Chapter 457 Fall Into Temptation, Tsunade-Hime!!!

After washing for a while, Tsunade slowly sighed and began to dry her hair.

After getting out of the bath, she didn't bother changing into anything. She came out wrapped in a bath towel, casually changed into a set of light pajamas, and went to find Naruto. While yawning, she thought about playing just a round and then going to sleep.

In her mind, she had already grown tired of the dice game. As a small favor to Naruto for amusing her, she decided this would be the last time she played with him. After all, he wasn't going to get that money anyway, so she saw it as compensation for his effort.

No matter how she tried to convince herself, the truth was nothing but self-deception.

There were still moments of thrill in playing games. Tsunade had become numb to losing, as her bad luck was so consistent that she was used to it.

She could tell from the beginning that Naruto had been going easy on her, but she didn't call him out on it. She thought it was amusing, in a way. If he wanted to set a trap, so be it, as it was just a clumsy trick.

However, after playing for a while, Tsunade started to feel something more. The sensation of barely coming back from a loss was exhilarating, especially after many defeats. Over time, she even forgot that Naruto was holding back for her.

What made her forget was how natural Naruto's expression was. His technique might not have been great, but he never looked guilty. Whether he won or lost, his demeanor remained calm and steady.

Without realizing it, Tsunade's expectations for the game had increased. It's like when you are used to playing a high-quality game, and then suddenly switched to a lower lower-quality one of the same type, it would feel unbearable, like a swarm of ants crawling all over you.

Although Tsunade is still Tsunade, and the pachinko is still the pachinko, and nothing has changed, the pachinko can no longer satisfy Tsunade. Now, she needed Naruto.

Suddenly, the sliding door was opened from the outside with a bang.

Naruto was seated on the tatami, with a small table in front of him and a few dice scattered on top. When he saw Tsunade enter, he looked up at her with a gentle smile.

His face was calm, but inside, he was shouting, 'Fall into temptation, Tsunade!!!'

"Just so you know, I'm a bit tired. After this round, I'm going to bed." Tsunade said as she yawned, uttering a timeless phrase that echoed through the ages.

(This is the last round! Really, I won't play anymore after this. Just one more game, then I'll sleep! Stupid game, I'll quit after this round.)

"What's wrong with you?" Tsunade waved her hand in front of Naruto's face.

"Nothing, just remembered something funny." Naruto replied with a grin, thinking of his old dormmates who lived by the 'one last game' rule back before he crossed over into this world.

Snapping back to reality, Naruto glanced at Tsunade. She was casually dressed in thin pajamas, her figure fully on display. Her legs were lazily draped to the side, and her feet, with perfectly white toes, peeked out from under the fabric. Her ankles looked smooth and pristine, like freshly polished rice.

Tsunade reached for the dice on the table, her movements were a bit rough, revealing a large expanse of her chest. Naruto took a brief, bold glance before respectfully averting his eyes.

"Alright, one round it is." He nodded.

Of course, Naruto didn't believe for a second that Tsunade would stop after one round. Sure enough, after winning the first round, Tsunade looked unsatisfied. She wanted to get up and leave, but was a little hesitant.

She looked at Naruto and swallowed nervously. She hoped that Naruto would say something to make her stay, but she was a little annoyed by the way he stared at the ceiling, pretending not to notice.

'If you don't want to play, then don't play. What's the big deal?'

'I'm going to sleep!'

Tsunade stood up suddenly and looked at Naruto with clenched teeth, but a smile still appeared on her face.

"That's it. I'm going to bed now."

"Okay, Tsunade-sama." Naruto replied with a respectful smile.

Seeing this, Tsunade felt her irritation rise but had nowhere to vent it, so she could only turn around and leave. With a loud bang, the door was closed again.

Naruto sat there for several seconds before finally allowing a smug grin to spread across his face.

'You've grown into a mature Tsunade. You'll need to learn how to win over yourself.'

Late at night.

As expected, Tsunade couldn't sleep. She's tossing and turning in her bed. Shizune, who is beside her, curiously poked her head out from under the quilt and asked, "What's wrong, Tsunade-sama?"

"Nothing, I just can't sleep." Tsunade grumbled, "Don't mind me, Shizune. Go ahead and sleep."

"Oh, alright."

The night grew darker, and Tsunade hid herself under the thin blanket, feeling a persistent itch in her heart. That strange feeling wouldn't go away.

'If I had known this, I would have played one more round!'

'It's all that guy's fault. He has no sense at all!'

Thinking of Naruto, Tsunade suddenly paused. She seemed to have forgotten his name. He must have told her a couple of days ago, but she hadn't been paying attention, too absorbed in the game at the time.

'What was it… Naruto?'

'That name sounded strangely familiar. Hadn't Jiraiya mentioned someone with that name?' When did he say it? I forgot.'

After tossing and turning through half the night, Tsunade finally drifted off into sleep.

…

The next morning.

Tsunade, who didn't sleep well the night before, yawned and went to wash up with a tired look on her face.

At the corner of the hallway, she bumped into Naruto, who was also heading to wash up. Seeing him looking so energetic, Tsunade felt her temper flare up again.

"Good morning, Tsunade-sama."

"Mhm." Tsunade reacted a little coldly, brushing past him without much care.

Naruto, however, didn't mind at all. He followed closely behind Tsunade, laughing and continuing to talk. His deep understanding of Tsunade allowed him to find ways to start a conversation with her, even though Tsunade was clearly in a bad mood.

Despite her frustration, Tsunade found it hard to stay mad at Naruto. It felt as if every punch she wanted to throw was hitting nothing but soft cotton.

How could the 30-year-old Tsunade be a match for Naruto who practically had a cheat code? Relying on his six years of understanding of Tsunade, Naruto could almost master every habit and hobby of Tsunade, well, except for some private matters.

Of course, he couldn't exactly ask Tsunade whether she preferred manual or automatic 'transmission', or how often she took 'road trips'. That would likely get his head smashed in.

In addition to Naruto's skill and courage, those years of informal interaction with Tsunade did give him plenty of opportunities to push boundaries. The 30-year-old Tsunade might not understand him, but he knew her all too well.

Unable to vent her anger, Tsunade returned to her room. By the afternoon, the three of them resumed their journey. This time, Tsunade had made up her mind not to speak with Naruto anymore, to avoid getting sucked back into his games.