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"Give me a spin, let me take a look." Ron stroked his chin, scanning up and down.
He had to admit, if this outfit was up for sale, he'd buy it in a heartbeat. It looked absolutely stunning on Tsunade!
A white button-up shirt, tied at the waist, only making her already impressive curves stand out even more.
Paired with straight-cut jeans and high heels—voluptuous chest, slim waist, perfectly rounded hips, and long, slender legs.
Ron watched, shaking his head, clicking his tongue in appreciation.
"If I brought her to the Marvel world, walking down the street with her in my arms, people would definitely say I've got something special."
No ordinary guy could handle a woman of this level.
Looks, body, aura—she had it all. A woman like this wasn't someone you could simply buy with money.
Then a thought struck Ron. "Huh? If I can travel between worlds, what about others?"
He had never considered it before. If he could traverse dimensions through space, then maybe he could take people with him too?
If all the worlds were connected, that would mean time runs parallel in each of them.
"Haven't tested it yet… I should find a chance to try. But not with my own people. If they get sucked into the void and erased from existence the moment they step in, that'd be a disaster."
Meanwhile, Tsunade's face had a faint flush. After spinning around, she awkwardly shifted her hands, unsure where to place them.
Even with her bold personality, moments like these made her feel a little self-conscious.
Yet, even after she finished spinning, Ron remained silent, lost in thought.
She couldn't help but look up.
This bastard! I'm standing here posing for him, and he's totally zoned out. What, is he thinking about some other girl?!
"Ro—Master! Have you seen enough!? How long are you planning to stare?!"
She hadn't even eaten yet, and here she was letting him mess around. And now, after all that, he was lost in thought about something else?
Frustrated, Tsunade stomped her foot—hard. The entire building trembled, the floor cracking like a spiderweb beneath her.
"Lord Ron! Lady Tsunade! What happened?!"
Shizune's anxious voice came from outside. Despite her concern, she didn't barge in immediately.
Damn you, Shizune! Why did you call for Ro—Master first before me?!
Tsunade, already irritated and unusually sensitive at the moment, zeroed in on that small detail instead of responding.
It's just how women are—yes, even Tsunade.
Ron glanced at her, baffled by her sudden mood shift, then casually reached out and gave her a firm slap on her curvy backside.
"What are you thinking about? Come on, let's go. Shizune's waiting outside."
Damn, so firm yet bouncy. Just a little pressure, and his hand practically bounced right off.
"Can you move your hand? We're going outside, people will see," Tsunade muttered, her voice carrying a hint of resignation.
"So what? I'm your Master. I can touch if I want."
Despite his words, Ron did move his hand up a bit, resting it around her waist instead.
When they were alone, anything was fair game. That was intimacy. No one else around, no shame.
But with other people around? That crossed the line into being a pervert.
Unless you were shooting an adult film or something. Selfies were one thing, but sending them out? That was for thrill-seekers or those into sharing.
Ron had zero interest in that kind of thing, even if the woman was completely his—like Tsunade.
Feeling his hand shift, Tsunade's lips curled slightly, amusement flashing in her eyes.
"He may be a bastard… but at least he cares about me."
As soon as they stepped outside, Shizune couldn't hold back anymore. "Lord Ron, Lady Tsunade, what happened in there—wait... Lady Tsunade?!"
She froze in place, staring wide-eyed at Tsunade's outfit.
Is… is this really Tsunade-hime??
"What are you staring at?! Don't recognize me?!"
Tsunade, uncomfortable under Shizune's intense gaze, crossed her arms and glared.
"I recognize you, but I've never seen… such a huge..."
Shizune trailed off, her eyes locked onto Tsunade's ample chest.
Oh. My. God.
We were apart for just a little while… did they get even bigger?!
No wonder Lord Ron says I'm small. Compared to her, I really am! No, it's not even a competition!
This size difference is like our power levels—me, a mere Jonin; her, a legendary Kage-level kunoichi… yeah, she's definitely got deep reserves… my eyes are sinking into them!
Realizing she had been staring too long, and noticing Tsunade's growing displeasure, Shizune quickly changed the subject.
"Oh! Right, Lord Ron, what were you two doing inside? Why was there such a big commotion?"
She glanced toward the room. One look, and her face twitched.
"T-This… you two… My God!!"
How much is this gonna cost to repair?!
Hearing Shizune's anguished cry, Tsunade's irritation faded, replaced by embarrassment. She quickly turned her head away, avoiding eye contact.
Naturally, the repair costs would be covered by Ron.
As for where the money would come from…
Well, when a person stops caring about ethics, money becomes the least of their worries.
Especially for Ron, who didn't even see this world as real.
Morality? That's just a leash that keeps people from making real money.
"Lord Ron, where are we going next?" Shizune asked excitedly.
Having Ron back was a big deal for her. She hopped around them, firing off questions nonstop.
Ron smirked. "We're heading to Konoha. Got some business to take care of."
Konoha? Business? Tsunade tensed up.
She kept sneaking glances at Ron, trying to read his expression.
But he just kept smiling.
Was he really going there to handle business? Or to stir up trouble? Tsunade couldn't tell.
She kept nudging Shizune with her eyes, silently pleading for her to ask instead.
However, an overly excited Shizune couldn't understand what Tsunade meant at all.
"Huh? Lady Tsunade, are your eyes feeling uncomfortable? I have some medicine here, I can put a few drops in for you."
Tsunade: "..."
Ron, standing at an angle where Shizune couldn't see, gave Tsunade's waist a little squeeze.
"Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm looking for Orochimaru for some important matters."
The slight pain on her backside made Tsunade instinctively scan her surroundings. Seeing that no one was around, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
And after hearing Ron's words, the weight in her heart lifted even more.
With a hint of doubt, she asked, "You're looking for Orochimaru?"
Ron's eyebrows twitched slightly as he glanced ahead, a subtle smirk appearing on his face.
"That's right, I'm looking for Orochimaru. I heard he's the greatest scientist in the ninja world, a master of various experiments. So I'm hoping to collaborate with him on some research."
"However, it seems we don't need to go to Konoha anymore—he's already come to us."
With his sharp senses, Ron picked up the distinct, snake-like scent lingering in the air.
"Huh?" Tsunade was still pondering over Orochimaru when Ron's words snapped her out of her thoughts.
Looking ahead, a flash of red entered her vision, making her blink in surprise.
"Kushina?"
Up ahead, the figure in red was none other than the second Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails—Uzumaki Kushina.
What shocked Tsunade was—how was a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki even outside the village?
Even though she was very close to Kushina, almost like sisters, Tsunade never supported her leaving Konoha.
Even her own teammates, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, had to follow the rules. Sure, she had her own issues—like her fear of blood—but when she left the village, it was considered running away.
But Kushina? Leaving the village? No way.
"Tsunade-nee!" Seeing Tsunade, Kushina's face lit up, but the moment she spotted Ron, her expression darkened.
"Tsunade-nee, step aside! That man is dangerous!"
Before she even finished speaking, Kushina had already closed the gap to ten meters, golden chains bursting from her body as they shot toward Ron.
Tsunade was still wondering why Kushina was outside the village when she suddenly attacked Ron, catching her off guard.
There was no time to ask questions. She instantly sprang into action, fists and feet flying as she kicked away the incoming Adamantine Sealing Chains.
"Kushina, what the hell are you doing?!" Tsunade shouted angrily.
Damn it!
She had worked so hard to get closer to Ron, even putting herself on the line just to convince him to cooperate with Konoha.
Orochimaru was part of Konoha, so working with him was no different from working with the village.
And now? Just as they were about to make progress, everything was about to get screwed up?
But Kushina showed no signs of stopping, continuing to clash with Tsunade.
"Tsunade-nee, I know he's deceived you! You saw him use Wood Release, so you think he's from the Senju Clan."
"But you've been misled! He obtained that ability through unnatural means!"
"There's another person in the village who can use Wood Release—a child created through research using the First Hokage's cells. And this guy…"
"He's the one behind those experiments!"
Cough.
Damn!
Seriously?
This was the ultimate case of shifting blame!
Ron's expression grew complicated as he looked at Kushina.
Was she wrong? Well… technically, his abilities didn't come through "proper" means.
But was she right? Hell no! This was straight-up dumping a massive crime on his head.
That was one hell of a scapegoat she was making him out to be!
And there was no way Kushina could've figured this out on her own. She wasn't the type. Someone had definitely put her up to this.
Danzo? Or Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Noticing that Tsunade only stiffened for a moment before standing firmly in front of him, Ron smiled slightly. He didn't bother explaining.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was here, and Orochimaru was hiding in the shadows.
Whoever was pulling the strings wouldn't be far behind.
He just had to wait—they'd show themselves soon enough.
Honestly… he was really looking forward to seeing their faces when they witnessed his Susanoo-clad Buddha in action.
Ron couldn't help but feel excited.
"....."