Jiraiya and Orochimaru (Bonus Chapter for Brother Lin Yu De Pang Da Long)

Yusuke closed his eyes and focused, carefully sensing the new energy inside him. The little Katsuyu atop his head glowed with a soft light.

"Can you feel it, child?"

"Senjutsu in Shikkotsu Forest centers on balance."

"It is not fixed, but teeters on the brink between creation and destruction."

"In an instant, it can shift from healing energy brimming with life to the edge of destruction, where all things fall apart."

"That very nature allows it to interfere with, or even dissolve, other forms of energy with ease, such as ordinary ninjutsu."

"At the same time, it grants its user powerful regenerative abilities."

Sage Slug's gentle voice sounded directly in his mind as she explained Shikkotsu Forest's Senjutsu to him again.

Yusuke pondered this. He held out his index finger, gathering a thread of Senjutsu Chakra at its tip, then lightly tapped a small stone in front of him.

There was no explosion or sound.

But the stone visibly withered, eventually crumbling into an inconspicuous pile of dust, as if it had endured the erosion of hundreds or thousands of years.

"This is the destructive side."

Yusuke tried to reverse the energy's nature, gently pressing his fingertip against the broken stem of an underwater plant beside him.

A faint light flashed, and a new shoot slowly sprouted from the broken end, brimming with life.

"And this is the side of creation and renewal."

The insight gained from his experiment gave him a deeper understanding of this power, but it came at an enormous cost.

Mental exhaustion and a deep hunger surged through him like a tide, making him dizzy.

Sage Slug sensed his condition, and her feelers swayed gently. "Training in Senjutsu is like nurturing a tree. It cannot be done in a single day."

"You have already gained a great deal today. You need time to absorb and process it."

"Go back for now, child. When you are ready to train again, contact me through the contract."

Yusuke took a deep breath, suppressing his intense hunger, and bowed respectfully to Sage Slug. "Thank you for your guidance."

Boom!

As the white smoke cleared, Yusuke vanished from Shikkotsu Forest.

Sage Slug's voice held a hint of a sigh. "In such a short time, he not only gained an initial grasp of balancing Natural Energy, but also suppressed the fierce will within him."

"His potential may be even more remarkable than Hashirama Senju's was at the same age."

Konoha, at Yusuke's home.

The spatial disturbance subsided, and Yusuke's feet touched solid ground. His intense hunger immediately worsened, and his stomach felt as if it were burning.

"Looks like training in Senjutsu takes more out of me than a major battle."

"I need to go to a barbecue restaurant and eat my fill. I've earned it."

He rubbed his growling stomach and decided not to bother with the kitchen.

The tempting aroma wafted from the entrance of Akimichi BBQ Restaurant as Yusuke pushed the door open.

Almost the instant he stepped inside, Tsunade, seated toward the back, noticed him.

She had been listlessly prodding her plate with her chopsticks, but as if sensing him, she suddenly looked up.

When she saw the familiar figure, the lingering worry and gloom on her face vanished.

Tsunade practically sprang from her seat and hurried toward the entrance.

She stopped in front of Yusuke and looked him over carefully, her amber eyes moving up and down.

He still looked a little tired, but his breathing was steady. Only then did she truly relax.

Still, she couldn't help asking, "How did it go? Are you all right now?"

"Mm, it's taken care of for now. It's just..." Yusuke smiled.

Before he could finish, his stomach protested: Stop fooling around. I can't take this anymore.

Seeing him like that, Tsunade finally felt the last of her worry lift.

She naturally hooked her arm through his and, back to her usual brisk manner, said, "You're starving, right? Come on, we're eating too."

She led Yusuke over to her table.

The whole scene was witnessed by Jiraiya and Orochimaru, who were sitting with her.

Jiraiya's mouth fell open, and the chopsticks in his hand clattered onto his plate.

He stared wide-eyed as Tsunade walked over with Yusuke's arm tucked in hers, his face full of disbelief.

"W-who's this kid? Tsunade, is he...?"

Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes gleamed with understanding. He reached out a pale hand and gently patted his friend on the shoulder.

His hoarse voice carried a teasing note. "It seems quite a lot happened while we were away on a mission."

After all, he had once taken part in Jiraiya's plan to pursue Tsunade, and had nearly been sent flying by one of her punches.

A bitter look flickered across Jiraiya's face, but he quickly covered it with his usual easygoing air.

He chewed the meat in his mouth and chuckled. "So this is the type Tsunade likes, huh?"

Tsunade had already led Yusuke to a seat.

"Let me introduce you. These two are my teammates, Jiraiya and Orochimaru."

In a good mood, Tsunade introduced them to Yusuke.

Then she turned to the two men and said, "This is Yusuke, my... um..."

She hesitated, her face turning red. "My boyfriend."

"Oh!" Jiraiya drew out the sound, waggling his eyebrows at Yusuke.

"You must be something special to win over our Princess Tsunade like that."

He picked up a bottle of sake and poured Yusuke a cup. "Come on, let's have a drink first."

Yusuke knew of the Sannin. He took the cup and nodded to Jiraiya and Orochimaru. "I'm Yusuke. I've heard a lot about you both."

Yusuke didn't dislike either of them.

As for Jiraiya, he was a heroic sort. He had devoted half his life to finding the person who would lead the Ninja World through change and bring an end to its wars.

The thing Yusuke found hardest to accept about him, though, was his habit of spying on women in the bathhouse.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, had not yet become obsessed and crazed in his pursuit of "the true meaning of life."

For now, he was simply a talented shinobi who dreamed of "learning every ninjutsu in the world."

Orochimaru gave a slight nod, his golden snake-like eyes lingering on Yusuke for a moment.

The corner of his mouth curved up. "Yusuke, was it? If Tsunade thinks so highly of you, you must have something special about you."

Yusuke could feel Orochimaru's probing gaze, but he had no mind to dwell on it just then.

Driven by hunger, he picked up the menu and ordered several more plates of meat.

"Excuse me, five more plates of premium beef tenderloin, three plates of pork belly, and..."

Even Jiraiya was taken aback by how quickly Yusuke ordered.

Tsunade smiled and handed the menu to the server. "Bring him whatever he ordered. He used up a lot of energy today."

As she spoke, she started grilling meat for Yusuke, her movements practiced.

The meat sizzled on the grill, fat dripping as its aroma filled the air.

Yusuke said nothing, simply lowering his head and eating.

Watching Tsunade tenderly grill the meat, Jiraiya's eyes dimmed again, but he quickly raised his cup.

"To celebrate Tsunade finding a boyfriend, and our team reuniting—cheers!"

After a few drinks, the atmosphere warmed up.

From Yusuke's words and manner, Jiraiya could tell he was an easygoing sort too.

He leaned closer to Yusuke and asked curiously in a lowered voice,

"Hey, Yusuke, how'd you manage to win over our Princess of Konoha?"

Tsunade heard Jiraiya's teasing remark, and her face flushed. She promptly rapped him on the head.

"Cut the chatter and eat your meat!"