Chapter 31: The Pendant Belongs to Me

Elsewhere – Inside the Hokage's Office

After listening to Tsunade's report about the circulating rumors, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face grew solemn, his brows furrowed in concern.

As Guts had predicted, despite White Fang's critical missteps and the bitterness they left behind, Sarutobi had never considered taking his life.

White Fang had, after all, once been one of the village's strongest assets. That kind of power wasn't easily replaced.

Although his position had been suspended due to public pressure, Sarutobi still valued him.

After a moment of thought, the Third Hokage quickly ordered the Anbu to contain the spread of the rumors.

But when the Anbu completed their investigation, the name behind the manipulation came to light—Shimura Danzo, an old political rival of Hiruzen with a very different vision for Konoha.

Unaware of the investigation's results, Tsunade had already left to meet with Guts.

Konoha Forest – By the Fire

A campfire flickered between them, its warmth brushing against the cool night air.

A fish skewered on a stick sizzled over the flames.

Guts sat on one side, Tsunade on the other, her face dark with frustration.

"That old bastard Danzo," she snapped.

"He actually had the nerve to go after White Fang? Tch."

Even though she didn't know the investigation results, Tsunade didn't need confirmation. Her gut—and her experience—told her everything she needed to know.

White Fang was aligned with the Third Hokage. If he were to fall, Sarutobi would lose one of his biggest supporters.

And Danzo? He'd be one step closer to the Hokage seat.

"But Danzo isn't strong,"

She muttered, kicking a stone into the fire.

"He's just a rat who knows how to play the political game. He'll keep his hands clean and let his puppets do the dirty work. Sarutobi-sensei won't be able to pin anything on him."

Crunch.

Guts bit into the grilled fish without a care in the world.

Tsunade glared at him.

"Oi! I'm talking about serious stuff and you're just eating?"

Without pausing, Guts chewed, swallowed, and spoke casually,

"White Fang's place is being watched. Six shinobi. About a fifty-meter radius. Probably Anbu, right?"

Tsunade's eyes widened.

"What did you say?"

"I can feel them. The way they move. Their chakra. It's subtle, but it's there."

"You… can sense that much?" she asked, frowning deeply.

"You're not a sensory-type, are you?"

Guts shrugged casually.

"I'm just... sensitive to presence. For example—"

He pointed behind him with his thumb, —four o'clock, thirteen feet up, branch exactly twelve meters away.

"One male crow, surrounded by three females."

Tsunade's brow twitched.

She narrowed her eyes, pulled out a kunai, and threw it without hesitation.

Thunk.

A flurry of caws erupted as the group of crows tumbled from the branch, black feathers swirling through the air.

Caw! Caw! Caw!

(Translation: "Whoever threw that—my deepest thanks," said the male crow while flying off.)

"…No way."

Tsunade stared at Guts, stunned.

She'd heard stories—how her grandfather, the Second Hokage Tobirama, had such a keen sense of perception he could detect enemy movements miles away. But this kid…

He might have a bloodline limit no one had discovered…

But her thoughts returned to what he said earlier.

"You're sure there are six shinobi watching White Fang's home?"

"You think I'd say it if I wasn't?" Guts replied calmly.

Tsunade's expression darkened.

"Anbu wouldn't be ordered to spy on White Fang. That means it's Danzo's [Root] division. That bastard…"

She clenched her fists. "Sarutobi-sensei's too soft. He just sat there and let Danzo grow this powerful."

Then a thought hit her.

"You went to White Fang's place... If Root spotted you, you might have caught Danzo's attention."

She stood quickly.

"We need to go to the Third right away. You'll stay with me from now on."

"…I just visited a classmate's house. Isn't that overkill?"

"You don't get it,"

Tsunade said, rubbing her temples.

"Danzo doesn't tolerate variables. He'd rather kill ten innocents than let one potential threat slip through the cracks."

Guts didn't respond.

He already knew she wasn't exaggerating. Danzo operated with the subtlety of a landmine and the morality of wet cardboard.

Tsunade sighed.

"And you? You've got zero political backing. No clan, no ties, no leverage. If he decides you're a problem, you're either dead or—"

She paused, then muttered with a grimace,

"—worse."

Guts raised an eyebrow. "Worse than dead?"

"Oh yeah."

Tsunade folded her arms.

"He'll drag you into Root, slap one of those cursed tongue seals on you—basically branding you like livestock—and boom: you're his good little soldier."

She leaned in with mock-serious intensity.

"Only speaks when spoken to. Only obeys Danzo. Can't talk back. Can't snitch."

"Can't even say the words 'I think for myself' without your throat locking up."

Tsunade crossed her arms, her gaze steady.

"If you stay with me, Danzo won't make a move. Not while you're under me."

There was a long pause.

Guts stared into the fire, silent.

...The way she said that just now definitely sounded sus, he thought, eyes narrowing slightly.

But I'm going to pretend I didn't catch it… and focus on more important things.

Living with Tsunade meant he could have that ahh—

Wait.

No, no. That came out wrong.

Guts cleared his throat, internally backspacing.

What I meant was… there are advantages. Like he would be wearing protection.

He paused.

Protection?

Why did that sound sus now?

He frowned.

He tried again.

"She'd keep me safe," he murmured.

Then paused.

"…Under her."

"..."

Guts rubbed his temple and thought

She was indeed right. His current strength wasn't enough to face one of Konoha's shadow rulers head-on.

Just then, his gaze shifted to the pendant around Tsunade's neck.

"You're going to the front lines again, huh?" he asked, smirking.

"That means I win the bet. The pendant's mine."

Tsunade blinked. "The bet…?"

"Give me that ahh… ahem—pendant."

Guts caught himself just in time, voice snapping back into neutral like nothing happened.

Internally, though?

His brain was on fire.

Man, I really need to stop thinking like this, he groaned silently. Why's everything sounding so damn sus lately?

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play it cool.

Gotta focus. Be serious. Be composed. Be the man with the strongest—

His thoughts short-circuited.

...Dick!?

His eye twitched.

"What the FUCK brain!?" he hissed under his breath, yanking himself out of the spiral like he was escaping Genjutsu.

Before she could react, Guts reached out, unfastened the chain from her neck, and slipped it over his own with a triumphant grin.

"There. It's officially mine."

Tsunade sat still, stunned. She looked at him, then looked away, cheeks faintly colored.

But she didn't stop him.

She didn't even say a word.

In the silence, her silence said everything.

Guts was smiling on the outside—but mentally, he was spiraling into a completely different rabbit hole.

Lately… he'd noticed something.

He was getting way too horny.

Like, absurdly.

At this age? he thought, frowning slightly. This shouldn't even be biologically possible… So why?

Then a terrifying theory struck him.

Wait. The template system… does it transfer horniness too?

He froze.

Does that mean—Garp? Garp feels this way too?

His mind, against all reason, conjured up the image: old man Garp, shirt halfway off, eyebrows furrowed, a wild look in his eyes as he—

"Nope!"

Guts hissed, shaking his head like he was trying to eject the mental image manually.

"No no no, that's a damn nightmare!"

He rubbed his temples, trying to scrub the scene from his brain.

Goddamn system. Gimme strength, not trauma.

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