The cabins weren't that big to begin with, making it nearly impossible to hide anything.
On top of that, this was where Tatsuya used to live, so naturally, Tsunade often spent the night here as well—or rather, she had all but claid the place as her own ever since she moved in here after the Second Shinobi War. With just the two of them, every corner of the room was in plain view.
After finally accumulating a decent amount of money, Tatsuya had sworn to protect it with his life. Yet, his beloved yet terrifying wife showed him no rcy—without hesitation, she dispelled the seals on the bed and unraveled the illusion concealing his stash.
As the wooden planks shifted, revealing stacks of real banknotes, Tsunade let out a low whistle.
"Well, well… what do we have here, dear husband?" she mused, crouching down and running her fingers through the bills like it was fine silk.
Tatsuya's eye twitched. His money.
"Oi! Hands off, woman! That's my hard-earned savings!" he barked, moving forward to shield it from her greedy hands.
Tsunade raised an amused brow. "Oh? And just who are you trying to keep it safe from, hmm?"
"You, obviously," he grumbled.
Tsunade smirked, flipping through the stacks effortlessly, her sharp gaze quickly tallying the amount. "Hah, this is more than enough to pay off my gambling debts."
Tatsuya gritted his teeth. "You an your cris."
"Semantics," she waved him off, tucking a few bills into her cleavage with a mischievous smirk.
"—Tsunade." His voice dropped, eyes narrowing.
"Relax," she laughed, tossing them back onto the pile. "I didn't co back just to rob you blind… this ti."
Tatsuya crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Then what's this really about?"
Her expression shifted, just slightly, the playful glint in her golden eyes turning serious.
"I ran into so shinobi at the casino," she said, leaning against the table. "Called themselves Oto."
Tatsuya stiffened.
"Otonin?" His voice was low, unreadable.
Tsunade didn't miss the way his mood suddenly darkened. "Yeah. Thought it was weird myself. There are only five great shinobi villages. No one's ever heard of these guys before."
Tatsuya exhaled slowly, his mind racing. Otogakure shouldn't exist.
In the original tiline, Orochimaru had created it for his Konoha Crush Plan. But that plan shouldn't be in motion anymore. He had no reason to go through with it now.
And if Orochimaru was making moves, he would have told Tatsuya first. So then—why had Oto suddenly appeared?
Tsunade studied his face. "You know sothing."
"Maybe," he muttered.
"Then grab your gear, because we're going to check it out."
Tatsuya sighed, rubbing his temples. "Of course we are."
"Oh, and I'm taking a wife's tax for this job," Tsunade added, grabbing a few more bills.
Tatsuya groaned. "Woman—! You're supposed to be my wife, not my personal tax collector!"
Tsunade only laughed, tucking the money away. "Too late, husband. You married ."
"Biggest scam of my life."
After all, in Orochimaru's eyes, Tatsuya was one of the few people in the world he could truly communicate with. Their shared understanding of the dark side of the world and their mutual intelligence ford a bond that set Tatsuya apart from most others.
For that reason, Tatsuya was deeply curious about the origins of this new village. "Who's pulling the strings behind the scenes?" he wondered aloud. "This doesn't sit right. A new village suddenly appears with shinobi on par with the major powers. Soone's got to be orchestrating this."
Tsunade, with her characteristic bluntness, shrugged. "I stumbled across them by accident while gambling," she admitted, her tone laced with frustration. "I don't know much about their background. But those forehead protectors they wear, and the ninjutsu they displayed... It's clear they're real shinobi."
Tatsuya's brow furrowed as he processed the information. "A newly erging ninja village... That could disrupt the balance among the smaller nations or could unite them. We can't ignore it." His voice held an edge of concern now. He wasn't soone who liked unnecessary conflict, but he knew the stakes.
Tsunade paused for a mont, recalling the sequence of events. "I followed them, hoping to find sothing useful. But once we reached that dense forest, they disappeared... vanished without a trace. Even with my perception, I couldn't detect them."
Tatsuya's gaze sharpened. "That's troubling. If they can disappear like that, it's not just a random new village. This could be sothing much more dangerous than we realize, or it might be an old man from beyond the grave."
Tsunade exhaled slowly. "I didn't find anything useful. But I figured I should bring this to you. We need to know who's behind them before they beco a bigger threat."
Tatsuya considered it for a mont. Though he wasn't overly concerned about the village's safety, he knew all too well that war was sothing he could do without. If things escalated, his peaceful life would be over. And if there was one thing he hated, it was unnecessary trouble. "Fine, let's look into this. We'll investigate and see if we can uncover anything. If we can stop it early, we won't have to deal with a bigger ss later."
Tsunade nodded, pleased with his decision. "Good. Because I'll be honest—I'm not letting this slide."
Tsunade leaned back in his chair, his mind already racing through possibilities. "This has to be so kind of illusion-based concealnt ninjutsu. The village's base is probably hidden sowhere around the area where I lost track of them."
Later that evening, as they finished their training session for the day, Tatsuya turned to Sasuke, who had been working hard alongside the others. "Sasuke," he called, "head ho for the day. Tsunade and I have so matters to attend to."
Unexpectedly, Sasuke had overheard their conversation. "What's going on? I heard you two talking about sothing important," he asked, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Now that I've gotten stronger, I want in on this."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Fine. You've been working hard. You've earned it. We're passing through Yugakure, and it's a good reward for your dedication."
Tatsuya sighed, shaking his head slightly. What was ant to be a simple two-person operation had now turned into a three-person squad. "You're sure about this?" he asked, more to Tsunade than to Sasuke.
Tsunade smiled, but there was a hint of mischief in her expression. "I can't exactly leave him behind, can I? Besides, he might surprise us."
Tatsuya couldn't help but question Tsunade's soft spot for the younger generation. "You were way stricter with Rin, Kurenai, and i. Compared to them, you're practically spoiling Sasuke."
Tsunade chuckled, her usual fiery temper replaced by a rare mont of reflection. "I was hot-headed when I saw younger won around my man. I've llowed out a bit. Besides, I see potential in him."
Tatsuya raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. Tsunade, of all people, admitting to having llowed out? That was new. "You know, hearing you say that is a bit... shocking. You've always been so sensitive about being called old."
Tsunade's face twisted into a playful grin. "Don't remind . I'm not getting any younger, but I'm still stronger than most of those brats."
Tatsuya smiled wryly. "Yeah, but don't forget—you're not the only one who knows how to deal with Naruto's antics. That boy's got a way of pushing everyone's buttons."
Tsunade's face imdiately darkened, a familiar fire reigniting in her eyes. "Don't remind of that brat! I swear, the next ti he calls 'Granny Tsunade,' I'll make sure he rembers why it's not a good idea!"
Tatsuya couldn't help but chuckle. "At least you're consistent in that regard."
"Of course," Tsunade replied, the smile returning to her face. "But you better keep an eye on that boy, Tatsuya. If Naruto ever dies prematurely, Kushina might throw the entire Konoha into chaos."
Tatsuya's expression grew more serious as he nodded in agreent. "No argunt there. The world needs its gutsy Ninja more than ever."
Of course, that wasn't sothing Tatsuya needed to worry about. To him, Tsunade still looked no different from when she was in her twenties. She hadn't aged a day in his eyes, a truth that remained as striking as ever.
But for Sasuke, this realization was an entirely different matter. Sasuke had never paid much attention to such things, but now that he had, he found himself unable to sleep, his thoughts racing as they settled in for the night.
The next morning, Tsunade couldn't help but notice the dark circles under Sasuke's eyes. "You look like you've been up all night," she remarked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as she observed the young Uchiha.
Sasuke, his usual composure slipping just a bit, shrugged nonchalantly. "I just couldn't sleep. Not used to this bed," he muttered, trying to brush it off.
Tsunade wasn't convinced, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "You've never had a problem with sleeping arrangents before. Why now?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Sasuke hesitated, but before he could dig himself into a deeper hole, Tatsuya stepped in, casually changing the subject with a smooth, "It's nothing, Tsunade. We've got more important things to focus on. Let's get going."
Tsunade gave Sasuke one last probing look before turning away, her suspicions montarily set aside. But Sasuke's troubled sleep still lingered in the back of her mind.
With that, the group set out. Tatsuya, ever the tactician, had a plan in mind. Both he and Sasuke used Summoning Jutsu, each calling forth a pair of huskies to help them navigate the rugged terrain. The loyal, furry companions trotted ahead, eager to lead them to the location Tsunade had described.
But as the journey continued, Tatsuya's situation only seed to worsen. The deeper they ventured into unfamiliar territory, the more the tension grew—there was sothing off about this mission. It wasn't just the odd disappearance of the people or the strange sensation that followed them through the dense forests; it was the creeping feeling that sothing much bigger was at play, sothing beyond their imdiate comprehension.
Tatsuya glanced at Sasuke, who was unusually quiet, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if waiting for sothing to happen. Tatsuya's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rustle in the trees. The air grew colder, more charged, as if nature itself were holding its breath.
Tsunade, sensing the change, turned to face them. "Stay alert," she warned, her voice taking on a serious tone. "We're getting closer."
Sasuke's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his katana. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
Tatsuya didn't respond imdiately, his senses tingling with the sa unshakable feeling of being watched. "We might not be the only ones out here," he muttered under his breath.
The group continued, but Tatsuya couldn't shake the feeling that danger was closing in. Whatever lay ahead, it was clear that their journey was about to take a turn into the unknown.
---
Enjoyed the chapter?
If you'd like to explore more, you can find advanced chapters and exclusive content by searching Marioni on Patreon. Over 128 chapters are waiting for you to dive into!
Reviews
All reviews (0)