The Rōran Mission, and Tsunade's Squeeze (Parts 1, 2, 3)

"Hmph, perhaps you're the second person besides my grandfather to know 'Senjutsu'."

Tsunade crossed her arms, her brown-gold eyes fixed on Qingyu.

That brat certainly didn't disappoint her.

I think so.

Qingyu nodded.

He wasn't sure about the distant past, but in the last hundred years or so, only Hashirama Senju had mastered the complete "Senjutsu".

Even someone as intelligent as Senju Tobirama couldn't overcome that hurdle in his cultivation of Senjutsu.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, although ultimately failing in his training, found another path by using the Cursed Seal, and was still able to use "Senjutsu Chakra".

Cursed Seal Chakra and Senjutsu Chakra are not fundamentally different. However, even if one can withstand the effects of Cursed Seal, the risk is extremely high. A slight mistake can lead to a backlash, turning one into a monster that is neither human nor demon.

Unlike orthodox "immortal Senjutsu," once a practitioner succeeds, there is little risk involved.

"Lord Slug."

Qingyu suddenly spoke, her gaze falling on the Slug on her shoulder.

"Can you help me absorb Natural Energy from the outside world?"

He thought of Jiraiya and his two Toad Sages. Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima could help Jiraiya continuously absorb Natural Energy, allowing him to maintain "Sage Mode" in battle, so Slug should be able to do something similar.

Since it can split infinitely, if each Shadow Clone is equipped with one, it is equivalent to having multiple nodes to absorb Natural Energy at the same time, and the speed of condensing Senjutsu Chakra will be greatly increased.

"Of course, Lord Qingyu, but we need to develop a tacit understanding first."

The Slug's voice was gentle and soft, its antennae swaying slightly.

She already had a very good impression of Qingyu, so there was no reason for her to refuse this small request.

"You can try it now. I'll transfer a Chakra to you first."

As the Slug spoke, the tips of its antennae gleamed slightly.

Qingyu nodded and focused her mind on sensing.

The next moment, sure enough, a Chakra containing Natural Energy slowly seeped into his body from his shoulder.

That energy carried the gentle warmth unique to Slug, unlike the Natural Energy of the outside world; instead, it was as soft as water.

He tentatively incorporated this Chakra into his meridian system and found that he could absorb it completely.

[Collectible trait detected: Dynamic Balance]

[C-Rank Trait: Dynamic Balance]

[Effect: Allows the user to store a certain amount of Senjutsu Chakra within their body for an extended period of time.]

[Synthesis: Successfully entering "Sage Mode" with Slug will upgrade to a higher-level trait.]

As Qingyu looked at the semi-transparent text that popped up in front of her, she could clearly feel a subtle change taking place within her body.

There seemed to be a faint "container" deep within the meridians, like a "Yin Seal" that could store Chakra, except that this container could store "Senjutsu Chakra" instead of letting it dissipate.

It can actually store Senjutsu Chakra for a long time?

Qingyu stroked her chin, lost in thought.

Although it functions similarly to the "Yin Seal," Qingyu felt that it required the Slug's cooperation.

It seems impossible for him to achieve such storage using his own methods.

Qingyu didn't know whether upgrading the trait would improve this flaw.

Generally speaking, "Senjutsu Chakra" stays in the body for a very short time, and it will quickly dissipate once the absorption of Natural Energy stops.

However, the effect of this trait means that he can store a portion of "Senjutsu Chakra" in his body in advance and use it directly during battle.

In some ways, this is close to the characteristics of Cursed Seal, except that Cursed Seal forcibly modifies the physical body to accommodate Senjutsu Chakra, while he relies on his special qualities to create a natural storage space within his body.

I just don't know exactly how much this "certainty" is.

Qingyu was secretly curious.

"Lady Tsunade, it seems that Qingyu and I get along very well."

The Slug's soft voice was somewhat unexpected.

Upon hearing this, a thought suddenly flashed through Qingyu's mind.

The Snake Princess of Ryūchi Cave is said to be able to transform into human form, so can the Katsuyu Sage also do so?

"Hmph, after all, this brat is my brother."

Tsunade and reached out to ruffle Qingyu.

Then she changed the subject.

"By the way, the village has sent a new mission, and I'm planning to take your team with me."

Orochimaru wasn't there, so for Tsunade Sannin, mobilizing Qingyu's team would be a piece of cake.

What mission?

Qingyu asked.

"The Ancient Kingdom of Roran."

Tsunade took out a scroll from her bosom and unfolded it. It contained a map of the Land of Wind, with the location of Rōran marked in red.

"The Ancient Kingdom of Roran in the Land of Land of Wind possesses the legendary Dragon Vein, with an almost inexhaustible Chakra reserve. However, intelligence from the Anbu indicates that Anrokuzan, a minister there, is attempting to use the Dragon Vein to create terrifying weapons in a vain attempt to unify the Shinobi World."

Furthermore, the current queen of Rōran seems to have fallen ill due to the mysterious death of her predecessor, and her health is deteriorating.

She paused, then carefully put the scroll away.

"Our mission has two layers. Ostensibly, I'm going to treat the Queen of Roran, but secretly, I'm investigating Anrokuzan's true intentions and eliminating him if necessary."

"Good."

Qingyu nodded in agreement, but in her heart she was thinking that this must be the plot of the theatrical version.

Naruto, Sakura, and the others originally went to hunt down the missing-nin Mukade, but unexpectedly traveled back several decades and encountered Minato Namikaze.

He had seen Mukade before, and now it seemed that the Sunagakure missing-nin from Sunagakure had indeed followed this path, transforming himself into Anrokuzan, a powerful minister of Rōran.

What Qingyu didn't expect was that in the original story, Anrokuzan secretly plotted against Queen Sara, having a puppet push her off the throne during her ascension, attempting to cause her to die young like Queen Sara's mother.

But now, it has become Queen Sara who has fallen ill.

In other words, his methods were more moderate, unlike the radical ones in the original work.

"Minato will also lead the team there."

Tsunade added another sentence.

Qingyu was not surprised by this.

In the original story, it was Minato Namikaze sealed the Dragon Vein Chakra. Later, Naruto and the others accidentally touched the sealed Kunai, which caused a time distortion, allowing people separated by decades to meet again.

But—he couldn't help but think that with his involvement, the future must have already changed.

Will he meet someone from the future?

When do we depart?

Five days later.

Qingyu nodded.

Four days later, on the night of [date missing].

"Qingyu- jun, the 'Green Spinach Pill' have very serious side effects."

Akimichi Dōsei, with white bandages around his eyes, looked at Qingyu.

The Akimichi Clan possesses numerous secret medicine formulas and maintains a close relationship with Konoha Hospital regarding the supply of medicinal materials.

The Nara Clan's deer antlers, the Yamanaka Clan's herbs, and the Akimichi Clan's secret medicine-making methods passed down through generations—these three clans practically monopolized most of Konoha's medicinal resources.

The formulas for these secret medicines are extremely difficult to reverse engineer, and even if outsiders obtain the finished product, they cannot analyze its key ingredients.

"Don't worry, Akimichi Dōsei, I just want to have an extra trump card to save my life in a critical moment."

Qingyu said.

"Okay, I've got it. The effects of this elixir are only temporary; don't become dependent on it."

Akimichi Dōsei finally sighed, took out a sealed wax pill, and pushed it in front of Qingyu.

"Four hundred thousand taels."

He gave me the lowest grade "Green Spinach Pill," which can unleash 30% of the human body's athletic potential in a short time, and increase strength by more than three times the body's limit.

However, this pill also has obvious drawbacks: the stronger the burst of power, the stronger the rebound.

The pain after the drug's effects wear off is enough to make a weak-willed ninja faint on the spot.

If it weren't for Qingyu's Senju Lineage and formidable physical strength, Akimichi Dōsei wouldn't have dared to sell this medicine.

Even so, he was still somewhat uneasy. If something really happened to Qingyu, Lady Tsunade investigated, he couldn't bear the consequences.

Thank you, senior.

Qingyu put the wax pellet into his Ninja Tool Pouch, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.

This is the network of contacts he built by treating patients in the camp during this period.

Without those rescue efforts, there would be no Matsuguchi at Akimichi Dōsei today.

As soon as I stepped out of the Akimichi clan's territory, familiar semi-transparent text popped up before my eyes.

[C-Rank Trait detected: Glutton has met the synthesis requirements]

[Should we synthesize it?]

Qingyu silently recited in her mind. "Synthesize."

[B-Rank Trait: Glutton]

[Effect: Increases food absorption efficiency by 100%, allowing cells to store more energy.]

[Synthesis: Obtain a high-grade secret medicine from the Akimichi Clan, which will upgrade the trait to a higher level.]

A strong feeling of hunger surged up from my stomach instantly.

Qingyu was prepared; he took out a few Military Ration Pill from his Ninja Tool Pouch and stuffed them into his mouth, and the feeling of hunger gradually subsided.

At the same time, he could clearly feel his Chakra becoming more abundant.

The Chakra flowing through the meridians is more abundant than before, and the efficiency of its extraction has also significantly improved.

A ninja can only refine a limited amount of Chakra at any given time; it's impossible to drain all the physical energy from every single cell in one go.

But with this trait, his cells can store more energy, and the amount of Chakra extracted in a single extraction increases accordingly.

This also means that his burst of power in a short period of time will be stronger.

The most direct beneficiaries are those with Strength of a Hundred.

Besides that, he's also had quite a bit of contact with Inuzuka Youhua of the Inuzuka Clan these past few days.

[Collectible trait detected: Canine Sensitivity]

[D-Rank Trait: Canine Sensitivity]

[Effect: Enhances sense of smell by 30%.]

[Crafting: Defeating five Inuzuka Clan ninjas will upgrade this trait to a higher level.]

This trait is one of the results Qingyu has achieved in the past few days.

We need to interact more with ninjas from various clans.

He thought to himself.

The next morning, at the camp entrance.

Minato Namikaze and his squad were already waiting at the rendezvous point.

He smiled gently as he saw Qingyu and Tsunade approaching.

"We'll be going on another mission together, Qingyu."

"Yes, Minato- kun."

Qingyu nodded.

After spending so much time together, he dropped the formal honorifics and started using more affectionate terms of address.

After all, Minato Namikaze was an absolute genius, and Qingyu was hoping to learn some of his traits related to Space–Time Ninjutsu and Sealing Technique.

Let's go.

Minato Namikaze smiled slightly and turned around first.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from afar. Yūhi Kurenai ran towards them, carrying a box wrapped in blue cloth.

"Qingyu!"

She stopped in front of Qingyu, slightly out of breath, and stuffed the cloth bag into his hand.

"I heard you're going on a mission, so I specially made rice balls for you to eat on the road. They're much better than dry rations."

The cloth bag was warm to the touch, clearly indicating that she had rushed over as soon as she finished making it.

"Although it's not as good as what you did."

Yūhi Kurenai Yuhi added quietly.

"Thank you, Hong."

Qingyu took the cloth bag, looked into Yūhi Kurenai's ruby-like eyes, and smiled, "You're so good at taking care of people, you'll definitely be a virtuous wife and loving mother in the future."

Yūhi Kurenai's face flushed slightly, but she didn't avoid Qingyu's gaze. Instead, she raised her chin, her voice carrying a hint of arrogance.

"Of course, and I'll become an extremely powerful Genjutsu ninja, so don't underestimate me."

"That brat Qingyu ----"

Tsunade crossed, watching this scene with her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed.

She knew Qingyu was popular with girls, but weren't there a bit too many suitors?

First, Rin Nohara sent a medical kit, and now Yūhi Kurenai sent rice balls. If this continues, she, as the older sister, is going to be worried sick.

"Rice balls, huh?----"

Standing at the back of the group, Rin Nohara watched as Yūhi Kurenai stuffed the blue cloth bag into Qingyu's hand, her fingers unconsciously touching the box in her Ninja Tool Pouch.

Inside was a rice ball prepared by Rin Nohara, who intended to secretly give it to him during the mission.

Unexpectedly, they beat me to it again.

She lowered her eyelids, a faint hint of disappointment flashing in her brown eyes, but she quickly regained her usual gentle smile.

Obito stood next to Rin Nohara, watching her changing expressions, then glancing at the rice ball that Qingyu had put into her Ninja Tool Pouch, and felt his head buzzing.

What's going on?

Why did Yūhi Kurenai make rice balls for Qingyu?

He thought to himself that one day, Lin would make him rice balls too.

"Cough cough."

Minato Namikaze coughed twice, breaking the delicate atmosphere.

"It's almost time, let's get ready to go."

Several days later, at the border of the Land of Wind.

The sky was filled with yellow sand, which covered the sun like a golden veil. The dry, hot wind, carrying sand grains, lashed against our faces, stinging us.

The sand beneath my feet was soft and difficult to walk on; with each step, my ankles sank in.

"Why is this place so hot?!"

Obito pushed his ninja Forehead Protector up to his forehead and wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve.

The sweat had barely dried when new sweat started pouring out, mixing with the sand in the wind and sticking to my face, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"The climate of the Land of Wind is like this: the temperature is extremely high during the day and drops sharply at night. Only the ninjas of Sunagakure and some native creatures can survive in such a place."

Minato Namikaze walked at the front of the group.

Even in such harsh conditions, his breathing remained steady, and not a single drop of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"However, there are places in the Shinobi World even worse than this."

"Even worse?"

Obito looked on in disbelief.

"Is there any place more uninhabitable than this?"

"The Snow Country."

Minato Namikaze.

"That's a country covered in snow all year round. The climate is so harsh that it's difficult to grow crops, and they rely almost entirely on imports. The snowstorms there are more intense than the sandstorms here, and the temperature can drop so low that your blood can freeze."

Minato Namikaze once heard a saying that if Water Release ninja went to the Snow Country, he would become a ninja with Ice Release Kekkei Genkai!

The cold there is enough to transform Water Release Ninjutsu released in the air into Ice Release Ninjutsu.

Obito clicked his tongue.

He imagined himself frozen solid, then looked at the scorching desert around him and suddenly realized that a little heat wasn't so bad.

At least it's better than freezing to death.

"Qingyu, how come you seem perfectly fine?"

Obito turned to look at Qingyu, only to find Qingyu Earth Flow in the group without changing his expression.

"I'm used to it."

Qingyu answered casually.

He possesses the cellular energy storage capacity brought about by his "Glutton" trait, and the "Small Stomach" trait that allows his body to function efficiently even in harsh environments.

This level of sandstorm was really nothing to him.

Moreover, although his "Sage Mode" is not yet complete, his perception of Natural Energy has already established a delicate balance between his body and the environment.

The heat of the desert and the resistance of the sandstorms were both acceptable to him.

Obito at Qingyu's nonchalant demeanor, Obito couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration.

What is this thing made of?

They're clearly on the same team, so how come there's such a big difference in skill level?

"Sister Tsunade, let's rest here for now."

Qingyu looked into the distance and suddenly spoke.

He has already seen Rōran.

On the distant horizon, the outlines of some towering buildings can already be seen.

The buildings were designed in a very avant-garde style, like spires standing in the desert, appearing and disappearing in the yellow sand.

Tsunade followed Qingyu's gaze and glanced at him.

From here to Roran City, at their speed, it would only take them another half a day to reach it.

But Tsunade also knew that the closer they got to dangerous places, the more they needed to conserve their energy.

After all, nobody knows what will happen once they go inside.

You need to get enough rest to cope with any unexpected events.

"We'll set up camp behind the hillside in front of us."

Tsunade pointed to a low sand dune in front of him.

"Don't go any further before dark. We'll spend the night outside the city and enter early tomorrow morning."

The group quickened their pace and headed towards the sand dune.

Night fell.

The temperature in the desert plummeted; the sand, which was scorching hot during the day, now felt icy cold to the touch.

Several simple tents were set up in the campsite.

Qingyu had just finished setting up his and Tsunade's tent, laid out their sleeping bags, and was about to go out to start a fire when the tent flap was suddenly yanked open.

Tsunade walked in carrying her sleeping bag.

"Kid, I'm a little tired, let's squeeze in tonight."

Tsunade said.

Qingyu could only nod.

--

Is it crowded?

It is indeed a bit crowded.

"Okay, Sister Tsunade."

Qingyu nodded.

Life is like a predicament; if you can't fight it, then learn to adapt.

After all, this wasn't the first time he'd slept with Tsunade.

Of course, the two people inside the tent each had their own sleeping bags.

Sometimes, however, Tsunade would get out of her sleeping bag and hug him like a pillow.

The tent wasn't small to begin with, but after stuffing in two sleeping bags, the space became somewhat cramped.

Tsunade spread out her sleeping bag next to Qingyu, wearing only a green ninja vest and bodysuit.

My back is killing me from walking all day.

As Tsunade spoke, she took off her ninja shoes and stepped barefoot onto the moisture-proof mat laid at the bottom of the tent.

Minato Namikaze watched this scene, and although he had always admired the good relationship between the siblings, it seemed to be getting even better now.

Rin Nohara glanced at it, and although she felt something was off, she thought it was probably just a sign of the deep bond between siblings.

"Let me help you, Lin."

Obito rushed to help Rin Nohara.

"No need, Obito, I'm fine now."

Rin Nohara shook her head.

Obito immediately filled with remorse.

I should have helped Lin first.

He usually sets up tents very quickly, and he figured he could finish his own and then go help Lin in time, which would also allow him to show off his speed.

But one of the parts was blown away by the wind and buried in the sand, and it took Obito a long time to find it.

Night deepened.

Outside the tent, Obito sat on the other side of the campfire, secretly glancing at Rin Nohara's tent out of the corner of his eye.

Rin Nohara had just crawled into the tent, the curtain still slightly ajar, revealing a faint candlelight inside.

Obito wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only sit there, staring blankly at the crack.

Kakashi leaned against a rock, holding his short sword in his hand, sharpening the blade with a whetstone.

Hyuga Ginka also went to bed early.

Today, it's Kakashi, Minato Namikaze, Obito's turn to keep watch.

Inside the tent, Tsunade's long golden hair was spread out, resting on the edge of her sleeping bag.

The sleeping bag wasn't fully zipped up, revealing a gray short-sleeved shirt underneath.

"It's a bit crowded."

Tsunade rolled over, turning her face towards Qingyu.

Her breathing was steady, her large volume rising and falling gently with each breath.

"Just bear with it, Sister Tsunade."

Qingyu also crawled into her sleeping bag.

Tsunade rolled over again, this time bringing her face right up to Qingyu's shoulder.

Her breath brushed against Qingyu's neck, sending a warm, ticklish sensation through her.

Qingyu sighed, closed her eyes, and began to recall the terrain of Rōran and the key points of this mission in her mind.

Anrokuzan, also known as Mukade, was missing-nin traveled from the future to the past.

Although some things may have changed over this timeline, Anrokuzan's control over the Dragon Vein should remain the same.

Dragon Vein Chakra can distort space and time.

In the original story, Naruto and Yamato traveled to the past because of this power and met a young Minato Namikaze.

Now, Minato Namikaze is right outside his tent. Will history repeat itself?

However, even if spacetime distortion occurs, it may not necessarily be a bad thing for him.

If you were to meet someone from the future, you might be able to gather some unexpected qualities.

As Qingyu was thinking, Tsunade's legs suddenly stretched out of her sleeping bag and draped over his.

Qingyu opened her eyes and saw that Tsunade was already fast asleep.

She's never been a good sleeper, and now she's rolled all the way to the edge of her sleeping bag, curled up in a ball.

Qingyu closed her eyes again, and her breathing gradually became steady.

The next morning.

Roran City is now within sight.

The sun rose above the horizon, its golden rays bathing the towering buildings, making the whole city appear as if it were gilded.

Upon closer inspection, the style of these buildings is even more astonishing.

The towers range in height from ten to fifty meters, and are covered with a smooth, ceramic-like material with fine metallic patterns inlaid on the surface.

What's most impressive are the crisscrossing pipes overhead.

These pipes, made of a mixture of metal and ceramic, weave between buildings like blood vessels.

"Is this Rōran?"

Tsunade stood on a sand dune, gazing at this miraculous city that rose from the desert.

She had visited many countries in the Shinobi World, seen the forests of the Land of Fire, the islands of the Land of Water, and the mountains of the Land of Lightning, but she had never seen a city so futuristic.

No, this is no longer "futuristic".

"This must be the work of a puppeteer."

Tsunade's gaze fell on the channels through which Chakra flowed.

Ordinary craftsmen could not possibly fuse machinery and puppets so perfectly; only a ninja Puppet Technique could achieve this.