Chapter 22: Bringing Slug Princess Back
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[Senju Tsunade's POV]
I remembered those days like they just happened yesterday. My mind kept repeating the blood-soaked Dan and the dismembered Nawaki whom I could barely recognize. My failure. For all the reputation I boasted, I couldn't save them. I couldn't save Dan from bleeding to death and I couldn't be on Nawaki's side to prevent his death.
They haunted me. The memories of the days I spent with them were harsh reminders of what I had lost because of my incompetence. A little brat wouldn't understand it. That place was cursed. It took everyone who aspired to make it great. Maybe, it was I who was cursed. Everyone I loved died. Was I not allowed to love?
No one could understand the pain I went through. They cared too much about bloodshed to enjoy their lives. They never appreciated peace. They never felt deep, true love. It was the reason why they could easily forget. I was not like them.
"Ha!"
Boom!
I punched the tree before me in frustration. I watched with gritted teeth as it fell. I felt empty. The only thing that made me feel was the memories left behind by the two of them, but that hurt me. Jiraiya shouldn't have come. He made me recall those days all over again.
"Feisty, aren't you?"
A slightly higher-pitched baritone voice made me turn around. My face developed a scowl as soon as my eyes landed on the blond brat who acted like he knew pain. My scowl deepened as I recalled his words. His eyes were mature beyond his age. His gaze when he said those words were like the battle scars of a veteran. I could see he had gone through a lot. Maybe, it was the reason why he was unbearable to me.
In the end, I am an entitled little girl who thinks I am hurt the most, aren't I?
His words struck a chord, but I couldn't let him know. It was not that I couldn't recover from my sorrow. I wouldn't have been enjoying myself if that had been the case. I couldn't function like a Ninja anymore. If I saw blood, I would recall those two—my failures. I should never be involved with Shinobi matters anymore.
"If you are trying to guilt-trip me by showing your tears, you are going to be disappointed. I am not the best at sympathizing."
The brat's words pulled me out of my thoughts.
"What?" I spat.
"I am here to talk," he said as he casually approached.
"Back off or I will blow your head off!"
"You could take lives?"
My body stiffened as I looked at his faintly quirked lips. His tone was neutral, but I could tell he was challenging me. My scowl returned. He was pushing my buttons.
"Are you challenging me, brat?"
"If you have that much spirit, please, return to Konoha. You need to replace Sarutobi-san."
I scrunched up my nose in disgust. It was more reasons for me not to return.
"What happened to Sensei?"
Despite that, I asked.
"He is dead." My shocked look prompted the brat to continue. "We didn't tell you anything about it because we figured you would run away when you heard you would replace Sarutobi. But I guess it is fine to tell you now. Even if you don't want to be a Hokage, I figure that you may want to pay respect to the dead man."
"What…?"
Were they giving up on me? I wondered.
"You don't need to come back, Tsunade," the brat assured with a small smile. "Konoha has enough dysfunctional Ninjas already. We don't need another one."
"Are you calling me dysfunctional?"
"Are you not?"
I knew he was riling me up, but I still fell into it. I couldn't help my anger. I was one of the renowned Ninjas. How could he talk to me as if I was just an expendable? I couldn't accept it.
"Ha!"
Before I knew it, I was rushing at the brat with my hand swung to hit him. The brat casually stepped aside as if he had predicted my attack.
Crack!
The ground caved in under the force of my punch. I sensed a kick coming from my side, prompting me to somersault. When I got back on my feet, I found the brat looking at me with a mocking grin. The bastard didn't know that I held back. The fact that he was Chūnin must have gotten to his head.
"See, you are dysfunctional," a voice whispered behind me.
I turned around and viciously swung my fist. I hit the air, but the tree nearby was blasted. The brat was lucky I didn't hit him. I felt the ground under me shake, so I swung my fist downward. My punch cratered the ground. Before I could wonder if I had accidentally killed the brat, I felt wind pressure above me. I looked up and found the brat delivering an axe kick to me.
I moved out of the way, letting his kick crack the ground. His body was covered in a seal. It was easy to spot it as he was wearing a sleeveless shirt. I wagered that his seal was the one providing him his great strength. As I wondered if Jiraiya gave it to him, I was grabbed by the scruff of my haori. My vision tilted as I was yanked.
Righting myself in midair, I spotted the brat aiming a Fūton at me. I prepared my fist and hit the Jutsu when it was in front of me. The force dispersed, unable to push me back. However, as I landed, I got a back feeling. Before I could move away, a pair of hands grabbed my ankles and dragged me to the ground.
The brat emerged from the ground in front of me and looked down at me with a small smile. His smug face was inviting me to pummel it.
"If you think this Jutsu can hold me down, you are sorely mistaken."
"You are right, Tsunade-san. I don't need a Jutsu to hold you down."
Snarling at his comment, I pushed my body upward. What he did next however stopped me. He took out a kunai and then swiftly slit his wrist. Blood spurted out of the cut and all of it fell on me. My body stiffened. I was rooted to the ground, literally.
"As sturdy as they might be, Ninjas are still humans. You don't need to land a lot of blows to kill them. What you need is only a small cut at the right place. Don't you think so, Tsunade?" he talked like he was lecturing his students. "This wound here would kill me in 7 to 10 minutes. I might lose consciousness in three minutes because of the blood loss. What would you do, Tsunade?"
The brat still had his annoying inquiring look, but his eyes were dropping little by little. I was hyperventilating, unable to do anything. My mind brought me to a place I didn't want to be in. I saw Dan's rigid and pale body. I saw Nawaki's mutilated beyond recognition body. I was back to those days again. Crying helplessly as I stared at my bloodied hands in horror, unable to do anything.
"The dead don't feel, Tsunade," the brat said, kneeling on the ground as he looked at me with half-lidded yes. "The living mourns, but that doesn't become the reason to join the dead. Let go and move past your mistakes. Think about those whom you lost. Do you think they would like to see you in this state? If you don't know how to answer it, put yourself in their shoes. If they were alive, would you like to see them wallow in…"
Thud!
Panic overrode my mind as the brat dropped to the ground. I hurriedly got out of the ground and then put his head on my lap. His body was cold. It reminded me of Dan's. However, I dispelled that thought. He was right. I shouldn't wallow in regret. Instead of focusing on what I had failed to do, I should focus on what I could do.
I put my hand over the cut on his wrist and carefully poured my Chakra into my hand to use Shōsen Jutsu. A shroud of Chakra covered my hand, quickly healing the cut and stopping the bleeding. However, that was the only thing it did. I could restore the blood he had lost. I didn't have any control over his body's blood production.
"No, please, don't die… I can't. I won't be able to live anymore if you do," I cried.
My tears trickled down his pale face. They were red as they were mixed with the blood covering my face. I realized it at that moment. Ah, it was impossible to save him. He had lost too much blood. What I did was remove his injury and not save his life. I choked on my tears. I couldn't handle it anymore. Why did only bad things happen to me? I lamented.
"Shit. I was just about to greet my mother, you know?"
My body stiffened as I felt a pair of warm hands wrapped around my body. My face was buried in a toned and warm chest. I could hear the beating heart inside. It was strong and full of life. He was alive.
"Thanks for proving me right, Tsunade. I know the amazing woman is still there somewhere."
"Naru…to?" I choked out.
"Naruto at your service, My Lady," he answered with a chuckle.
"You are alive."
"Yup. You did it." He pulled away and stared at my blood-covered face with a small but comforting smile. Putting his hand on my head, he caressed it and softly said, "You have moved on. I am proud of you."
I chuckled while crying. I lost the power in my body, but I felt powerful. I looked at him. He shone brightly in my eyes. That day, Uzumaki Naruto became extraordinary to me. I wrapped my arms around him, bathing myself in his warmth.
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Honorary Mention:
Daoist Mufasa
Deividas Seputis
Faisal Salih
Florin Durbaca
Friday
Jamaul Pryor
Luck George
Zion X
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Frona_Gorgophone
Frona_Gorgophone Here, you can see a Sociopath being a Sociopath. You would be his victim if you thought he was being stupid or even sympathized with him. He was never in danger; in case you forgot he had Kurama. Everything is according to keikaku.
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