Kawakaze and Sakumo felt like they were sitting on pins and needles, anxiously counting the minutes until dinner. The moment it arrived, they both shot off faster than startled rabbits.
"Consider yourself lucky this time," Sakumo said, throwing a shameless threat Kawakaze's way.
"Yeah, I'm shaking," Kawakaze replied with a smirk, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Honestly, he wasn't even sure who had dodged the bullet better.
Fortunately, they both realized someone was watching them and quickly calmed down. Otherwise, another "battle of the century" might have begun.
After dinner, Mito spent some time with Ginji before standing up to leave.
"I'll go take a shower first. You keep an eye on Ginji," Tsunade said, handing the baby over to Kawakaze and taking the laundry with her to the bathroom.
"Yeah, go ahead," Kawakaze replied nonchalantly.
His earlier days of wanting to bathe with Tsunade felt like a distant memory now. After living as a bachelor for so long, he had grown used to certain routines. For instance, he now occasionally changed his underwear in the morning. At first, it had embarrassed him, but Tsunade's casual smile had quickly dispelled that.
They were like an old married couple—familiar with each other's habits and quirks, with no need for pretense.
"It still smells weird," Kawakaze muttered to himself as he gently placed Ginji into the cradle. The baby, still very young, needed to sleep most of the day. When he cried, it was usually for a simple reason: he was either hungry or needed a diaper change.
Kawakaze, now a seasoned father, had become quite skilled at changing diapers. As he lay in bed, his thoughts began to drift.
In the bathroom, Tsunade was feeling a little distressed. The tonic soup she had been drinking was clearly effective—almost too effective. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't seem to wash off the lingering effects entirely.
If I keep drinking it, I'll probably explode sooner or later, she thought with a sigh.
"Sigh…"
Tsunade sighed deeply. Who truly understands the suffering of a woman?
She didn't feel like washing herself thoroughly, so she began wiping her long, slender legs instead. Starting from the bottom and working her way up, she made sure to clean herself inside and out, satisfied that she was perfectly clean.
Tonight, she was determined to have a proper showdown with Kawakaze. If he wanted to keep playing the role of a bachelor, he'd need her permission first. The thought of her inevitable victory brought a small, triumphant smile to her face.
Turning off the shower, she dried herself off and paused to look at her naked reflection in the mirror. Twirling around, she admired herself.
"Perfect," she murmured.
"I'm not even going to try to seduce you," she said with a playful smirk, quickly getting dressed. Since giving birth, she hadn't lost her figure—in fact, she'd gained a little more charm. After one last lingering glance at her reflection, she reluctantly opened the bathroom door and stepped out.
"Go wash up. I'll wake Ginji for breastfeeding," she told Kawakaze, who was lying on the bed.
"Okay," Kawakaze replied, getting up and heading to take care of the laundry.
Before long, Ginji's cries filled the room.
"Wow~…" Ginji's wails seemed endless as he demanded attention.
Tsunade sat down, holding Ginji close. His hungry cries began to fade as he latched on and started nursing. The sound of his steady swallowing filled the quiet room.
To maintain her balance and comfort, Tsunade made sure to let him nurse from both sides. The relief was immediate, and she felt much more comfortable.
Once Ginji had eaten his fill, she gently rocked him in her arms, humming a soft, soothing lullaby in a voice so tender it would have surprised anyone. Within minutes, Ginji drifted off to sleep.
Tsunade carefully placed him back in his crib and whispered softly, "Don't wake up tonight, my dear."
Finally, she climbed into bed. It had been such a long time since she had been intimate, and as her thoughts wandered, a blush crept across her cheeks, embarrassed, she pulled the bedding over her head, hiding her flustered face.
"What are you doing?"
Kawakaze returned to the room and noticed the squirming on the bed. He couldn't see Tsunade's head anywhere.
"Huh? Nothing!" Tsunade suddenly threw back the covers, her face flushed as red as an apple.
"Really? You're not running a fever, are you?" Kawakaze asked, startled. He quickly reached out to place his hand on her forehead.
"It's burning hot! How high do you think your temperature is? Hurry up and treat yourself," he said, looking unusually earnest and naive in that moment.
"Treat yourself my ass." Tsunade slapped Kawakaze's hand away. Insensitive bastard.
It wasn't like the old days when he used to constantly pester her for cuddles. Has he really become this oblivious?
"What's going on?" Kawakaze asked, still not connecting the dots. It had been so long since they'd last been close that the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.
"Come here," Tsunade said firmly. She was too lazy to waste more time explaining and simply reached out, pulling Kawakaze down onto the bed.
"This illness needs to be cured by you personally."
Kawakaze froze for a moment, her words finally sinking in. He instantly understood.
"Are you… all better?" he asked hesitantly, still unsure.
"What do you think?" Tsunade shot him a cold glare, reminding him exactly who she was—the best Medical-nin in the Shinobi world. Her body had been fine for a while now. If she hadn't taken the initiative herself, nothing would ever happen at this rate.
You, Kawakaze Hatake, really think of yourself as some kind of gentleman, able to sit still?
"Haha, I won't be polite then," Kawakaze said with a mischievous smile, lifting the covers and slipping into the bed.
Clothes flew out one by one, scattering across the floor.
"I can't drink anymore," Kawakaze's muffled voice groaned from under the covers.
"No, I still feel off," Tsunade said firmly, rejecting him without a second thought.
Kawakaze had no choice but to continue. He only stopped when Tsunade finally felt some relief from her discomfort.
"Burp~ A little full," Kawakaze muttered, completely surprised by the turn of events. Even his burp carried a faint milk smell.
"Cut the crap," Tsunade said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
Their faces drew closer until they could hear each other's rapid breathing. Finally, after a long pause, their lips parted.
"I think it tastes good," Tsunade said, licking her lips. This was her first time experiencing it in such a way.
"I didn't say it tasted bad," Kawakaze replied. By now, he had grown accustomed to the situation, even if it had been strange in the beginning.
As he spoke, he didn't stop moving, causing Tsunade to gasp in surprise. Everything felt just right between them.
"It's quite tight," Kawakaze teased with a sly grin.
"Get out," Tsunade retorted, though her tone lacked real anger. Wrapped in a deep sense of satisfaction, she held back the urge to punch him.
"Heh…" Kawakaze smirked, thinking to himself that Tsunade's self-healing ability was truly remarkable.
...
Little Ginji remained undisturbed by external noises and continued sleeping soundly.
No one could say how long it had been, but Kawakaze and Tsunade were both lying sprawled out in a large "ヽ" shape on the bed, fatigue evident to the naked eye.
Yet Kawakaze, ever the troublemaker, wasn't quite ready to behave.
"Not bad, the fever is gone," he said, reaching out to touch Tsunade's forehead again. His expression was one of self-satisfaction, as though he were a skilled personal doctor proud of his abilities.
As far as Kawakaze was concerned, curing any illness with a simple touch was practically a divine skill.
"Are you itching for a beating?" Tsunade's tone turned icy as her hand darted down to grab Kawakaze's inner thigh.
How dare he mock her like this?
"Ouch, I'm sorry!" Kawakaze yelped, instantly submitting. He had only himself to blame for running his mouth.
"Hmph, watch what you say next time," Tsunade warned, giving him one last firm tug before letting go.
"Ssshh…" Kawakaze winced, rubbing the tender spot and gasping softly in pain.
"Go to sleep," Tsunade said, turning on her side and pulling the quilt over herself, clearly content.
"Okay," Kawakaze replied, scooting closer and wrapping his arms around her.
And so, another peaceful night of sweet dreams began.