The cabins weren't that big to begin with, making it nearly impossible to hide anything.

  On top of that, this was where Tatsuya used to live, so naturally, Tsunade often spent the night here as well—or rather, she had all but cimed the pce as her own ever since she moved in here after the Second Shinobi War. With just the two of them, every corner of the room was in pin view.

  After finally accumuting a decent amount of money, Tatsuya had sworn to protect it with his life. Yet, his beloved yet terrifying wife showed him no mercy—without hesitation, she dispelled the seals on the bed and unraveled the illusion concealing his stash.

  As the wooden pnks shifted, revealing stacks of real banknotes, Tsunade let out a low whistle.

  "Well, well… what do we have here, dear husband?" she mused, crouching down and running her fingers through the bills like it was fine silk.

  Tatsuya's eye twitched. His money.

  "Oi! Hands off, woman! That's my hard-earned savings!" he barked, moving forward to shield it from her greedy hands.

  Tsunade raised an amused brow. "Oh? And just who are you trying to keep it safe from, hmm?"

  "You, obviously," he grumbled.

  Tsunade smirked, flipping through the stacks effortlessly, her sharp gaze quickly tallying the amount. "Hah, this is more than enough to pay off my gambling debts."

  Tatsuya gritted his teeth. "You mean your crimes."

  "Semantics," she waved him off, tucking a few bills into her cleavage with a mischievous smirk.

  "—Tsunade." His voice dropped, eyes narrowing.

  "Rex," she ughed, tossing them back onto the pile. "I didn't come back just to rob you blind… this time."

  Tatsuya crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Then what's this really about?"

  Her expression shifted, just slightly, the pyful glint in her golden eyes turning serious.

  "I ran into some shinobi at the casino," she said, leaning against the table. "Called themselves Oto."

  Tatsuya stiffened.

  "Otonin?" His voice was low, unreadable.

  Tsunade didn't miss the way his mood suddenly darkened. "Yeah. Thought it was weird myself. There are only five great shinobi vilges. No one's ever heard of these guys before."

  Tatsuya exhaled slowly, his mind racing. Otogakure shouldn't exist.

  In the original timeline, Orochimaru had created it for his Konoha Crush Pn. But that pn shouldn't be in motion anymore. He had no reason to go through with it now.

  And if Orochimaru was making moves, he would have told Tatsuya first. So then—why had Oto suddenly appeared?

  Tsunade studied his face. "You know something."

  "Maybe," he muttered.

  "Then grab your gear, because we're going to check it out."

  Tatsuya sighed, rubbing his temples. "Of course we are."

  "Oh, and I'm taking a wife's tax for this job," Tsunade added, grabbing a few more bills.

  Tatsuya groaned. "Woman—! You're supposed to be my wife, not my personal tax collector!"

  Tsunade only ughed, tucking the money away. "Too te, husband. You married me."

  "Biggest scam of my life."

  After all, in Orochimaru's eyes, Tatsuya was one of the few people in the world he could truly communicate with. Their shared understanding of the dark side of the world and their mutual intelligence formed a bond that set Tatsuya apart from most others.

  For that reason, Tatsuya was deeply curious about the origins of this new vilge. "Who's pulling the strings behind the scenes?" he wondered aloud. "This doesn't sit right. A new vilge suddenly appears with shinobi on par with the major powers. Someone's got to be orchestrating this."

  Tsunade, with her characteristic bluntness, shrugged. "I stumbled across them by accident while gambling," she admitted, her tone ced with frustration. "I don't know much about their background. But those forehead protectors they wear, and the ninjutsu they dispyed... It's clear they're real shinobi."

  Tatsuya's brow furrowed as he processed the information. "A newly emerging ninja vilge... That could disrupt the bance among the smaller nations or could unite them. We can't ignore it." His voice held an edge of concern now. He wasn't someone who liked unnecessary conflict, but he knew the stakes.

  Tsunade paused for a moment, recalling the sequence of events. "I followed them, hoping to find something useful. But once we reached that dense forest, they disappeared... vanished without a trace. Even with my perception, I couldn't detect them."

  Tatsuya's gaze sharpened. "That's troubling. If they can disappear like that, it's not just a random new vilge. This could be something much more dangerous than we realize, or it might be an old man from beyond the grave."

  Tsunade exhaled slowly. "I didn't find anything useful. But I figured I should bring this to you. We need to know who's behind them before they become a bigger threat."

  Tatsuya considered it for a moment. Though he wasn't overly concerned about the vilge's safety, he knew all too well that war was something he could do without. If things escated, his peaceful life would be over. And if there was one thing he hated, it was unnecessary trouble. "Fine, let's look into this. We'll investigate and see if we can uncover anything. If we can stop it early, we won't have to deal with a bigger mess ter."

  Tsunade nodded, pleased with his decision. "Good. Because I'll be honest—I'm not letting this slide."

  Tsunade leaned back in his chair, his mind already racing through possibilities. "This has to be some kind of illusion-based concealment ninjutsu. The vilge's base is probably hidden somewhere around the area where I lost track of them."

  Later that evening, as they finished their training session for the day, Tatsuya turned to Sasuke, who had been working hard alongside the others. "Sasuke," he called, "head home for the day. Tsunade and I have some matters to attend to."

  Unexpectedly, Sasuke had overheard their conversation. "What's going on? I heard you two talking about something important," he asked, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Now that I've gotten stronger, I want in on this."

  Tsunade raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Fine. You've been working hard. You've earned it. We're passing through Yugakure, and it's a good reward for your dedication."

  Tatsuya sighed, shaking his head slightly. What was meant to be a simple two-person operation had now turned into a three-person squad. "You're sure about this?" he asked, more to Tsunade than to Sasuke.

  Tsunade smiled, but there was a hint of mischief in her expression. "I can't exactly leave him behind, can I? Besides, he might surprise us."

  Tatsuya couldn't help but question Tsunade's soft spot for the younger generation. "You were way stricter with Rin, Kurenai, and Mei. Compared to them, you're practically spoiling Sasuke."

  Tsunade chuckled, her usual fiery temper repced by a rare moment of reflection. "I was hot-headed when I saw younger women around my man. I've mellowed out a bit. Besides, I see potential in him."

  Tatsuya raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. Tsunade, of all people, admitting to having mellowed out? That was new. "You know, hearing you say that is a bit... shocking. You've always been so sensitive about being called old."

  Tsunade's face twisted into a pyful grin. "Don't remind me. I'm not getting any younger, but I'm still stronger than most of those brats."

  Tatsuya smiled wryly. "Yeah, but don't forget—you're not the only one who knows how to deal with Naruto's antics. That boy's got a way of pushing everyone's buttons."

  Tsunade's face immediately darkened, a familiar fire reigniting in her eyes. "Don't remind me of that brat! I swear, the next time he calls me 'Granny Tsunade,' I'll make sure he remembers why it's not a good idea!"

  Tatsuya couldn't help but chuckle. "At least you're consistent in that regard."

  "Of course," Tsunade replied, the smile returning to her face. "But you better keep an eye on that boy, Tatsuya. If Naruto ever dies prematurely, Kushina might throw the entire Konoha into chaos."

  Tatsuya's expression grew more serious as he nodded in agreement. "No argument there. The world needs its gutsy Ninja more than ever."

  Of course, that wasn't something Tatsuya needed to worry about. To him, Tsunade still looked no different from when she was in her twenties. She hadn't aged a day in his eyes, a truth that remained as striking as ever.

  But for Sasuke, this realization was an entirely different matter. Sasuke had never paid much attention to such things, but now that he had, he found himself unable to sleep, his thoughts racing as they settled in for the night.

  The next morning, Tsunade couldn't help but notice the dark circles under Sasuke's eyes. "You look like you've been up all night," she remarked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as she observed the young Uchiha.

  Sasuke, his usual composure slipping just a bit, shrugged nonchantly. "I just couldn't sleep. Not used to this bed," he muttered, trying to brush it off.

  Tsunade wasn't convinced, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "You've never had a problem with sleeping arrangements before. Why now?" she asked, her voice ced with suspicion.

  Sasuke hesitated, but before he could dig himself into a deeper hole, Tatsuya stepped in, casually changing the subject with a smooth, "It's nothing, Tsunade. We've got more important things to focus on. Let's get going."

  Tsunade gave Sasuke one st probing look before turning away, her suspicions momentarily set aside. But Sasuke's troubled sleep still lingered in the back of her mind.

  With that, the group set out. Tatsuya, ever the tactician, had a pn in mind. Both he and Sasuke used Summoning Jutsu, each calling forth a pair of huskies to help them navigate the rugged terrain. The loyal, furry companions trotted ahead, eager to lead them to the location Tsunade had described.

  But as the journey continued, Tatsuya's situation only seemed to worsen. The deeper they ventured into unfamiliar territory, the more the tension grew—there was something off about this mission. It wasn't just the odd disappearance of the people or the strange sensation that followed them through the dense forests; it was the creeping feeling that something much bigger was at py, something beyond their immediate comprehension.

  Tatsuya gnced at Sasuke, who was unusually quiet, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if waiting for something to happen. Tatsuya's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rustle in the trees. The air grew colder, more charged, as if nature itself were holding its breath.

  Tsunade, sensing the change, turned to face them. "Stay alert," she warned, her voice taking on a serious tone. "We're getting closer."

  Sasuke's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his katana. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

  Tatsuya didn't respond immediately, his senses tingling with the same unshakable feeling of being watched. "We might not be the only ones out here," he muttered under his breath.

  The group continued, but Tatsuya couldn't shake the feeling that danger was closing in. Whatever y ahead, it was clear that their journey was about to take a turn into the unknown.

  ---

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