Tsunade reluctantly put down her jar of wine after hearing what Wu Ying had to say, and beckoned to Huimei.
Wu Ying stood up to make space, and Huimei obediently reached out her little hand.
Tsunade formed hand seals and used Medical Ninjutsu. Green chakra welled up from her palms, covered Huimei's body, and gradually seeped inside.
She concentrated on sensing the condition inside Huimei's body, conducting a meticulous and comprehensive examination of her muscles, bones, internal organs, and every other part.
When the checkup was finished, Tsunade slowly released her hand and fell into deep thought.
Then, she scrutinized Huimei again, her gaze sharp and tinged with a hint of doubt.
Standing aside, Wu Ying anxiously watched Tsunade's every move. Seeing Tsunade knit her brows slightly, a sense of panic surged in his heart.
This expression made Wu Ying feel extremely uneasy. Surely the strongest card wasn't going to turn into trash, was it?
Tsunade stood up, and noticing Wu Ying's expression, she slapped him squarely on the back of the head.
"Relax, she's fine. The girl probably had a medicinal bath earlier; I'll give you a new prescription for her to soak in, and she'll be right as rain after a bit more care."
"Really?" Wu Ying asked skeptically.
Seeing that Tsunade had already started cracking her knuckles, Wu Ying thought it best not to ask further. He scratched the back of his head and called for everyone to set off.
By evening, they finally reached the end of the street. The guard manager who had gone ahead earlier came forward to lead the way.
Instructor Yamada proved to be quite meticulous, securing a shop at the end of the street that even came with a small courtyard.
After instructing the men to move the carts of clothes into the courtyard and telling the manager to look after the rest of the entourage, Wu Ying took charge of hosting Might Guy's team and Tsunade's group.
Once they finished eating, he sent Huimei off to rest and, paying no mind to Tsunade and the others, strolled around the shop to inspect the place.
The floor space was nearly two hundred square meters, and thankfully, the stairs to the second floor were located in the back courtyard.
The current tables would have to go, though the chairs and such could stay. He'd set up a lounge area right at the entrance, with three fitting rooms in the corner, and they'd need full-length mirrors, too...
After walking a full circle and mapping out his plans for tomorrow, he headed back to the courtyard.
Tsunade was drinking alone, a look of annoyance on her face.
Wu Ying was puzzled. Who on earth could have gotten on her nerves?
Wait, could the booklet he drew have been exposed?
The spot where Tsunade had kicked him earlier began to ache with phantom pain.
Before Wu Ying could even speak, Tsunade demanded, "Are you planning to sell clothes, you brat?" Her voice was muffled and gruff.
Meeting Tsunade's sharp gaze, Wu Ying felt a bit guilty. It seemed Tsunade still cared quite a bit about her reputation.
Seeing that Wu Ying didn't reply, Tsunade's anger flared even higher. She tossed a booklet onto the ground, and right there on the cover was her likeness in a white silk OL outfit...
Taking in the situation, Wu Ying lost his nerve. He slid across the floor on his knees and threw his arms around Tsunade, blissfully burying his face right into her cleavage.
Tsunade was so stunned by Wu Ying's impudence that she froze.
"Wife Tsunade, hear my explanation!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Wu Ying felt things had just gone from bad to worse. He peeked upward and saw Tsunade sitting there, her face burning red and looking completely dazed. Feeling relieved, he stood right up and pinched her cheek.
"You brat, you're courting death!" Tsunade roared, startling Shizune and the others right out of their rooms.
Wu Ying reacted instantly, though not before scooping up the booklet from the floor and tucking it into his tunic. He offered an awkward smile.
"It's nothing, everyone go back to rest."
With that, Wu Ying quickly ducked into his chosen room to wash up.
Trying to smooth things over? Bah! Forget it! You can't be a doormat, and being an overly sensitive nice guy won't cut it either, so he might as well just be straightforward.
Tsunade's personality was bold, direct, and sometimes even a bit rough...
Anyway, Wu Ying decided to let her stew in her annoyance; Shizune would surely go comfort and care for her. Hah!
When Wu Ying came out after his bath, Tsunade was slumped over the table, a bit woozy from drinking. She glanced at Wu Ying, but she had lost any intention of beating him up.
Looking at Tsunade's careless, uninhibited posture, he could only sigh helplessly. He walked over, draped a blanket over her shoulders, and sat down opposite her.
After pondering for a moment, Wu Ying asked softly, "Is that girl Huimei a little special?"
"Hoh, so you knew. Her Chakra Refining Technique is from Konoha."
Before Wu Ying could say anything, Tsunade went on on her own: "She also has Senju bloodline in her."
At this, Tsunade looked up at Wu Ying, and hearing this, Wu Ying's head began to buzz.
Tsunade continued: "You're acting all mysterious. Don't tell me you planned this all along?"
Hearing Tsunade say that, and realizing it would be bad if she misunderstood him too much, Wu Ying collected his thoughts. He looked at Tsunade with a serious and earnest expression and said:
"It's not my doing. That girl was picked up by my old steward, and I never pried into her past. As for the Chakra Refining Technique, I traded for it with Ibiki's younger brother."
Having said this, Wu Ying gauged Tsunade's expression, and seeing that her emotions had stabilized, he continued:
"Wasabi Jirocho is a friend of yours, right? Ibiki's younger brother is with him right now."
"I'm not all that mysterious. I just suddenly caught a glimpse of some pieces of the future and felt that girl was rather special, so I took her in as my younger sister."
At this, Wu Ying stared at Tsunade for a moment longer and spoke up: "How about you take in Huimei as your younger sister, or take her on as your apprentice?"
Tsunade felt a bit uncomfortable under Wu Ying's gaze and averted her eyes slightly.
Seeing that even Tsunade could look shy, Wu Ying thought about teasing her for a bit, but decided against it.
"Actually, the reason I came to Tanzaku Quarter to open a shop this time is also because of you. I want to trade with you for your research materials, as well as those manuscript notes of your great-grandfather and great-uncle."
Tsunade still looked completely unmoved, so Wu Ying sighed and went on:
"I was originally planning to open a shop in Konohagakure. But you see, the atmosphere in the village is bad right now, and after thinking about it for a long time, I decided to come straight to find you instead."
"Those booklets were sold here in Tanzaku Quarter in the first place just to draw you out."
Hearing these words, Tsunade's mind became unsettled. She cast a sideways glance at Wu Ying, then looked away again.
"Since we've brought it up, let's talk about some things that aren't secrets anymore. The atmosphere in Konoha is bad precisely because of those four old fogies. I only chatted with Kushina's son for a few moments, and I was kept under surveillance the whole time I was in the village."
"Speaking of which, you're actually Kushina's older cousin, tsk tsk..."
Seeing Tsunade getting ready to throw hands again, Wu Ying immediately straightened up and pressed on:
"Under all this peace, Kushina's son has actually been going hungry and cold all this time. If he weren't of the Uzumaki clan and a Jinchuriki, perhaps..."
"What I'm about to say might tear open the wounds in your heart, but I hope you'll listen quietly to the end."
"Your younger brother's death is connected to the Third Hokage and Danzo, and Danzo's death might even be linked to Kato Dan as well. Because Danzo always wanted to be Hokage, back then, fearing you might have a chance, he squeezed you out of the running first."
"Tsunade, you've been drowning your sorrows in wine and living in a daze for so many years. You haven't looked after Kushina, you haven't cared that your clan has fallen into decline—could it be that you don't even care that your great-grandfather's and Nawaki's graves were dug up?"
"The First and Second Hokage truly practiced the 'Will of Fire', charging to the front and shielding the younger generations from the storm. But the Third Hokage and the other higher-ups shout slogans that shake the heavens while their actions are light as feathers!"
"Although I don't fully understand your hesitation and confusion back then, nor do I fully grasp what kind of feelings were in your heart when you left, I really, really want that spirited, high-spirited Tsunade to appear before me, and then spend the rest of her life accompanying her."
After saying all this, Wu Ying went back inside, brought out another jar of wine, and set it in front of Tsunade.
He turned and walked a few steps away, then softly added:
"It's still a bit chilly out. Go get some rest early."