After that little gathering of the Sannin, life returned to its usual, quiet rhythm for a while.
Recently, Ben also had missions to attend to, and Uchiha Ran had made several trips to the South Gahama Pond to fish. But luck had its limits—nothing since that fateful day had gone as well for him.
Ran's days were steady and uneventful. Ninja life wasn't always about fighting; often it was about the subtle dance of human relationships. Besides his unwavering daily training and his anticipation for the growth of his Sharingan, Ran's happiest moments were trips to Mikoto's house for meals.
With Ran's rising reputation, the usual tension between the Hokage and the Uchiha clan had eased somewhat. As a competent politician, Uchiha Fugaku noticed this shift and climbed the social ladder accordingly, frequently liaising with the Third Hokage.
Recently, whenever Ran visited Mikoto's house, he found Fugaku often absent, apparently attending drinking parties with the Third Hokage.
"The Third Hokage? Hm… if I remember correctly, Tsunade said the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, and Fugaku have been drinking together a lot recently. Wait—Fugaku's drinking that kind of alcohol?" Knowing the habits of Jiraiya and Hiruzen, Ran couldn't help but worry that his older brother was being led astray.
As for why Tsunade had become "Tsunade-nee-san" to him? That was thanks to Ran's thick skin, bordering on fortress-level audacity. During these leisurely days, he frequently used the excuse of being Orochimaru's disciple to learn basic medical knowledge from Tsunade. Naturally, he completely ignored the awkwardness of their previous naked encounter in the water pond, instead teasing her constantly with "Tsunade-sensei" and "Tsunade-nee-san."
Tsunade, for her part, had long since surrendered to Ran's shameless persistence. After all, a woman in her thirties couldn't resist a handsome, charismatic fourteen-year-old little brother pestering her every day.
One day, bored from eating alone while Mikoto had taken Itachi to their grandfather's home, Ran invited all three of his teachers over for dinner.
Orochimaru was busy with research, and Jiraiya was out drinking with the Third Hokage and Fugaku, so both declined. That left only Tsunade, who hesitated for a moment… then agreed after hearing one of Ran's persuasive lines:
"You know, Tsunade-nee-san, disciples constantly rejected by their masters can develop psychological shadows that affect their training. Plus, Mikoto's cats live next door—they do backflips when they see something interesting. Don't you want to watch?"
Ninjas had huge appetites. Training chakra alone required immense energy. In the Naruto world, an ordinary human had roughly 130 trillion cells, compared to 30 trillion on Earth—meaning even regular humans had a higher caloric demand. A Kage-level ninja like Tsunade required even more. So Ran prepared an extravagant spread for her visit.
First up: Ran's signature ramen. Carefully simmered chicken bone broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and fresh vegetables made for an irresistibly rich flavor.
Next: Grilled fish—today's catch, a large bass caught that very morning. Ran had spent extra time bringing the fish back to the Uchiha compound, marinating it, and brushing it with a secret sauce before slow-roasting it over coals. The fish emerged tender inside, crisp outside, its aroma drawing even Mikoto's cats over.
Then: Goose, marinated in a special blend of spices for hours, ready for slow roasting until the skin was crispy and the meat tender.
Followed by: Garlic and vermicelli steamed scallops, fresh and fragrant, simmered to perfection with a secret seasoning.
And finally: A luxurious mix—golden soup Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Dongpo-style braised pork, spicy boiled meat slices, and a bowl of wonton noodles to complete the feast.
Ran placed everything carefully into warming containers. Soon after, Tsunade arrived at the Uchiha residence.
Though she wasn't much of a cook herself—her gambling luck was better than her culinary skills—she had thought ahead. Tsunade even brought a box of milk and fresh fruit for Ran.
"Yo, little brat. Don't look so surprised. Since you're calling me 'nee-san' and invited me over, it's only natural to bring a little something," she said, and, to Ran's wide-eyed astonishment, reached between her… mountains… and retrieved a scroll.
"Damn… she can really do that…" Ran muttered under his breath.
Tsunade smirked wickedly. "Haha, I actually brought a lot of things. I figured a brat like you wouldn't even have alcohol at home."
She bit her thumb, forming hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
A massive pile of alcohol appeared before Ran in an instant.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait—" Ran stammered eighteen "waits" in less than two seconds.
"So… Tsunade-nee-san, are we supposed to finish all this ourselves?" he asked, staring at the sheer volume. Even if Tsunade couldn't get drunk, it would take her two or three days to finish.
"You little brat. You're fourteen and have never had a drink? For ninjas, graduation age means you can start drinking. You're too young to appreciate it yet. Don't worry—you bring out the dishes, and let Tsunade-nee-san teach you how to be a man. There's a very important skill you must learn!"
She slammed the table with a BANG! and continued:
"Dishes first, dishes first! Come sit and drink with me!"
Tsunade completely disregarded her own image and plopped down, beckoning Ran to serve the food. She was practically starving.
"All right… then I'll just have a small sip first," Ran said, returning to the kitchen to bring out all the kept-warm dishes and even retrieving a set of never-used sake cups from the cupboard.
"Today's celebration is for a happy tomorrow!" Tsunade exclaimed, and with eager hands, Ran poured sake for her. She raised her cup, ready for the toast.
"Come on, bottoms up!"