Jiraiya's Taunt!

The meal ended in an atmosphere that was both tense and lively.

After eating, although Tsunade was still angry, she felt a pang of sympathy and proceeded to treat Kushina.

As the pale green light of the Mystical Palm Technique touched her, the soreness throughout Kushina's body vanished instantly, and she was full of vitality once again.

"Thank you, Sister Tsunade!" Kushina said with a smile.

Tsunade snorted and retorted irritably, "If you speak up for that brat again next time, I won't bother with you."

Kushina stuck out her tongue, grabbed Bai Lin, and hurried outside: "We're going to train!"

The two arrived at the clearing once more; the afternoon training consisted of tree climbing and water walking.

Kushina's control in this area was not particularly outstanding, but watching her efforts, Bai Lin did not criticize her, instead offering constant encouragement and cheers.

Bai Lin nodded with satisfaction as he observed her progress.

"Kushina's chakra affinities are Wind and Water. Since she can master a large number of sealing techniques, she likely possesses Yin and Yang affinities as well."

Fuinjutsu is not a skill one can learn through effort alone; one must have Yin and Yang chakra affinities to be qualified, which is why talented individuals capable of sealing techniques in the Ninja World are pitifully few.

"She has a massive amount of chakra in her body that shouldn't be wasted. The Sasuke Uchiha template doesn't have Wind or Water style ninjutsu either, so it seems I will need to have Tsunade provide a large number of techniques."

"I don't need to teach her long-range ninjutsu; Kushina's personality favors close-quarters combat. There is one technique that suits her perfectly, and given her chakra reserves, it might even have greater destructive power."

Bai Lin watched Kushina's stumbling figure on the tree trunk, silently calculating in his mind.

He thought of the Rasengan, the technique Naruto used from the beginning to the end.

The Sasuke Uchiha template did not include the Rasengan, so he was unable to use it himself.

He recalled the method Naruto used to train the Rasengan.

"Hmm, first like this, then like this, and finally like this."

"Very good. Once Kushina finishes this stage of training, I will teach her the Rasengan."

Bai Lin simulated the training method for the Rasengan in his mind, going over the core essentials of compressing, rotating, and condensing chakra.

It required no complex hand seals, relying entirely on chakra manipulation, which would perfectly compensate for her lack of precise control while maximizing the advantage of her massive chakra reserves.

Furthermore, the explosive power of the Rasengan in close combat perfectly matched Kushina's preference for charging into the fray.

Moreover, this technique did not require innate talent, only hard work to master; given Kushina's resilience, it wouldn't take long for her to succeed.

The day ended with Kushina's training.

Although Bai Lin felt a bit bored—unable to improve his own strength—he wouldn't have wanted to stay if not for the satisfaction he felt watching Kushina's incremental progress.

Also, he had learned that Kushina was not actually a wealthy woman.

All that talk about her owning assets across Konoha was a lie.

If the Uzumaki Clan really had that many assets in Konoha, the village wouldn't be left with only Kushina as the sole survivor of the Uzumaki Clan today.

At the very least, there should have been members of the Uzumaki Clan managing their business affairs in Konoha.

The next day.

Konoha.

Near the Forest of Death, at Training Ground 7.

Tsunade stood in the center of the training ground with black lines on her forehead.

Standing before her were two girls: one was delicate and cute with fiery red hair, while the other was quiet and elegant with black hair and black eyes.

"Does this brat have no concept of time? He's been late for so long and still hasn't shown up."

The students participating in the graduation exam had already been assigned.

Tsunade had originally thought Hiruzen Sarutobi would only entrust Bai Lin to her; she hadn't expected him to add two more girls to the mix.

Does he really think I have no temper?

What can I teach people who have no medical talent?

Tsunade kicked a pebble in frustration, cursing Hiruzen Sarutobi a thousand times in her heart.

She had never been patient with training newcomers, and now she had to handle three at once.

Seeing Tsunade's impatience, Kushina shrank her head back, silently praying for Bai Lin.

"Sister Tsunade, Brother Lin, he..." Kushina tried to plead for Bai Lin, but was interrupted by Tsunade.

"Kushina, I let it slide when you call me Tsunade usually, but during work hours, please call me Teacher Tsunade!" Tsunade's tone was unfriendly; anyone who provoked her now would have to consider themselves unlucky.

'Brother Lin?' The other girl's eyes flickered imperceptibly upon hearing Kushina's words, though she quickly returned to normal.

The current atmosphere wasn't right for asking questions; she would wait until later.

Kushina shrank her neck in fear and quickly corrected herself: "Yes, Teacher Tsunade!"

"Yo, isn't this Tsunade?"

A familiar, teasing voice rang out. Two more people walked in from outside the training ground; leading them was Jiraiya, followed by a yellow-haired boy with a bright, sunny smile: Minato Namikaze.

Tsunade's face darkened even further the moment she saw Jiraiya. "Why are you here? Nothing better to do with your time?"

"I requested a student from Teacher Hiruzen, and look, this is my student, Minato Namikaze." Jiraiya patted Minato on the shoulder, his face beaming with pride. "I'm very satisfied with this student; he definitely won't be any worse than yours in the future!"

"Hahaha!"

Jiraiya laughed heartily as he spoke, completely oblivious to the fact that Tsunade's expression was growing increasingly grim.

Minato Namikaze stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Tsunade, his smile remaining as bright as ever. "Lady Tsunade, classmate Kushina, and this senior, hello! I am Minato Namikaze. Please look after me from now on!"

"You're very happy, aren't you?"

Tsunade's voice was cold as ice. She clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking audibly; she was clearly on the verge of exploding.

This bastard Jiraiya not only appeared before her but dared to show off his student in her presence—he was practically begging for death!

Furthermore, seeing how obedient and sensible Minato Namikaze was, she suddenly felt a sense of imbalance in her heart.

She, the person least suited to teaching students, had been saddled with three, while Jiraiya—though not exactly a serious person—was undeniably skilled at instruction and had even managed to secure a student through his own request.

Someone must have rigged this!

Jiraiya, heh, you have already paved your own road to death.

Only then did Jiraiya sense that something was wrong. He reined in his smile and said sheepishly, "W-what's wrong? Why are you so angry, Tsunade?"

He knew her temper all too well; if he truly provoked her, even he wouldn't come out unscathed.

"What's wrong?" Tsunade sneered, her chakra surging violently, causing fine cracks to spiderweb across the ground. "You have the nerve to ask?"

"Can't you see I'm in a bad mood? Coming here to show off—Jiraiya, do you think I'm soft-tempered and easy to bully?"

Before the words had even faded, Tsunade flashed forward, her fist empowered by Super Strength whistling through the air as she slammed it toward Jiraiya's face.

She had been truly infuriated by Bai Lin, and now, she was displeased with everyone.

"Whoa! Tsunade, have you lost your mind?" Terrified out of his wits, Jiraiya scrambled to dodge to the side.

The fist grazed his cheek and slammed into the tree behind him. With a thunderous boom, the thick trunk snapped instantly, disintegrating into dust.