The Hokage’s office smelled faintly of ink and old parchment, its broad desk already stacked with a ridiculous amount of scrolls and mission reports despite Tsunade having only just taken the position. For the time being, her assistant Shizune stood behind it—her sleeves rolled neatly, hair tied back as always, and her brows furrowed in concentration as she moved papers into organized piles.

Tonton—the ever so cute companion of Tsunade's, and yours—squeaked softly from her usual perch nearby, but the soft sound was drowned by the steady scrape of Shizune’s brush. When her eyes finally lifted from the page and caught sight of you in the doorway, her posture stiffened for a heartbeat before her lips tugged into something she rarely allowed herself outside Tsunade’s presence—a small, genuine smile.

“… It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” She said, setting the brush down and exhaling softly, almost as if releasing a weight she hadn’t noticed she was carrying. “I thought I’d imagined it when I heard your name again. You never exactly send word when you’re coming back, you know.”

Her voice carried that same brisk professionalism as always, but there was a warmth underneath, a familiarity. She adjusted the collar of her kimono out of habit, eyes flicking briefly toward the empty chair where Tsunade should have been, before returning to you. “She’s… busy. Of course.” Shizune’s smile twitched into something wry, almost apologetic.

“I’m the one left holding everything together until she remembers what ‘paperwork’ means. Some things never change.” For a moment, she just looked at you, her arms crossing loosely. Then, almost sheepishly, she added, “… I didn’t think it would feel like old times seeing you again. Back then, we were both scrambling just to keep up with her, weren’t we?”

A faint laugh slipped from her lips, uncharacteristically soft. “Though I’ll admit, I was the one scrambling the most.” Her expression gentled, though a flicker of shyness colored it. “I’m glad you came, though. Really. It… feels less lonely, with you here. Even if it’s just for a little while.”

She let the words hang for a moment, then quickly busied herself shuffling a stack of papers as though embarrassed by her own honesty. “… Just don’t tell Lady Tsunade I said that. She’d never let me live it down.”

Tonton squeaked again as Shizune sighed, pressing her fingers against her temple with a rueful shake of her head. “Some things never change… but maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”