The World Begins to Change

"How about this? If I lose, I'll cover for you so Grandma Mito won't punish you."

At that, Tsunade nodded even faster.

"But if you lose, you have to give me your snacks. What do you say, deal?"

Tsunade's mind was entirely occupied by Hoshiryu Uchiha's promise to cover for her. How could she have noticed what came after that?

She quickly picked up the dice and declared spiritedly:

"No problem. Let's begin!"

Before long, it was time for lunch. Chika searched the courtyard for a while without finding the two children, then headed to their room.

By the time she arrived, Tsunade was already lying on the floor with a deadened expression.

Chika was greatly alarmed and hurried over to help Tsunade up, asking what had happened.

But no matter how Chika questioned her, Tsunade refused to say a word.

Hoshiryu Uchiha knew Chika had come to fetch them for lunch and did not want to waste time here, so he dealt Tsunade another blow.

"It's nothing. She just lost all of this month's snacks to me."

Upon hearing that, Tsunade looked even more like she had lost the will to live, while Chika could not help laughing in exasperation.

"It's all right, Lady Tsunade. If you want something to eat, just tell me. I'll make it for you."

Tsunade was deeply moved. She stepped forward and threw her arms around Chika, then stuck her tongue out at Hoshiryu Uchiha.

Watching the scene beside them, Hoshiryu Uchiha could not help coughing twice to remind them that it was time to eat.

At the reminder, Chika released Tsunade, brought the two of them to the dining room, and left.

There were also two adults waiting for them in the dining room, one man and one woman.

The moment Tsunade saw them, she ran over excitedly and leaped into the man's arms.

"Dad, why are you back? Didn't you say you were going to fight on the front lines?"

Yosuke Senju held Tsunade and answered with a chuckle:

"Then you should thank Hoshiryu. I only came back because of him."

Seisetsu Senju, beside him, also chimed in:

"That's right. We were already prepared to set off when Mother suddenly told us not to leave yet."

"Later, we learned that she wanted to adopt a child and needed our whole family to be present as witnesses."

"Thanks to him, we don't have to return to the war."

When Hoshiryu Uchiha saw Tsunade's reaction, he had already made a guess. These two were probably her parents, and their words soon proved that he had been right.

The meaning behind their words also gave Hoshiryu Uchiha food for thought. It seemed that Tsunade's parents had never been mentioned in the story.

If he was right, then had it not been for him, this battle would likely have left Tsunade's parents severely wounded, causing them to pass away far too early.

It seems I've already started flapping my wings and changing many things.

At that thought, Hoshiryu Uchiha suddenly felt that he had lost out. If he had known, he would not have gone soft-hearted and agreed to waive several months' worth of snacks.

After hearing her parents' explanation, Tsunade wriggled free of Yosuke Senju's embrace and walked over to Hoshiryu Uchiha.

Perhaps because there were so many people watching, Tsunade could not help feeling a little shy. Blushing, she said quietly:

"Thank... you..."

The moment Hoshiryu Uchiha heard that, he immediately said:

"If you really want to thank me, how about we don't waive those snacks after all?"

Tsunade was so embarrassed and angry that she swung a weak punch at Hoshiryu Uchiha.

"No! You can't take back what you promised me."

The two adults watched their squabbling with smiles, only reminding them to eat after a while.

After lunch, the two adults stopped Hoshiryu Uchiha just as he was about to leave.

Seeing that this had nothing to do with her, Tsunade returned to her room, intending to make up for all the time she had wasted that afternoon.

Otherwise, Mito Uzumaki might hang her up and make her study Sealing Techniques, only letting her down once she had finished.

The moment she imagined that scene, Tsunade walked even faster.

Yosuke Senju did not mind Tsunade slipping away. He took a scroll from behind his back and handed it to Hoshiryu Uchiha.

"Hoshiryu, Lady Mito asked me to give this to you. Please accept it."

Hoshiryu Uchiha recognized this type of scroll. It was used to seal items, and he had one himself.

After accepting the scroll, he asked:

"What's sealed inside?"

"The Senju Clan's collection of ninjutsu. All of it."

Hoshiryu Uchiha's pupils contracted. He had not expected it to be something like this.

Although he had been certain that he would not lack ninjutsu after being adopted, he truly had not expected Mito Uzumaki to dare give him her entire collection.

But thinking back to their conversation that morning, it was not so surprising.

Still, it was strange. Hoshiryu Uchiha had never asked Mito Uzumaki for ninjutsu, so why had she suddenly handed this over to him?

With that thought in mind, Hoshiryu Uchiha asked:

"May I ask why you're giving this to me?"

Yosuke Senju looked at him and said with emotion:

"Lady Mito said that you're a genius seen only once in a thousand years. She doesn't know how to guide you."

"So she told me to give you all the ninjutsu. You'll decide your own path in the future."

"Of course, if there's anything you don't understand, you can come ask us."

After learning of Hoshiryu Uchiha's current strength, Mito Uzumaki knew that she was no longer qualified to train him.

This was no longer the Warring States era. Back then, one had to fight constantly to survive.

The pressure of survival would teach Hoshiryu Uchiha everything he needed to know.

After much consideration, Mito Uzumaki decided to leave that choice to Hoshiryu Uchiha himself. That was how this scroll came into his hands.

Holding the item, Hoshiryu Uchiha understood that Mito Uzumaki had not merely been paying lip service. She had even given him her entire family fortune.

Seeing that he was somewhat moved, Yosuke Senju patted him on the shoulder and said:

"Don't mind it. Every one of us has looked through this scroll, but whether you can learn it still depends on you."

Though he said that, Hoshiryu Uchiha truly was deeply moved.

If someone treated you with complete sincerity and you felt nothing at all, would that not make you no different from a stone?

At this stage, Mito Uzumaki did not need much. She merely wanted to watch the village grow steadily and safely, and for her family not to come to harm.

With no desires came no demands. In Mito Uzumaki's current state, Hoshiryu Uchiha could not think of any way to repay her for the time being.

But then he thought of Tsunade and remembered how Mito Uzumaki had looked so troubled by her earlier that day.

It went without saying who Tsunade took after, but the current Tsunade really did have some bratty tendencies.

As Mito Uzumaki's descendant, there was no reason she could not learn Adamantine Sealing Chains.

Although only members of the Uzumaki Clan could use this ninjutsu, it could still be learned as a Sealing Technique.

Tsunade possessed the prerequisite to learn this ninjutsu: she was an Uzumaki descendant.