บท 69: Chapter 69 Tsunade Overthinking
Tsunade remained still in Hiro's embrace, her thoughts tangled between desire and responsibility.
She had spent years distancing herself from others, hiding behind her duties.
"I shouldn't have..." she began, her voice thick with uncertainty.
Hiro pulled back slightly, his hand resting on her cheek, tilting her face toward him. "You're overthinking again," he said softly, his thumb brushing her skin. "Whatever this is, we don't have to define it right now."
Tsunade bit her lip, the weight of his words sinking in. He always had a way of cutting through her doubts with his straightforwardness, something she wasn't used to. There was truth in what he said, but it didn't erase the fears swirling in her mind.
"You already know I'm not like you, Hiro," she whispered, her eyes downcast. "You still have your whole life ahead of you. I... I've already lived mine."
Hiro's smile didn't falter. "Then live some of it with me," he replied, his voice steady but filled with warmth. "Sometimes, it's good for old grass to try new flowers."
Tsunade froze. Her eyes widened, and she abruptly pulled away from him, her expression shifting from confusion to sudden anger. "Old grass?" she repeated, her voice sharp and incredulous. "Did you just call me old grass?"
Hiro blinked, caught off guard by her reaction. "Wait—Tsunade, I didn't mean it like that—"
"Old grass?" she snapped again, standing up straight and crossing her arms over her chest. Her cheeks flushed, and she glared at him with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. "You have some nerve, Hiro! I'm not that old!"
Hiro raised his hands in defense, trying to keep his tone light. "Okay, okay, poor choice of words," he admitted, laughing nervously. "I didn't mean to call you old—I just meant, you know, experienced. Mature."
Tsunade's glare deepened. "Mature?" she echoed, clearly unimpressed.
"Uh, graceful?" Hiro tried again, but it only earned him a scoff.
"You better stop while you can," she warned, though her lips twitched, fighting back a smirk.
Hiro couldn't help but grin, despite her reaction. The sharpness in her tone, the way her eyes flashed—it was the Tsunade he had always admired. Strong. Unyielding. But beneath that fiery exterior, he saw the vulnerability she was trying so hard to hide.
"I like your fire," Hiro said, stepping closer to her again. "But I meant what I said. You've been through a lot, and I get that. But that doesn't mean you can't live a little now. It doesn't have to be so complicated, Tsunade. We don't have to pretend everything is perfect."
She looked at him, her anger softening as the sincerity in his words sunk in. For a moment, the walls she kept around her heart seemed to lower just enough for him to see the uncertainty she was trying to mask.
Tsunade sighed, brushing her hair back from her face. "You're frustrating, you know that?" she muttered, though the edge in her voice was gone. "You always know how to say something that makes me rethink everything."
Hiro smiled, stepping closer until he was right in front of her. His hand reached out, gently tilting her chin so that she would look at him. "Maybe that's not such a bad thing."
She didn't pull away this time. Instead, she sighed deeply, her shoulders dropping as the tension left her body. She was tired—tired of running, tired of pushing people away. And Hiro... somehow, he made it harder for her to keep doing that.
"I'm not making any promises," she finally said, her voice quieter, more vulnerable than before. "I can't... lose anyone else."
"I know," Hiro whispered, his thumb brushing her cheek softly. "I'm not asking for promises. Just time."
Tsunade looked into his eyes, seeing the honesty there, the calm patience. Slowly, she nodded, allowing herself to let go, if only for a moment. The storm inside her quieted, and she leaned into him again, resting her head against his chest.
"I'll try," she murmured, the words almost lost in the space between them.
Hiro wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. "That's all I need," he said softly. "And for the record... you're not old."
Tsunade snorted softly, shaking her head but smiling against his chest. "Better not forget that," she mumbled, her fingers gently clutching the fabric of his shirt.
But her thoughts were elsewhere, clouded by a lingering unease. Her mind wandered to her family—particularly, one figure who would surely disapprove of her current situation.
"I don't know what my granduncle will think when he finds out I'm with an Uchiha..." she muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible.
Hiro's ears perked up at the mention, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Tobirama, right?" he asked knowingly, already familiar with the history between the Senju and the Uchiha clans.
Tsunade nodded.
"He'd probably vomit blood just hearing about it," Hiro said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. The image of the famously Uchiha-hating Tobirama reacting to this news was too much for him to resist.
Tsunade shook her head again, but this time she laughed. "Yeah... if he could even keep himself together long enough to say something first." She sighed, the humor lifting some of her worry but not all of it. "It's not like it matters, though. He's long gone. But still, the thought..."
Hiro gently squeezed her shoulders. "The past is the past, Tsunade. We're not our clans, and we don't have to carry their grudges."
Tsunade looked up at him, her amber eyes filled with a mixture of affection and frustration. "You make everything sound so simple."
"Maybe because it is," Hiro replied with a smirk, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on her forehead. "Besides, if your granduncle were here, I'd just have to win him over. How hard could it be?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at that. "You? Winning over Tobirama Senju The Second Hokage??"
Hiro puffed out his chest playfully. "Piece of cake."
"You are Overconfident!"
"But you like me anyway," he shot back with a grin.
Tsunade snorted softly, shaking her head but smiling against his chest. "Better not forget that," she mumbled, her fingers gently clutching the fabric of his shirt.
...
The next morning, Tsunade woke up with the sun streaming through the window, casting a warm glow across the room. As soon as her mind caught up with her body, memories of the previous night rushed back—the vulnerability, the confessions, the way she had leaned on Hiro.
Her heart raced, and a wave of embarrassment crashed over her.
She couldn't believe she had Said all those things!!, especially in front of him. Tsunade sat up quickly, brushing a hand through her hair as if trying to shake off the memory.
"I can't believe I said all that..." she muttered to herself, face already turning red.
She turned to Hiro, who was still lying beside her, peaceful and unaware of the turmoil in her mind. For a moment, she considered slipping out quietly, but she knew she couldn't avoid him forever. Taking a deep breath, she gently nudged him awake.
"Hiro," she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady.
Hiro stirred, blinking up at her with a sleepy smile. "Morning," he mumbled, still half-asleep.
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