Naruto: Child of Chakra - Chapter 142

Shiroken was having lunch with Tsunade. She may have been disheartened earlier but now she ate and drank happily while talking.

“So, Lord Dama, tell me about yourself. How is it that it took you so many years to take over the world?” She asked.

“Not really. It only took me one year. Before that, I was stuck in a crystal for decades after my fight with the alien.” He replied.

“Alien? I heard you say that before too. Who are these aliens exactly? How big of a threat are they to us?” She inquired.

He sighed and answered, “They are called Otsutsuki. They come from an unknown region in space. Their powers are based around eating fruits from world-devouring trees that grow on various planets. These trees suck the life out of the planet and produce a fruit.

“Our planet also has one. And they have already come here once, where they were thwarted. Then in my time, one came, much stronger than before. But he came for me. Anyway, they will someday come again, and they have the power to destroy the world easily. It was hard for me to kill just one of them, I can’t imagine fighting their entire species. Though I am stronger now, I can still only probably defeat about 10 of them at a time.”

Drunk, Tsunade suddenly grabbed his hand and said in a very concerned voice, “Must be tough worrying about the survival of the whole world without people knowing about it. It must be frustrating to see us… people act so self-centred, fighting for land, power… when you know that nothing really matters”

He shrugged, “I don’t blame people. How long do normal people live? 80 years at most? I can’t really expect people to realise their greater purpose in their short life-span and ignore the materialistic dreams. Some do, and they often take the wrong steps. Hashirama and Madara Uchiha are the greatest examples. So, I, you and people like us who can live long should do the job.”

“Wait… I can live long?” Tsunade interrupted.

Shiroken paused, “You can’t? But… I thought you had some technique that made you long-lived.”

“I have a technique that makes me young all the time.” She corrected him.

“That means you’re immortal?” Shiroken inquired.

“I don’t know the limits of my technique so I have no idea,” said Tsunade.

Shiroken suddenly felt like Tsunade earned some extra points in his book of eligible dating women. ~If she indeed has a super-long lifespan, then that means…~

“What about the future, Tsunade? What are your life goals now? You have cured your hemophobia, you are the Hokage. Now what?” He inquired.

She sighed, but then suddenly realised she was still holding Shiroken’s hand. She quickly retracted it in embarrassment: “I have not decided yet. After I left the village, I never even thought I would someday return to this side of the world again. I just want to do my best now and help you.”

Shiroken smiled, “Well, thanks in advance. Once I’m done with Kumo and Iwa, I will need your support. I will need people I can trust to not be corrupt and work honestly.”

*Sip*

“But you got to take me on a nice date t… I mean dinner then. One much more expensive than this.” She blushingly demanded.

He laughed, “Haha… Fine, I will take you on a date. We have many big restaurants in Dama City.”

She looked away from his face, “I… I didn’t say date…”

“Is this not a date? Hmm… I have never really dated any girl in the past so I have no idea. But, you did invite me for a private dinner.” Shiroken confusedly said.

Tsunade smartly agreed though, if Shiroken saw this as a date, then it was good. “A date is when a man and a woman go out and do private things, eat together, talk and play.”

“But… do only lovers go on a date?” He inquired.

“Umm… usually lovers, or at least people who like each other romantically and want to pursue the friendship further and make it romantic. Though friends can also go.” She explained to him.

But his next question left her speechless, “Do you? Have romantic feelings for me?”

“W-W what? I-I… What about you?” She passed the question back, flustered.

Shiroken honestly answered, “Well, I’m attracted to you, though I don’t know if it’s infatuation or true love-at-first-sight, I don’t believe in that though. Monari suggested that I try to date women, so I guess there is no harm in admitting it.”

Tsunade was red at that moment. She didn’t expect Shiroken to all of a sudden say this. She nervously rubbed her hands together, “Well, I won’t lie, I feel the same. But I am not really in the mood to fall in love again… not after what happened in the past. Everyone I seem to love or care for dies.”

He chuckled, “Then I guess you hit the jackpot as I’m immortal.”

“Nobody is immortal. People have said the same about Grandfather before. Now he’s in his grave with a thousand regrets.” She blurted.

Shiroken rested back, “True. I say I’m immortal, but the truth is, I just haven’t found what can kill me yet. And it’s not like I’m a god. *Sigh* Why don’t we have a walk outside?”

“Agreed. Let’s go above the Hokage Rock. It’s calm and nice over there right now.” She agreed and paid the bill while crying.

Soon, they arrived over the Hokage Rock. There was a nice road over here, but nobody used it as there was no use for it. Nobody lived above the hill. The population of Konoha was not so big that the village could be expanded.

They walked side by side, consciously trying to be close to each other while both trying to stop the embarrassing bumping of their shoulders from time to time.

Suddenly, Shiroken had an idea, as there was a beautiful full moon in the sky right now. “Tsunade, have you ever seen the view of the village from the sky?”

“What do you mean? I can’t really fly. But I guess it must be beautiful.” She said, looking at the village from the top of the mountain.

“Hah, then today you should see it,” Shiroken replied and all of a sudden grabbed her waist with one arm. She was surprisingly pretty slim from the waist, but still healthy.

“WHAT?!”

Before Tsunade could understand anything, she was holding Shiroken with her arms around his neck. He held her tight and flew to the sky very fast. After reaching a decent height just below the clouds, he stopped and hovered.

Their bodies touched each other, but both didn’t mind. Shiroken, unlike before, didn’t bother when her breasts touched his chest. He just looked at the village below.

“This is it, look down. All the people of the village, all your problems, your annoyance exists in that little square of lights.” He said.

She, with a blushing face and wide-opened eyes, looked at the view. It was truly crazy as Shiroken made her feel how small she was. But, she was actually wrong.

“I’m not showing you how small you are. Instead, I am showing you, how much more you can be. Why confine yourself to that small square of light when you have so-so much more?” He turned his body and made Tsunade look in the opposite direction of the village.

She saw the dark, never-ending vast jungle, then at a great distance some mountains. There was no sign of life there. Yet, she knew that animals lived there, perhaps these jungles had more life than the village she ruled.

They silently looked at the vast lands under the bright moonlight. Shiroken had no thought in his head, while Tsunade was thinking about her entire life.

She, her whole life, has been a very self-centred person. And now when she thinks about Shiroken, who has done so much for others while expecting nothing in return. It was enough to make anyone feel ashamed of themselves.

She lifted her face slightly to look at his face, which was overlooking the jungle. ~How can any woman be worthy of you when your greatness will always make others feel unworthy?~

Shiroken sensed she was looking at him, so he turned to her face. There was just a small distance between their faces. He smiled kindly, not a hint of malice or bad intent was present, “Anyway, wanna date me, Tsunade?”

Tsunade was left speechless. Her mouth agape and heart racing. She’d be lying if she didn’t want this. After so many years, Shiroken was the first person to have had such an enormous effect on her mind. On top of that, he was kind, wise and reliable. “Just date… right?”

Shiroken nodded, “Yup, you can say no at any time. And if someday we both feel we’re falling too deeply for each other, we’ll confess.”

~Hah… I’m afraid it’d be you who’d say no.~ She thought.

She smiled and nodded, “Then I accept. It’ll be a nice change in life I think.”

“Umm… Tsunade, what do people who date even do other than eating and roaming around together?” He inquired innocently.

She laughed heartily, something she didn’t do for a long time. Then she suddenly put her head on his chest, hugging him, “Haha… Never change. And you don’t really plan such things. We’ll let nature decide it for us.”

“Got it…” Shiroken nodded. But his mind was confused. ~I can control nature, so how can it decide stuff for me?~

Both of them stayed in the air for another hour, holding each other much closer and relaxedly now. They talked about anything and everything while looking into each other’s eyes and the world around.

…

50 Kilometres away,

Inside the jungle, there was a hill. A huge bear stood on his two legs on top of it. But he looked scared and was sweating. The reason was the woman standing on top of his head and looking towards the sky with her activated Mangekyo Sharingan.

“BOOOO YEAAAAAH BABYYYY… THEY FINALLY TOOK A STEP CLOSER… SHISUI… IT’S A HAPPY DAY TODAY!” Monari loudly cheered.

Shisui, who stood awkwardly at the side just nodded and pitied the poor bear who dared to attack Monari at the wrong time. Now, the poor thing was a mere table for her to stand on.

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