Konoha: The Honored One

"I'm not interested in listening to your nonsense." Tsunade grabbed Gojo's collar, her sharp eyes zeroing in on his bare neck. "Where's the necklace I gave you?"

She had entrusted him with the First Hokage's relic necklace long ago—a sentimental gift steeped in history.

"The cursed necklace, you mean?" Gojo replied, completely unbothered. He tilted his head like he was genuinely confused. "Oh, that thing? I give it to people I can't stand."

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched.

"I handed it to the Third Hokage, and, well..." Gojo gave a dramatic shrug, the corners of his lips curving into a smug grin. "You know how that turned out."

The words hit like a thrown kunai.

"Oh, really?" Tsunade smiled. It wasn't her kind, benevolent smile—it was the smile of a woman about to murder someone in broad daylight. Her fists clenched, knuckles cracking ominously.

The air in the Hokage office shifted as her golden chakra exploded outward. The entire building trembled under the pressure; cracks spiderwebbed across the walls and floor.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune yelped, fumbling to keep her balance.

"Boink-boink-boink!" Tonton, the little piglet, squealed in panic before darting behind Tsunade's leg, trembling like a leaf.

Gojo glanced lazily at the pig. "You keep squealing like that, and I really will stew you."

Tonton froze. It had narrowly avoided Gojo's pot before and wasn't about to test its luck again.

"Gojo Satoru!" Tsunade ground her teeth, her voice low and dangerous. "Let's see how long you can last hiding behind that fancy bloodline of yours!"

Her punch came fast—blisteringly fast—but Gojo casually caught it mid-swing, as if stopping a runaway boulder was just another Tuesday for him.

"Don't be so dramatic." He held her fist easily, his usual smug grin intact. "Besides, relax. It's still here."

Tsunade's frown deepened. "Still here?"

Gojo reached into his pocket, pulling out the necklace, the green crystal gleaming in the light. He slipped it over his neck with a flourish.

"See? How could I give away something this precious?" He winked, his tone dripping with faux sincerity. "Even if it's cursed, curses don't really work on me, y'know."

Tsunade exhaled slowly, her chakra dissipating as she crossed her arms. "You're insufferable."

"Aw, come on. Don't be mad." Gojo stepped closer, his voice suddenly playful. "I even got you a gift to cheer you up."

"A gift?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "From you?"

"Yup!" He smirked, holding up a finger. "Close your eyes, and when I count to three, you can open them."

Tsunade huffed but relented, closing her eyes. "This better not be another one of your stupid pranks."

"Oh, trust me, this is very serious," Gojo said, his voice carrying a mock gravity that only made him sound more suspicious.

The moment she closed her eyes, he leaned in and kissed her.

"WAH!" Shizune froze, her jaw hanging open as she watched Gojo press his lips to Tsunade's.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but to Tsunade, it felt like an eternity. She stiffened at first, her instinct screaming at her to knock him into next week. But then, just for a fleeting moment, she let herself relax.

It was her first kiss.

Gojo pulled back, smirking. "By the way, you should probably use less lipstick. Tastes weird." And just like that, he vanished in an instant, his teasing words hanging in the air.

Tsunade stood frozen, her fingers brushing her lips. Her brain short-circuited as the memory replayed in her mind.

Her face turned a shade of red that rivaled the sunset.

"Accepted... kissed..." she muttered, her legs wobbling before she collapsed onto the floor.

Shizune, who had been covering Tonton's eyes, was still blushing furiously. She hadn't blinked once. "Gojo-sama is so bold..."

But her thoughts were cut short as Tsunade's rage finally erupted.

"A**HOLE!"

Her fist slammed into the floor, shattering the remnants of the already crumbling Hokage office. The building groaned as it began to collapse, leaving the ninjas inside scrambling for cover.

For what felt like the hundredth time, the Hokage office was reduced to rubble.

Shizune sighed, kneeling among the debris. "Tsunade-sama, this is the second time in two days you've demolished the Hokage building..." Her voice was deadpan, resigned to the inevitable repair apologies she'd have to make.

Tsunade ignored her. Instead, she absentmindedly touched her lips again, her thoughts drifting back to that moment. Despite herself, the corners of her mouth twitched upward.

"What a jerk..." she muttered under her breath. But as much as she hated to admit it, she liked the "gift."

"Shizune," Tsunade called out, her voice suddenly cold.

"Y-Yes, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune stammered, her sense of impending doom sharpening.

"Forget what you saw." Tsunade cracked her knuckles, her smile anything but friendly. "Don't worry. I'll help you forget... It might hurt a little."

Shizune paled, backing away slowly. "W-Wait, Tsunade-sama! Let's talk about this!"