Chapter 106: Haku meets Tsunade

After they had their fill, the group stood up, stomachs full and hearts fuller.

"Thank you, Teuchi-oji-san! Ayame-nee-chan!" Naruto waved like a little kid saying goodbye to his grandparents.

Ayame leaned over the counter, waving back. "Come by anytime, Haku-chan! Next time, I'll make you try our spicy miso special!"

Teuchi gave a sage nod, wiping his hands on his apron. "That one was on the house, for you."

Naruto blinked. "Eh? Really?"

Teuchi chuckled. "It's not every day I see someone new smile like that after one bite. That smile paid for everything."

Haku's eyes widened. "T-Teuchi-san… that's too kind. I—I can pay."

He raised a hand, cutting her off gently. "No need. Consider it a welcome gift—from a humble chef who believes food tastes better when shared."

Karin smirked. "Careful, Haku, if you keep collecting hearts like this, even the ANBU might go easy on you."

Sasuke just grunted. "Hn. Let's go."

Naruto, still grinning ear to ear, whispered as they stepped into the sunlight, "Told ya Ichiraku changes lives."

Haku glanced back at the shop one last time. The red curtain swayed gently in the breeze, and Teuchi gave a small salute from the counter.

She turned back to the bustling street of Konoha, walking beside her new friends.

For the first time in years, she didn't feel like a weapon.

She felt... welcomed.

As they walked through the busy streets, Naruto casually tossed out a question like he was talking about the weather.

"So, how'd the interrogation go?"

Haku gave a calm smile. "Smooth. Nothing difficult."

"Oh, nice. Who handled it?" Naruto asked, munching on a rice ball like this wasn't a potentially nerve-wracking process.

"Um… I think his name was Inoichi? Yamanaka Inoichi, maybe?"

Naruto grinned. "Ah, yeah. That's my future father-in-law."

Haku blinked. "Father-in-law?"

Confused, she leaned toward Karin and whispered, "Wait, I thought you were Naruto's girlfriend?"

Karin casually flipped her red hair over her shoulder. "I am. One of four."

Haku nodded instinctively. "Oh, that makes sen—" Then her brain caught up. Her eyes widened. "FOUR?!"

She practically shouted it.

Every head in the street turned.

Even Sasuke stopped mid-step, raising an eyebrow. Naruto froze mid-bite, his rice ball hovering in the air.

Karin just smirked smugly.

Naruto blinked innocently, "Eh? What happened?"

Karin casually, "Nothing. Just Haku realizing the true scale of your... romantic ventures."

Haku, flustered beyond saving, waved her hands in front of her like a traffic conductor having a meltdown. "F-four girlfriends?! Who does that? Is this normal here?! Is Konoha always like this?!"

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Ehh... I didn't plan it, y'know. It just kind of... happened."

"You make it sound like tripping into a pit of ramen," Haku muttered, staring at him like he'd grown a second head.

Naruto raised both hands dramatically, halo practically glowing behind his head. "I am but a humble victim of affection! Blame not the leaf, but the wind that carries it!"

Haku narrowed her eyes, trying very hard not to smile. "You mean to say... four girls just randomly confessed, and you, the poor innocent soul, were forced to accept out of compassion?"

Naruto nodded solemnly. "Exactly. I call it... the burden of being lovable."

Sasuke muttered under his breath, "Tch. Dobe's romantic life sounds like a filler arc."

Karin smirked and looped her arm around Haku's. "Don't let him confuse you. He may act like a golden retriever, but he's got that sly fox energy under the surface."

Naruto dramatically gasped, "Et tu, Karin?!"

Karin waved him off like swatting a fly. "Anyway, Haku, where to next? Wanna visit our humble little gambling house or humble home"

Haku blinked. "Wait—gambling house?"

Naruto chuckled, brushing a hand through his hair. "Yeah, our place is called Ramen to Ruretto. You might've heard of it?"

Haku blinked. "Ramen to Ruretto? That's yours?"

Both Naruto and Karin nodded nonchalantly, like they'd just admitted to owning a corner bakery and not a local hotspot. "Yep. All ours," Karin added with a wink.

Haku tilted her head slightly, surprised. "I didn't expect that... it's kinda famous, you know."

Naruto grinned. "Well, you know how it is—ramen by day, roulette by night."

"But," Haku said gently, "I think I'd rather skip the roulette part. The atmosphere in gambling houses isn't really my thing."

"Fair enough," Karin said, giving her a friendly pat on the back. "Home it is."

Naruto stretched his arms behind his head, smile easy. "Alright, then. Let's head home."

As they strolled toward home, Haku glanced over. "By the way… where's Kakashi?"

Naruto groaned immediately. "He went to report the mission. But the guy vanished before giving us our payment."

Karin smirked. "He probably hit the bookstore the moment he touched money. You know he can't resist those trashy novels."

"That's our money he's using for his smut," Naruto grumbled, fists clenched like a betrayed husband.

"Hn," Sasuke added solemnly, which everyone translated as "facts."

Just as they turned the corner near the ramen street, they were greeted by a familiar sight—golden hair, a confident strut, and an aura that screamed 'Don't mess with me unless you want to fly.'

"Oi, Naruto!" came the unmistakable voice of Tsunade.

Behind her trailed Shizune, composed and graceful as ever, like a calm tide following a hurricane.

Naruto waved, grinning. "Yo, Tsunade! Don't tell me the hospital finally threw you out for excessive gambling and medical drama?"

Tsunade cracked her knuckles and bonked him lightly on the head. "Watch that mouth, brat. I own the hospital."

"Yeah, yeah, you own it. But c'mon, where's Sakura? I figured she'd ambush me by now."

"She was in the middle of training when she heard you were back," Shizune replied, stepping up with a small smile. "She bolted off to find you."

Naruto tilted his head. "Huh… we must've just missed her."

"She might be waiting at home, y'know," Shizune said with a gentle grin. "Probably planning to surprise you."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "That'd be so like her. Last time she popped out of a cupboard and nearly decked me."

Tsunade, meanwhile, had her sharp eyes locked on Haku. "So… this the new girl you dragged back from across the border?" Her voice wasn't hostile—but definitely inspecting.

Haku instinctively straightened up. She was facing Tsunade Senju, one of the Legendary Sannin—a living legend, iryo-nin goddess… and an absolute bombshell.

But Haku's eyes, despite all discipline, dropped to the woman's chest. She froze.

Good lord… There was no contest. It was like comparing a snow bunny to a mountain lion.

Haku glanced down at herself.

Still growing, she comforted herself like a prayer. Still growing. There's hope…

Right then, Karin leaned in like a devilish little gossip bird and whispered, "That's Tsunade. One of Naruto's biggest… infatuations. She's kind of the main boss of his heart."

Haku blinked. "Wait… you mean like—"

"Oh yeah," Karin muttered with a dramatic sigh. "Even though I'm his girlfriend, I swear that woman lives rent-free in his head. It's like his ultimate MILF fantasy turned real."

Haku's soul briefly left her body.

Naruto, blissfully unaware of the emotional warzone behind him, waved toward home. "Alright, let's go before Sakura throws kunai at the front door thinking we're late."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Hmph. Just make sure you're not adding too many girls to the equation, Naruto. You're not building a harem."

Naruto shot her a cocky grin. "I mean, if it's a village alliance strategy, I think I'm doing a great job."

"Brat," she muttered with an eye-roll—but there was the hint of a smile too.