"'Ultimate medical ninjutsu'... huh?"
Tsunade's amber eyes narrowed slightly as she slowly repeated the phrase, as if chewing on each word.
Almost instantly, she understood what it referred to.
The Reincarnation Technique.
By definition, perhaps no technique better suited the title "ultimate" than one that could revive the dead.
Likewise, this was something every medical ninja had dreamed of.
The reason Hii Kōri had invited Tsunade to accompany him to Sunagakure was precisely this. Not because of their complicated relationship or any other factor—simply because she was a medical ninja.
A medical ninja who stood at the pinnacle of the era, who should witness the birth of this technique.
Tsunade nearly agreed immediately, but before the words left her mouth, she hesitated.
Not because of her own position.
The entanglements between Sunagakure and Konoha, between herself and Chiyo, and the series of implications of her appearing in Sunagakure before the temptation of the "Reincarnation Technique," these grudges and disputes were all trivial matters, not worth mentioning.
Moreover, since Hii Kōri dared to invite her, he naturally had a way to handle the consequences.
What troubled her was simply Hii Ren.
If she went to Sunagakure, would Ren, only nine months old, be able to adapt to the desert climate? But if she didn't take him, she couldn't bear to leave the child behind alone.
Ren was only nine months old. He had lived his entire life in the warm, humid climate of the Land of Fire. If she took him to Sunagakure, could he adapt to the dry climate of the Land of Wind? Would the fatigue of the journey affect him?
But if she didn't take him, she couldn't bear to leave him home alone either.
Although Akane was still at home, as director of the Administration Section, her daily workload was mountainous, leaving her little energy to care for Ren.
The Red Hot Sand Guild's current nine departments were further divided internally into five type-groups.
S·R·B, composed of the Energy Section, Product R&D Section, and Commerce Section, handled external operations and planning various commercial activities.
S·R·C, composed of the Engineering Section and Inspection Section, handled numerous long-term field assignments.
S·R·D, composed of the Finance Section and Human Resources Section, handled resource allocation.
S·R·E was composed of the newly established Defense Section.
And finally, S·R·A—the guild's most influential department, composed solely of the Administration Section, which oversaw the other departments, consolidated all affairs, and functioned as the guild's hub.
Under it also fell various departments independent of the other sections, such as the Inspection Department, Cleanup Department, and Special Intelligence Unit.
Similar small departments existed under other sections, either direct or cross-sectional, coordinating and handling areas where departmental functions overlapped.
Of course, more major matters ultimately had to be decided by the Administration Section.
To some extent, this functional differentiation could alleviate work pressure. But the Red Hot Sand Guild's shop was simply too large, involving far too many industries.
A commercial empire that would normally require decades or even centuries of accumulation to build had been established in just a few short years, thanks to Hii Kōri's intergenerational insight and methods. The price was that, due to the short development time, there were insufficient experts capable of handling the various affairs.
"Hmm... I can guess what you're worried about."
Watching the changing expression on Tsunade's face, Hii Kōri raised his hand, gently stroked her furrowed brow with his thumb, then pinched her soft cheek. "But have you forgotten about Rashōmon?"
As he spoke, the shadow beneath his feet gradually expanded. Two blood-streak-like marks silently opened, and Rashōmon's figure rose up, silently meeting Tsunade's gaze.
Am I a person? I'm asking you, am I a person or not?!
Oh, right—not really.
Tsunade's face reddened, and she awkwardly averted her gaze.
Having been here for over nine months, she had forgotten how Hii Kōri had traveled with her and Shizune back then.
It could only be said that the internal space of Rashōmon, whose consciousness had fully formed, had such high realism that it was hard to perceive it as another dimension.
Feeling Rashōmon's gaze—hard to call sharp, but definitely somewhat melancholy—Tsunade fell silent for a long while. Only after Rashōmon had returned to the shadows did she look up. "Just us... the family going together? Akane gets left behind again?"
Both the term "the family" and the question itself carried some subtlety. Even Tsunade herself probably didn't notice the awkwardness in her tone.
"Ah, about that—"
Hii Kōri paused, then a familiar, mischievous smile appeared on his face—the kind that made Tsunade want to punch him. He drew out his tone and answered slowly, "During this time, I'll be spending plenty of time with her."
As he spoke, he raised his hand in a gesture of holding a wine glass and winked at Tsunade. "We even have plans to have a drink together tonight."
"Ugh—"
Tsunade's face flushed red with anger. She glared at Hii Kōri and ground out between her teeth, "You really are a scumbag!"
It was true that Akane frequented bars, but Tsunade knew very well that most of the time, she ordered sparkling water or juice.
Even when she did drink occasionally, it was only low-alcohol sake, and never in excess.
After all, as director of the Administration Section, the entire guild's operations rested in her hands. She could not afford to let her mind become foggy.
As for what "having a drink" between her and Hii Kōri implied... no explanation was needed.
First talking about the children, then the next sentence about "wine tasting" with another woman—anyone would be angry.
"Heh heh~ You're getting angry over something like this, my Tsunade~"
Far from being bothered, Hii Kōri seemed to enjoy her puffed-up reaction. He leaned closer, emphasizing the word "my," his voice low and magnetic, making one's ears tingle.
The moist sensation at her ear, the deliberately created intimacy—Tsunade's hairs nearly stood on end. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she jerked her head away, her golden hair swinging in an arc, and snapped stiffly, "W-Who cares!"
But her reddened ears and slightly trembling fingertips clearly showed her emotions were far from stable.
"Well, I'll go find a place for Hikari to stay first. She's not familiar with this place."
Mindful that there was still a not-quite-adult present, Hii Kōri knew when to stop. He didn't continue teasing Tsunade, just smiled, stood up, and took the hand of Uchiha Hikari, who was pretending to be eating an orange and not eavesdropping, preparing to leave.
"Your hair. What happened to it?"
Before he had taken two steps, Tsunade's question—tinged with a hint of concern—caught up to him. "Did you do something again?"
Tsunade remembered clearly that Hii Kōri's white hair was caused by overdraft his vitality on the battlefield. But a few months ago, the white in his hair hadn't been this much.
What had once been red hair with a few white strands was now nearly half-and-half, especially at the ends, where the lifeless gray was even more pronounced.
"Just some trivial matters, nothing to worry about."
He only replied casually, without turning around, waving his hand as easily as if brushing dust from his shoulder.
With the flip of his wrist, the invisible barrier that had been over the bassinet suddenly shattered like broken glass, transforming into countless tiny, shimmering crystalline fragments that eventually became semi-transparent butterflies, hovering lightly around the room.
One of them flew leisurely down onto Tsunade's instinctively raised hand. Its wings fluttered gently, then melted away like dissolving snow, turning into points of cool, luminous dust that seeped into her skin, bringing a cool, soothing sensation.
Tsunade stared blankly at the spot on her hand where the light butterfly had vanished, then looked up at the closed door. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.
She withdrew her hand and gently clenched it, as if still feeling that lingering trace of coolness.
Turning her gaze to the window, the late autumn sunlight remained bright, streaming through the glass to fill half the room, plating everything with a warm golden edge. In the bassinet, Ren seemed to be having a pleasant dream, smacking his lips with a tiny sound.
"Trivial... huh..."
"Hee hee hee... Tsunade was worried that I'd feel abandoned~"
Akane's cheeks flushed with a charming cherry-blossom pink. Her eyes held a hint of blurry, watery light, lacking the sharpness of work. The formal suit she had been wearing was gone, replaced by a soft, dark purple robe. Her neat medium-long hair was tucked behind her ears, only a few strands falling by her cheeks, gently swaying as she rocked slightly.
This time, she and Hii Kōri hadn't continued drinking at the bar. Instead, they had opened a suite in their own inn.
Akane, not a strong drinker, was clearly already somewhat drunk, lying on the bed with a smile, swinging her feet.
She leaned against the edge of the table, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles around the rim of an empty wine glass. Her voice, soft and slurred with alcohol, mumbled with a hint of resignation, "Hmph—I wouldn't—I have my place—I know—"
Hii Kōri sat across from her, slowly sipping his wine. Faced with Akane, who had started to ramble, he was very tolerant.
The pressure on her was indeed great. Being able to relieve it through such an opportunity was always a good thing.
"Yes, yes, my Queen is the most magnanimous." He followed along with her words, reaching out to gently tuck that unruly strand of hair behind her ear.
This action made Akane look up at him.
Through her drunken blur, Hii Kōri's silhouette in the lamplight seemed somewhat hazy.
She suddenly reached out and grabbed Hii Kōri's wrist, trying to pull him onto
the bed. But compared to Akane, who was limp from the slight intoxication, Hii Kōri was obviously stronger.
He set down his glass and gave a casual tug, and Akane was pulled onto his lap with a soft "whoosh."
Akane didn't mind. She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off those heavy things, then, with the willfulness of intoxication, wrapped her arms around his neck.
Her warm breath, carrying the scent of wine, brushed against Hii Kōri's neck.
"Well said... said..."
Akane pressed close to his ear, her voice now tinged with a seductive charm and the heat of drunken steaming. "Your Queen... shall reward you..."
"Let's play a...prank on Tsunade together~♪"
Meanwhile, back at "home."
Having just fed Ren and watched the child fall asleep immediately after eating, Tsunade sat on the sofa flipping through a medical text.
But the book had been open to the same page for a long time.
The moonlight outside the window was very bright, casting a cold strip of light on the floor through the gap in the curtains.
Sara and Shizune had also gone to sleep. The only sounds in the living room were her own slightly uneven breathing and the occasional rustle of Ren turning over.
She knew where Hii Kōri was tonight, and what he was doing.
A certain indescribable vexation wraps around her like ivy.
It was she herself who had first "rejected" a more intimate definition of their relationship. It was she who maintained that delicate status. But at times like this, she still felt a mixture of bitterness, resentment, and more unspeakable emotions, involuntarily churning up inside her.
She even realized only now that she hadn't thought of the first love he had killed in a very long time.
"Damn it..."
She cursed under her breath, unsure whether she was cursing Hii Kōri or her own spineless self.
Tossing the medical text aside, Tsunade grabbed a cushion, hugged it tightly to her chest, and buried her face in it.
The cushion held a faint scent belonging to Hii Kōri—a mixture of various herbs, impossible to identify.
The scent brought back many memories: when Hii Kōri had captured her, being used as experimental material...
Wait, hold on—why is it all these awful, frustrating memories?
Hii Kōri really is a bastard!
Thinking this, her gaze fell on Ren, and the rising irritation vanished without a trace.
He was her family. Her dearest, inseparable family.
Then she thought of that winter when Hii Kōri had taken care of her, and finally let out a helpless sigh.
At this point, she was already completely wrapped around his finger.
Thinking this, Tsunade stood up, preparing to take Ren back to her room to rest. But just then, the sound of the door being unlocked came from outside.
"?"
Watching Hii Kōri carry a flushed-faced, mischievously smiling Akane through the door, Tsunade had no idea what was going on.
"You two... why are you back?"
"Hee hee~ Of course, because Kōri told me you were so worried about me, so I came back~"
Riding the excitement of her slight intoxication, Akane hopped down from Hii Kōri's arms with a "heave-ho" and then pounced on Tsunade. "We're good friends, aren't we~ How could I leave you all alone at home?"
"Wh-Wait a minute!"
Clearly realizing what Akane intended to do, Tsunade's body stiffened. Just as she lowered her voice to try to calm Akane down, she saw Rashōmon slowly rise from Hii Kōri's shadow, pull out a bunch of baby toys and bottles, and walk to the bassinet, ready to take care of the young master.
And Hii Kōri, still smiling, made a shushing gesture as he and Akane "squeezed" her into the bedroom.
Then, the barrier rose.