Naruto: Starting with Tsunade

Chapter 86 Heartfelt Intentions

"I'm so tired, let me rest for a while"... Aokiji collapsed on the ground, not only because he had used up too much chakra, but also because he was mentally exhausted.

If it weren't for Tsunade, who's like a plug-and-play power bank, Aokiji felt he would have been extremely likely to die in this battle.

Aside from this factor, environmental factors, ability restraint, and the enemy's ignorance of his intelligence must also be considered.

If any of the above factors were missing, Aokiji would not have been able to defeat this Kirigakure Jonin.

At the same time, Aokiji also realized his shortcomings and it seems that he still needs to continue to train diligently.

Unsure if the enemy would provide backup, Aokiji dared not linger. After a short rest, he immediately got up and walked over to Tsunade, saying, "Let me carry you."

"I can walk by myself."

Tsunade, who had been trying to be strong, had barely walked two steps when her body went limp and collapsed to the ground.

"Why...why...I was able to stand up just now, wait, wait, I can."

Despite her efforts, Tsunade remained unwell and lacked strength. She was frustrated that she, who was usually so strong, was now so weak.

More importantly, for some reason she didn't want Aokiji to see her in such a useless state.

Aokiji shook his head, unable to bear it any longer. He stepped forward, turned around, squatted down, and with his back to her, ignored her attempts to stop him. He bent his arm and passed it through her knee joint between her thigh and calf, lifting her up so that her legs were turned outward in an M shape.

"Hey, wait a minute, I can walk by myself." Tsunade pouted, still stubbornly insisting on her words.

If Aokiji hadn't been facing away from Tsunade, he would have noticed that her cheeks were unusually flushed, even extending to her ears.

"Now is not the time to be reckless. If the enemy has backup here and we are a step too slow, we're really doomed."

Aokiji gripped her thighs tightly with both hands to prevent her from falling.

Despite the snow falling from the sky, Tsunade inexplicably felt her ears burning. She shook her head and tossed her head, letting the snowflakes fall from her hair.

"I...I understand."

With Tsunade on his back, Aokiji gazed into the distance, preparing to find a cave first. Before leaving, he wanted to do the last bit of finishing work.

Having identified a likely location where a cave might exist, Aokiji carried Tsunade straight there.

With the threat eliminated, Tsunade, looking curious, had some free time to ask Aokiji why he was there.

As he ran, Aokiji answered, recounting everything that had happened.

"But I didn't see your pet in your backpack."

Aokiji was stunned, suddenly realizing that his back was gone, replaced by the "Tsunade" pendant. It seemed that he had accidentally lost it during the battle. He was heartbroken and howled loudly.

Tsunade giggled, her eyebrows curving into crescents, her delicate face radiating a rare, youthful glow, and she said, "You really are a money-grubber."

Aokiji cursed, "You heartless bastard! I did all this for you!"

Tsunade smiled warmly: "I'll make it up to you."

Upon hearing this, Aokiji's face lit up with joy, and he immediately stopped making a fuss: "That's more like it."

Tsunade asked, "Aokiji, I'm asking you, why did you go to all this trouble to save me? Knowing you as I do, shouldn't your primary concern be your own safety? You should be well aware of the strength of the Jonin from the Five Great Nations."

"I don't have many friends, and I would be very sad if something happened to you."

Tsunade was taken aback: "Is that all there is to it?"

Aokiji countered, "Or what?"

"Is that so..."

Tsunade pressed her cheek against Aokiji's already somewhat broad back, and the arms around his neck tightened their grip.

Girls develop much earlier than boys. Tsunade used to tease Aokiji for being short. When did this guy start to grow taller than her?

Unaware of what was happening, Tsunade felt as if "something" was being released from the depths of her heart, transforming into a fiery, tingling sensation. A sweet smile graced her pale pink lips.

"If it were Jiraiya and Orochimaru instead, would you come too?" Tsunade suddenly asked.

"Of course, they are equal in my heart as you are."

"snort."

"What are you humming about?"

Aokiji, a single dog whose lifespan is equivalent to that of a single person, doesn't understand women's hearts; they're like needles at the bottom of the sea.

However, in the rush to escape, I hadn't paid much attention. But now that I've picked up Tsunade, I suddenly realize that her body is surprisingly limp. She's not plump at all, she's as thin as a grasshopper, I thought she was very bony.

"But speaking of which, Tsunade, you really don't have much of a fleshy feel down there, just as I guessed."

Tsunade: ? ? ?

Aokiji teased, "Even though it's chest to back, I don't feel any presence at all. Well, I guess you can't say I don't feel anything. In a way, being hard is a kind of presence, haha..."

Tsunade snapped back to reality, realizing what had happened, and her face turned as black as a lump of coal.

Just as Aokiji was about to say a few more words, he suddenly felt his breath catch in his throat; fate had seized him by the throat.

"Go die twice already."

With a tube inserted into her lungs, Tsunade was filled with malice and her body erupted with astonishing energy, wishing she could strangle this bastard with her bare hands.

The two, caught up in their playful antics, were unaware that a pair of eyes were secretly watching them.

The Uchiha behind the scenes smiled slightly, it seemed that there had finally been substantial progress.

Aokiji led Tsunade into a cave, leaving a shadow clone to guard her while he prepared to go out for a while.

"Wait a moment, I'll be right back."

After Aokiji finished speaking, he left Tsunade with her head tilted to the side and a puzzled look on her face. Not long after, she saw several Aokijis return, each accompanied by several people. If she wasn't mistaken, these people were ninjas from Kirigakure.

Tsunade was taken aback: "Why did you bring them back?"

"To destroy the evidence."

"Destroy the body and cover up the evidence?"

"Yes."

As he spoke, Aokiji cut down a large tree from nearby and dragged it into the cave, intending to use it as fuel to burn all the corpses until only bones remained.

The wood was damp, but it could still be ignited by his fire-style techniques and used as fuel.

In this way, Aokiji refused to believe that anyone could read his memories from these people's corpses.

"Is it really necessary to go this far?"

Tsunade was raised with the values ​​of benevolence and righteousness in Konoha, so it's understandable that she felt uncomfortable with Aokiji's extreme approach of not even leaving a corpse behind.

Tsunade's values ​​aren't so easily changed. Aokiji shrugged and explained, "I didn't want to do this either. I know my actions seem extreme to you, but I have no choice. If the Hidden Mist Village ninjas find these ninjas after they die and examine their memories before death, my abilities will be exposed, and that will be troublesome."

"I understand, let's go with your idea."

Tsunade nodded in understanding, realizing that this was Aokiji's usual style. In addition, since Aokiji had just saved her, she felt embarrassed to continue to argue with her, lest she make Aokiji uncomfortable.

Aokiji dug a large pit, first adding a layer of firewood on top, then throwing the corpse in, and finally adding another layer of firewood on top, attacking from both above and below. After doing all this, Aokiji breathed a fire jutsu into the pit, igniting the firewood.

Looking at the blazing firelight before him, Aokiji nodded in satisfaction, then led Tsunade away from the place, heading towards the Land of Commerce. He had no intention of spending the night in this place.

Tsunade sighed and recounted in detail her mission from Konoha to the Land of Commerce, and the sudden attack by the Hidden Mist Ninja.

Aokiji frowned more and more as he listened, and with a little thought, he easily connected the two things.

(End of this chapter)