Hearing Akira's promise, Tsunade finally nodded in satisfaction. "Still, that silly girl Sakura doesn't know about us yet."
Akira smiled. "There's no need to go out of our way to tell her. It's not like I'm going to do anything. Besides, I think you're overestimating my charm. Admiration doesn't always mean love. Sasuke's place in her heart isn't that easy to shake."
Tsunade sighed. "I hope you're right."
After saying that, she lifted her head and looked at Akira, her eyes slightly unfocused.
Akira felt the warmth of the body in his arms rising, and her breathing had grown a little quicker.
He gave a helpless smile. "Don't start. This is the Hokage's office."
Although the surrounding ANBU had already been dismissed, this was still an official workplace. If someone barged in, things would get awkward very quickly.
A little danger might be exciting, but Akira still felt it was better to be careful.
They could save that sort of mood for home. Home was different.
Tsunade buried her face against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart, then laughed softly. "You're one to talk. Your heartbeat sped up too."
Akira did not deny it.
This was the boldest intimate moment they had ever shared in the Hokage's office.
At the moment, no one in Konoha knew that these two major figures had already become involved in private.
Even Shizune, Tsunade's personal assistant, was still completely in the dark.
But despite telling her not to start anything, Akira's hands were honest enough not to push her away. The two simply held each other in silence and looked out at the night beyond the window.
That evening, after work, the two returned to the Senju compound together.
When they passed a lively barbecue restaurant, they happened to see Naruto, Sakura, Sora, and the members of Team Ten eating together inside.
Akira only glanced over lightly. He had no intention of going in and joining the fun.
He and Tsunade walked along the street, talking and laughing. The warm glow of the streetlamps stretched their shadows behind them.
Just as they passed by the window, Sakura and Naruto happened to look up.
Outside, Akira stood tall and handsome, while Tsunade carried herself with effortless elegance. On her face was a rare, gentle smile filled with a happiness she almost never showed in public.
With their difference in height, their aura, and the way they walked side by side, one terrifying thought flashed through Naruto and Sakura's minds at the same time.
These two...
They looked exactly like a couple in love.
Sakura immediately shook her head, rejecting the thought with everything she had.
Impossible, impossible. Shishō is much older, and Akira is her guard. How could they possibly be like that?
But... they really do look good together.
A strange sourness rose in her chest.
Reason told her it was impossible, but the sight of those two walking side by side, wrapped in such an easy, natural atmosphere, made her feel unbearably envious.
They looked as if they had been made for each other.
Naruto scratched his head, looking confused. "Why do Akira and Granny Tsunade look more like a couple than me and Sakura? Am I just that hungry?"
Ino, who had been handling the grill, also noticed the window. Her eyes lit up.
"It's Akira!"
After confirming it was him, Ino immediately dropped the tongs and charged out like a little rocket.
Choji and Shikamaru, who had been waiting for the meat to cook, both stared after her in disbelief.
Akira had just passed the barbecue restaurant and was about to turn toward the Ninja Academy.
Suddenly, a faint breeze carrying a sweet scent rushed up behind him.
Before he could turn around, someone had already jumped onto his back.
Ino wrapped both arms tightly around Akira's neck, hanging off him with a bright laugh. "Akira! Long time no see!"
Ever since the Land of Water mission and the Chunin Exams, she really had not seen her long-time crush in ages.
According to the original course of things, Ino should have started developing some interest in Sai around this time.
But because Akira had appeared, Sai had been pushed completely into the background.
Tsunade, standing beside them, did not get angry. Instead, she looked at Akira with a half-smile. "You really do attract attention everywhere you go."
In truth, she had known for a long time that Ino had a crush on Akira. She had heard plenty of stories about Akira's days at the Academy.
That kind of teenage admiration was something Tsunade could spot at a glance.
Akira gave a helpless smile. Ino had clearly grown up a lot over the past three years. She was no longer the lively little girl from the Academy.
He lightly patted her arm. "Ino, get down. There are people watching, and Hokage-hime is right here."
Only then did Ino notice Tsunade standing beside them. Startled, she quickly hopped down from Akira's back, stuck out her tongue, and bowed politely.
"Good evening, Hokage-hime!"
Tsunade nodded calmly.
After greeting her, Ino immediately returned to her lively self and tugged at Akira's sleeve. "We're eating barbecue inside. Akira, come join us!"
As she spoke, she practically clung to his arm, leaving Akira with no choice but to look toward Tsunade for help.
Tsunade generously nodded.
Ino's eyes flicked back and forth between Akira and Tsunade.
A woman's intuition told her their relationship was not simple, but even if someone gave her ten times the courage, she would not dare say that aloud.
Since Akira was still the Hokage's guard, he would probably need his superior's approval to stay.
So she tested the waters and asked, "Hokage-hime, would you like to join us too?"
Tsunade had no interest in squeezing into a meal with a group of kids, so she waved a hand and smiled. "You young people enjoy yourselves. I'll pass."
Then she gave Akira a meaningful look. "Don't stay out too late."
She did not mind Ino's closeness. In that regard, Tsunade had the absolute confidence and composure of someone who knew where she stood.
Watching Tsunade leave so gracefully, Akira sighed inwardly.
Looks like I'll be paying for this later with extra taijutsu practice.
Ino did not care about any of that. She grabbed Akira and dragged him toward the barbecue restaurant.
Akira said helplessly, "Ino, you don't need to hold on that tightly. I'm not going to run."
Ino stared at him seriously. "No way. What if you do? It wasn't easy catching you."
In truth, she was simply taking the chance to stay close to him.
Inside, she was secretly delighted.
Hehe, my initiative is definitely better than Hinata's. That girl probably hasn't even managed to see Akira lately.
That was actually true.
Over the past few years, Hinata's strength had improved by leaps and bounds, but because of clan matters and her own personality, she rarely appeared in public.
Hiashi Hyūga might have been an old-fashioned man, but when it came to his daughters, he was surprisingly biased.
Although he had confirmed Hanabi as the main family's heir, he had not placed the Caged Bird seal on Hinata.
He understood perfectly well that once that mark was carved onto her, Hinata's life would be permanently changed.
He was strict on the surface, but deep down, he still loved his daughter.
The current Hinata was already no weaker than Neji. She had mastered Rotation and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, and her development of the Byakugan had even surpassed Neji's in some areas.
Because her bloodline purity was extremely high, Hinata's Byakugan held enormous potential. In the future, she might even reach the legendary height known among the Hyūga as the Tennin.
It was only that her personality was reserved, so she had always hidden her strength. On top of that, she had never forgotten Akira's advice from years ago.
A tree that rises above the forest catches the strongest wind.
If you have a trump card, don't show it unless you have to.