Juri, the Good Wife

"Nawaki—"

"Ni—!"

Diejian scooped up his younger brother, who had come toddling toward him, and settled him onto his bent arm.

His little brother, just beginning to babble and learn to speak, was so incredibly cute that he couldn't help but want to spoil him.

As for his younger sister Tsunade, because of their different genders, he cherished her so much he was afraid she might melt if he held her in his mouth, but Diejian had never expected that this much younger brother would be such an adorable creature.

Tsunade had gone to the Ninja Academy, and their parents were away on a mission.

Right now, in the Senju Residence, there were only Diejian, Nawaki, and their grandmother Mito.

"Grandmother, I'm taking Nawaki out for a walk."

"Alright, be careful on the way."

After informing Mito of his intentions, Diejian took his young brother for a leisurely stroll through Konoha.

He smiled and returned the greetings of acquaintances they passed, showing his brother the sights of the village.

At a spot where the Hokage Rock was clearly visible, Diejian spoke of the greatness of his grandfather Hashirama and recounted the monumental achievements of his teacher Tobirama.

Although his young brother likely couldn't understand any of this, it was a form of self-satisfaction for Diejian, so it didn't really matter.

Nawaki, though not knowing what it was all about, chirped and fussed, clearly very happy.

"Senju, you're back."

While walking through the shopping district, Diejian ran into Juri, who seemed to be out running errands.

The green onions poking out of the shopping bag in her hand were quite conspicuous, giving her a very domestic appearance.

However, Juri's attire was as flamboyant as ever, looking somewhat out of place in this domestic atmosphere.

"Long time no see," Diejian replied, though in truth, he had only returned to the village two days ago.

The reason he had left the village was not for a mission, but for training under Tobirama.

Diejian was periodically sent outside the village by Tobirama using the Flying Thunder God.

Under the guise of training, he was made to stay in various locations, utilizing the local environment for extremely grueling cultivation.

Even if he wanted to resist, the Tobirama who accompanied him was merely a Shadow Clone, which would vanish the moment he attacked it.

If he wasn't careful, he might even lose the method to return via the Flying Thunder God, so he had no choice but to comply.

There was simply no other way.

The implication was clear: if you don't like it, hurry up and learn the Flying Thunder God so you can come back yourself.

That said, every time Diejian returned to the village, his stamina was drained to the absolute limit.

He had no energy left to go out and wander around.

He spent his days off recovering his body, so naturally, he rarely went out.

It wasn't just Juri; he hadn't seen his good friends like Sakumo or Ina for a long time either.

Even if he were to collapse from exhaustion or fall ill with a cold, Diejian genuinely wished he could just get a little more rest.

But Tobirama and Mito managed Diejian's life perfectly; he would neither be injured by fatigue nor fall ill from weakness.

Frankly speaking, Diejian's physical condition was healthier than it had ever been.

Because the training was so severe, even if Diejian tried to run away, Tobirama would use the Flying Thunder God to chase him to the ends of the earth, guided by the seal he had carved onto him.

Diejian's private time had almost ceased to exist.

"No, it really has been a long time, Juri. Hahaha..."

"Ah, it seems you're still the same, working so hard. I've heard some rumors."

In reality, it had only been a few weeks.

But to Diejian, it felt like a much longer separation.

Watching Diejian, who seemed to have transcended fatigue and was offering a bitter, enlightened smile, Juri responded with some confusion.

"By the way, this child is..."

Juri's gaze shifted toward Nawaki.

Come to think of it, this seemed to be the first time Juri had met Nawaki.

Diejian adjusted his hold, allowing Juri and Nawaki to face each other.

"Nawaki, say hello."

"Waaah."

Now, who had let out that silly "waaah"?

It could have been Nawaki's clumsy greeting as he waved his soft little hands, or perhaps it was the woman before him, who was blushing and turning her head away.

Diejian neither mentioned it nor delved any deeper.

He silently took the shopping bags from Juri, then handed his younger brother, whom he had been holding, over to her.

After a moment of hesitation, Juri carefully took Nawaki into her arms.

Perhaps to soothe Nawaki, Juri began to sway her body back and forth with a rhythmic motion.

Nawaki seemed to find comfort in this cradle-like rocking, his gaze fixed intently on Juri's swaying twin tails.

Small children are simply bundles of curiosity.

Just as expected, Nawaki reached out, grabbed Juri's hair, and began to tug at it with a whoosh.

Watching Nawaki laugh happily, even Juri couldn't seem to get angry; she endured the pain, a strange, strained smile appearing on her face.

"Na, Nawaki..."

What should she do?

Juri looked at Diejian with teary eyes, pleading for help.

"Nawaki, come here."

"Ya!"

"What 'ya'? You little brat..."

Diejian reached out, intending to take Nawaki, who was causing trouble in Juri's arms.

But Nawaki had apparently taken a liking to Juri; he turned his head away, ignoring Diejian and burying himself deeper into Juri's embrace.

As his own older brother, losing to someone else's sister left Diejian feeling a bit struck.

Seeing Nawaki choose her over his brother, Juri seemed deeply moved.

The timid expression she had worn moments ago had vanished as if it never existed.

She relaxed her cheeks, her eyes curving into soft crescents.

"There, there~ Nawaki, you really are a good boy."

"You can say that even while your hair is being pulled?"

Even though her hair was still clutched in Nawaki's grip, Juri continued to sway her body like a cradle.

It was the first time Diejian had ever seen such a blissful smile on Juri's face.

So she had a side like this after all; Diejian felt a slight sense of bewilderment at this unfamiliar facet of Juri.

Perhaps tired from playing, Nawaki began to blink his sleepy eyes in the crook of Juri's arm, his head bobbing like a boat.

Watching his brother drift off to sleep while still clutching her hair, Diejian scratched his head with a troubled expression.

"Is he sleepy? This is a dilemma; I was planning on buying a few more things..."

"Well, in that case, I'll accompany you. It seems this child is more attached to me than to you, anyway."

"Is that so...? Sorry to trouble you."

Holding the sleeping Nawaki with one arm while carrying shopping bags was truly inconvenient.

Debating whether to use a Shadow Clone to finish the shopping or just head home for now, Diejian frankly accepted Juri's offer to look after Nawaki.

Though the price was having to carry Juri's things, it was a small cost to pay for the sight of Nawaki's peaceful, sleeping face.

"Oh my, oh my."

With Juri holding Nawaki at his side, Diejian strolled through the shopping district.

He mainly picked out vegetables, the mushrooms he loved, and ingredients for Nawaki's baby food.

Just then, a woman suddenly called out to him.

Hearing the familiar voice, Diejian thought, Could it be? and turned around.

"I thought it had been a long time! Young Master, you and this child are quite something!"

"It's the landlady," Diejian replied, seeing the landlady of the Konoha Set Meal Shop approaching with a kind smile.

Unlike Juri, who was carrying a shopping basket, she held shopping bags, radiating the efficiency of a seasoned housewife.

For Diejian, who had been away from the village for a while, this was a long-awaited reunion, but what was with the landlady's excited tone?

Diejian couldn't fathom the reason and tilted his head.

"So you chose Juri-chan. Ina-chan is a good girl too, but I knew it all along. If Juri-chan starts a family, she'll surely be a wife who respects her husband. You even have a baby already! What's his name?"

"Wueh!?"

Hearing these unexpected words, Juri let out a strange sound.

The surrounding gazes began to gather.

Juri's cheeks flushed as red as an apple, and she looked at a loss.

"Really, these round eyes are exactly like the Young Master's when he was little. Though, the hair color doesn't look like either of yours."

"Juri, don't use the Sharingan."

In her agitation, two tomoe appeared in Juri's eyes.

Perhaps it was a habit she had developed, activating her Sharingan whenever she became emotionally agitated.

While thinking that this girl was truly a handful, Diejian reminded her in a flat, expressionless voice.

Juri hurriedly deactivated her Sharingan.

A glint flashed in the eyes of the shopkeeper, who had just finished her rapid-fire barrage of words.

Pinned by a gaze as sharp as a housekeeper who had just uncovered definitive evidence, Juri displayed a timid reaction uncharacteristic of her personality: "W-what...?"

"Juri-chan, don't tell me you're cheating... no, I won't finish that sentence. With your looks, you must have plenty of suitors!"

"What a rude thing to say!"

The shopping street fell silent in an instant.

Exposed to the gazes of everyone around, Juri's eyes darted about in a panic.

To make matters worse, Nawaki began to whimper.

He had likely been startled by the loud voice.

"I-I'm sorry!" Juri said hurriedly, beginning to gently pat and soothe Nawaki. "I would never do something like that..."

Seeing that Juri seemed genuinely dejected, Diejian sighed.

"Shopkeeper, you know who Nawaki is. Let's end the pranks here, seriously..."

Hearing Diejian's words, the shopkeeper laughed and said "My apologies," then began to tease the whimpering Nawaki with her hand.

Diejian had introduced Nawaki to her in the past.

She had been teasing Juri knowing full well who he was.

Left on the sidelines, Juri seemed to gradually grasp the situation.

Her entire body turned bright red as if she were boiling.

She wanted to lash out at the shopkeeper, but Nawaki looked like he was about to start fussing again.

She had no choice but to reluctantly suppress her urge.

"Sorry about that, Juri-chan. But you know, you don't have a single rumor of romance. I'm worried sick. Is there any good man out there?"

"A good man... I don't need anything like that."

"That won't do, saying things like that. You'll never get married."

"Ugh... even if you say that..."

"Um, aren't we still in our teens?"

Lacking a mother, Juri seemed to have no defense against such a meddlesome shopkeeper.

Her usual assertive attitude had vanished without a trace, and she shrank into a ball.

Diejian stepped in to help, unable to watch any longer, and Juri immediately looked at him with sparkling eyes.

Being looked at like that made Diejian feel troubled as well.

The shopkeeper's concern might have been a bit excessive, but then again, she was of the same generation as his grandfather, Hashirama.

For someone who had lived through the Warring States period, getting married in one's teens was not considered particularly early.

In that sense, the shopkeeper's words held some logic; it was a generational gap, so to speak.

However, the shopkeeper was not foolish.

Seeing that Juri was genuinely distressed, she apologized, said a simple "Come by often," and went back to her shopping.

Diejian glanced at Juri walking beside him.

She didn't seem to have recovered from the embarrassment yet; her cheeks were flushed, and her movements were stiff.

Would this stubborn, arrogant, yet companion-valuing friend of his really become a "good wife" one day—perhaps the shopkeeper wasn't wrong—Diejian thought to himself.

Despite what was said just now, the average marriage age in Konohagakure was around twenty, with childbirth following shortly after.

Diejian would be entering "that age range" in a few years, but for now, it didn't feel like a reality.

He only thought vaguely that he wanted to remain a child for a little longer.

★

The Senju clan had used forests as their base of operations during the Warring States period.

Perhaps due to that lingering influence, the current Senju Residence was also overflowing with greenery.

Most of it consisted of bonsai trees cultivated by Hashirama that had grown large, though recently, bonsai cultivated by Diejian had begun to join them.

Beside those giants that had long outgrown the category of bonsai, small saplings were growing sturdily.

Watching the way they stood at varying heights, Diejian naturally superimposed the figures of himself and his grandfather onto them.

He rested his head against a cushion.

Lying on the veranda, Diejian watched the trees in the courtyard in silence.

The warm sunlight gradually lured Diejian into a vortex of drowsiness.

His body relaxed, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Diejian surrendered to the pull of sleep.

"Diejian—are you there—?"

Just as Diejian was drifting into a light slumber, a familiar voice pulled his consciousness back.

Whether it was because he wasn't fully awake or his brain simply wasn't functioning, Diejian remained lying under the eaves, covering his ears and rolling over.

"He's here! Please wait a moment—!"

A familiar voice rang out from inside the house, and Diejian grunted unhappily.

His body felt heavy, as if pinned down by a ghost.

It was as if he were tethered to the floorboards.

"Move aside..."

"Big brother, are you awake? Miss Ina is here."

Before he knew it, a young girl was straddling Diejian.

It was his younger sister, Tsunade.

Diejian gave Tsunade's ponytail a gentle tug, pulling her off of him.

Tsunade cried out "Ouch, ouch," though her voice remained lively and bright.

Her mouth cursed him for being "mean, so mean," but the corners of her lips were curled upward in amusement.

Diejian smiled helplessly and sat up.

He shook his groggy head and let out a sigh.

"Heave—ho."

"Big brother, you sound like an old man."

Diejian grunted as he stood up.

The movement seemed to hit Tsunade's funny bone, and she burst into mocking laughter.

"Mind your own business."

"Ah—hey, wait up, big brother! I'm sorry—!"

Diejian snorted in annoyance and strode toward the entrance.

Left behind, Tsunade hurried after him.

She circled around the seemingly displeased Diejian, peering up at his face.

She even added a cute, fluttering blink for good measure.

But the mischievous smirk remained at the corners of her mouth, revealing her true feelings.

Tsunade was trying to act spoiled.

Diejian wasn't oblivious, but he ignored her and continued walking down the hallway.

Tsunade didn't miss the fleeting smile on her brother's face; realizing he wasn't truly angry, she continued to play the part.

"Hey big brother, big brother, hey, hey."

Tsunade circled him incessantly, like a persistent street vendor.

Diejian suddenly stopped and turned toward Tsunade, quickly cupping her cheeks in his palms.

The sensation was soft and smooth, warm to the touch. Feels pretty good, Diejian thought.

"Stop it~"

Ignoring Tsunade's exclamation, Diejian moved his palms in circles.

Tsunade's cheeks warped like waves, her entire face distorting as the ripples spread.

After fully enjoying the soft, mochi-like texture of her cheeks, Diejian headed toward the entrance once more.

On the way, he touched his own cheek, feeling disappointed by the sensation.

It lacked that soft, squishy feeling Tsunade had.

The slight stubble was even a bit prickly.

Suddenly, he wondered what Ina's cheeks would feel like.

Tsunade must have been so shocked her legs gave out, as she plopped down onto the floor.

Tsunade cursed him with a flushed face for teasing a young girl's delicate skin.

However, the facial massage had actually been quite "comfortable," so she didn't think it was all bad.

Regardless, Tsunade stood up and chased after Diejian.

Perhaps unconsciously, she sensed a certain air of impropriety from her brother, who had just had his hands near her armpits.

"A rare guest, what brings you here?"

Ina stood properly in the entryway.

Her signature bun hairstyle was quite eye-catching.

Her exposed nape carried a hint of allure, and her earlobes were adorned with pearl-like spherical studs.

The purple sleeveless hoodie that covered her neck left her skin bare.

She usually seemed to care about it and would wrap it in bandages, but today, she appeared not to have done so.

The skirt length fell below her knees, exposing less than usual, which instead made her appear more mature.

"I came to hang out with you."

"What did you say?"

"I said, I came to hang out."

Ina put her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly.

It was a posture that had her looking up at Diejian.

Diejian had long since grown accustomed to this kind of posturing, which resembled acting spoiled, from Tsunade.

He was not swayed by it.

He was merely surprised by Ina's abrupt actions.

He scrutinized Ina's entire body with a suspicious expression, then reached out both hands to touch her cheeks.

Ina's spirits soared as her cheeks were pinched by Diejian.

The two stared at each other.

Ina naturally wanted to close her eyes, but she was left in a disheveled state by the sensation of her cheeks being kneaded.

"Are you alright? Is it really you?"

"Stop that!"

"It hurts."

Only after being rapped on the head by Tsunade did Diejian let go of Ina.

Although Tsunade scolded him, saying, "Don't just go around kneading a girl's skin," he merely scratched his head, lost in thought.

Or perhaps, because he had just woken up, he wasn't thinking of anything at all.

Ina, her cheeks flushed from the kneading, stared blankly at Diejian.

There was no special meaning behind this series of actions.

It was just horseplay.

Though for Ina, if he were to ask, she wouldn't refuse.

"Standing here isn't going to solve anything. Come on in."

"Pardon the intrusion—"

Diejian gestured with his head for her to enter, then turned and headed back to his room.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Ina had been to his home since their time at the Ninja Academy; he recalled that it had been a long time since he had invited her over.

Sakumo often came to the Senju residence because they were in the same class, but after they were reassigned, even when they met, it was mostly to eat out; it had been a long time since Ina had visited the Senju residence.

With a nostalgic smile, Diejian walked ahead.

Ina nimbly took off her shoes and stepped into the Senju residence.

Diejian glanced at Ina, watching as she began to walk toward his room, and Ina followed along.

The Diejian household, after several years, was filled with the scent of wood and tatami.

Ina felt it was a comforting smell.

The fragrance of tatami referred to the raw material, rush grass.

It was definitely not Diejian's scent—Ina shook her head, trying to clear her heated mind.

Is this guy okay...

Diejian watched Ina's erratic behavior out of the corner of his eye, frowning in concern.

Inviting Ina into his room, Diejian plopped a cushion onto the floor.

He sat across from Ina, with the table between them.

Tsunade brought over tea and refreshments, placing them gently on the table.

As she left, Tsunade gave a mischievous smirk and said, "Enjoy your chat~," and Diejian scratched the back of his neck vigorously.

Ina looked around Diejian's room with rolling eyes.

Diejian felt internally that this girl was truly strange; it wasn't as if it were her first time here.

Although it wasn't her first time, it was, after all, a boy's room she hadn't visited in several years.

It was normal for there to be one or two changes in the decorations.

Diejian truly lacks consideration.

Hanging on the wall was the ninja vest issued to Chunin and above after the Chunin Exams, marked with the Konoha symbol.

That green uniform covered the neck and was equipped with numerous pockets for storing scrolls and Kunai, a masterpiece of functional beauty.

The forehead protector displayed beside it was old, but it was the one Diejian used daily.

It was a gift from Hashirama, and Diejian cherished it as if it were enshrined in a shrine.

On the opposite wall hung scrolls inscribed with "Senju" and "Second Hokage."

"Senju" was written in Hashirama's own hand, while "Second Hokage" was penned by Tobirama; both were exceptional examples of calligraphy.

The "Senju" scroll had been there for a while, but the "Second Hokage" scroll was new.

It was likely a recent piece.

Beside them was another scroll with the character "Die" written on it.

Compared to the previous two, the brushwork was juvenile and immature; that one was written by Diejian.

Ina let out a snort of laughter.

"So, what is it?"

"It's not 'what is it'! You, you always stand me up!"

"No, I feel sorry about that, really."

"Do you have any idea how lonely I get when you leave me hanging...? Do you understand?"

"Even if you say that to me... you really should take that up with Uncle Tobirama."

Watching Diejian shrug and say, "That man has been very strict lately," Ina crunched down on her tea biscuit.

Thinking that she seemed to be in a bad mood, Diejian slurped his tea in an unrefined manner.

Diejian even rudely wondered, "Is it that time of the month?"—frankly, he was truly lacking in consideration.

He hid his face behind his teacup, peeking at Ina's expression.

"Anyway, I came over to hang out with you."

"Ha..."

"I see..." Diejian muttered, and Ina nodded with a smile, as if to say, "Exactly."

"Then, want to play Hanafuda? Let's call Tsunade too."

"Ah—I'm so busy~"

A flat, emotionless voice drifted from the other side of the door.

"Little sister Tsunade says she's very busy."

"Eh? That didn't sound like it to me..."

Diejian stared at the door in bewilderment.

His face clearly showed he couldn't accept it.

But after being dealt a finishing blow by Ina's soft, "She really is busy," he had no choice but to reluctantly abandon the idea.

"Well, I was just kidding. Did I scare you?"

"A little."

A sound like someone falling over came from the other side of the door, and Ina whispered "Sorry" in her heart.

The relationship between Diejian and Ina was just right as it was.

"I came to talk about a mission."

"What, so that's what it is."

After becoming a Chunin, Konoha ninjas could decide for themselves who to partner with for missions.

While teaming up with original squad members offered more reliable coordination, not all squad members were necessarily Chunin.

In Diejian's squad, Juri was still a Genin, and in Ina's squad, everyone else was as well.

Currently, the only people Ina could partner with for missions as a Chunin without any concerns were Sakumo and Diejian.

Since they hadn't been in the same squad during their Genin days, Ina had long looked forward to the day they could take on missions together.

There was no reason for Diejian to refuse, either.

Although it required Tobirama's approval, surely Tobirama wouldn't object if it were for a mission.

Listening to what Ina had to say, Diejian's lips curled upward as he let out an "Oh?"

★

"Listen up, you brats! You are nothing but scum! Residue burned away by Fire Release! Trash blown about by Wind Release! Mud churned up by Water Release! That is what you are!"

"..."

"Answer me!! The only thing you are allowed to say is to affirm me! Do you understand!?"

"Understood..."

"Your voices are too quiet!! Again!! You are not human beings!! You are tools meant to kill the enemy!! That is what a ninja is!! Do you understand!?"

"Understood!!"

"Listen up, you lot! I don't care if it's Kirigakure or Sunagakure; I don't discriminate. You are all equally worthless! Now that you understand, grab these weights and get to the track!! One hundred laps, start running!!"

"Ehh..."

"Are you kidding me!! No backtalk!! Move it!!"

Diejian roared, intimidating the children, yet the students remained sluggish.

Diejian's brow furrowed as he paced in front of the student ranks.

"Big Brother Diejian, what's gotten into him..."

"I have no idea..."

Among the lined-up students, Tsunade and Jiraiya whispered to each other, faced with Diejian's sudden change in demeanor.

Tsunade was stunned by her brother's transformation, and Jiraiya could not hide his confusion at the violent behavior of the senior he so admired.

Diejian's eyes flashed sharply.

He keenly caught their conversation and quickly formed hand seals.

"Wood Release: Tree Binding Forest!!"

"Whoa, me!?"

Wood Release: Tree Binding Forest.

A Wood Release ninjutsu created by Diejian himself.

A capture technique where rapidly growing trees bind the target's body tightly.

It is a variation of the Grass Knot; while it lacks surprise, its binding power is immense.

Trees erupted from beneath Jiraiya's feet, coiling around his body.

The trees writhed as if they had a will of their own, restraining Jiraiya exactly as Diejian intended.

Without even a moment to escape, he was bound tight and fixed in a spread-eagled position.

"Let me go!!"

Chosen as the example to frighten the others, Jiraiya let out a scream.

He struggled to break free, but the restraints were far too powerful, rendering his efforts futile.

"Stop, no, please don't do this..."

Forming the Tiger seal, Diejian circled behind Jiraiya.

An ominous premonition made Jiraiya's skin crawl.

He shook his head left and right, pleading for him not to do it.

"Konoha Secret Taijutsu Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!!"

"Aaaah--!!"

Thwip, Diejian's fingers sank into Jiraiya's rear.

With nowhere to run, Jiraiya had no choice but to endure it.

Watching Jiraiya, who was teary-eyed and groaning in agony, the students shuddered in fear.

To avoid Diejian, who was glaring at them with eyes that seemed to say, "Do you want to be next?", the students took off running in a flash.

Ina cast a bewildered gaze at Diejian.

How on earth did it come to this?

She shook her head in distress.

The mission Ina had proposed to Diejian a few days ago was to serve as temporary instructors at the Ninja Academy.

As part of the first graduating class and one of the first to pass the Chunin exams, Ina had been personally assigned this special task by the Second Hokage.

Sakumo and Diejian had also passed in the same cohort.

Since Sakumo was away on a mission, Ina had thought to carry out this duty alongside Diejian.

Diejian had no objections to teaching his juniors at their alma mater, and Ina had been full of enthusiasm for the sake of their adorable juniors—however.

"Run with more spirit!! Do you think you'll survive on the battlefield like that!! You are trash! You are **! Maggots who don't even know how to fight!! You are inferior to any other ninja in this world—"

"Stop it already!!"

A barrage of verbal abuse.

Unable to watch any longer, Ina let out a roar, and Diejian's body jolted violently.

Positioned slightly behind him, Ina herself sat in a chair, her head bowed and eyes closed.

It was the Mind Body Switch Technique.

Although this was Ina's second time entering Diejian's mental world, she likely never expected it to be in this form.

Ina spoke to Diejian within her heart:

"What on earth are you thinking!"

"Eh? No, it's training to help the juniors grow stronger."

"It's far too early for the children! You'll give them psychological trauma!!"

"Eh eh?!"

Hearing Diejian's voice, which sounded genuinely puzzled from the bottom of his heart, Ina froze, trembling with a hint of anger.

If this were a joke, then the prank had gone too far.

But just before she could flare up, a thought struck her: Could it be... Ina felt a shiver run down her spine.

She remembered something.

It was the training method of Diejian's teacher, Tobirama.

Ina understood everything.

She even let out a "Ah..." filled with pity.

She prayed to the God of Shinobi, her heart collapsing.

Even the sight of Diejian innocently tilting his head in confusion made Ina's heart tremble.

What a tragedy this was.

Diejian had been enduring the very trials he was now inflicting upon the children ever since he was small.

He surely didn't feel even a shred of doubt that this was a training method considered strange by the rest of the world.

Forget being angry; she even wanted to praise him.

She truly wanted to feel proud of this friend who had not lost his kindness despite the day-after-day grind of such training.

Ina shed tears of deep emotion in her heart.

However, Tobirama's training would surely continue.

Once he learned the truth, Diejian's mind might very well shatter.

Ina did not have the courage to tell him the truth—