Chapter 197: Disbelief
Evening.
The silence in the Konoha Hospital office was absolute.
Tsunade sat behind her desk, her pen having remained motionless for a long time. On the calendar at the corner of the desk, a red circle highlighted today's date.
August second.
Her gaze was locked onto those numbers.
Two days.
It was as if Kitahara Kaede had simply evaporated; not a single trace of him had been found.
With a sharp *clack*, Tsunade slammed her pen onto the desk. She leaned back into her chair, a heavy weight pressing against her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
It wasn't that she hadn't tried to make excuses for him. But those thoughts had tumbled through her mind for two days, only to be crushed by a single sentence from Jiraiya.
"A style worn by young women."
Tsunade closed her eyes.
She had clung to one last, ridiculous fantasy: that as long as Kitahara Kaede returned and stood before her to explain himself, she would listen. No matter how absurd the excuse, at least it would show he cared.
But her birthday was nearly over, and he still hadn't returned.
Tsunade rubbed her temples in frustration, her temper flaring with every movement. Outside the window, the sky had faded into complete darkness, and the streets outside the hospital began to twinkle with scattered lights. In the distance, the sound of cheerful laughter drifted in, sounding gratingly loud through the glass.
Tsunade watched for a moment, a hint of self-derision crossing her face.
She wouldn't wait anymore.
She stood up and grabbed her coat, preparing to go home. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Before she could answer, Yakushi Nonou pushed the door open, her expression anxious.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry to disturb you so late."
Tsunade quickly suppressed her emotions, her voice devoid of ripple. "What happened?"
Nonou stepped closer, speaking rapidly. "A patient just ran out of their ward. The nurses said he's emotionally unstable and headed toward the Naka River."
Tsunade frowned. "Have people been sent to find him?"
"They have, but the hospital is short-staffed right now, and I have to return to the orphanage immediately—something happened with the children." Nonou's face was full of apology and helplessness. "I really can't step away, so I have no choice but to trouble you."
No matter how foul her mood, Tsunade couldn't simply ignore a patient. She threw on her coat and strode out.
"Understood. I'll go check it out."
Nonou visibly relaxed. "Thank you. The nurses said he headed downstream toward the Naka River."
Tsunade gave a short grunt of acknowledgement and didn't slow her pace. She walked quickly out of the hospital, the cool night wind hitting her face and clearing some of the frustration from her mind.
But as she walked, something felt off.
The patient was physically weak; could he really have run this far on his own? Moreover, the Naka River area was deserted at night.
Tsunade stopped by the riverbank, her gaze sweeping across the darkness. There was no one. The river was deathly silent. Only a nearby streetlight remained lit, illuminating a stretch of empty stone path.
Tsunade's frown deepened. 'Did Nonou get it wrong?'
Just as she was about to turn around—
*Whoosh!*
A piercing whistle sliced through the night sky. Tsunade looked up.
In the next instant, a massive bloom of fire exploded against the night sky on the opposite bank. Brilliant fireworks illuminated the entire riverbank like daylight.
Tsunade froze in place.
Immediately after, a second and third firework soared into the air. Red, gold, blue... one after another, they blossomed in the night sky before falling like shooting stars.
The dazzling light of the heavens reflected in her eyes.
Behind her, the sound of footsteps approached and stopped a short distance away.
"Lady Tsunade, happy birthday."
Tsunade's hand tightened instinctively. The suffocating tension that had blocked her chest for two days felt as if it had been cracked open by that voice.
She slowly turned around.
Kitahara Kaede was standing under the streetlight. He looked travel-worn, with an undeniable exhaustion in his eyes, but he was holding a very exquisite gift box. He looked at her with an expression that was almost overly earnest.
However, the ripple of emotion that had just surfaced in Tsunade's heart was instantly suppressed. Jiraiya's words echoed in her mind once more.
*A style worn by young women.*
She looked at him, her expression turning cold inch by inch. "So, you actually remember what day it is?"
Kitahara Kaede's heart sank. This tone was far worse than the worst-case scenario he had imagined. He pushed the gift box forward slightly, as if presenting his only piece of evidence.
"I do."
Tsunade glared at him, searching for the slightest flicker of emotion on his face. "Did you know two days ago?"
Kaede felt his scalp tingle with nervousness, but he steeled himself and nodded. "I knew two days ago, too."
On the opposite bank, another massive firework exploded, casting flickering, brilliant light between the two of them.
Tsunade suddenly turned her head back toward the river, her voice toneless. "Let's enjoy the fireworks first."
Seeing this, Kaede could only walk to her side, though he tactfully kept a half-step distance. The two of them stood side by side in silence, watching the grand display.
Kaede stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye. She didn't speak; she just watched quietly. The initial flash of surprise had long since vanished. Now, she radiated an aura that warned everyone to keep their distance.
Something was wrong. This reaction wasn't just because she was angry he'd forgotten her birthday. She definitely knew something!
The long display finally ended, and silence returned to the riverbank. Without a word, Tsunade turned to leave.
"Thank you for the fireworks; they were beautiful. I'm going back."
That polite formality made Kaede's heart shudder. Without thinking, he stepped directly in front of her to block her path.
"Wait."
Tsunade stopped and looked up at him. "Something else?"
Kaede held the gift box out to her with both hands. "There's also this."
Tsunade didn't take it; she didn't even glance at it. She stared directly into his eyes, her gaze like that of an interrogator questioning a criminal.
Kaede steadied his breathing. He knew that if he said one wrong word now, it would all be over.
"I didn't break our appointment two days ago on purpose."
Tsunade's tone was terrifyingly flat. "Mm."
That response made Kaede even more anxious.
"I had drawn up some designs because I wanted to have a custom coat made for your birthday."
Tsunade's gaze finally shifted.
"But the tailor told me the pattern was too troublesome and the stitching was too complex; there was no way to finish it in time. When I first went to him, he told me to visit some ready-to-wear shops to look at existing structures and modify them."
Tsunade stared at him. "So, your 'urgent matter' was going to look at clothes?"
"No!" Kaede immediately shook his head. "There really was an urgent matter at the time, which I handled outside the village first. Once that was dealt with, I rushed back to the tailor. For the past two days, I haven't left his side—I've been helping him modify the pattern and supervising every stitch just to barely get it finished in time."
His voice dropped lower as he continued. "I know I missed our date. But I truly didn't forget."
Tsunade looked at him, noting the exhaustion in his eyes and his earnest expression. She didn't want to believe him so easily, but every step of his explanation fit together perfectly; the logic was sound.
Seeing her waver, Kaede pushed the gift box forward again.
"Just look at the gift first."
Tsunade remained silent for a few seconds before finally taking it.
The lid opened.
Inside lay a pale-colored coat, resting quietly. The fabric was premium, smooth to the touch, with a clean style and a tailored fit that looked nothing like the generic, mass-produced clothing found on the streets.
What made her heart flutter, however, was the inside of the collar. There, embroidered in exquisite gold thread, was her name. It was small and understated—not flashy, yet impossible to miss.
Tsunade's hand lingered over those characters. The nameless anger that had burned in her chest for the past two days seemed to be smoothed away, stitch by stitch, by that meticulous needlework.
She looked up at him. "Did you do this?"
Kitahara Kaede nodded firmly. "I drew the patterns, and I personally oversaw the final details. If the fit isn't right, I can take it back and adjust it."
Tsunade didn't speak. She lifted the coat from the box and slipped it over her shoulders. It fit perfectly.
Suddenly, the grievance she had been harboring became difficult to suppress. If he had truly forgotten, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths.
But why hadn't he said something sooner? Why did he let her suffer alone for two whole days?
Tsunade abruptly turned her face away, hiding her expression, her voice turning stiff. "I suppose you were thoughtful."
Kitahara Kaede let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Catching sight of his relieved expression, the fire in Tsunade's heart sparked once more. She gave a cold huff. "Don't get happy too soon."
"I'll tell you in advance next time," Kaede added hastily.
"Then for this broken promise, I will begrudgingly forgive you." Tsunade shoved the empty gift box back into his arms and turned to walk away. "Let's go."
Kitahara Kaede followed. As they strolled along the river toward the village, the atmosphere seemed to soften. However, Kaede didn't dare fully relax.
Sure enough, after they had walked a short distance, Tsunade spoke up with an air of casual indifference. "I heard that when you left the tailor, you were carrying a cloth bag that looked quite full."
Kaede responded calmly, "Mm."
Tsunade turned her head, her beautiful eyes narrowing. "What was in it?"
Kaede's mind raced. "It wasn't clothes; just scraps of fabric used for the sample garment."
The scrutiny in Tsunade's eyes deepened. "Scrap fabric?"
Kaede's tone remained as steady as a mountain, without a hint of guilt. "The tailor asked me to bring them along. There were a few special fabrics he didn't have in his shop, and the ready-to-wear store happened to have some discarded remnants. I was in a rush, so I just put them in a cloth bag and took them."
Tsunade stared intently at his face, searching for a single crack in his story. Kaede didn't flinch, meeting her gaze openly. He even lifted the empty gift box slightly, as if presenting evidence.
"The inner lining of the cuffs on the coat you're wearing was picked from that pile."
Tsunade instinctively looked down at her cuffs. The inner fabric was indeed different from the main material of the coat, but the color and texture complemented it perfectly.
The detail matched. The explanation was logical. She couldn't find a single hole in his story.
And yet, something still felt off.
Tsunade resumed her pace, walking forward. "Oh."
Hearing that ambiguous "oh," the relief that had only halfway settled in Kaede's heart shot right back up to his throat. Did she believe him, or was she just dropping it for now?
He walked beside her and ventured a question. "Are you not angry anymore?"
Tsunade didn't even look at him. "I told you—I begrudgingly forgive you."
Kaede wisely shut his mouth, though he felt a tiny bit more relaxed. At least, on the surface, he had passed this hurdle.
By the time he escorted Tsunade to her door, the night had grown deep. She stood at the entrance.
"The fireworks were nice." She paused, looking at him. "And the clothes... they're alright."
Kaede smiled. "I'm glad you like them."
Tsunade didn't say anything more. She turned and entered the house, closing the door behind her.
The moment the door shut, the expression vanished from her face. She leaned against the door, looking down at the coat.
The clothes were real. The fireworks were real. The birthday wish was real.
But was that cloth bag really just full of scraps?
She didn't know. Kitahara Kaede's explanation had been flawlessly executed. But a woman's intuition didn't always require evidence.
Tsunade reached up and pressed her hand against the Blue Fluorite necklace at her collar.
'I'll let it slide this time. But if there really is another woman...'
'You're dead meat.'