Tenten carefully put away all four of the Rikudō Ningu (Six Paths Ninja Tools), then quietly nestled into Natsuki's arms, locking eyes with him in silence.
The sky had completely darkened, but the clouds soon dispersed, allowing the moonlight to spill over them. The cool sea breeze and the sound of waves crashing against the shore surrounded them—quiet and romantic.
"Natsuki, the luckiest thing in my life… is being able to be with you."
Tenten spoke with deep emotion, offering him her most tender kiss.
From now on, no matter how strong their enemies might be, she could continue to stand by his side and become his strength.
That was her love.
The next morning, the two of them sat close together on the beach, quietly watching the sunrise over the sea, their hearts filled with unprecedented peace and joy.
If it weren't for their stomachs growling, they could have sat there until noon.
After breakfast, they returned to the cave, gazing at the skeletons of Kinkaku and Ginkaku. For a moment, they exchanged glances, unsure what to do with them.
Tenten frowned. "Yakushi Kabuto knows where their bodies are. He might come one day and use Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu) on them. Kinkaku and Ginkaku are really strong—if he uses them against us, it would be a huge problem."
Natsuki nodded in agreement. "In that case, let's feed them to the fish."
"Eh? Feed them to fish? Isn't that… a bit much?"
"What else? If you bury them here, someone could dig them up. Better to sink them into the sea—Kabuto will never find them."
"Oh… I'll listen to you, otōsan."
That "husband" rolled off her tongue as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Afterward, Tenten summoned some cloth with her summoning technique, and together they tied Kinkaku and Ginkaku's remains to several large stones, sinking them deep into the ocean.
If Kabuto could still find them after that… well, that would be something.
Tenten asked, "We've only been out for less than half a month, right? Are we going back now? Or… keep traveling?"
Natsuki smiled. "Of course we're keeping on. Tsunade-sama approved a full month for us outside the village—how could we waste it? If we go back now, we'll just get missions again and be busy all over."
"Alright then, let's go to the Land of Lightning and bring back some local specialties. Dad will be happy."
At that moment, all of Tenten's worries seemed gone. She smiled like an angel, so much so that Natsuki couldn't help but lose himself in her gaze.
For the next half month, the two disguised themselves as ordinary civilians, wandering all around the Land of Lightning. They weren't short on money, so they bought whatever caught their fancy, soaked in hot springs whenever they found one—always choosing mixed baths—making the trip feel just like a honeymoon.
When the time was almost up, they found themselves reluctant to part with the journey.
Natsuki said, "When we get married and have kids someday, we'll have to take them traveling. If Dad doesn't mind, he can come too."
Tenten pouted. "That sounds nice… but I'd rather just be with you alone."
Natsuki grinned. "We'll do that too. And when we have free time, we'll travel the world. The kids can stay with Dad."
To his surprise, Tenten agreed immediately. "Sure! It's a deal!"
This girl… if her shopkeeper father—so doting on his daughter—heard that, it might just break his heart.
When the time came, Natsuki used Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) to take Tenten straight home. The familiar sight of their house brought instant smiles, followed by the natural act of taking a bath together… and then a good, deep sleep.
The next day, they went together to Tsunade's office.
Seeing the two of them glowing with health, Tsunade's eyes were filled with jealousy. "Well, well, you two brats actually remembered to come back!"
Natsuki blinked. "Should we… keep traveling then?"
"You—! Ahhh! You're going to make me lose it!"
Tsunade could hardly contain herself. "Why is it that you two can play around outside for a whole month while I'm stuck in this office working hard—can't even sneak a drink without being caught?!"
Tenten spoke weakly, "But… Tsunade-sama, you approved our leave…"
One glare from Tsunade was enough to make her shrink back.
Fortunately, Natsuki had remembered to bring back souvenirs—summoning out several large bottles of the Land of Lightning's finest liquor. Tsunade's eyes lit up instantly.
After all, the Land of Lightning's people were known for their boldness, and their liquor was top quality. When buying some for Tenten's father, the two had made sure to bring some back for Tsunade as well.
She quickly gathered them up, hiding them away so Shizune wouldn't find out.
She cleared her throat. "Ahem! As long as you came back safe. I assume you found the special ninja tools."
Tenten nodded. "Yes, Natsuki and I went through a lot to find them. It wasn't easy! The Land of Lightning is far, and we even had to go out to sea—it was a real hassle."
Tsunade felt a twinge of envy. She wasn't afraid of hassle—she was afraid of paperwork.
"Oh? What ninja tools did you find?" she asked casually.
"Uh… this…" Tenten began hesitantly.
"Hm? You can't even tell me? Then they must be something special! Now I'm even more curious! Tell me, or I'll tell your dad about… certain things you and Natsuki have already done." Tsunade smirked.
"Hmph! My dad already knows!"
Tenten wasn't fazed—her father wasn't stupid. He had already guessed some things between her and Natsuki. Not only was he not angry, he even reminded her to be careful and that she was too young to have children just yet.
Tsunade could only sigh—she hadn't expected the shopkeeper to be so open-minded.
Still, she was genuinely curious. "Come on, tell me. I promise I'll keep it secret."
Tenten narrowed her eyes. "Really?"
"Of course! And if I think your new ninja tools truly make you stronger, I'll arrange missions more suited to you and push to promote you to jōnin soon. Staying as a tokubetsu jōnin is beneath you—and your boyfriend won't be happy about that either."
Tenten was overjoyed. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama! But you have to keep it secret—don't spill it after drinking!"
"Relax, I'm not a kid. And now that you and Natsuki are both Konoha's trump cards, whether my job as Hokage is easy or not depends on you two."
(End of Chapter)
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