Chapter 47: Tsunade in Her Cups

After leaving the underground base, Kato Mikaze felt weary. He had spent the entire afternoon poring over documents—not only were they dry, technical, and nearly impenetrable, but in some respects, they were downright inhumane, even bloody. Compared to going out on missions or practicing ninjutsu, Kato Mikaze found this kind of research and experimental work far less appealing. Although it hadn’t left him dizzy or addled, his mood was undeniably sour.

When a man is exhausted by his work and in low spirits, how does he unwind? Watching anime, scrolling through videos, reading novels, playing games—these are the ways of a single homebody. But Kato Mikaze wasn’t a single homebody. He had a girlfriend—or, rather, a soon-to-be girlfriend, a fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged, busty blonde. When a man wants to relax, of course he seeks out a woman; that is always the best remedy. Surely, a woman is far more alluring than wasting time on those other, trivial distractions.

And so, barely three hours later, Kato Mikaze found himself utterly convinced of this truth.

That afternoon, after leaving the underground base, he made his way directly to Konoha Hospital, hoping to find solace with Tsunade. The two didn’t linger at the hospital; instead, they slipped away to an old, well-known sushi restaurant for a date—sharing a meal, conversation, and a bit of their hearts. Kato Mikaze’s original plan was for them to catch a romance film afterward, to nurture their budding affection. After all, they had shared a kiss the previous day—their relationship had made a significant leap. Who knew? Perhaps, in the soft afterglow of a romantic movie, something Kato Mikaze would very much welcome might come to pass.

But life, as ever, was less generous than one’s hopes.

Now, the reality was all too clear. The two of them had just left a gambling house and were currently in Kikugawa Izakaya—the bar Kato Mikaze frequented most. Tsunade was drinking; Kato Mikaze sat beside her, mostly to look after her. They hadn’t gone to see a romance film, and nothing Kato Mikaze had hoped for had come to fruition.

Plans never keep pace with change. The meal and the date went smoothly enough, but the heart-to-heart faltered. At first, they chatted normally; Kato Mikaze briefly mentioned his day at the underground base but didn’t linger on the details. (The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had specially authorized him to discuss the New Year mission with Tsunade.)

Before Kato Mikaze could even seek Tsunade’s comfort, their conversation turned to Tsunade’s younger brother, Nawaki. Tsunade began complaining: the previous day, she had bought something for Nawaki, but he hadn’t been pleased and grumbled a bit. Then—

Annoyed, Tsunade insisted on going to a casino, declaring she’d gamble a few rounds to change her luck. Kato Mikaze’s plan to watch a romance film evaporated; instead, he accompanied her to the casino. He worried that, if Tsunade got carried away, she might even gamble him away as her future husband.

As it happened, Tsunade lost every game, except when betting on Kato Mikaze. She gambled away all the cash they had before Kato Mikaze forcibly dragged her out. Already in a foul mood, she was even more frustrated having lost everything at the casino. She demanded to drink, but with nothing left in their wallets, Kato Mikaze brought her to Kikugawa Izakaya, where he was known and could run a tab.

By this point, Tsunade was already quite drunk.

Raising a sake bottle to her lips, she muttered, “Hey! Kato! Let me tell you, that brat Nawaki has really grown up—his wings are strong now…”

Kato Mikaze lifted his cup and took a small sip, placating her, “Yes, yes, Nawaki’s grown so much. He’s almost up to my shoulder now… Hey, slow down with the drinking, Tsunade.”

His attention was mostly on looking after her. Tsunade had just downed an entire bottle, spilling sake all over her green ceremonial robe and the shirt beneath, dampening a large patch across her chest. She didn’t even seem to notice, and went on, “Oh, I’m not just talking about how tall Nawaki’s gotten. He really is taller, but I mean he’s getting defiant—talking back to me, even trying to fight me now. Are you even listening, Kato…”

“Yes, yes… Nawaki shouldn’t talk back to his sister like that…” Kato Mikaze continued to humor her; he’d been at this all evening. He stood to fetch some napkins, intending to wipe the sake from her clothes. The outer robe wasn’t too bad, but the shirt and undergarments beneath—especially at her chest—

“Tsunade, I think we’ve had enough for tonight… Hold still, let me wipe that up for you, your clothes are soaked. If you keep moving and I touch something I shouldn’t, I’ll take responsibility, but let me say this first—you’re not allowed to hit me…”

“Ugh, Nawaki used to be so cute when he was little… Why’s my chest wet? They just keep getting bigger—such a nuisance most days…”

As Kato Mikaze wiped at her clothes, Tsunade finally became dimly aware of the chill at her chest. With a careless boldness, she reached out with her free hand to squeeze her own ample bosom, pushing aside Kato Mikaze’s hand, intent on stripping off her clothes right then and there.

“Hey! Hey! Tsunade, calm down! Get a hold of yourself! We’re still in public—if you want to undress, let’s at least wait until we’re somewhere private…”

Kato Mikaze was all flustered, trying to restrain the drunken Tsunade, who kept wriggling and resisting.

After much commotion, Tsunade finally collapsed onto the table, dead to the world.

Kato Mikaze breathed a sigh of relief. He went to speak with Aunt Kikugawa, asking her to put the bill on his tab, promising to settle up later. He abandoned the idea of cleaning up the spilled sake; better to get Tsunade home as soon as possible.

Even though Tsunade was utterly drunk and unconscious—perhaps something could happen between them—but…

“Tsunade, you’re drunk. Come on, let me take you home…”

“Nawaki isn’t cute at all anymore, he even dares talk back to me…”

Returning to the table, Kato Mikaze looked at the sleeping Tsunade. She lay slumped across the table, her head pillowed on one arm, cheeks flushed crimson from the sake, while her other hand, even in her stupor, reached up to smooth her hair. After all their previous antics, her hair had become disheveled, but somehow, in her drunken haze, she had managed to tidy it up quite nicely.

Even drunk, a woman never forgets her love of beauty.

Pale, delicate fingers, golden hair, rosy cheeks—without her earlier drunken tantrums, Kato Mikaze found himself momentarily entranced…

“Kato Mikaze, you mustn’t become like Nawaki. You’ll always listen to me, always treat me well, won’t you… You villain, I know what you’re thinking. After what you did to me yesterday, and now you’ve gotten me drunk again… Watch out or I’ll beat you up… Promise me you’ll always treat me well…”

Snapped back to himself by Tsunade’s sleepy mumbling, Kato Mikaze gazed at her small, pink lips as she muttered.

“I am a villain—a villain who’s only bad to you, and I’ll always treat you well…”

He stepped forward, scooped the unconscious Tsunade up in his arms, cradling her princess-style.

After bidding farewell to Aunt Kikugawa, he left the izakaya, heading in the direction of Tsunade’s home.

…

PS: Dear new readers, please support the author with a recommendation and a bookmark.