Chapter 37
Spear & Shield
Chapter 36.5 (Omake)
The rumblings had sent a jolt of panic through the Godaime, having her launching herself off her desk chair at a speed her body wasn’t prepared for.
She had been half-asleep while going over some bookwork, finding no comfort in the task beyond that it was her last one of the day. She was ready to retire for the evening (hell, she was ready to retire forever), and was looking forward to a bottle of chilled saké on a clear, mild evening.
But as she gazed out of her office window, she thought that was no longer a good idea.
Was it an omen? Possibly.
Was it a bad one? Probably.
She could hear the commotion on the mountaintop, even from this distance. There was arguing, whining, and hysterical laughter before quite a bit of firm shouting.
She felt a vein in her temple throb, her left brow twitching erratically in irritation. The Hokage sighed, running a hand down her face-- partly to try and relax, and partly just to make sure there wasn’t actually a crack there.
She parked herself on the edge of her desk, watching the chaos on the mountain unfold while blindingly reaching for her emergency supply of Rice Country’s Best saké.
Two bodies scrambled down the side, desperately grabbing the fallen tarp that was supposed to hide the progress of the carving, but the damage had been done already. She had seen too much.
‘Is my forehead really that big…?’ Tsunade thought to herself, taking an idle sip.
She watched as the giant split sealed itself, disappearing into the part of her hair. She grumbled again, covering her face with one hand while fisting the saké bottle with the other. Wearily, her eyes drifted to the faces of her predecessors, landing on the stern expression of her sensei.
“I’m doing this for you, old man,” she mumbled to herself, taking one last swig before deciding to call it a night. “You and that Uzumaki brat.”