respond.
Although her eyes were hazy with alcohol, Tsunade read the answer perfectly clearly in Shizune's panicked eyes.
Looking at Shizune, Tsunade couldn't help but think: If I were Shizune's age... if I were a young girl looking at a handsome, brilliant guy like Saiki... I would probably fall head over heels for him too!
If only I were her age, I wouldn't have to deal with any of this maddening frustration.
But the more she tried not to think about it, the more suffocating the frustration became.
"Shizune!" Tsunade suddenly shouted loudly, startling the poor girl.
"Lady Tsunade, wh-what is it?"
Shizune thought Tsunade was about to explode in anger because she had tried to stop her drinking. Instead, Tsunade lunged forward, swept Shizune into a crushing hug, and planted a massive, sloppy kiss on her cheek.
Despite her assertive behavior around Saiki—like offering to scrub his back—Shizune remained a pure, deeply bashful young girl.
Being kissed so aggressively by Tsunade caused Shizune's face to flush a violent, burning red.
"Lady Tsunade!" Clutching her kissed cheek, Shizune felt incredibly embarrassed but could only utter a pitiful, helpless protest.
However, Shizune was also incredibly relieved. Thank God Tsunade hadn't aimed for her lips; she was saving her first kiss for Saiki, and losing it to her drunken master would have been a tragedy.
"Hahahaha!" Seeing Shizune acting like a bullied little punching bag, Tsunade let out a hearty, booming laugh.
But the laughter wasn't enough. Tsunade flexed her arms, forcefully dragging Shizune's small head forward and burying it directly into the vast, snowy expanse of her deeply exposed, warm, impossibly soft, and unfathomably deep cleavage.
When it came to Tsunade's ultimate, top-tier "melons," aside from Saiki—who had spent an entire night thoroughly enjoying them—Shizune was the only other person to experience the legendary "facial massage."
Feeling that overwhelming softness and pale perfection, even through the heavy stench of alcohol, Shizune could still detect a faint, sweet, milky fragrance. Her heart was instantly consumed by a fierce cocktail of envy, jealousy, and sheer awe!
Any woman who ever laid eyes on Tsunade's chest would inevitably feel a crippling sense of inadequacy regarding her own scale.
Just as Shizune felt she was about to suffocate, Tsunade finally released her. Shizune gasped desperately for air. Looking at the still-laughing Tsunade, she whimpered pitifully, "Lady Tsunade...!"
"Are you feeling sleepy?" Having successfully bullied and tormented Shizune, Tsunade's mood seemed vastly improved as she asked with a smile.
"Mm!" Seeing Tsunade acting somewhat normal again, Shizune nodded obediently.
Noticing the deep exhaustion on Shizune's face, Tsunade decided to stop teasing her. She wasn't some heartless capitalist overlord who would work child labor to death without a break.
To the current Tsunade, Saiki and Shizune were her true family. Though, admittedly, her relationship with Saiki had become infinitely more complicated.
"Owner, the bill!"
Hearing Tsunade's booming shout, the tavern owner replied happily, "Right away, ma'am!"
Given Tsunade's loud, brash personality, anyone who didn't know her would be terrified that in her drunken state, she was about to level the building.
Escorted out by the highly relieved owner, the frail Shizune acted as a crutch for the swaying, stumbling Tsunade as they made their way out of the tavern.
Tsunade wasn't actually incapable of walking; she was just being wicked. She genuinely enjoyed bullying Shizune, forcing the girl to endure her alcohol-soaked breath while wearing that adorable, deeply wronged expression.