Somewhere in the ninja world, inside a black market exchange.
Kakuzu had just finished counting his latest bounty and was about to leave when the black market's manager handed him a new wanted notice.
"This is a newly issued bounty. The target is quite something—probably only someone like you can take him down."
Kakuzu had a strong reputation in the underworld. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the most powerful bounty hunter.
They said there was no target he couldn't kill. Once he accepted a job, regardless of who the target was, the kill was guaranteed.
There had been challengers in the past who thought they could teach Kakuzu a lesson. Now, grass three feet high grows over their graves.
Silently taking the wanted poster, Kakuzu glanced at the target and showed a look of interest.
"Ten million ryo. That's a kill worth making."
If Aoshi were here, he'd instantly recognize the face on the poster—it was his own. This was a bounty on him!
---
Grass Village.
When Aoshi and his two companions arrived, the leader of the Hidden Grass Village greeted them with a smiling face.
But Tsunade didn't bother returning the courtesy. She was well aware of what Mai—who now lived in the Senju compound—had suffered in this village.
And she knew full well that the man standing in front of her was the root cause of all of it. He was also the one who had ordered Satori to attack Konoha.
The fact that she hadn't already knocked him out was restraint enough.
Aoshi and Pakura both wore similar expressions of disdain.
The Grass leader's smile stiffened slightly, but he maintained it as he welcomed the three of them into the village.
"The Cloud Village representatives will arrive tomorrow. For today, please rest and make yourselves comfortable in our village."
Compared to Konoha, the Grass Village was clearly impoverished.
The difference was like that between a bustling metropolis and a remote countryside town.
On the way to their prearranged accommodations, Aoshi keenly sensed numerous eyes watching from the shadows—many carrying hostility.
He wasn't surprised.
Quietly, he activated his Negative Emotions Sensing ability, hoping to detect any hidden presence—specifically, if any White Zetsu were lurking in the village.
In the future, Obito Uchiha would fake his death during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and be saved by Madara Uchiha.
So Aoshi strongly suspected Madara might be hiding somewhere within the Land of Grass.
The last time he went to the Land of Rain, Madara had already made an unexpected move. Having learned from that experience, Aoshi intended to proceed with greater caution.
After a thorough scan, he found no suspicious chakra or presence and relaxed slightly.
That was as it should be. After all, Aoshi wasn't a Uchiha. As long as he didn't reveal his Rinnegan, there was no reason for Madara to take notice of him.
The same went for Black Zetsu. Still, Aoshi didn't let his guard down completely.
"This is the place we've prepared for your stay. I hope it meets your expectations." After escorting them, the Grass leader finally dropped the act and left with a dark expression.
Night soon fell.
---
Inside Aoshi's room.
A knock echoed at the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Tsunade.
She seemed to have just taken a bath—her long golden hair was damp, a few strands falling across her chest and clinging to her skin.
She was dressed boldly, wearing a snug-fitting yukata tied tightly at the waist, accentuating her curves.
At her chest, a snowy-white, smooth expanse was casually and completely exposed to his line of sight.
Aoshi reflexively activated his targeting sense and couldn't help but marvel—this was Tsunade, after all. When she made a move, it was like unleashing two Planetary Devastations at once.
Who could possibly resist?
Suppressing a gulp, Aoshi asked, "It's late, Lady Tsunade. Is something the matter?"
"It's been a long time since I had a drink. Drinking alone's boring, so I thought I'd ask you to join me."
As she spoke, she stepped into his room and placed the sake and dishes she'd brought on the table.
Aoshi was already of legal age, so drinking wasn't an issue. But this was the Hidden Grass Village. The Cloud reps would arrive tomorrow for negotiations.
Was drinking really appropriate tonight?
As if sensing his hesitation, Tsunade quickly explained: "Relax. It's just a little drink. Besides, Cloud is far from here. Even if they arrive tomorrow, negotiations won't begin until the day after."
"So don't worry about the mission. Just drink."
Seeing her extend a cup toward him, Aoshi had no choice but to accept. But he couldn't shake the feeling that things wouldn't stay this simple.
He still remembered the last time they drank—Tsunade had gotten so drunk that he had to carry her home.
Sure enough, his instincts were right.
After just a few rounds, Tsunade was visibly tipsy.
"Aoshi... do you want to be Hokage?" She leaned toward him, eyes hazy from the alcohol.
Having barely had any himself, Aoshi sighed helplessly. He'd seen this coming. "Lady Tsunade, you're drunk."
"I—I'm not drunk! Answer me! Do you want to be Hokage or not?"
You call that not drunk? Aoshi's expression turned dark.
"Of course I do. Who in Konoha doesn't dream of becoming Hokage?" While humoring her, he stood and gently helped her up, ready to return her to her own room.
"It's late. You should get some rest, Lady Tsunade."
"Rest? No! I want to keep drinking!" She shook off his support, but in her drunken state, stumbled and began to fall.
Aoshi instinctively reached out to catch her—only to be dragged down with her.
The next moment, Tsunade was lying beneath him, with Aoshi on top.
Huh? What's this softness? His vision blocked, Aoshi reached up to brush away whatever was pressing against his head...
Wait—this texture...
By the time he realized what it was, it was already too late.
Tsunade, now wide awake from the shock, landed a punch squarely on him. Thankfully, she held back her strength. Though hit, Aoshi wasn't seriously hurt.
Tsunade quickly adjusted her loosened yukata, hiding the accidental exposure.
Seeing Aoshi was fine, she turned red and fled back to her room in embarrassment.
Closing the door behind her, she clutched her chest—still feeling the lingering warmth from Aoshi's breath.
It was something she'd never experienced before. Even someone as bold as Tsunade was now blushing furiously.
"He actually dared to grope me... That little bastard!" Recalling the incident, she felt her whole body flush with heat.
She muttered angrily through clenched teeth, face crimson. She knew Aoshi's gaze often lingered on her chest in the past.
But she hadn't minded.
Now, he'd actually touched what no one else ever had. By all rights, she should've been furious. So why had she instinctively held back?
If it had been Jiraiya, she'd have punched him straight into the hospital for just trying to peek.
If Jiraiya heard her thoughts, he would be shouting furiously, "Hey! What kind of double standard is this?!"
That night, Tsunade barely slept.