Chapter 12: Back To The Village
The journey back to Konoha had been relatively uneventful, but Travis couldn't shake the feeling that things would soon change. The village welcomed them back warmly, relieved to see their shinobi return safely. However, while others went back to their routines, Kakashi and Gai made their way straight to Lady Tsunade's office to deliver their report.
Tsunade listened carefully, her brows furrowed in thought. "So, let me get this straight," she said, rubbing her temples. "This Travis guy has some strange blue power. He can conjure powerful barriers that can withstand point-blank explosions and, on top of that, can transfer a blue ball into a dead person, bringing them back to life. Is that all?"
"That's what we've seen for now," Kakashi confirmed. "He's also incredibly fast. Possibly even faster than my teacher."
Tsunade's fingers tapped against her desk as she pondered the information. 'Good thing we let him stay in the village. If we had kicked him out, he might've ended up as an ally to our enemies instead,' she thought grimly.
"Alright," she finally said. "We'll just have to observe him carefully during missions. Kakashi, since he's under your command, keep an eye on him. If we aren't careful, he could become an even bigger threat than we realize."
Kakashi nodded and left, but Tsunade found herself still unsettled. She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling before exhaling sharply. This wasn't the kind of thing she could ignore. If he was as strong as they were starting to believe, she needed to understand exactly what he was capable of.
After a brief moment of deliberation, she made a decision.
"All ANBU, leave," she ordered. The masked shinobi stationed around her office hesitated for only a second before vanishing into the shadows. This was something she had to handle personally.
Later that evening, Tsunade arrived at Travis's residence. She knocked firmly, waiting a few moments before the door finally swung open.
There he stood—half-naked, his toned torso exposed, a towel slung lazily over his shoulders. The heat from the bath he had just taken still lingered on his skin, faint wisps of steam curling off his damp hair.
Tsunade blinked, her sharp mind momentarily distracted by the sight before she quickly recomposed herself.
"Oh, Lady Hokage," Travis greeted, leaning against the doorway with a smirk. "What a surprise. What brings you here?"
Tsunade crossed her arms. "May I come in? I need to speak to you about something important."
Travis stepped aside with a casual shrug. "Sure. Don't mind the mess—I wasn't expecting visitors."
Tsunade entered, glancing around. The room was surprisingly clean, aside from a few books and scrolls scattered on a small desk. She sighed, realizing he had been joking again.
'I need to stop taking some of the things he says seriously,' she thought, shaking her head as she took a seat on his bed.
Travis remained in the center of the room, arms folded, waiting for her to speak.
"I want to talk about your powers," she said, cutting straight to the point. "Do you perhaps have a Kekkei Genkai?"
Travis tilted his head slightly. "I guess you could call it that."
Tsunade frowned slightly. "I heard that you can create some kind of barrier. Do you mind showing me how it's done?"
His relaxed expression disappeared in an instant. His jaw tightened slightly, and his eyes darkened—not with anger, but with something unreadable.
"Yes, I do mind," he said flatly.
Tsunade blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Huh?"
"You heard me." His voice was firm, his posture unyielding. Without another word, he walked toward the door and opened it, gesturing for her to leave.
Tsunade remained seated for a moment, still processing his sudden shift in demeanor.
"I wasn't trying to interrogate you, you know," she finally said, standing up.
Travis didn't reply. He just watched her with an unreadable expression.
With a reluctant sigh, she stepped past him and out the door. Just as she opened her mouth to say something else, he closed the door in her face.
For a long moment, she simply stood there. Then, with a soft chuckle, she shook her head.
'He's more stubborn than I expected.'
Inside, Travis leaned against the door, staring at the ceiling.
'I should move from here,' he thought. 'Now that I think about it.'
TO BE CONTINUED
A Few Days Later
Travis had moved out of the Hokage's tower and settled into a small apartment within the village, coincidentally placed right next to Naruto's. It wasn't much, just a simple space with a bedroom, a small kitchen, and a bathroom, but it was quiet, and for now, that was all he needed.
As the morning sunlight streamed through his window, he got up from bed, stretched, and made his way to the bathroom. The water was refreshingly cold against his skin as he showered, but before he could fully relax, a knock on the door caught his attention.
With a sigh, he turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around his waist before heading toward the door.
When he opened it, he was greeted by Sakura, standing there with a friendly smile.
"Yo," he said casually.
The greeting barely registered in Sakura's mind. The moment her eyes landed on him, her thoughts froze. His well-toned upper body was still damp, droplets of water running down his chest. His powerful thighs and defined calves were on full display, and—whether she meant to or not—her gaze briefly flickered lower, catching sight of the outline beneath the towel.
Her brain short-circuited.
'Oh my god.'
It all happened in the span of a second, but to her, it felt like an eternity.
"You alright?" Travis asked, snapping her out of her daze.
Sakura quickly straightened, forcing herself to focus. "Uh—yes! Yes, I'm fine! Sorry, I was just thinking about something." She cleared her throat, trying to sound composed. "I actually came to see if you'd like a tour of the village. Since you're still new here, I figured introducing you to some of the people might be a good idea."
Travis nodded. "That's nice of you. Give me a moment, though—I was in the middle of something." He gestured inside. "Come in. It'd be rude to leave you standing outside."
"Thanks," she said, stepping inside. She glanced around, taking in the sparse interior—there was barely any furniture, just a bed and an empty kitchen area.
"Where should I sit?" she asked, turning back to him.
Travis shrugged. "You can sit on my bed for now."
Sakura nodded and sat down while he returned to the bathroom. The sound of running water resumed as he continued his shower.
Left alone in his room, Sakura found herself in an unexpected internal battle with her thoughts.
'Holy crap, I can't believe I'm in a guy's room,' she thought. 'And not just any guy—Travis, of all people.'
She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. 'The first guy I thought I'd be visiting in his room would've been Sasuke… but I guess that's not happening anymore.'
A strange warmth settled in her chest.
'Not that I mind. Travis is… interesting. He's strong, he's confident, and he actually seems like a nice guy. Plus… he's hot. Not gonna lie.'
Then, another thought crept into her mind.
'Let's just hope Ino doesn't try anything. That bitch always has to compete with me over guys.'
Her gaze wandered across the room before landing on his pillow. She stared at it for a moment, her fingers twitching slightly.
'No… I shouldn't…'
But the temptation was too strong.
Glancing toward the bathroom door to make sure he was still occupied, she leaned down and pressed her face against his pillow, inhaling deeply.
Her eyes widened slightly.
'His hair smells really nice… I've noticed how well-groomed he is, too.' She bit her lip. 'A guy who takes care of himself? That's already a huge plus.'
Just then, the water stopped running.
Sakura shot up like she'd been caught committing a crime.
A moment later, Travis stepped out, now fully dressed in his usual attire.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go."
Sakura quickly composed herself and nodded. "Right! Let's go."