Chapter 8: Greetings from a Parallel World
Sunlight sliced through the half-drawn curtains, making Tsunade furrow her brow.
She propped up her heavy body, blonde hair disheveled across her shoulders, the bitter aftertaste of last night's sake still coating her tongue.
Stumbling into the bathroom, she let hot water cascade over her skin, gradually washing away the lingering intoxication. She tilted her face upward, letting the stream pound against her cheeks, droplets sliding down along her collarbones. When her fingers pressed against her temples, the dull throb of a hangover made her click her tongue in irritation.
She shut off the water and grabbed a towel to dry herself. Her bathrobe hung loosely at her waist, the neckline revealing shadows of deep valleys. Wet hair clung to her back, water stains spreading across the fabric.
Barefoot on the wooden floor, undried droplets trailed down her calves, leaving damp footprints behind.
Tsunade picked up the glass bottle from the nightstand and collapsed into the armchair, fingers combing back the damp strands from her forehead. She pulled out the cork and extracted the two rolled pieces of paper inside.
Unfolding the first letter, its contents jolted her instantly awake.
[Tsunade's Drift Bottle]
[1. After testing, this bottle can only be used by Tsunade and only received by Tsunade.]
[2. The bottle will transmit between different Tsunades across different worlds and timelines.]
[3. Each Tsunade may give herself a unique name. Write this name in the recipient field, and the bottle will be received by that specific Tsunade. If left blank, the drift bottle will randomly float to any Tsunade.]
[4. Once you've written your content, seal the cork and mentally recite "Cast the drift bottle" to use it.]
[5. Please include these rules with each random drift bottle to help the next Tsunade.]
"I must still be drunk..."
Tsunade muttered with a frown, tossing that letter aside and unfolding the second one.
[Jiraiya is dead.]
Those few short words stabbed into Tsunade's eyes like a blade.
[I don't know which timeline's Tsunade is reading this, or whether that idiot is still alive in your world. But right now, I just need someone to vent to.]
[Naruto—that boy—cried and demanded to know why I didn't stop him when I knew the mission was incredibly dangerous.]
[I actually tried to say something. But we both know Konoha had no choice. The Akatsuki threat looms, yet Konoha's talent has withered. The Uchiha were massacred. The Hyuga are half-crippled. As for the others... well. All we had left were him and me.]
[Before he left, Jiraiya said with that stupid grin: "Just bet I won't come back. You always lose your bets, don't you?"]
[But this one time, I won.]
[I can't cry. Can't show even a hint of weakness to anyone. If even the Hokage shows fear, then this time, Konoha will truly fall.]
[This is the precious treasure Grandfather left behind. I must... I absolutely must protect it.]
[Recipient:]
[Sender: Like Hell I'll Become Hokage]
Tsunade crushed the letter in her fist. The crumpled ball hit the floor, rolling until it struck the corner and stopped.
"Heh," she laughed coldly. "Jiraiya dying? The Uchiha massacred? The Hyuga crippled? Konoha falling? Me becoming Hokage?"
"What idiot wrote this ridiculous story? How utterly... boring."
Her throat tightened. She reached for the bottle she'd carelessly left on the table last night, tilting it back—but not even a single drop remained.
She froze, then remembered. Yesterday she'd won big at the casino and drank far too enthusiastically. On the way back, she'd already drained the entire bottle dry.
She slumped in the armchair, morning sunlight pouring over her body, yet that inexplicable chill wouldn't fade.
After a long silence, Tsunade stood and grabbed the hair dryer, haphazardly blowing at her damp blonde hair. Hot air roared around her, but her gaze kept drifting involuntarily to that paper ball on the floor.
What if... just what if... it was real?
But immediately, she twisted her lips into a mocking smile. Don't be ridiculous. How could something this absurd possibly be true?
"Good morning, Lady Tsunade."
Shizune emerged from the inner room rubbing her eyes, stretching and yawning in the doorway.
Suddenly, she noticed a crumpled paper ball on the floor. "What's this?"
The instant Shizune bent down, Tsunade's figure flashed forward—practically snatching the paper ball into her palm.
"It's nothing!"
Her voice came out so sharp it startled even herself.
Shizune froze, staring at Tsunade with obvious bewilderment at the strange behavior.
Tsunade took a deep breath, softening her tone slightly. "Don't worry about it. Go wash up. We're heading out soon."
"...Yes."
Shizune obediently responded and turned to leave. She understood Lady Tsunade didn't want her to know.
Once Shizune left, Tsunade immediately slipped into the room, quickly rummaging through Shizune's travel bag until she pulled out a stack of letter paper and a fountain pen.
Tsunade sprawled across the bed, fingertips unconsciously rubbing the pen barrel, her expression growing heavy.
Verifying this so-called drift bottle's authenticity was actually simple—just try using it. If it was fake, she could ignore it. But if it was real... what should she write?
After a moment's thought, she filled in the recipient field with [Like Hell I'll Become Hokage], then scrawled in the sender field [I'll Become the God of Gambling].
[Hello, other me.]
[This is Konoha Year 54. Based on what you wrote, you must be a future me.]
[This is my first time receiving the drift bottle. Please tell me—what are timelines? What do you mean by different worlds?]
[Also, regarding what you mentioned about the Uchiha massacre, the Hyuga being crippled, the Akatsuki threat, and Konoha's imminent fall—what exactly is all that about?]
[Please tell me. Thank you.]
By the final sentence, her pen nearly pierced through the paper.
She stared at the ink that hadn't yet dried, letting out a self-mocking hum. "I've really lost it, actually writing something like this seriously."
A moment later, rustling sounds came from outside the room. Shizune must have finished bathing and was getting dressed.
Tsunade quickly rolled up the paper covered in her writing and stuffed it into that strange drift bottle. The instant the cork sealed tight, she took a deep breath and mentally recited, "Cast the drift bottle."
In the next moment, the bottle sitting on the table vanished, as if it had never existed at all.
Tsunade instinctively reached for her pocket. The two original letters were still there, as if confirming that everything that just happened wasn't some drunken hallucination.
Her throat worked. Suddenly, a suffocating pressure crashed over her.
That bottle could really cross time... which meant what was written in that letter was the future...
Tsunade suddenly wanted a drink—wanted to drink until she didn't have to think about anything. But now, some more conflicting emotion was tearing at her rationality.
Though she'd become utterly disillusioned with that place, just as the letter said—
Konoha Village was the precious treasure Grandfather had left behind.
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