On the other side of the village—
In the middle of a bustling street.
"Hey, Tsunade, this stuff's pretty good. Want to sit down and let me treat you to a couple skewers?"
Jaxon was holding a three-colored dango—three differently colored dumplings skewered on a stick. He took a bite and, with the bamboo skewer still in hand, waved to Tsunade who sat a short distance away.
"No thanks. Eat it yourself," Tsunade replied coldly, not even turning her head.
She rolled her eyes with a huff and gazed boredly off into the distance.
"How unromantic..." Jaxon muttered to himself, shrugging.
Then, without hesitation, he picked up his plate, scooted his stool across the ground with an annoying screech, and sat directly at Tsunade's table.
It wasn't a busy time of day, so the food stall had only a handful of patrons.
Tsunade frowned as she watched him plop down across from her.
"What are you trying to pull, you little brat?"
She looked at him with clear irritation in her voice.
"Hey, hey! Is that really how you should talk to me?" Jaxon grinned as he chewed his food. "I'm just trying to enjoy my dango in peace."
Despite her glare, she hadn't kicked him away. That subtle restraint only added to Jaxon's amusement.
He sighed dramatically. "Honestly, it's frustrating. You're supposed to be the legendary Senju Tsunade, but you're acting like you're allergic to people."
"Have a skewer. My treat. It's really good," he offered again, holding out another one with a grin.
"I don't need your treat, you brat. Stay away from me," Tsunade snapped.
Jaxon feigned hurt. "Ouch. That's rude. I'm your employer, remember? I've already spent a fortune. If I walk off on my own and get mugged, how would you explain it?"
He leaned back in his chair with exaggerated fear plastered on his face.
Tsunade groaned and crossed her arms. "Just eat your dango and stop bothering me. Where do you want to go next? Hurry up and say it already."
Her voice grew louder, clearly fed up with the banter. Though she wasn't yelling yet, it was getting close.
Gritting her teeth, Tsunade resisted the overwhelming urge to knock him out cold. If he were anyone else—anyone besides this infuriating brat—he'd already be picking his teeth off the ground.
"Can't you be a little more calm?" Jaxon asked calmly, swallowing the last bite and tossing his skewer onto a nearby plate. "Why's your temper always so fiery? You've got no patience at all."
He looked at her seriously now, his tone less playful.
"Work has to be done happily. Only then will you have the motivation to continue. If you rush, you'll lose your grip on the basics. You're a ninja. If you can't even control your own emotions, then maybe this profession isn't for you. You'll die an early, miserable death."
"You—!"
Tsunade opened her mouth to argue but stopped short.
As annoying as it was to be lectured by a brat, Jaxon's words held some truth. A ninja was someone who endured what ordinary people couldn't. That's what it meant to be called shinobi.
Yet ever since she'd met this kid, it was like her emotions had been dancing on a wire. A few words from him, and she'd lose her composure entirely.
Tsunade sighed.
"You agree with me, don't you?" Jaxon smirked as he stood up.
He walked around the table, stopping in front of her. Before she could process what he was doing, he raised a hand and flicked her forehead gently.
Tsunade froze. For a moment, she didn't react.
Then she jumped to her feet and roared, "You bastard brat!"
Her fist shot into the air, but she held herself back from swinging.
He was just a kid. Not even a ninja.
He didn't have the hardened physique of a trained shinobi. If she lost control and actually hit him… the consequences would be serious.
"You let something so small rile you up that fast," Jaxon said calmly. "If someone else used a trick like this on you—on the battlefield, not here in the safety of the Village—do you think they'd stop at just flicking your forehead?
You're barely keeping your cool now, but when enemies come at you with killing intent and you let your emotions run wild, someone's going to get killed. Maybe you, maybe your comrades. That's just the reality."
His voice lowered slightly, but the warning in it was crystal clear.
"Believe me, Tsunade. You keep acting like this, and you're just paving the road to a bad ending."
With a mischievous grin, Jaxon leaned back, hands behind his head, utterly unconcerned by the furious kunoichi before him.
Tsunade, the strongest and most hot-tempered woman in Konoha, was now standing there… completely speechless.
"Lady Tsunade…"
The call came from across the street, breaking the tense silence.
A figure crossed the road quickly, heading toward them.
He looked around Tsunade's age, maybe a little older. Jaxon glanced at the man and immediately recognized who it was.
That hair color—somewhere between green and gray—and that slightly feminine appearance…
It had to be Kato Dan.
There weren't many ninja in the village who looked like that. He was famous, even if he died early in the original story.
"Lady Tsunade! What a coincidence! I didn't expect to see you right after returning from a mission," Kato Dan greeted warmly. "What brings you to the dango shop today?"
His voice was cheerful, but the moment he noticed Jaxon beside her, he tilted his head.
"This must be your little brother Nawaki, right?"
"No," Tsunade snapped, rolling her eyes. "You just got back from a mission, didn't you? You should go rest. Don't interfere with my mission."
Jaxon narrowed his eyes. She was being especially cold with this guy.
Kato Dan was wearing the standard Konoha green flak jacket, tight-fitting over his combat attire. From the look of him, he had already become a Jonin—impressive for his age.
But Tsunade clearly had no interest in him. There was no trace of the affection she would one day develop for him.
"Mission?" Kato Dan blinked in surprise. "What kind of mission?"
"None of your business," Tsunade said bluntly. She jabbed a finger toward the street. "Your teammates are over there, right? Shouldn't you be at the Hokage building, reporting your mission results instead of gossiping with me?"
"Right…"
Twice she had dismissed him. He'd look foolish to keep standing there.
"Alright, I'll leave you to it," he said at last, turning away.
Jaxon watched the interaction with great interest. Seeing these two interact like this, knowing their future history, was almost surreal.
But just as Kato Dan took a few steps away, he turned back again.
"Lady Tsunade, do you have time in the next few days? I wanted to thank you for your help during the last operation. How about some BBQ? My treat."
Before Tsunade could reply, Jaxon suddenly burst out laughing.
"Pff—HAHAHA~!!!"
He doubled over in his seat, holding his stomach, laughing so hard that he nearly fell off the stool.
Tsunade glared at him with fire in her eyes.
Kato Dan stood awkwardly, waiting for an answer.
Tsunade sighed heavily and muttered, "I should've punched you when I had the chance…"
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
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