Chapter Thirty-Four: The First Step in Winning Over Tsunade

Konoha Hospital, Tsunade’s office.

The atmosphere in the office shifted subtly into something tinged with romance as Kato Gofu spoke and moved closer to Tsunade. Just moments before, the two had been discussing a serious matter—the SS-rank mission Kato Gofu had just received from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Tsunade had been earnestly entrusting him with her hopes and advice. Yet, somehow, things had taken an unexpected turn.

Kato Gofu’s hand clasped hers; they had held hands before, but this time his grip was much firmer. Tsunade felt her cheeks grow warm, despite the cool air filling the office. Her body seemed to soften, and her lashes fluttered nervously as she fixed her gaze on the man drawing ever closer. Her breath caught the fresh, grassy scent from him—a fragrance reminiscent of her own perfume.

As their lips were about to meet, Tsunade suddenly remembered the snacks she’d eaten during her afternoon shopping, the milk tea she drank, and the kiwi fruit she’d just tasted. The flavor still lingered in her mouth, not fully swallowed yet. She blamed Kato Gofu for buying her so many treats. This was her first kiss—how could she give it away so casually, especially when the mood was far from perfect? She blamed Kato Gofu for that, too.

With this thought, strength returned to her softened body, and she resolved to push him away. With her own strength, it should have been easy. Her mind whirled through the memories of all the moments they’d shared over the years, the stories of their lives together, and recalled what she might have promised him during his Jonin exam.

But Tsunade did not push him away. She felt reluctant to let her first kiss pass so simply and carelessly—she was the Princess of Konoha, after all. If he wanted to kiss her, why not choose a better moment? And why feed her so many snacks beforehand? All because of Kato Gofu—stubborn as a tree, free as the wind, a big fool.

In the end, Tsunade turned her face slightly toward her chest, and then she felt a pair of cool lips press gently against her cheek.

…

It was a while before the mood in the office returned to normal.

Tsunade sat behind her desk, busily shuffling papers—though she was hardly working, merely rearranging things at random. Kato Gofu wasn’t in his usual spot practicing medical ninjutsu. Instead, he lounged on the sofa in the guest area, watching Tsunade and occasionally letting out a silly laugh.

“Heh heh…” Kato Gofu said, “Don’t worry, Tsunade. I won’t recklessly try to transplant your grandfather’s cells into myself…”

Though he hadn’t kissed her lips, only her cheek, it was still a significant step forward in their relationship, especially since Tsunade hadn’t pushed him away. Kato Gofu was genuinely happy, which explained his goofy behavior—quite out of character for someone usually so carefree and dashing. Fortunately, he only acted this way in front of Tsunade; his persona wasn’t completely shattered.

“That’s my grandfather, not yours. Don’t call him that so affectionately,” Tsunade said, looking up from her desk, annoyance in her voice. “I haven’t agreed to be your girlfriend yet.”

“It’s all the same, all the same. Sooner or later, he’ll be my grandfather, too. I’m sure I’m right! Heh heh…” Kato Gofu continued laughing, lost in some private thought.

Tsunade ignored him. He was shameless, and she had been far too soft-hearted. She should have used her monstrous strength to punch his handsome face into a pig’s head, just as she’d done many times before. Why had she gone soft this time?

When had Kato Gofu started feeling different to her? Was it since his first confession? Or when her gambler’s misfortune reversed around him, and he always seemed to win?

Since Tsunade didn’t reply, Kato Gofu searched for something else to say. “It’s almost time for dinner. Where should we eat? I’m in a good mood today—let’s celebrate at that new upscale sushi place on the east side of the shopping district.”

“Celebrate what? No, I need to get home early to spend time with my brother. You eat alone, or go find another kunoichi. Haven’t you been chatting up that Yamanaka girl from the Hokage’s secretary office lately? Go have dinner with her!” Tsunade snapped, seeing his smug expression.

“What? Talking to another kunoichi? You know better than anyone where my heart lies. No one else compares to you,” Kato Gofu hurriedly clarified.

“Going to see my little brother, huh… Maybe I should come along, too,” he ventured, following her lead.

“Do as you like. If you don’t mind Shizuka making a fuss, you can come. No one’s stopping you,” Tsunade answered, a bit troubled by the strained relationship between Kato Gofu and her brother. Both were important men in her life, but their relationship was tense.

The main issue was Shizuka’s mindset—he always feared Kato Gofu would take Tsunade away from him. Tsunade had tried to help them get along, but Shizuka was stubborn in certain ways.

“Uh… Maybe I shouldn’t go after all…” Kato Gofu admitted, feeling uneasy about his future brother-in-law. He’d pursued Tsunade for years, once playing with Shizuka when he was young, and their relationship was decent back then. But as Shizuka grew older, learned more, and entered his rebellious phase, his feelings soured—especially as Kato Gofu’s relationship with Tsunade deepened.

Kato Gofu realized that Shizuka wasn’t just hostile toward him, but toward any man who tried to win Tsunade’s heart, fearing they would take his sister away. Kato Gofu’s attempts at brother-in-law diplomacy had yielded little, often backfiring. His usual charm had no effect on Shizuka.

He recalled how, when he and Tsunade had attended Shizuka’s ninja school graduation together, Shizuka had given him a hard time.

…

Kato Gofu felt he’d grown a bit complacent lately. His relationship with Tsunade was progressing smoothly, which was certainly cause for joy. But the ninja world was still far from peaceful. Though he was now a Konoha Jonin and possessed the Spirit Nurturing Technique as a trump card, his strength was not yet at the pinnacle. Without power, how could he protect Tsunade from harm?

He also had just accepted the new SS-rank mission for the New Year. Soon, he would be working closely with Orochimaru and Danzo Shimura, both formidable figures. Orochimaru’s relationship with him was good—he hadn’t turned rogue yet—so that was less of a concern. But as for Advisor Danzo, Kato Gofu had little direct experience with him, relying only on vague impressions from the original story. He needed to prepare carefully for their interactions.

The state of the ninja world was growing increasingly tense and unpredictable. The conflicts between nations were visibly escalating, and the Second Ninja War was imminent—a battle in which Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru would earn their legendary Sannin titles. His elder brother, Kato Dan, had fallen in that war in the original story. Another classmate, Sakumo Hatake, was also involved…

Now, in this timeline, in this real ninja world where he had lived for more than twenty years, the Second Ninja War would unfold with the flap of his butterfly wings. What kind of difference would his presence make?

…

PS: New author seeking support, recommendations, and bookmarks.