Chapter 143 : Tsunade And Riku Accept Each Other
When he heard that, Riku nodded. "Okay."
"Come take a walk with me," Tsunade said with a smile, glancing at him.
Riku asked cautiously, "Not going out for drinks?"
Tsunade shot him a look. "What, are you scared?"
"I never said I was scared," Riku replied seriously.
Tsunade said nothing, but her eyes were clearly filled with amusement—and a touch of disdain at his bravado.
Truthfully, Riku had been shaken the night before, and even now, he was still uneasy about what had almost happened. If he’d actually gone through with it... it would have been a disaster.
He felt fine physically, but he was worried Tsunade might’ve killed him if he’d crossed the line.
He remembered clearly that Jiraiya had once been nearly beaten to death by Tsunade.
And compared to what Jiraiya did, what he had done had definitely gone further. If things hadn’t stopped just short of the line... if he hadn’t forcibly restrained himself at the last moment... Riku might’ve ended up labeled a traitor to the village.
Yet what surprised him was that before Tsunade left yesterday afternoon, she had quietly placed her treasured necklace in his hand. He didn’t realize it at the time, but that gesture was a form of acceptance.
Honestly, if it had been his older self, Riku wouldn’t have done something so irrational. But this body—only thirteen years old and full of hormones—couldn’t always be ruled by logic and restraint.
Luckily, Tsunade hadn’t blamed him. She didn’t even seem to take it too seriously. That, Riku felt, was the best possible outcome.
As for serving as Tsunade’s bodyguard, Riku didn’t really object—though he did find it awkward at times.
But once he could get past that awkwardness, becoming the Hokage’s guard actually had its perks. Unlike Kakashi, who was constantly being sent out on missions, Riku would have relative stability—and access to all kinds of restricted intel and documents.
That was the kind of authority Riku liked: the ability to read and learn from rare and confidential materials.
Tsunade chuckled. "Then why do you always ask whether I’m drinking or not?"
Riku fell silent.
"I’m serious," she said with a smile. "No drinking today. I just wanted to go out with you."
Riku nodded. "Then I’ve got no complaints."
Tsunade had handed him a batch of confidential documents earlier, but she’d barely read even a tenth of them herself. Most of the scrolls were still sealed.
Apparently, she had no intention of taking them back. She had left them with him by default.
As the two of them stepped out of the hotel, Shizune stood quietly in her room, watching them go.
Tsunade-sama’s been in a surprisingly good mood lately, she thought. Could it be because of Riku? What happened between them?
Tsunade hadn’t kept Shizune by her side much these past few days.
Meanwhile, Riku had grown taller—now half a head above Tsunade. His facial features were already well-developed, giving him a mature appearance. Though only thirteen, he looked closer to sixteen or seventeen.
His body was fully developed—functioning at the level of a healthy eighteen-year-old.
He’d always had a powerful constitution, and it was only getting stronger. Though not quite on par with the First Hokage’s monstrous vitality, his body was well on its way.
And his chakra reserves... had already reached the level of the full Nine Tails.
That’s why, when Riku used large-scale Lightning Style techniques, he never seemed short on chakra.
And if he ever activated Sage Mode, he wouldn’t need to worry about chakra at all.
But in recent battles, he hadn’t needed Sage Mode. His normal abilities were more than enough to handle his enemies.
As they walked side by side down the street, no one would guess there was such a significant age gap between them.
They looked more like siblings.
Tsunade didn’t stop at any of her usual izakayas this time. Instead, she wandered through the street stalls, buying snacks, or occasionally ducking into a clothing store.
It was so unlike her usual self. She was normally such a no-nonsense, tomboyish type. Her wardrobe was usually just duplicates of the same outfit.
She’d never cared about trying on new clothes.
But Riku’s wallet was not so lucky.
In one clothing store, Riku stared mournfully at his now-empty wallet and nearly wept.
The speed at which women spend money is terrifying. And when it’s a beautiful woman... it’s even scarier.
Still, every time Tsunade stepped out of the fitting room, Riku couldn’t help but admire her.
She was stunning. Her figure was incredible. Watching her try on new clothes was like watching a private fashion show.
And the "model" was none other than the future Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf.
From the looks of the shop assistants’ envious stares, they clearly admired her too.
Under their jealous eyes, Riku handed over several crisp banknotes.
His heart ached.
Not that he was poor—but if Tsunade shopped like this every day, even he wouldn’t be able to keep up.
On the surface, Riku remained composed. But inwardly, he was bleeding money. In just one outing, he’d blown through the equivalent reward for a B-rank mission.
Tsunade walked beside him, laughing. "Hurts, doesn’t it?"
"I’m fine," Riku said with a forced smile.
"Really?" she asked teasingly.
He cracked. "Nope. It hurts. My heart is bleeding."
That made Tsunade burst out laughing. "A ninja shouldn’t be a slave to money," she said. "That’s one of the three taboos of our profession."
Riku’s mouth twitched. "I’m not a slave to money. But my wallet definitely is a victim of your spending."
He added, "Maybe you should sell that necklace."
He pointed to the necklace she had given him—which she had now woven into a bracelet and worn around her wrist.
Tsunade gave him a sharp look. "Don’t you dare."
"I’m kidding, I’m kidding," Riku said quickly with a grin.
Of course, he wasn’t going to sell it. That necklace meant too much now.
After another hour of wandering, the two passed a hot spring inn. Tsunade suddenly tugged Riku inside.
He didn’t resist and followed her into a private room.
"One private bath, please," she said to the attendant.
Riku frowned slightly. He had a feeling something was off.
That suspicion only deepened when he found himself sitting in the hot spring... facing Tsunade.
She poured herself a jug of sake.
What truly struck Riku was that she seemed completely at ease. She had fully accepted him.
Otherwise, she never would’ve done something like this.
The two of them stayed at the hot spring for several hours.
When they finally emerged, the sky was dark.
Riku’s cheeks were slightly flushed—and so were Tsunade’s.
But she was now holding his hand.
They had been together since morning. Now night had fallen.
It had cost Riku a fortune.
But Tsunade’s silent acceptance spoke volumes.
And Riku hadn’t pushed her away either.
He hadn’t made any promises—but he hadn’t refused her, either.
As for the fact that Tsunade was technically fifty... Riku honestly didn’t care. As long as her Strength of a Hundred Seal wasn’t being depleted, her body remained youthful—like she was in her twenties.
And he had to admit... he admired mature Tsunade even more.
Today, they had fully accepted each other.
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