Chapter 118: The Tree and the Forest

As the withered yellow leaves drifted softly outside the window, a warm autumn breeze blew into Tsunade's office. The heat brought by the lingering summer sun flushed Tsunade’s cheeks, making them even more charmingly rosy.

After a round of coquettish pleading and agreeing to a series of conditions that left her blushing deeply, Tsunade finally managed to free her sensitive spots from her boyfriend Kato Gufuu’s grasp.

The spacious office returned to the calm it had before Tsunade’s return.

By now, Tsunade and Kato had left the desk behind and were seated together on the new sofa in the lounge area, relaxing and sharing heartfelt conversation.

“Little slug, you promised me those conditions just now—you can’t go back on your word,” Kato said casually, deftly peeling grapes to make iced grapes, his tone light and teasing.

His eyes took on that familiar lazy look, fixed intently on Tsunade’s small feet tucked beneath her ample curves, specifically on the longest, pale toe that he had just kissed.

The toenail was painted a rose-red polish, and suspiciously, there was still some clear liquid on it.

Kato felt that as he grew more adept at wielding his “salted fish power,” some strange, mysterious part of his body seemed to have been unlocked...

“What conditions? Hmm… I don’t seem to remember,” Tsunade replied, having escaped his grasp, popping an unpeeled chilled grape into her mouth while chewing, trying to back out of her promise.

“Huh? You agreed just now, so you have to keep your word. You promised that when we go to your place, the two of us would…” Kato teased.

“Don’t you dare renege, or you’ll ruin your reputation as the legendary big fat sheep. If that gets out, how will you ever survive in Konoha’s gambling circles?” he added with a raised eyebrow, deliberately gesturing toward the toe he had just kissed. When Tsunade noticed, he stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

Sensing Kato’s lecherous and mischievous gaze, Tsunade gave him a sharp, disapproving look.

Still, she recoiled her delicate foot slightly, startled.

“You shameless rascal! You’re so bad!” she scolded.

“When we weren’t officially together, how come I never noticed you were this naughty and lecherous? And you don’t even mind that it’s a bit… dirty there,” she added softly, half-chiding her boyfriend.

With one hand, she lightly patted Kato’s chest, while her other hand, holding a cup of iced tea, reached out and placed the straw directly into his mouth.

“Here, drink the rest. Honestly! Don’t you mind…” Although scolding him for being bad and lecherous, Tsunade was well aware of their private matters.

Her own body’s reactions had honestly told her she didn’t dislike what her boyfriend had just done.

“Hehe… What’s dirty about it? I don’t think my princess is dirty anywhere. If anyone says that about my princess, all my hard-earned strength wouldn’t allow it,” Kato said, unfazed by Tsunade’s rebuke. He bit gently on the straw she offered, grinning mischievously as he sipped the cold tea.

Kato was lecherous only toward his own girlfriend; his mischief was reserved solely for her. How could that be bad or lecherous? It was only natural—that was just the beginning.

Having decided that Tsunade was the only woman for him this lifetime, Kato would abandon all other flourishing forests and vast lands for this one grand tree and fertile field.

He would cherish and tend to Tsunade’s great tree with care and devotion.

“Pfft! Your ‘hard work’ is just sleeping from noon until the sun almost sets. Where’s your ‘salted fish’ style diligence?” Tsunade teased.

“Hehe…” Kato laughed, undeterred by the mockery. His eyes twinkled with even more mischief, and he stopped peeling grapes, reaching out to grab Tsunade’s small foot again.

Though Tsunade didn’t dislike his behavior, she couldn’t help but feel shy.

After all, this was her office at Konoha Hospital, where anyone could walk in at any moment.

Startled by Kato’s hand reaching for her foot once more, she quickly withdrew her feet that had been exposed.

Recalling the embarrassing scene at the desk earlier, it was only after she completely concealed her feet beneath her ample curves that she felt a slight sense of relief.

She vividly remembered how loud her moans had been, certain that the nurses at the station outside the corridor must have heard.

Given their penchant for gossip, it wouldn’t be long before the entire hospital knew—and then...

Kato’s thick skin meant he couldn’t care less about the nurses’ gossip, but Tsunade was more sensitive; she worked with those nurses daily.

Just thinking about the shameful scene, her own loud cries, and the inevitable gossip made her want to disappear from embarrassment.

‘This jerk… before we officially got together, he wasn’t this naughty and lecherous,’ she thought.

‘He used to be so sunny, handsome, hardworking, and gentlemanly...’

‘Where is that now? Officially dating for how long? This jerk is still handsome and sunny, but now he’s lazy and mischievous. Gentlemanly? Is this really the same person?’

Looking at Kato’s still-handsome, smiling face, Tsunade recalled all his changes since they made their relationship official.

The more she thought about the scene from earlier, the more humiliated she felt. Seeing the smug look on Kato’s face and the naughty gleam in his lazy eyes only added to her embarrassment.

‘Damn it… you pervert, you big bad rascal!’

She was too tired to scold him aloud anymore, choosing instead to seethe quietly in her heart. Her boyfriend’s shamelessness in these matters was beyond measure.

But silently stewing wasn’t the way of Konoha’s slug princess. Since verbal reprimands were useless, she decided to let him feel the sting of her affection.

Quietly gathering chakra within, Tsunade prepared to give Kato a stern lesson, to remind him that the dignity of Konoha’s slug princess must never be violated in the slightest.

Of course, Kato wasn’t fooled by Tsunade’s subtle moves, but he feigned ignorance, wearing a triumphant, wicked grin as he looked at her.

Not because he was a masochist who didn’t dodge when his girlfriend was about to hit him, but because…

“Tap, tap, tap.”

Tsunade’s movement froze. Just as she had been building up the courage to strike Kato, a knock sounded on the office door.

Kato’s ever-alert spiritual senses had already detected someone approaching Tsunade’s office from the corridor.

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