At the entrance of Tsunade's house, Hanekawa took out a key and was about to unlock the door when he noticed Kurenai pausing.
Unlike her usual carefree and lively demeanor, she seemed a bit uneasy today, her fingers repeatedly clasping and unclasping.
"What's wrong?" Hanekawa teased. "Are you afraid Sensei won't feed you?"
"Of course not!" Kurenai denied quickly. "It's just my first time celebrating New Year at Tsunade-sensei's house, and I feel a bit out of place."
"What's there to feel out of place about?" Hanekawa chuckled, unlocked the door, and said, "Come on in."
"Is Tsunade-sensei not home?" Kurenai asked, standing at the entrance and peeking into the living room.
"She's probably at the casino," Hanekawa said matter-of-factly.
For Tsunade, New Year's wasn't anything special. If she wanted to gamble, she'd go, regardless of the occasion.
"Tsunade-sensei is really... carefree," Kurenai muttered, a bit surprised.
"No need to overpraise her just because she's not here," Hanekawa said, taking the groceries from Kurenai's hands.
"I'm just stating the truth!" Kurenai rolled her eyes and playfully complained, "I've noticed you don't show Tsunade-sensei any respect!"
"I respect her a lot," Hanekawa replied with a straight face.
Kurenai clearly didn't believe him. She pouted, took off her shoes, and revealed the tabi (white socks traditionally worn with kimonos).
Having changed into a kimono, she also had to wear tabi and wooden clogs as per tradition.
"Bare feet feel so much freer," Kurenai muttered, still not used to the restrictive feeling of tabi and clogs.
"That's true," Hanekawa said, eyeing her with a smile. "And bare feet look better too."
"Then I'll show you at home later," Kurenai blurted, then froze, her face turning red.
"...?" Hanekawa blinked, stunned. You're so obedient it feels like a crime!
"Um... I'll help you with the cooking!" Kurenai stammered, flustered under his gaze.
"No need," Hanekawa shook his head. "I can handle it alone."
"Then... what should I do?" Kurenai tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Watch TV," Hanekawa suggested after a pause. "If sensei isn't back by evening, you can go to the casino to find her."
"Okay!" Kurenai nodded enthusiastically, then asked, "Do you want some juice?"
"Sure," Hanekawa said with a nod and carried the groceries into the kitchen.
Kurenai let out a sigh of relief.
Though she was naturally outgoing, her earlier bold comment had her heart racing.
Regaining her composure, Kurenai hummed a tune as she bounced over to the fridge.
After pouring a glass of lemon juice, she headed to the kitchen and saw Hanekawa washing vegetables.
Walking up to him, she held the glass of lemon juice to his lips.
"Thanks," Hanekawa said, taking two sips. "You can have the rest."
"Huh?" Kurenai blinked, momentarily stunned.
"What? You mind?" Hanekawa glanced at her.
"N-no, I don't mind..." Kurenai stammered, her cheeks flushing again.
"You're adorable," Hanekawa complimented with a chuckle.
"I don't need you to tell me that!" Kurenai retorted before fleeing back to the living room.
Settling onto the sofa, she took a couple of sips of lemon juice to calm herself.
As she exhaled, realization dawned on her, and her face turned crimson, her ears tinged pink as well.
Just then, the door opened.
Tsunade walked in, holding two bottles of sake.
"Tsunade-sensei!" Kurenai quickly stood to greet her.
"Have you been drinking?" Tsunade asked, glancing at her.
"No!" Kurenai shook her head vigorously.
"Then why is your face so red?" Tsunade looked at her curiously.
"It's... from the cold!" Kurenai thought quickly. "Hanekawa and I just went out shopping for kimonos and groceries."
"That kimono suits you," Tsunade said casually after a quick glance, not pressing the matter further.
"Tsunade-sensei, we also got you a gift," Kurenai said, pulling out a paper bag and handing it to her.
"A kimono?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow as she took the bag. "Thanks."
Though she rarely wore kimonos, she couldn't refuse a gift from her students.
"This kimono was chosen by Hanekawa and me," Kurenai said nervously, watching Tsunade's calm reaction. "I hope you like it."
"No wonder," Tsunade said, inspecting the kimono with a faint smile. "I like it."
Kurenai's worried heart finally settled.
"I'll go change," Tsunade said, placing the sake bottles on the table before heading to her room with the kimono.
She removed her clothes and put on the kimono, tying the sash gently at the end.
"This fits quite well," Tsunade said, spinning around once. Suddenly, she remembered something and took out a pale gold hairpin and a red hair tie.
She reached up, gathering her golden hair into an updo and securing it with the hairpin.
After all, her usual hairstyle didn't suit wearing a kimono.
It's worth noting that both the hairpin and the hair tie were bought by Hanekawa.
Tsunade walked out of the room.
Hearing footsteps, Kurenai instinctively looked up—and froze.
The Tsunade before her was completely transformed, trading her usual valiant demeanor for a mature, noble elegance.
Kurenai couldn't help but feel envious of Tsunade's voluptuous figure, which the kimono couldn't entirely hide.
She comforted herself by thinking that she was still young, and perhaps her figure might become similar in the future.
"Tsunade-sensei, you look stunning!" Kurenai exclaimed, snapping out of her daze.
"Why did you two decide to celebrate New Year's at my place?" Tsunade asked casually, sitting on the sofa with a faint smile.
"It was Hanekawa's idea," Kurenai answered truthfully.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow slightly. So, it was that kid's idea after all.
"There's no need to be so formal," Tsunade said, smiling lightly, her mood clearly good.
"Yes!" Kurenai instinctively straightened her legs and sat upright.
Tsunade shook her head but didn't say more. She casually turned on the TV.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it!" Kurenai quickly got up and jogged to the entrance.
The pressure she felt in Tsunade's presence eased significantly once she was out of sight.
As Hanekawa had guessed, Kurenai saw this New Year's visit as a meeting with a guardian or elder.
Opening the door, she found an ANBU ninja wearing a mask standing outside, causing her to feel a bit puzzled.
"Please deliver this scroll to Lady Tsunade," the masked ninja said.
Recognizing Kurenai, he skipped unnecessary explanations and handed her the scroll.
"You…" Kurenai had just spoken one word when the ninja vanished on the spot.
She collected herself, closed the door, and returned to Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sensei, it was an ANBU ninja," Kurenai said, handing her the scroll.
"Hmm." Tsunade set down the remote and opened the scroll.
As expected, it contained intelligence about the battlefront in the Hidden Cloud Village.
After reading for a moment, surprise flashed across her face.
The report detailed an event from the previous day: Hatake Sakumo's squad was ambushed by the Hidden Cloud during a mission. However, the four-man team managed to eliminate 42 enemy ninjas, severely injuring Yugito Nii in the process.
It was an astonishing victory.
Tsunade was puzzled. Sakumo was undoubtedly strong, but he was more of an assassin-type ninja.
Achieving such results against a jinchūriki shouldn't have been possible—especially since Yugito Nii had fully transformed into her Tailed Beast form.
What shocked her even more was that Sakumo's squad sustained no major injuries.
If her own squad had faced a similar scenario, Tsunade doubted she could guarantee the safety of Rin Nohara or Kurenai.
"Here, take a look," Tsunade said, noticing Kurenai's curious gaze and handing her the scroll.
"This is incredible!" Kurenai exclaimed in disbelief after reading it.
Tsunade decided not to dwell on it further. After all, it was good news for the Leaf Village.
However, she knew Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru wouldn't be pleased.
Though Tsunade wasn't deeply involved in village politics, she was well aware of what those two were plotting together.
The thought gave her a headache.
If things continued this way, she was likely to become the next Hokage—unless she explicitly refused.
But when she thought about Hanekawa, a trace of hesitation arose.
Every year, on his birthday, Hanekawa wished for her to become Hokage. If she turned it down, he would likely be disappointed.
Tsunade sighed internally.
I'll deal with it when the time comes, she thought.
As the sky outside gradually darkened and the last rays of daylight disappeared, the living room lights grew warmer.
"Dinner's ready!" Hanekawa called out, appearing in the hall with bowls and chopsticks.
He instinctively glanced at Tsunade, his heart skipping a beat.
The kimono suited her perfectly, blending traditional elegance with her alluring figure, creating a unique and captivating charm.
"I'll help with the dishes!" Kurenai said quickly, running to the kitchen.
Before long, five dishes were laid out on the table, along with the two bottles of sake Tsunade had brought.
"What's this scroll about?" Hanekawa asked, noticing the scroll Tsunade had set aside.
"This was given by Anbu," Tsunade said, picking up her glass.
Kurenai instinctively poured her some sake.
Hanekawa unrolled the scroll and started reading.
His reaction mirrored Tsunade's—under normal circumstances, Hatake Sakumo's squad achieving such results was entirely implausible.
However, there was one special possibility: Uchiha Shisui might have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
In the original timeline, the exact circumstances of his awakening were unclear, though it likely happened during the Third Shinobi World War.
Considering that their squad was ambushed and Shisui's desperation to save his team, it wouldn't be surprising if this triggered his awakening.
Though, whether Kotoamatsukami was involved remained uncertain.
"Let's eat," Tsunade said, handing him a pair of chopsticks.
"Sure," Hanekawa replied, rolling up the scroll.
Uchiha Shisui awakening his Mangekyō was good news, and Sakumo's squad pulling off a counterattack was even better.
One thing was certain—Shimura Danzō was not going to enjoy this New Year.
"Cheers!" Tsunade raised her glass. "Happy New Year!"
Hanekawa and Kurenai raised their glasses of juice in response.
The sound of glasses clinking echoed cheerfully, and the atmosphere at the table became lively.
Kurenai gradually returned to her usual bubbly demeanor, filling the room with energy.
Watching the two of them, Tsunade suddenly felt a sense of warmth and home.
In previous years, she had always spent New Year's alone. It was quiet, almost lonely.
It was only when Hanekawa was around that her home felt alive. Now, with Kurenai added to the mix, it was even more vibrant.
After dinner, the three of them sat on the sofa watching TV, preparing to stay up for New Year's Eve.
"Sensei, do you want to rest for a bit?" Hanekawa asked, noticing Tsunade's flushed cheeks after drinking.
"This little bit of alcohol is nothing," Tsunade huffed indignantly. "I can drink more!"
"No more sake—try some lemon juice," Hanekawa said, handing her a glass.
Tsunade rolled her eyes but obediently took a couple of sips.
Feeling slightly dizzy, she instinctively leaned against Hanekawa, wrapping her arm around his and resting her head on his shoulder while staring at the TV.
Kurenai turned to look and hesitated at the sight but decided not to comment.
Considering Tsunade was drunk, it seemed harmless.
Her eyes brightened as she sat down on Hanekawa's left side and hugged his other arm.
"…?" Hanekawa froze, utterly confused by the sudden change in dynamics.
What was happening?
He felt as though he had accidentally skipped a cutscene in a game.
Glancing down at both arms, he quickly noticed the difference. His right arm bore the much heavier, softer weight of Tsunade's embrace, while his left arm felt relatively ordinary—Kurenai was still young and had room to grow.
The living room fell into silence, broken only by the sound of the TV.
Time seemed to pass slowly until the chime of bells rang from outside.
"The New Year has arrived," Tsunade announced, releasing his arm and sitting up straight, her expression calm. She had sobered up completely.
"Should we eat soba noodles now?" Kurenai asked enthusiastically.
"Wait here—I bought some earlier today," Hanekawa said, heading to the kitchen.
In the shinobi world, it was customary to eat soba noodles on New Year's Eve as part of the celebration.
"Here we go!" Hanekawa soon returned with three bowls of soba.
"We can make New Year's wishes now!" Kurenai exclaimed excitedly.
"What's your wish?" Hanekawa asked curiously.
"I hope the war ends soon," Kurenai said after a moment of thought.
"For me, I hope to have a Hokage as my teacher," Hanekawa said with a small cough.
"Then go apprentice with the old man," Tsunade said, giving him a sidelong glance before stomping on his foot.
"I only have one teacher," Hanekawa replied calmly.
"I think Hanekawa is absolutely right!" Kurenai, unaware of their subtle exchange, declared confidently. "If there's anyone qualified to be the next Hokage, it's Tsunade-sensei!"
"Just eat your noodles," Tsunade said, avoiding the subject as she picked up her chopsticks and focused on her soba.
The three bowls of soba were soon empty.
"It's late. You two should stay here tonight," Tsunade said, putting down her chopsticks. "Hanekawa, clean up the room next to yours."
Hanekawa had a permanent room in her house, while Tsunade also had her own. The remaining rooms could serve as guest rooms.
"Got it," Hanekawa said, turning to Kurenai with a grin. "I'll leave the dishwashing to you."
"No problem!" Kurenai replied cheerfully.
But even the festive New Year's atmosphere couldn't completely dispel the looming shadow of war.
Early the next morning, the ANBU ninja Haru appeared again.
She brought a direct order from Hiruzen Sarutobi, summoning Tsunade and Hanekawa to attend a meeting.
There was movement from the Hidden Stone Village.
_
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