Ruthless Beating

With the matter largely settled, Shen Ye bid farewell to the Third Hokage and prepared to head home.

"You little ones should be careful in the village lately. I have already found suitable personnel to handle the rogue ninja situation, and I believe there will be results soon."

"Let's go!"

Tsunade scooped Shen Ye up into her arms and began walking toward home, taking a route that allowed her to drop Yue Xing off at her doorstep.

Feeling the warmth radiating from her hands once again, Shen Ye felt that all of this was worth it.

The softness of Tsunade's body was something everyone dreamed of, yet now it was something he could hold in his hands at any moment.

Having grown accustomed to Shen Ye's little antics, Tsunade showed no signs of discomfort, accepting the sensation at her waist with complete composure.

All of this was seen by Yue Xing, who was walking alongside them. Possessing the Byakugan, she saw everything with perfect clarity and couldn't help but roll her eyes at Shen Ye.

At the same time, Yue Xing was deeply surprised that Tsunade could tolerate such brazen behavior from Shen Ye, though she reasoned that in Tsunade's eyes, Shen Ye was merely a small child.

With his fair skin, anyone who saw him would instantly grow fond of him.

What on earth am I rambling about in my head? He just saved me, that's all.

Yue Xing hurriedly shook her head, putting an end to her strange train of thought.

"Yue Xing, we've reached your doorstep. Be careful lately; until that rogue ninja is caught, you are still in danger."

"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade. I won't let that guy succeed a second time."

"Then we'll see you next time."

Shen Ye leaned against Tsunade's shoulder and waved his small hand. Yue Xing nodded and skipped into her home.

While the situation here was harmonious, Danzo, having returned to the Anbu, was seething with suppressed rage.

Even though Shen Ye was just a child, he had already been placed on Danzo's blacklist, and one day, he would be eliminated.

Of course, Shen Ye was unaware of this. At the moment, he could only focus on the softness in his hands, his movements becoming increasingly bold.

Tsunade frowned but said nothing, dismissing it as a child's ignorance.

Just then, a figure rushed toward them in a frantic hurry. Tsunade focused her gaze and realized it was Jiraiya.

"Hey! What are you in such a rush for, you peeping tom? Are you trying to head to the next women's bathhouse to spy?"

Hearing Tsunade's voice, Jiraiya stopped in his tracks and waved his hands frantically.

"The Third Hokage said a rogue ninja has appeared in the village and is preparing to send me to capture them. I'm heading to the Third Hokage's office now to get the details."

Tsunade curled her lip and set Shen Ye down on the ground. Before Jiraiya could prepare himself, she swung her hand and struck him directly in the face.

Strength of a Hundred erupted from Tsunade's fist, sending Jiraiya tumbling backward.

After rolling several times, Jiraiya looked up at Tsunade with a confused expression, cradling his slightly swollen face, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Why did you suddenly hit me?"

"You have the nerve to ask me what's going on? Take this!"

Without further ado, Tsunade raised her fist again and charged toward Jiraiya. The sounds of clashing and bashing echoed incessantly in Shen Ye's ears.

Shen Ye sighed helplessly; this blame could only be shouldered by Jiraiya.

After several bombardments, Jiraiya had been beaten into a pulp.

However, in Shen Ye's view, other than his face being a bit swollen, Jiraiya was completely fine; it seemed this level of damage was not even worth mentioning to him.

"You've really trained yourself to be immune to a beating, haven't you? Boring!"

Leaving behind a cool silhouette, Tsunade clapped her hands and continued walking toward her home.

Shen Ye looked left and right, deciding to go comfort Jiraiya's fragile heart; after all, this beating was technically taken on his behalf.

"Brother Jiraiya, I absolutely believe in your character. It must have been a misunderstanding by Sister Tsunade. How could a gentleman like you ever be a peeping tom?"

"Exactly! I've been at home writing my Icha Icha Paradise lately. Even if I did peek a few times, Tsunade never caught me."

Watching Jiraiya stroke his chin with such confidence, Shen Ye suddenly felt that the beating he just received was well-deserved.

Ding! Congratulations to the host. Last night, the host successfully used God Steal on Jiraiya to acquire the skill: Sage Mode! God Steal cooldown remaining: 3 hours.

The system's voice appeared in Shen Ye's mind without warning.

"Brother Jiraiya, you go to the office by yourself. I have things to do. Bye!"

Too busy to exchange further pleasantries with Jiraiya, Shen Ye scurried toward his home.

Well-versed in the original story, he knew exactly how powerful Sage Mode was. Even with his current small body, he could put it to great use.

The first thing he did upon returning home was lock himself in his room, completely ignoring Tsunade's calls.

"What is this brat up to? Did that guy Jiraiya give him one of his little books?"

"Sister Tsunade, eat dinner by yourself. I have some very important things to do!"

Shen Ye's voice drifted from the room, and Tsunade had no choice but to accept it.

Looking at the food laid out on the table, Tsunade instantly lost her appetite, then leaned back on the sofa and drifted into a drowsy sleep.

Inside the room, Shen Ye followed the techniques in his mind to circulate his chakra, and the natural energy from the surroundings began to surge into his body like tiny, shimmering stars.

After several cycles, Shen Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead, unable to help but marvel at the wonders of Sage Mode.

Although he could not yet unleash Sage Mode like Jiraiya, he could use it to continuously absorb energy and bolster his own chakra reserves.

Outside the window, the moon hung high in the sky. Shen Ye stretched his body, lay down on the bed, and slowly closed his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the next morning arrived. Shen Ye opened his hazy eyes to find a pair of clear, bright eyes only a few centimeters away from his own.

"Big Sister Tsunade, why did you suddenly appear by my bed?"

"I have been here for quite a while. Seeing you sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"But I have to go to school today! I'm almost out of time!"

Shen Ye sprang up from the bed in a single fluid motion. Not even bothering to grab a bite of breakfast, he hurried off in the direction of the school.

Along the way, Shen Ye worried about one thing: he was terrified that Mikoto would expose his peeping at the women's bathhouse to everyone.

However, upon arriving at the Ninja Academy, Shen Ye noticed that the looks everyone gave him were still quite friendly; it seemed the matter had not been leaked after all.