A Journey Through the Universes

The next day.

On a small clearing, the third training ground, there were: Tetsuya, Jiraya and Orochi, waiting for Tsunade's arrival. They were scheduled for another training session and a mini-tournament for the "lunch box".

Especially this was expected by Jiraya, who was already all worn out.

Pacing nervously, he periodically looked around, and when once again he did not find Tsuna, he sighed wearily.

– This waiting will kill me! – he exclaimed, looking at the sky - How can you be late when such important things are at stake. The white–headed man continued to grumble.

Tetsuya couldn't stand to look at it in silence anymore. After putting his hands behind his head, he chuckled and said – Jiraya, you behave like a hardened drug addict, it's just food. Cool down, Tsunade is late, for now, just three minutes. –

Stopping, Jiraya, with a face full of sadness and loneliness, replied – Ah, you won't understand our feelings Tetsuya. –

– Whose are these "our" feelings? – the hero measured him with a glance.

Standing in a caricature pose, the toad summoner dramatically replied – Well, of course mine and Orochimaru's. In fact, he expects this tournament much, much more than me. –

Orochi, who was sitting a little apart and meditating, did not pay attention to the conversation ... or did, but did not interfere.

– What makes you think that? Tetsuya asked curiously, looking thoughtfully at the snake summoner.

– It's easy to understand, so think for yourself, what does our friend have from interests? Jiraya asked conspiratorially, in a low tone.

– Hmm. Research and ninjutsu ... like everything ... – with a little surprise for himself, the hero noted.

– Yes, everything when I have just a bunch of interests, starting with gambling, women, drinking and food… –

Tetsuya interrupted the white–headed man, saying quickly - Wait, wait, are you saying that for Orochi, my food has become a small outlet, diluting his monotonous life? –

The white–headed one, like a dummy, quickly nodded with a soulful expression on his face - Aha! And in general, he really likes this whole idea of a mini-tournament. I think even without the prize in the form of your cooking, he would be happy to participate in such a thing. –

Tetsuya's eyebrows furrowed for the first time during the conversation, while his brain processed the information, cursing himself along the way. "What an idiot I am! With these trainings and relationships, I forgot about Orochi, whose fate, at least in the canon, was gloomy… If you remember, the guy smiled much more often during our missions… Yes, he loved our joint missions the most, even though he tried not to show it... Oh, a little ashamed now… Before all these joint trainings, he was always alone, right?" –

Turning his head, the hero looked at the white–headed man with respect and said admiringly - Jiraya, I could not even think that you could notice such small details… You did well, as expected from my teammate. At the end, Tetsuya even slapped him on the shoulder with a smile.

The tight grin of the toad summoner testified that the flattery of a comrade had hit right into the heart. –Ah, thank you Tetsuya... can I hit you?" –

– No, you can't. – Tetsuya answered with a teasing smile, and then continued normally – I understand that you did not just start this conversation, so I ask directly… What'll we do? –

– Ah ... – sighed the white–headed man and continued unhurriedly, looking longingly at Orochi - I think somewhere to have fun with the three of us, a purely male company. Preferably tomorrow, since I have a mission after. –

– Mmm, why only the three of us? –

Jirai's skeptical gaze swept over the hero – With Tsunade, we will not be able to visit some places, and talk about some things, besides, a strange atmosphere constantly hovers around you. –

– Okay, okay. – Tetsuya rolled his eyes – Tomorrow we'll meet here at ten o'clock and have fun, I hope you already have a plan. –

"Catching fire," Jiraya replied with a grin – You offend! First the springs, then a massage, a restaurant, then we'll play a little, and then we'll look at the girls…–

But before Jiraya could finish speaking, his sense of danger rang out, warning of deadly trouble.

Pulling out the kunai, the white-haired man quickly turned around carefully along the way, running his eyes in search of the source of the murderous intent, but found only a teammate, or rather the captain, who was walking slowly, throwing knives with her eyes.

Tsunade was approaching their clearing with a steady step. All three guys, with just one glance, understood that something was about to happen.

The girl's body was tense, like a spring. The breathing is even and deep, the eyes with a sharp look pierced the carcass of Jirai.

Tetsui's thoughts were looking for a reason for such behavior – "There are several options. Yesterday she was supposed to see a rejuvenated Mito, but this is not a reason for this… Maybe Mito told me something else yesterday, for example, that I am her uncle… Or maybe Hiruzen gave us a super serious mission and she's going to tell us about it, or someone died... there are too many guesses and why build them when I'll know the answer soon." –

The rapidly sweating Jiraya, swallowing a lump in his throat, mentally shouted – "What the hell!? Tsunade, are you really going to kill me for inviting him to a brothel!? This is ridiculous! It can't be!!!... really?" –

Orochimaru got up from the grass, dusted himself off and approached the guys with a fighting spirit. He also noticed the strange behavior of his captain, but his thoughts on this matter were different – "As expected from Tsunade, she is seriously determined to win our tournament. She has lost what she has been eating for many years and wants to get it back, at least for a day. I understand, but I will not give in, there is no place for pity in this case! These goodies will be mine!" –

When Tsunade got close enough, she removed her murderous gaze from Jirai and instead began to look thoughtfully into Tetsuya's multicolored eyes. – Leave us alone. her smooth, calm voice sounded.

The white-headed exhaled, wiped the sweat from his forehead, internally rejoicing that everything was fine.

But Orochimaru frowned, looking at Tetsuya – "Does she really want to bribe him?" –

Jiraya saw that Orochi did not fully grasp the tense atmosphere, so he grabbed the snake summoner and led him away, having already forgotten about the tournament, wanting to leave the clearing as soon as possible.

At first, Orochi refused, but when Jiraya offered to unite in the tournament, and divide the winnings in half, he became interested in the offer.

As a result, after ten seconds, only Tsunade and Tetsuya remained in the clearing of the training ground.

They stood in silence for a while while a cool breeze blew over them, refreshing their young bodies.

With each passing second, the girl's face became more and more tense. With each passing second, her breathing quickened and her face turned red.

Finally, clenching her fists to a crunch, Tsuna took a deep breath and said loudly in one breath, looking into the eyes of the hero – I love you! –

Time seemed to freeze, or so it seemed to Tsunade. Tetsuya remained silent, maintaining his eternally calm face and a slight smile. Every second of this silence was like an eternity for Tsuna. With every second, the girl was experiencing phantom pressure.

This phantom pressure grew until the hero's face took on a more welcoming expression with a gentle, affectionate smile. – I love you, too, Tsunade. –

Instantly, the girl's heart trembled, butterflies fluttered in her stomach, her breathing quickened, a silly joyful, happy smile crept out on her face, but the next words made Tsuna freeze.

– I love you, but Tsunade, I don't think that we will succeed, let's just stay friends. –

In an instant, the previous state disappeared, the heart ached unpleasantly, the stomach twisted, breathing became difficult, a panicked expression forcibly crept out on the face.

Jiraya and Orochimaru, who were sitting nearby and peeking, were whispering.

– What passions! The white–headed man exclaimed softly, energetically shifting his gaze from Tsuna to Tetsuya and vice versa.

– I feel sorry for her, to be honest. Orochi said sympathetically, closing his eyes.

– Yes, there is such a thing. Tsunade often beats me, sometimes about sometimes without, but I feel very sorry for her now. I understand how she feels now, I have often been in her place… But I don't think this girl will give up now, not in her style, not in her character. Jiraiya finished with a smile, slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"That's right. Okay, look, it seems to have "thawed out". –

And that's right, Tsunade, closing her eyes for a moment, exhaled and regained relative calm. At least outwardly it seemed that she was calm. "I knew I'd hear that… How unpleasant, painful… Huh, no one said it would be easy ... Hoo, okay, into battle!" – I thought before asking Why we are unlikely to succeed, or rather, why did you take it? –

Mentally cursing himself as an egoist manipulator, Tetsuya replied, "Harem." I want him, it's my dream. I know you well, Tsuna, I can bet that you are much better than others, and therefore I understand that you will never agree to such a thing, and you should not agree. It would be better if you find a better guy than me and enter into a normal, healthy relationship with him. –

- "I knew it! All this is his dream will interfere with us, just like grandma said!" the Tetsuya girl shouted in her mind, do you really need this vile harem with me? Am I not able to replace him? Is your love for me so weak? –

The hero smiled sadly in his mind – "Sorry Tsuna, your level of manipulation is too low… I'm sorry, you fell into my net" – after which he said with a wistful expression – I love you Tsuna, I love you very much, but my dream is dear to me. All my life I went to my dream, learned to cook for my wives, learned to do massage to show them my affection, love, despite their numerical superiority. He became stronger to protect them, not to let anyone offend… Do you understand? I can't stop now, no matter how much I love you. I know it will hurt me without you. I know that it will hurt me even more when I see you with someone else, but I am ready to make such sacrifices, I am ready to experience this devastating mental pain… That's all. –

Tetsuya mentally clapped himself at the end of his speech, as he literally almost believed what he had just said. Although he told the truth, just a little embellished.

The oppressive silence came again.

It was obvious that Tsunade was barely holding back the bubbling rage, anger, pain, sadness, disappointment and ordinary tears. The whirlpool of emotions overwhelmed her, or rather tried to do it, but the girl held on with all her might.

Biting her lips to the point of pain, she said in a broken voice, "I love you Tetsuya, I love you very much and therefore I will not give up. I will never give up! – then the girl quickly turned around, as she did not want to show the tears that rolled down her cheeks. – I'm going home! Grandma asked me to come back quickly. – she brazenly lied, running away…

Tetsuya watched as the sobbing girl ran away. So strong, but so weak inside...

– "What kind of scum am I… As only the earth carries me. In the future, I must definitely make her happy." – the hero thought with longing and self-reproach, clenching his fists until they bled.

My heart ached violently, my soul was tossing in agony, and only my mind remained the same cold, the same calculating, calm.

Jiraya and Orochi, who were peeping from behind the bushes, smiled bitterly, but were still glad that everything ended more or less well.