Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

When this thought crossed her mind, the older Tsunade's gaze toward Tōshirōs ubtly shifted. Could this boy somehow represent her lost youth?

"Tōshirō, here, eat this piece of meat."

She picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Tōshirō's bowl.

Tōshirō: ???

What's happening? Since when did we get so close?

Tsunade's cheeks puffed slightly; she was jealous.

"I came first! And she's never done anything like this for me."

But then she remembered that the other Tsunade might be her future daughter. If that were the case, this gesture wasn't favoritism—it was an act of filial piety.

With this realization, Tsunade let it go, marveling at the strange workings of the world.

Noticing Tōshirō's puzzled look, the older Tsunade pretended to cough and explained, "I just thought you looked pitiful staying in the hospital these past few days."

Tōshirō flashed a bright smile. "Rangiku-nee, you're such a kind woman. If I could marry someone like you one day, I'd be so lucky."

As soon as he said this, he felt a foot stomp on his, accompanied by a piercing glare. "You pervert."

Tōshirō: ???

In Tsunade's eyes, the older Tsunade was her daughter.

So what was Tōshirō doing just now? A classic case of... well, something quite inappropriate.

But Tōshirō had no idea what was going on. He had spoken casually, not knowing how seriously Tsunade believed the older Tsunade to be her daughter.

Helpless, Tōshirō explained, "It's just admiration for an older woman."

Tsunade puffed her cheeks like a steamed bun and glared. "Am I invisible to you?"

Jealousy kicked in again, and Tōshirō quickly apologized.

As the two bickered playfully, the older Tsunade watched with a tinge of envy. Having been single for most of her life, she couldn't help but wonder: if Tōshirō were still alive, could she have experienced something similar?

While pondering this, she suddenly froze. Something felt off.

Traveling back in time could cause historical changes—that made sense.

But traveling to the future? That created a massive paradox.

After all, the future hasn't happened yet, so how could anyone travel there?

The older Tsunade lacked the concept of parallel timelines. The more she thought about it, the more stuck she felt, her head starting to ache.

If Orochimaru were here, she mused, he might offer an explanation for what was happening.

Still, even if he were here, she doubted she'd lower herself to ask him. After all, she had recently heard that he'd killed the Third Hokage.

Though she hadn't returned to Konoha to verify the rumor, there was a high probability it was true.

For now, regarding the two travelers before her, all she could do was rack her brain. Fortunately, after some deep thought, she found a relatively plausible explanation.

If time travel could only go to the past, then perhaps someone in this timeline had traveled to the past, altered events, and triggered a chain reaction that led to Tōshirō and Tsunade ending up in her timeline.

If that were the case, the logic checked out.

The older Tsunade chuckled bitterly.

She'd originally hoped not to change the past, but it seemed the past had already been altered without her knowledge.

"Rangiku-nee, what are you daydreaming about?" Tsunade asked.

"Nothing."

The older Tsunade dismissed it casually, secretly wondering whether she should change history.

After all, if history was already irreversibly altered, why not take advantage of it to create a better future?

She tilted her head, confused.

Tōshirō glanced at her, curious about how this future version of Tsunade viewed them—especially him, the apparent "bug" in the system.

The older Tsunade asked, "If you two could return, how would you face the Uchiha and Senju clans? As far as I know, those two clans have a deep history together."

Tsunade looked at her and decided to use the opportunity to make her stance clear. "What else? I'd openly admit it and gain the clans' approval. Being timid isn't my style."

The older Tsunade nodded slightly. That did sound like something she would've done in the past. "Even if there's unimaginable resistance?"

"I'm not afraid," Tsunade said firmly.

"But I am," a timid voice cut through the air.

Older Tsunade: ???

Tsunade: ???

Neither of them had expected Tōshirō to ruin the moment.

Before they could react, Tōshirō quickly explained, "Wait, hear me out first."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her brown eyes glaring at him as if demanding an explanation.

If he didn't answer well, he feared she might get physical. Carefully, he chose his words. "Strength and strategy aren't balanced, so brute force won't work. We need to gather allies."

Tsunade, impatient, said, "Speak plainly."

"Uh... basically, just give me five or six years to reach Kage level. Then we'll announce our relationship. At that point, if anyone objects..."

Tōshirō declared boldly, "I'll just smack them down. Let's see who dares oppose us then!"

"Isn't that a bit much?"

Tsunade thought it was over the top but also couldn't deny it was cool. She liked it.

"Don't underestimate me. I may seem laid-back, but I carry Uchiha blood in my veins. Uh... I'll deal with them first, then reason with them."

The older Tsunade was still watching, so Tōshirō figured it was best to tone things down.

The older Tsunade glanced at Tōshirō, thinking to herself, "As expected of a Uchiha child—always relying on power to solve things."

She wondered how he would feel upon learning that his clan would be annihilated in the future.

"Even if you're from the Uchiha clan, reaching Kage-level strength isn't that easy, you know," Tsunade said, shaking her head.

"Five or six years to reach Kage-level? Do you think Kage-level strength is as common as cabbage?"

Still, Tsunade added, "Well, I believe in you."

The older Tsunade: …

"My, my, protecting him so much already, and you two aren't even officially together yet," the older Tsunade teased with a mischievous smile.

Tsunade replied honestly, "He might not seem serious most of the time, but his strength is undeniable."

"Oh? How strong?"

"Stronger than me," she admitted.

Even at full power, Tsunade had to acknowledge that Tōshirō was indeed stronger than her.

The older Tsunade's interest was piqued. She knew exactly how strong her younger self had been.

Back in the day, only Orochimaru had surpassed her. If this Tōshirō could make her younger self admit his superiority, it wasn't just by a small margin—he might even surpass Orochimaru at the same age.

On second thought, it wasn't too surprising. Her younger self had high standards, so if she had chosen someone, they must be truly exceptional.

"Interesting. Want to have a sparring match with me?"

The older Tsunade gestured toward Tōshirō with her chin. "If you win, I'll give you this."

She pulled out a crystal pendant from her chest. "It's priceless, you know."

Tōshirō winced at the sight of it.

That was the necklace of death.

Considering the fate of its previous owners, none of whom met good ends, Tōshirō hesitated. If not for the protagonist later destroying the necklace to break its curse, even he might not have survived.

Shaking his head, Tōshirō said, "I may be confident in my strength, but I'm not interested in inviting trouble."

"What's this? Are you scared? That doesn't sound like the same person who made those bold claims earlier," the older Tsunade goaded him.

"I'm just being cautious. If this thing is as priceless as you say, you wouldn't offer it unless you were absolutely sure of yourself," Tōshirō countered.

The older Tsunade smirked and let the matter drop.

Later, as the drinks flowed, the older Tsunade suddenly had an idea. "Tsunade, how about we gamble a little?"

She was curious to see whose luck was better between the two of them.

Tsunade shook her head, declining.

The older Tsunade was taken aback. Normally, her younger self, who was addicted to gambling, would have agreed without hesitation.

"I've given up gambling," Tsunade said.

"Given up? Why?"

"Gambling is harmful. It's ruined countless families and lives."

Believing the older Tsunade might be her future daughter, Tsunade felt it was her responsibility to set a good example.

While the explanation made sense, the older Tsunade was still shocked.

Her younger self had been influenced to the point of quitting gambling entirely?

"Come on, just one round," the older Tsunade coaxed, still unwilling to give up.

She really wanted to see who would win between them.

Hearing this, Tsunade's gambling addiction started to resurface. With a bit of hesitation, she wavered, "Maybe just one round?"

"Yeah, just one," the older Tsunade said, smiling slyly like someone luring a child with candy.

Seeing that the older Tsunade was about to succeed, Tōshirō stepped in.

"Rangiku-nee, while I'm grateful to you, please have some self-respect and don't corrupt my Tsunade, okay?"

What a joke—Tsunade had finally quit gambling, and he wasn't about to let her fall back into it. What if all her progress was undone?

Back when their relationship wasn't official, he couldn't interfere.

But now? Things were different.

Tsunade's money was his money.

His money was still his money.

There was no way he'd allow this reckless woman to gamble.

In fact, Tōshirō decided that any money Tsunade earned in the future should go directly to him for safekeeping. He was just looking out for her best interests, after all (or so he thought).

With a sigh, Tsunade pulled back just in time, resisting the temptation.

The older Tsunade's plan failed, leaving her no choice but to vent her frustrations by eating.

...

Life returned to normal after that.

Tsunade continued learning medical ninjutsu from her future self.

Tōshirō, not wanting to disturb her, spent most of his time training or wandering the streets of Tanzaku Town.

One day, he happened to spot the older Tsunade playing a slot machine by herself.

Curious, he walked over and asked, "Why are you here alone, Rangiku-nee? Aren't you supposed to be teaching Tsunade medical skills?"

The older Tsunade, half-joking, replied, "Sometimes I like to take a break. I've asked Shizune to substitute for me today."

Tōshirō nodded, about to say more when the slot machine suddenly spewed out coins—she'd hit the jackpot.

Instinctively, he congratulated her.

Winning should have made her happy, but instead, the older Tsunade frowned. As if confirming her suspicion, she played a few more rounds, winning every time.

"Tōshirō, let's leave this place now."

Sensing impending misfortune, the older Tsunade made a decisive call, abandoning the coins and walking away.

Tsunade's unique luck often meant that winning was a harbinger of bad things to come.

Tōshirō quickly followed.

As they walked down a narrow street lined with walls, a massive explosion suddenly erupted in the distance.

Turning toward the source, they saw a tall building engulfed in smoke.

Before they could react further, two figures appeared in front of them.

Seeing the newcomers, the older Tsunade's eyes widened in shock.

"Orochimaru..."

(End of Chapter)

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