Return to the Hidden Leaf Village

Return to the Hidden Leaf Village

By the time Hyuga Yuto saw the Hidden Leaf Village in the distance, half a month had already passed.

After obtaining Takeda Shigen's bag of gold, silver, and valuables, he exchanged the money that very night. He also purchased large quantities of chemicals and medical equipment from the Bounty Station, then established two more secret underground bases in the Land of Rain and the Land of Waterfalls.

Owl's corpse had already been blasted to ashes, leaving no trace behind. There was no need to deal with it further.

As for Takeda Shigen and Asano Kaoru's bodies, Hyuga Yuto simply buried them in the Land of Waterfalls. With its towering waterfalls and mountains, it had excellent feng shui, as people from his previous life would say. Perhaps they would be reborn as a pair of devoted lovebirds in their next lives.

There seemed to be little to do, but the details were tedious and required ample patience. Just locating Asano Kaoru's remains with the Byakugan had taken Hyuga Yuto considerable effort.

When he had left the village, the snow had reached past his calves. Now that he had returned, spring buds had already blossomed and the great trees had sent forth new branches.

Winter had ended in the world of shinobi. It was now early spring, when all things stirred to life.

Breathing in the fragrance of unfamiliar wildflowers, treading upon the slightly damp earth, and facing the towering Hokage Rock, Hyuga Yuto entered the Hidden Leaf Village once more.

The moment he passed through the gates, Hyuga Yuto sensed an unsettling discordance.

It was clearly the vibrant early spring, yet there was little laughter or cheer in the village. Many people wore furrowed brows, their steps heavy and hurried.

—The winds of all-out war had finally reached even the most stable Hidden Leaf Village.

The branch family boy sighed inwardly, slung his pack over his back, and headed straight for the Senju Clan Grounds.

Half a year ago, when he had returned to the village after completing a mission, he had first visited the Hyuga clan head before reporting to the Hokage Building. But now, Hyuga Yuto was not only a direct disciple of the Hokage's lineage, but had also received Tsunade's approval to leave the village temporarily for training. Naturally, upon returning, he had to see his teacher first.

He had only taken a few steps into the Senju Clan Grounds when he suddenly sprang upward, leaping into the air.

The next instant, a deep crater appeared where he had just been standing.

The blonde woman slammed one palm into the ground, and the flying stones carried greater force than the kunai thrown by ordinary shinobi.

"What a peculiar welcome... Teacher Tsunade!"

Hyuga Yuto grinned. The moment he landed, he charged at Tsunade and threw a punch.

Rumble...

Hyuga Yuto had already gained some proficiency in Monster Strength. When the two fought, it truly felt as though the earth and mountains were shaking. Smoke and dust rose throughout the Senju Clan Grounds, and several buildings even collapsed.

In the end, Tsunade still had the upper hand. She used a move close to a "soft technique" to restrain Hyuga Yuto, twisting his arms behind his back and pinning him beneath her as she panted.

"You brat, you've gotten much stronger..."

A strand of her golden hair fell from behind onto Hyuga Yuto's cheek, soft and ticklish.

The branch family boy smiled.

"Teacher is one of the legendary Three Sannin, a towering mountain that this disciple will never be able to surpass in his lifetime."

"Save it..." Tsunade snorted and released Hyuga Yuto's hands. She frowned prettily as she examined her disciple closely. "You've grown quite a bit taller since you left... Well, you're only thirteen. This is the age when boys shoot up."

"Still not as tall as you, Teacher."

"Your grasp of the timing of your punches, the rhythm of your Monster Strength strikes, the cadence of your chakra bursts—compared to a few months ago, you're almost a different person. More importantly, your fists are very hard. You've trained diligently, Yuto."

"Not as hard as yours, Teacher."

"Hmph..." Tsunade casually hooked an arm around him like a thug, mischievously mussing up his hair before breaking into a chuckle. "You smooth-talking brat. Everyone says Hyuga's Jade is a calm, steady genius, but I think you've fooled them all."

Hyuga Yuto was now exactly as tall as the blonde woman's earlobes. Anyone with experience knew that this height difference made it most comfortable to drape an arm around someone. Tsunade simply slung an arm over her disciple's shoulders like a delinquent girl and walked him inside, all the way back to her residence.

"Tell me, Yuto." Tsunade sat on the tatami, leaning back with her arms supporting her body as she asked curiously, "Who wanted to write a letter to that Jiraiya fellow?"

As he tidied the hair Tsunade had messed up, Hyuga Yuto replied, "The three leaders of Akatsuki from the Hidden Rain Village. Their names are Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato."

Tsunade tilted her head.

"Never heard of them."

Hyuga Yuto briefly described the Rain trio's appearances. A memory buried somewhere resurfaced, and Tsunade recalled the three orphans she had encountered in the Hidden Rain Village during the Second Shinobi World War. She sighed.

"So it was those poor children... I never expected them to have become shinobi capable of standing on their own."

"Teacher, Yahiko and Lord Jiraiya's relationship is..."

"Jiraiya once stayed in the Land of Rain and taught them for a time." The blonde woman waved a hand. "I've already entrusted that letter to someone reliable, and it was delivered to Jiraiya. He's very grateful to you."

"Oh..." Hyuga Yuto blinked.

That was all? Just a thank-you?

Wait, that wasn't right, was it? Jiraiya, known as the "Gallant," was a generous and wealthy man who spent money freely. Delivering a letter might have been a small favor, but surely he couldn't just offer verbal thanks? At the very least, he should have treated him to a lavish meal or something...

Hyuga Yuto might never know that a few days earlier, Jiraiya's "return gift" to express his gratitude had already been delivered to the Senju Clan Grounds.

Tsunade had received it immediately, and the moment she saw the gift, she had exploded into furious cursing.

Jiraiya's return gift was none other than his passionate masterpiece, Make-Out Paradise!

Although it had not yet been published, the first draft was already complete. It truly deserved to be the work that would launch a bestselling series beloved across many lands in the future. Its vivid, polished wording, exquisite and realistic illustrations, and bold, uninhibited techniques practically broke new ground in the shinobi world.

Then Tsunade had torn the book apart with a dark expression.

—That damned Jiraiya! There's nothing decent in that head of his! My disciple is only thirteen! Such an innocent young boy, pure as a blank sheet of paper! And he gave him something like this...

Apparently, she hadn't beaten him enough.

Thinking this, Tsunade cleared her throat and continued.

"Let's put Jiraiya aside for now. How is the development of your new ninjutsu going?"

"It's nearly finished. The [offensive component] has been completely refined. Only the protective part remains."

As Hyuga Yuto spoke, he unwound the bandages around his arms and hands, revealing scar-covered skin.

"Using it once destroys seventy percent of my skin and fractures my bones. If I use it a second time, my blood is expected to completely evaporate and my muscles to fully dehydrate... If I use it a third time in succession, I'll lose the entire arm."

Tsunade sat upright and stroked her disciple's arm. She was a grandmaster of medical ninjutsu, and merely from the shape of the scars, she could deduce the tremendous power of that technique.

"Go to the back mountain tomorrow morning and demonstrate that technique for me." The blonde woman spoke seriously. "Leave the rest to your teacher."

(End of chapter)