The door to the Jonin Conference Room was badly damaged.
A clear fist-shaped dent marred the shattered door panel, deep and jagged. Anyone who saw it could feel the furious rage of the person who had struck it, as if it had nearly burst right through the wood.
But she didn't actually hit me?
Uchiha Sakuya walked out of the Jonin Conference Room, thoughtful.
He'd said such awful things, and yet Tsunade, who he remembered as hot-tempered as a flame, hadn't hit him?
He'd even planned to take one punch from her, then add a few more cutting remarks to make her truly hate him.
But all she'd done was smash the conference room door?
That wasn't like Tsunade at all!
If he compared it to a dating sim, Tsunade's affection for him should be at minus fifty by now. He'd planned to lower it to minus one hundred before starting to build it back up, but she'd stopped halfway. What a shame. He might not get such a wonderful start next time...
Was it because Tsunade was still young, so she wasn't as explosive?
Or was the simulated Tsunade merely based on his memories, rather than the real Tsunade, and therefore unable to capture her true nature?
Never mind.
Sakuya shook his head.
Her affection hadn't dropped as low as he'd intended, but he'd still accomplished the first step of his plan.
Now he only needed to carry out the rest of his arrangements, one step at a time.
But before that—
Sakuya gently pressed his fingers to his brow, feeling the unfamiliarity of his simulated body.
Before that, he needed to get used to this body.
After all, his real strength was only at the level of a Chunin, while this simulation had given him the power of a Three-Tomoe Sharingan and an elite Jonin.
To put it simply, it was like asking a young pony that had barely been trained to pull a heavy wagon like a Mercedes.
Even if it didn't collapse from exhaustion, its legs would probably go weak.
If he didn't take the chance to familiarize himself with his body, it would inevitably affect his plans.
Only by mastering this power as quickly as possible could he handle everything that came next with ease.
Well, in any case, he'd go to the training ground first.
With that thought, Sakuya headed for the nearest training ground.
However, since he'd only just entered the simulation and hadn't fully adjusted to this body, he didn't notice the long-haired figure following him discreetly, watching with keen interest.
Konoha, Training Ground Five.
Uchiha Sakuya brought over several automatic Ninja Tool Launchers used for training.
He skillfully strung wires between the trees, positioning each launcher so its barrel pointed precisely toward the center of the training ground.
Perfect. That should do it.
Standing in the middle of the field, Sakuya nodded with satisfaction.
These automatic Ninja Tool Launchers could pour down a dense barrage of Kunai and Shuriken like Gatling guns. They took a long time to reload after each use, making them terribly inefficient and difficult to use on the battlefield, but they were more than adequate for routine training.
For an ordinary Jonin, though, one or two launchers were usually enough for daily training. Any more, and they might get hurt simply because they couldn't keep up.
But that was for an ordinary Jonin!
The simulation had given Sakuya a Sharingan whose ocular power had reached the limits of the Three Tomoe. Even among the Uchiha of past generations, he'd rank among the elite of the elite.
One or two launchers wouldn't even count as a warm-up for him.
He'd prepared a full thirty.
Sakuya closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
In the next instant, he flicked a Shuriken, severing the wire that connected the switches of all the launchers.
"Bzzzz—"
A continuous mechanical buzz burst through the air. Kunai and Shuriken poured down like a torrential rain.
Sakuya stood still, neither dodging nor flinching.
Just as the Ninja Tools were about to strike him, a flash of crimson flickered in his eyes.
His crimson eyes, each with three Tomoe spinning within, had silently awakened.
"Big sister! Big sister!"
The call of her younger brother roused Tsunade from her thoughts. She looked up and immediately smiled.
"Nawaki? You're back?"
"Big sister, what are you thinking about?"
Nawaki had just returned home. He sat down across from Tsunade and asked curiously, "Grandma said you came back from the Jonin meeting and just sat here staring into space. Did something happen?"
"...It's nothing. I just ran into someone rather irritating."
Tsunade snorted, putting the incident from the meeting out of her mind. Then a smile appeared on her face.
She looked at her little brother and poured him a cup of hot tea. "Speaking of which, Nawaki, you look so happy. Is there something good you want to share with your big sister?"
"Ta-da!"
At her words, Nawaki beamed. He raised his hand, and a faint green glow of chakra shimmered in his palm. "Big sister, look. What's this?"
"The Mystical Palm Technique!? You learned it?"
Tsunade froze, then looked delighted. "Already!?"
"Hehe, I've only just gotten the hang of it."
Nawaki scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "It took me nearly a year just to get started. I'll probably need another year of practice before I can really master it."
"This is an A-rank Medical Ninjutsu. It's already amazing that you learned it in such a short time."
Tsunade's smile grew wider. She reached out and gently ruffled her little brother's hair. "My little brother is a genius!"
"Hehe."
Nawaki's eyes sparkled, his face full of anticipation. "Big sister, I'm going to learn all the Medical Ninjutsu you developed and make sure they're passed down and flourish!"
"Of course."
Tsunade propped her chin on her hand, her eyes brimming with affection for her little brother. "Our Nawaki will definitely become a great doctor, admired by everyone, one day!"
"Mm, if... if that day really comes..."
Hearing Tsunade's words, Nawaki hesitated. His voice suddenly grew very quiet, as if he were testing the waters, though it was full of hope. "Big sister, if that day really comes, could you ask Grandma to let me inherit the Senju surname?"
"Nawaki..."
Tsunade looked at her younger brother and fell silent.
Ever since Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju had worked to integrate the Senju Clan into the village, the clan members had gradually given up their surname and married into other families.
By now, Tsunade was the only person in Konoha who still bore the Senju name.
As Hashirama Senju's direct grandson, Nawaki had grown up hearing stories of his grandfather and deeply admired the God of Shinobi, who had founded Konoha and towered over the age.
But by the time he was born, the Senju Clan had already faded away within the village. He hadn't even been given the Senju surname.
That was exactly why he longed so deeply to call himself Senju Nawaki openly, just like Tsunade.
His longing had nearly become an obsession.
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