Future Threats

The battle began in an instant, and all stray thoughts were cast beyond the clouds. The defender was like a small boat on the sea, facing the crashing waves alone.

The fighting became so intense it was beyond description. Only after six rounds between the two did they finally call a truce.

Six really was a marvelous number!

When Doichi Hyuga woke up the next day and checked the time, it was already nearly noon.

"Tsunade! Get up!"

Doichi Hyuga rubbed his cheeks and gave her a push.

Tsunade grunted twice, turned over, and went back to sleep.

"Little Tsuna! My little darling!..."

Tsunade jolted upright and threw a punch at Doichi Hyuga.

Doichi Hyuga guided the blow aside, caught her wrist, and pulled her whole body into his arms.

"You bastard! Mention that again, and I'll beat you to death!"

Last night, Doichi Hyuga had discovered that calling her "Little Tsuna" made her even more eager to attack.

To get back at him, Tsunade had called him "my little darling"! After the battle ended, Tsunade remembered it and nearly died of embarrassment. Whoever brought it up, she would fight them to the death.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

"Dad! Mom! Are you up yet? I've been waiting forever!"

Hearing them talk, Qianyue began pounding on the door. The little girl usually woke up early. Today, Shizune had probably stopped her.

"Qianyue! Wait a moment!"

"You're still not up? Hurry up, even the child woke up before you!"

Doichi Hyuga released Tsunade, got dressed, climbed out of bed, and washed his face.

Tsunade slipped back under the blankets, and a muffled curse came from within.

"You bastard! Pass me my clothes!"

An arm stretched out from beneath the blanket, and Doichi Hyuga helplessly stuffed her clothes into her hand.

"Heh. What are you embarrassed about? Do we even have any secrets left between us?!"

Leaving those words behind, Doichi Hyuga opened the door and walked out.

"Get lost!"

An angry roar came from behind him.

"Is Mom okay?"

"She's fine. Don't mind her!"

Doichi Hyuga picked up Qianyue and began chatting with her.

The father and daughter played for a while before a Shadow Clone brought out the food.

After washing up, Tsunade sat down beside Doichi Hyuga.

Shizune and Qianyue sat across from them, and the four began eating their breakfast... lunch.

"Shizune! Why do you keep looking at me?"

Tsunade found it strange. Ever since she had sat down, Shizune had been sneaking glances at her, leaving her utterly confused.

"Lady Tsunade, you look wonderfully radiant! You're getting more beautiful by the day!"

"Huh? That? I noticed it too, but I couldn't figure out why... Uh... stop talking and eat!"

Tsunade seemed to recall something, and her face immediately flushed. As a medical ninja, she naturally knew quite a bit about matters between husbands and wives.

After eating, Qianyue played on the swing in the yard. The little girl was very bold, standing on the seat as she swung back and forth.

Doichi Hyuga and Tsunade sat beneath the eaves, chatting as they watched the little girl play.

"Tsunade! How's your practice of the Six-Syllable Breathing Method going?"

"Not bad! I feel like my chakra reserves have increased a little, and my ninjutsu is a bit stronger than before. If you had something this good, you should've given it to me sooner!"

Tsunade complained a little.

"It's not too late now! You need to study the scroll I gave you seriously. Once you master it, you'll be able to cultivate Natural Energy!"

"But! It'll still take a long time before you can use Sage Jutsu. Your strength is still growing too slowly!"

Doichi Hyuga sighed, somewhat undecided.

"My strength is already very strong, okay? What are you worried about?"

Tsunade was deeply displeased. He actually looks down on my strength? There aren't many people in the entire Ninja World who can beat me!

"Do you know Itachi Uchiha?"

"I do! An S-Rank rogue ninja who nearly wiped out the Uchiha Clan! Why are you bringing him up?"

Tsunade hated people who spoke in riddles. He was never straightforward when he talked.

"Itachi Uchiha joined an organization called Akatsuki. This organization is made up of S-Rank rogue ninjas! Orochimaru was once part of it!"

Doichi Hyuga felt somewhat helpless. This woman was completely different during the day and at night.

On the outside, she was strong and resolute, but inside, she was a soft little woman.

"That bastard Orochimaru! This Akatsuki Organization sounds dangerous! Does the old man know?"

Tsunade frowned, no longer calm.

"He should. Itachi Uchiha has been passing intelligence to Konoha, and I received a copy as well."

"Itachi Uchiha is the village's spy? Then what was the Uchiha Massacre about? Was that another one of the old man's dirty deeds?"

Tsunade was no novice in politics. She had seen plenty of the Third Hokage's methods.

"Why would Itachi Uchiha pass intelligence to you? Looks like you two have quite an unusual relationship."

"Itachi Uchiha contracted a terminal illness. I saved his life!"

"You can cure terminal illnesses? Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"

Tsunade was getting angry, feeling as though he was mocking her.

"I used First Hokage Cells!"

"You bastard! And you said you didn't transplant Wood Release?"

Tsunade sprang up and threw a punch at him.

Doichi Hyuga instantly caught her wrist and smoothly pressed her down into his lap.

"You tigress, can't you listen until I'm done talking?"

Tsunade could barely move, so she could only listen in impotent fury.

"I really didn't transplant Wood Release. I wasn't lying about that!"

After hearing this, Tsunade's expression improved somewhat.

"Then what about Itachi Uchiha? Why did you do that?"

"Itachi Uchiha is a rare powerhouse. It would be a pity for him to die like that! In his heart, Konoha matters more than the Uchiha Clan. Do you want Konoha to lose such an excellent tool?"

Doichi Hyuga asked in return, then continued.

"More than ten years have passed since the Third Shinobi World War! How far away do you think the Fourth one is?"

Tsunade's entire body stiffened, and she began to tremble slightly. She remembered her younger brother, relatives, and friends who had died on the battlefield.

And there was also her former lover, Dan Katō. Though decades had already passed, Tsunade had long forgotten what he looked like. Still, whenever she occasionally thought of him, her heart did not feel very good.

After Qianyue was born, she had not thought of him even once.

Tsunade felt a little guilty, though not much. Now, her heart held only Qianyue and the bastard in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade! I shouldn't have brought those things up!"

Doichi Hyuga loosened his arms and let her lean against his chest, so she could be as comfortable as possible.

"Wood Release experiments have never succeeded. You actually dared to do it? Weren't you afraid of killing Itachi Uchiha?"

After taking a moment to recover, Tsunade broke free and returned to her seat.

"The Uchiha Clan and Senju Clan are considered relatives. You share a common ancestor—the Sage of Six Paths. If anyone can successfully transplant First Hokage Cells, the Uchiha Clan will definitely be among them!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!"

Tsunade found it hard to believe, but reality was just that ironic. The Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan had slaughtered each other for thousands of years, wishing they could kill every last one of the other side. Heaven really knew how to make a joke!

"If Itachi Uchiha can succeed, there's no reason you, his biological granddaughter, would fail, right?"

"You want me to transplant my grandfather's cells?"

"That's right! This is the fastest way for you to increase your strength! You must become stronger as soon as possible. The pressure we'll face in the future will be enormous!"