Chapter 101: Sweet Rain

"Hmph, annoying! Don't you dare say another word! You were absolutely terrible this afternoon!" Tsunade stopped pounding Kato Mifeng's chest. Flustered and vexed, she struggled to break free from his embrace, preparing to give him a good thrashing.

Fortunately, Mifeng was prepared. Before she could break away, he wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist.

"Haha, alright, no more teasing. Walk with me in this gentle rain for a bit. Tonight, I'll take you out to have some fun, to wherever you want to go."

Mifeng then laid out his plans for their date tonight to distract her. Holding her close, he guided her out of Konoha Hospital and into the endless, misty drizzle.

"I wanted to ask you earlier, but you distracted me and made me forget. It's raining out, yet you didn't even find a place to shelter. You just stood there in the rain waiting for me like a fool."

Tsunade finally realized that they were still walking in the drizzle, and she also sensed that Mifeng's mood was somewhat different from this afternoon.

"And now you want me to walk with you in the rain. Tell me, are you silly or what?"

"Or... did something happen this afternoon when you met with Elder Shimura Danzo?"

Kato Mifeng had no intention of mentioning what happened at the Spring Base this afternoon—specifically, the woman Shimura Danzo had gifted him.

Only if his brain had been waterlogged by this drizzle would he do something so foolish.

Telling Tsunade about that woman would achieve nothing but making her furious.

It was a completely thankless, stupid decision. No sane man would ever tell his girlfriend or wife about such things.

"Haha, it's nothing. Didn't I just get back from the Land of Rain a couple of days ago? It rains constantly there, an endless downpour much heavier than this."

"Back then, I was thinking, if only I could hold you in my arms one day and stroll through the gentle rain, wandering leisurely through the streets and alleys of Konoha together. Wouldn't that be incredibly romantic?"

"And today just happened to be the perfect opportunity. It started raining in Konoha, and here we are. Don't you think this is very romantic?"

Seeing that Mifeng didn't bring up Shimura Danzo, Tsunade went along with his topic.

"Romantic, my foot! What if our clothes get soaked? Besides, where are you taking me tonight?"

Pulling Tsunade even closer by her waist, Mifeng channeled the chakra within his body to form a shield against the rain.

"Haha, I won't let a single drop touch my princess. Besides, don't you think the gentle rain on your face feels quite refreshing?"

As he spoke, Tsunade felt a warm barrier of chakra rise from Mifeng, shielding her from the chilly rain.

Only a few spots like her forehead and palms were left exposed to the falling droplets. Just as Mifeng said, it felt incredibly soothing.

And... romantic. As Mifeng held her close, walking slowly through the rain, Tsunade extended a fair, snow-white hand, feeling the ticklish sensation of the soft drizzle falling onto her palm.

A warm, tender smile blossomed on her face without her even realizing it.

"As for where we're going tonight... didn't you say you didn't have enough fun last night? First, we'll go back to that casino from yesterday so you can play to your heart's content."

"After that, I'll take you to the club you mentioned this afternoon. Weren't you curious about what I was doing there? Since you didn't believe me when I said I was just soaking in the hot springs, I'll take you with me to soak in them together."

"Ah! Then let's hurry up..."

Hearing that Mifeng was taking her to the casino, Tsunade cried out in excitement. She grabbed his sleeve and urged him to walk faster, completely tuning out his subsequent mention of the hot springs.

"Food first. After we eat, we'll head to the casino. I promise you'll have your fill of fun tonight. If you're not satisfied, we won't go home."

"Then let's hurry! What are we eating? How about barbecue? No, that takes too long... Let's just grab some dorayaki and grilled dango. It's quick, and we can get it to go."

Seeing Tsunade break away from his embrace in her excitement, Mifeng feigned annoyance and said:

"Hey, you're supposed to be walking in the rain with me first. Don't you think this is romantic?"

Tsunade quickly darted back to his side and clung tightly to his arm, pressing it deep against her chest—right between her soft peaks.

"Yeah, yeah, romantic. You're the most romantic guy ever, Mifeng."

Kato Mifeng: "..."

Mifeng glanced down at his arm pressed against her chest, then at Tsunade's lovely, flushed face. Finally, he stuck out his tongue and caught a few drops of the falling drizzle.

He suddenly felt that the rain tasted sweet. It seemed he was growing quite fond of rainy days like this.

-------------------------------------

While Mifeng and Tsunade were enjoying their romantic date in the rain, Mifeng had no idea that back at the Spring Base, the massive trouble Shimura Danzo had delivered to him earlier that day had already been quietly turned into an acute "patient" by the base's security chief, and was currently undergoing emergency surgery in the operating room.

Nor did Mifeng suspect that in a hidden corner of Konoha Hospital's roof, a certain "big black rat" was also enjoying the "wonderful experience" of being soaked by the drizzle.

This "big black rat" was not nearly as leisurely or romantic as Mifeng and Tsunade. He looked far more disheveled, resembling a drowned rat.

Fortunately, the fellow could finally fall asleep. Before drifting off, he had muttered to himself that Mifeng was actually quite reliable, as the antidote he had been given had finally kicked in.

Now, he was sleeping soundly in the gentle rain. With any luck, he might even have a pleasant dream.

Similarly, Mifeng could not have guessed that at this very moment, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was standing before a large open window, puffing on his pipe as he quietly gazed out at the rainy scenery of Konoha.

On Sarutobi's desk lay an intelligence analysis report. Written on its cover was Kato Mifeng's name, alongside words like "potential," "priority," and "cultivation."

"That brat. He's been back in Konoha for two whole days and hasn't even come to report to me. Does he still respect me as the Hokage?"

"Or is my precious disciple losing so much money lately that the kid is worrying about how to pay off her debts?"

"In less than a week, he completed nearly twenty high-level missions. Is that massive amount of reward money still not enough to fill the bottomless pit of her gambling debts?"

"The First Hokage was such a great man with so many virtues. How on earth did Tsunade inherit his most terrible trait? What a curse!"

-------------------------------------

(Author's Note: The novel is now premium! Celebrating for myself! Please bookmark, recommend, and subscribe!)