Hanekawa's eyes opened to soft morning light filtering through unfamiliar curtains.
He stretched, feeling the pleasant ache of well-rested muscles. A far cry from sleeping bags on the Land of Grass battlefield. Those nights had been functional at best—clothes on, ready to move at a moment's notice. Nothing like this.
He'd stayed at Tsunade's place last night. She'd drunk too much at dinner, and by the time they finished, the hour was late. Between that and tomorrow's casino trip, staying over made sense.
Besides, someone had to make sure she didn't do anything stupid.
Hanekawa dressed, padded to the kitchen, and prepared hot milk. A hangover remedy. Even legendary Sannin weren't immune to the morning after.
"Teacher!" He called from her bedroom doorway, knocking. No answer. He'd left her door unlocked last night after helping her back—only removing her tea-green coat before leaving.
He opened the door.
His brain short-circuited.
Tsunade was sprawled across the bed, sleeping deeply, but her clothes had... migrated. Somewhere during the night, she'd shed them like they'd personally offended her.
Oh. Oh no.
Hanekawa stood frozen for exactly three seconds, then executed a tactical retreat. The door closed with a soft click.
He shook his head, but the image of pale skin and—
Focus. Think about literally anything else.
"Teacher!" He knocked harder this time, deliberately loud.
"I heard you! Stop making noise!" Her voice was muffled, irritated.
He heard movement. A pause. Then the sound of someone cursing under their breath.
Tsunade's eyes snapped open. The world tilted unpleasantly. She pressed her forehead, wincing. Even half-asleep, her body was already working to purge the alcohol—the Yin Seal activating, smoothing away the worst of the hangover.
She looked down.
Oh.
The straps of her sleeveless top had come undone during the night. She'd apparently decided her clothes were optional at some point. Tsunade grabbed the black drawstring and fastened it firmly, muttering, "That kid doesn't have the guts anyway."
She walked to the door, hand on the handle, when memory caught up with her.
Someone had called. She'd heard it. And then—
Did he see...?
Tsunade felt something unfamiliar: genuine embarrassment. A rare heat crept up her neck.
In the past, she could've dismissed it. He's just a kid. But that excuse had expired somewhere between his growth spurt and his current height. He was taller than her now. Stronger. Undeniably no longer a child.
She took a breath, composed herself, and opened the door.
"Good morning, Teacher." Hanekawa held out a cup of milk, his expression perfectly neutral. "Thought you might need this."
He definitely saw something.
Tsunade took the milk without comment and headed straight for the bathroom. The toothbrush he'd prepared sat waiting. She stared at it, feeling oddly uncertain.
Normally, she'd maintain distance. Keep things professional. But she didn't.
Why didn't I?
Tsunade decided not to think about it. One step at a time. She cared too much about the Hokage position and about Hanekawa to make rash decisions. That much was clear. The rest... she'd figure out eventually.
After washing up, she found Hanekawa had prepared ramen.
"What flavor?" he asked, setting down two bowls.
"Beef."
"Tonkotsu for me, then."
They ate in companionable silence until Hanekawa pointed to his forehead. "I'm still collecting on that kiss you promised, by the way."
Tsunade's chopsticks paused mid-slurp.
He remembers that.
"Mm," she managed, returning to her ramen. But her heart had definitely just skipped a beat. What is this feeling?
After breakfast, Hanekawa cleared the dishes while Tsunade changed into her gambling jacket—the one with the character for "gamble" emblazoned across the back. She'd earned it.
They stepped outside into a crowd.
Fame, it turned out, was exactly like being a pig marked for slaughter. One moment they were leaving the house; the next, they were surrounded by well-wishers, admirers, and people wanting to shake hands with "Konoha's heroes."
Thirty minutes later, they finally reached the casino. A walk that should've taken five minutes.
"Lady Tsunade, don't be upset when we take all your money!" one gambler called out cheerfully.
Tsunade's eyes lit up with predatory focus. "Bring it on."
Hanekawa settled into his usual spot beside her, pulling out a scroll. Not the Five Elements: Great Chain Bullet Technique Sarutobi had given him—his wind jutsu wasn't refined enough yet. Instead: Wind Style: Vacuum Great Ball.
An A-rank technique. Danzo's specialty. His Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water styles had all reached "Special Jonin" level, but Wind was still stuck at "Chunin." He needed to close that gap before attempting the Five Elements technique.
A-rank and below? No problem. S-rank? That'll take time.
The morning dissolved into study. By noon, he'd memorized the entire training method. Implementation would come later.
He glanced at Tsunade. She was completely absorbed, eyes fixed on the gambling table, a slight smile playing at her lips. Beautiful people really do make everything look good.
"I'm going to grab lunch," he said. "Want me to bring something back?"
Tsunade barely glanced at him. "Go ahead."
He stood to leave when a familiar voice stopped him.
"Hanekawa?"
He turned to see Eiichiro, his former academy instructor, grinning widely.
"Teacher Eiichiro. Long time."
"Our great hero of Konoha!" Eiichiro clasped his shoulder enthusiastically. "I can't believe I ran into you!"
They exchanged pleasantries. Eiichiro mentioned the graduation ceremony, the students' admiration, and eventually extended an invitation.
"Would you give a speech at the graduation ceremony next month? The Hokage's too busy with the war effort."
Hanekawa considered it. A glorious return to the academy? Why not.
"If I'm still in the village, I'll do it."
Eiichiro left looking pleased. Hanekawa continued on to prepare lunch boxes.
By evening, Tsunade had won enough to make even her satisfied. She'd been about to suggest drinks when she caught herself, remembering the morning. Instead, she simply said, "Time to go."
Back home, Kurenai was waiting, looking pitiful and hungry.
"I bought takoyaki," Hanekawa said, producing them from behind his back. "Eat these while I cook."
"You're the best!" Kurenai cheered.
After a simple dinner of tempura, they moved outside. Kurenai practiced water jutsu while Hanekawa began experimenting with something new.
He gathered chakra in his palm, transforming it into molten energy. A Lava Release Rasengan. If Magnet Release could combine with Rasengan, why not lava?
The magma swirled, hot and unstable—
It scattered across the ground, hissing and corroding the earth into smoking craters.
Failed attempt one.
Hanekawa stepped back, unbothered. Bloodline limits weren't mastered in a single try. He'd try again tomorrow.
For now, he watched Kurenai practice, the evening settling into comfortable routine.
Not bad. Not bad at all.