Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

Halfway through their retreat, the group suddenly noticed that Tōshirō had fallen behind. Turning back, they saw him lying on the ground, unable to move.

The pillar of purple light was already dangerously close to him. It was too late to go back and save him.

"Tōshirō—!"

Without hesitation, a figure rushed toward him, shouting his name.

"Tsunade, don't go—!"

Before the words could finish, it was already too late. Tsunade and Tōshirō were both engulfed by the purple light.

Konoha, Year 63

"My head hurts so much…"

Tsunade slowly regained consciousness, rubbing her forehead as she sat up and looked around. She found herself in an unfamiliar place surrounded by dense trees, completely different from the enclosed space of Roran.

Strange. Wasn't she in Roran?

How did she end up here?

Suddenly recalling something, Tsunade shouted loudly, "Tōshirō —!"

"Stop shouting, I'm right nearby."

Tōshirō's weak voice came from a short distance away.

If it were any other time, Tsunade would have snapped at him. But seeing his sickly appearance, her eyes were filled with nothing but worry. "Are you okay?"

Tōshirō's face was pale, and his voice was faint. "I'm not."

Tsunade: …

"Oh, wait. Hold on."

Tsunade quickly rummaged through the pouch on her back. She remembered that they had been given antidote supplies for this mission.

It didn't take long before she found the antidote in her pack. "This might hurt a bit, so bear with it."

With that, she injected the antidote into Tōshirō's neck, her expression full of expectation. "Feeling any better?"

Sweat beaded on Tōshirō's forehead as a bitter smile appeared on his face. "You're too impatient. It doesn't work that fast."

Tsunade checked his condition and discovered it was extremely dire. A shadow fell across her face, and a deep sorrow filled her brow.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

Tsunade forced herself to be strong, managing a strained smile.

"I see…"

Even without looking at her face, Tōshirō could sense from her tone that something was wrong. His gaze dropped, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his chest.

"Don't give up," Tsunade encouraged him.

"It's no use. If even you can't treat me, I doubt anyone in the world can. Especially not out here in the middle of nowhere…"

Tōshirō lowered his eyes slightly, letting out a bitter laugh, his mindset becoming increasingly pessimistic.

As birds flew across the bright blue sky, Tōshirō stared blankly upward. While he was lost in thought, an arm suddenly reached under his armpit.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not giving up."

"It's pointless…"

"Shut up. Patients should act like patients and stop saying nonsense."

Tsunade hoisted him onto her back.

"Where are you taking me? You don't even know where we are…"

"Be quiet."

Tsunade interrupted him forcefully, holding him tightly as she started walking.

Truthfully, she didn't know where she was going either. But if she did nothing, she knew she'd never be able to forgive herself in the future.

Tōshirō rested his face quietly against Tsunade's soft back. The warmth of her body pressed against his cheek as his gaze lowered, and he remained silent.

Then, Tsunade's voice broke the quiet. "Do you remember the last time, when you carried me?"

"..."

"Back then, I was just like you are now..."

"Hmph."

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I just find it ironic how fate loves to toy with us..."

"True."

Tsunade sighed softly.

"Let me ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Back then... did you have feelings for me?"

Facing death, Tōshirō had nothing left to hold back. Out of nowhere, he asked this question. Tsunade's shoulders trembled slightly upon hearing it. "Wh-Why would you say that?"

Leaning against her back, Tōshirō softly replied, "Because I think... I've started to fall for you now."

At that moment, Tsunade's heartbeat faltered, her emotions swirling like a wild storm. Half-flustered, half-proud, she muttered, "Hmph, stop flattering yourself."

Despite her words, the bright red flush of her earlobes betrayed her true feelings.

Tōshirō , no fool, noticed. "If that's the case, why are your ears so red?"

"They're not!"

"Haha..."

"Why are you laughing now?"

"Tsunade, did you know? I'm actually not that oblivious."

"..."

"Back then, you deliberately wore white stockings and walked around in front of me. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? You never wear stuff like that normally."

"You... and yet you..." Tsunade instinctively began to respond, only to catch herself too late. "No, I just wanted to try a different style for once!"

Ignoring her defensiveness, Tōshirō continued, "If you want to know why, it's because I've always liked your usual strong-willed, rebellious self."

Tsunade shot him an exasperated look. "Rebellious? You're insane."

"If I weren't a little crazy, why would I have risked my life to save you back then?"

Flustered by his bold words, Tsunade's face turned crimson. "I can't believe I fell for someone as crazy as you. I must've spent too much time with you and ended up just as crazy."

Sighing deeply, she added, "It's like a beautiful flower growing in a pile of dung."

"Tsunade, as your boyfriend, I can't let you compare yourself to dung."

Grinding her teeth, Tsunade growled, "You better live a long life, or I'll never forget how you slapped me last time."

Shivering, Tōshirō muttered, "I'm still a patient..."

The two bantered playfully along the way, their arguments filling the air with warmth, as though nothing bad had ever happened.

But fate is unavoidable.

By the time they reached a place called Tanzaku Street, Tōshirō's condition had worsened to a life-threatening point.

Throughout the journey, Tōshirō had been holding himself together to keep Tsunade from worrying. But now, he could no longer maintain the act.

Severe coughing, heavy blood loss, excruciating chest pain, and difficulty breathing—it was as though he were in the final stages of a terminal illness.

"Tsunade... put me down."

Hearing this, Tsunade's heart lifted slightly. "What's wrong? Has your condition improved?"

"No... I'm just ready to say my last words..."

Her heart sank as though falling into an abyss.

...

At a nearby casino, a golden-haired woman quietly slipped out. "Shizune, sorry, but I'm leaving. Once I have the money, I'll come back to bail you out..."

She hadn't gotten far when the sound of sobbing reached her ears. It sounded like a girl crying.

The crying wasn't particularly loud, but the woman's sharp ears caught it clearly.

Scratching her head, she muttered, "Ugh, fine. I'll go take a look."

With that thought, she followed the sound, eventually finding a young girl crying over a boy lying on the ground.

The golden-haired woman squinted and studied the girl's face carefully.

And then...

She froze.

Holy...

If she knew the words, she'd definitely exclaim, "What the hell!"

(End of Chapter)

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