After a brief moment of contemplation, Tsunade still chose to stand up.
Having served as Hokage for many years, there were few people in the world whom she truly respected.
However, from what Samui had just said, it seemed that she usually wasn't too casual in front of the emperor.
As her thoughts swirled, a figure appeared at the doorway of the lounge.
With just one glance, Tsunade could confirm that she had never seen this person in her original world.
His eyes were strange—wasn't he from the Hyuga clan? Why didn't he have the Byakugan…?
And his age… He looked way too young!
Was it really him who had unified the world and established an empire?
The emperor also seemed briefly taken aback upon seeing Tsunade dressed so casually, pausing for two seconds before stepping into the lounge.
Tsunade watched as he walked over and sat down on the sofa across from her, while Samui followed behind, holding several documents in her arms.
"Your Majesty, these are urgent."
Tsunade was still hesitating on how to start the conversation, but Samui had already begun briefing the emperor on official matters.
Left with no other choice, she stood there, feeling slightly awkward.
After finishing his official duties and watching Samui leave with the documents, Makoto leisurely began brewing himself a cup of tea.
"What's going on today?"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned before realizing he was speaking to her.
"M-Me?"
Makoto reclined on the sofa, holding a teacup in one hand, his gaze scrutinizing Tsunade.
It had been some time since he had last seen her dressed like this.
In his presence, Tsunade was always clad in a professional OL outfit—a black silk stockings and skirt ensemble—appearing obedient and composed.
But now, this attire reminded Makoto of the first time he had met her, evoking the image of the bold and valiant Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin.
"You're not the Tsunade I know, are you?"
Makoto's words sent a wave of shock through Tsunade.
She forced a chuckle. "Y-Your Majesty… what do you mean?"
"The Tsunade I know would never just stand there and speak to me like this," Makoto said.
Again with these kinds of remarks…
Tsunade felt a little helpless.
How the hell am I supposed to know what kind of Tsunade you're familiar with?
Thinking this, she simply sat down directly in front of Makoto.
Makoto couldn't help but chuckle softly.
This Tsunade had clearly misunderstood his meaning.
When he said, "The Tsunade I know wouldn't just stand there and talk to me like this," he actually meant that the usual Tsunade would be kneeling before him.
Moreover, he had previously given her explicit instructions to wear a certain item when meeting him.
Still, he wasn't angry—just surprised that something like a soul swap had actually happened to Tsunade.
Tsunade asked, "How are you so sure that I'm not the Tsunade you know?"
She had already confirmed that he bore no hostility toward her, which made her secretly sigh in relief.
Makoto didn't answer her question directly but instead asked, "What's the current time on your side?"
Tsunade looked at him in confusion, unsure of what exactly he meant by time.
Makoto then asked, "Are you the Hokage right now?"
Tsunade pondered for a moment before replying, "Kakashi is the Sixth Hokage."
Kakashi… So the Fourth Great Ninja War had already ended.
Makoto made a mental note and continued studying the beautiful blonde woman in front of him.
"You know something, don't you?" Tsunade questioned.
"More or less," Makoto replied, taking a sip of his tea.
Tsunade immediately threw out a barrage of questions: "What exactly is going on? How did I end up here? Will I be able to return in the future?"
Makoto, however, simply asked in return, "Do you want to go back?"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned by his words.
She quickly calmed herself before replying, "I just want to understand what's happening."
She didn't directly answer his question, but to Makoto, her response was already an answer in itself.
Thinking about it carefully, it made sense.
By the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Tsunade was already nearing sixty years old, yet now, she had suddenly regained her youth.
Makoto mused, "Whether you want to return or not ultimately depends on your own will."
"What do you mean?"
"Before you came here, was there someone in particular you desperately wanted to see?"
"..."
Tsunade fell into deep thought, and Makoto didn't interrupt her.
"So you're saying… as long as I see that person, I'll be able to return to my original world?"
"That's not exactly it. Rather, the key to returning lies in your own lingering attachment."
"..."
Tsunade's expression suddenly turned somewhat melancholic.
Lingering attachment…
She thought back to her life in her original world.
The war had ended, the world had found peace, and she had stepped down from the position of Hokage.
On the surface, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
But there was one thing that had never changed—she was always losing people.
So, after realizing that she had arrived in this world, Tsunade found it surprisingly easy to accept.
Was there anything in her original world that she truly couldn't bear to leave behind?
No.
On the contrary, after learning about this world, Tsunade found herself wanting to stay and start anew.
She didn't want to leave.
Her gaze flickered as she looked at Makoto, who was leisurely sipping his tea.
"You… realized I'm not the original Tsunade, yet you don't seem to mind at all."
After all, she was nothing more than an outsider who had intruded into this world.
If Makoto had been close to the original Tsunade, shouldn't he be angry that her body had been taken over?
Makoto simply shrugged. "To me, no matter which version of you it is, you're still Tsunade."
"…I was your assistant, wasn't I?" Tsunade asked thoughtfully.
"Mm."
"And our relationship… was it just superior and subordinate?"
Upon hearing this, Makoto's expression twisted into a peculiar smile.
Tsunade frowned at his teasing attitude and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Makoto stood up from the sofa, still holding his teacup, and slowly walked behind her.
"What do you think our relationship should be?"
"..."
Tsunade's heart stirred slightly.
His tone and demeanor felt a little too suggestive, making her inevitably have certain thoughts.
She thought about the lingerie and provocative outfits she had found in the bedroom wardrobe…
It seemed that the Tsunade of this world was quite open-minded.
But the age gap between them wasn't small, and he was even the emperor of an empire.
The more Tsunade thought about it, the more awkward she felt.
She quickly cleared her throat and said, "Ahem, if you don't want to answer, forget it."
At that moment, Makoto suddenly leaned in from behind, his face extremely close to hers.
This unexpected closeness made Tsunade's nerves tense up instantly.
"On the inside of your thigh… there's a small, barely noticeable mole, isn't there?"
"!!!"
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, her entire body stiffening.
If anyone had dared to tease her like this in the past, she would have immediately punched them into the ground.
But at this moment, her rationality held her back from acting on that impulse.
No matter how much younger she looked in this world, she was still in her forties.
Meanwhile, this guy didn't seem to be older than twenty…
Wait—did that mean she was the one taking advantage here?!
Hiss—
A shiver ran down Tsunade's spine.
Ever since arriving in this world, things had been manageable so far, but now… she was struggling to accept what was happening.
She never expected that her private life would be this messy.
She was still living with Shizune, which meant that she had been with Dan in the past.
So why was things like this now?
Tsunade suddenly shot to her feet, fists clenched tightly at her sides as she turned her back to Makoto.
Makoto leaned against the sofa with one arm while holding his teacup in the other, watching her with a teasing smile.
"What's wrong?"
"I… we…"
Makoto replied casually, "We were quite close before. We did a lot of things together."
"..."
Tsunade pressed her lips together.
The lot of things he mentioned clearly included that, otherwise, how could she explain the provocative lingerie in her wardrobe?
She actually… with this man…
Just the thought of it made goosebumps rise all over her skin.
For the first time in her life, Tsunade felt completely overwhelmed.
Even back when she was Hokage, handling complex political affairs, she had never felt this flustered.
If she was going to stay in this world, how was she supposed to handle her relationship with this emperor?
With no clear answers, the only thing on her mind was escaping this situation as soon as possible.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now," she said hurriedly.
"Alright." Makoto didn't stop her, still amused by this unfamiliar version of Tsunade.
She was much more interesting than the obedient, submissive Tsunade from before.
"If you ever want to see me, you're always welcome."
Like hell I want to see you!
Cursing inwardly, Tsunade quickly left the lounge.
In the office, Samui was still sorting through documents while speaking with a clerk who had come to hand over official paperwork.
She glanced at Tsunade as she walked out but didn't say anything.
Tsunade forced herself to stay calm as she exited.
Only after stepping out of the front hall did she finally let out a deep breath.
This world is a mess!
That thought echoed in her mind as she prepared to head home, only to suddenly remember—she had completely forgotten to ask the emperor about Jiraiya.
She instinctively turned her head to glance back at where she had just come from.
After a brief internal struggle, she ultimately decided to let it go.
Forget it. I'll find another chance to ask later.
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