As Tsunade continued coaxing Ben to drink, and Ran rejoined the "battlefield," the situation took an unexpectedly wild turn.
By now, the three of them—Tsunade, Ben, and Ran—were thoroughly intoxicated.
At that moment, Ran, ever the instigator even under the influence, suggested playing Truth or Dare.
Truth or Dare had been a staple of Ran's parties back on Planet Blue. Before entering the adult world, he often played it at school events or gatherings with his sisters. And, unsurprisingly, a similar kind of game existed even in the ninja world.
The rules were simple. The three drunken participants sat in a circle and rolled dice. Following an old tradition, whoever rolled the highest number got to assign either "truth" or "dare" to the one who rolled the lowest.
Those who chose "truth" had to answer honestly any question posed by the other players, while those who chose "dare" had to complete a challenge or task.
The game began. Tsunade, who had long loved gambling but rarely tasted victory, unsurprisingly lost the first round.
This time, the winner was Ben. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she asked the first question:
"Tsunade-sama… what exactly is your relationship with little Ran? Answer honestly!"
Ben's curiosity was boiling over. She wanted to know the truth—how could a student and teacher be this intimate? Ran, of all people, was lying across Tsunade's lap, dangerously close to her…
"Hahaha…" Tsunade laughed, taken aback by the girl's perceptiveness. But after a moment, she realized there really wasn't anything inappropriate here. She had been comforted by Ran before, and nothing else had happened. Burping lightly from her drinks, she answered:
"Well… I suppose we're like an older sister and her little brother. Ran's very good at comforting people. I've been hurt in the past, and this little brat helped me through it. So… maybe that's why we can be like siblings?"
Ben studied Tsunade carefully, then nodded, accepting the explanation.
Several rounds followed, each player winning some, losing some, until suddenly—Tsunade actually won a round.
"I… I won?" she murmured, blinking in disbelief.
Something about winning always felt ominous. Every time she came out ahead, something… unpredictable happened. What now? What trouble would follow this victory?
Half-dazed, Tsunade looked at the other two equally intoxicated players, and for once, she relaxed. It didn't seem too serious.
When Ben chose "dare," Tsunade's eyes sparkled with mischievous delight.
"Ben… since you picked dare, you have to… hug little Ran and… give him a kiss!"
Her words made Ben's already flushed face burn even hotter. Alcohol had already warmed her cheeks, and now she felt a heat rising all the way to her ears.
Ben's shy, trembling gaze radiated a pure, almost fragile beauty. She lowered her head, not daring to let Ran see how red her face had become, her eyes betraying a mixture of shyness and tender affection.
At this moment, she looked like a bud about to bloom—heart-fluttering, delicate, and entirely captivating.
"Faster! I want to see! I want to see!" Tsunade shouted impatiently.
Ben, overwhelmed with embarrassment and alcohol, couldn't hear her anymore. Dizzy and fumbling, she climbed onto Ran's lap. Leaning forward, she pressed a brief, gentle kiss to his lips before recoiling in bashful trembling.
"Tsunade-sama! How could you make me do something so embarrassing!" Ben hissed, even as the game escalated further. Intoxicated, she could hardly tell who was who anymore.
"Hahaha… ready for more kissing? Wait… who am I?" she slurred, her mind muddled by alcohol. The two across from her seemed equally disoriented.
"Ben… Ben likes Ran the most! Go on, Ben, give him a proper kiss!" Tsunade cheered, her own reality blurring.
She felt like she was living in a dream. The man before her—why did he feel so familiar, yet so strangely distant? She glimpsed faint memories of Dan, the one she had once held hands with… but no, the face now belonged to Ran. Could they already be married in some alternate reality? Were they celebrating a special day at home with drinks?
Tsunade tried to focus, but the alcohol coursing through her made her feel helpless, suspended in a haze. She squinted at Ran, trying desperately to imprint his features in her mind: those deep, thoughtful eyes, his tall, graceful frame, the faint, gentle smile…
Wait—he was Ran. Ran, her student, who she had once seen naked alongside her… Married couples did that… so does that make him… my husband?
Tsunade closed her eyes, attempting to steady herself. But it was useless; clarity would not come by force.
"Do I… kiss him? It's normal for married couples to kiss, right?" she muttered, swaying slightly as she settled herself fully onto Ran's lap. Her vision blurred, his features unclear.
Ran could only feel a soft, yielding weight against his thighs. The sensation made his breath hitch; even though his head was still a little dizzy from the alcohol, his body stiffened in response.
"I'm here… open your mouth," Tsunade's voice was sultry, thick with drunken warmth.
As Ran obediently parted his lips, Tsunade leaned closer. Her mind, half inebriated, half guided by instinct, mimicked the kisses she had seen portrayed on old Holovid shows. Her lips met his in a slow, teasing press.
"Mmm!"
Her tongue, like a tiny, agile fish, slipped inside, exploring Ran's in a tentative dance. Ran, initially passive, froze in shock. What was happening? Who was he? Why was he drunk? Could he resist?
But instinct took over. Their mouths moved together in a gentle, messy exchange, a confusing blend of hesitation and urgency.
Tsunade's memories of Dan faded into the background; only Ran remained vivid in her mind. The delirium of alcohol, the haze of late-night indulgence, and the intimacy of the moment blurred all boundaries.
Eventually, the three—the exhausted Tsunade, the dazed Ran, and the flustered Ben—collapsed completely, drunk, scattered across the room. When they finally awoke, the sun was high, marking the noon of the following day.
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