The Senju Ancestral Home

While Eiji was still chatting with Tsunade, Kushina returned.

She immediately threw herself at Eiji, wrapping both arms tightly around his waist. Fortunately, Kushina had not developed yet, or Eiji would not have been able to withstand that impact.

"Eiji! Are you okay!? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine. It's just that Lady Tsunade finished this guy off, so now there's no way to prove who he is."

"You ungrateful little brat! I was trying to help you! But don't worry, he isn't dead. Even if he were, the Yamanaka Clan could probe his memories and find valuable intel."

Tsunade was a little annoyed. She thought a child like Eiji was far too mature. Normally, shouldn't he have been so frightened that he threw himself into her arms, crying out for Big Sister Tsunade?

It made her arrival feel rather pointless, so Tsunade decided to scare Eiji a little.

"You should worry about yourself instead. You probably don't know what kind of person Danzo is. Anyone in the Village who crosses him ends up mysteriously disappearing, you know?"

"Then what are you planning to do with me, Lady Tsunade? Can you protect me?"

Eiji tilted his head, his Blue Eyes meeting Tsunade's.

Only then did Tsunade notice Eiji's ridiculously good looks. The Uchiha were the best-looking clan in Konoha, yet this brat surpassed even them.

The brat made her want to tousle his hair, but Tsunade held herself back.

"Come back to the Senju Ancestral Home with me. Your current place isn't safe anymore. Tomorrow, I'll demand an explanation from that Old Man, the Third Hokage. Don't worry. I won't let that bastard Danzo get away with this!"

Tsunade felt she had been far too lenient with Danzo. How had Konoha, the village her grandfather and great-uncle had built with their own hands, turned into this? Ninja who were supposed to protect the Village were actually trying to murder a fellow villager in broad daylight!

"Then thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"Call me Big Sister!"

Tsunade brought her fist down on Eiji's head, and he cried out in pain.

Since Tsunade had come with good intentions, there was no need for him to keep his Cursed Technique active and make her punch miss. Satoru Gojo had probably thought the same way in the original story, which was why he let Masamichi Yaga hit him on the head so often.

Eiji shrugged. He liked Tsunade quite a lot, too. In truth, his hostility was directed only at Danzo and those connected to him.

Of the Konoha F4, only Hiruzen Sarutobi could barely count as a decent person. The other three were no different from the old fossils at Jujutsu High, and Danzo was worse still.

"Really? Eiji can stay at our house now? That's wonderful!"

Kushina did not think that deeply about it. She was simply delighted that she would be able to spend much more time with Eiji!

When the real Konoha Anbu arrived after hearing the news, they were somewhat at a loss over what to do with the scene before them.

Tsunade stepped forward and explained things to them, after which they abandoned any plans to question Ryuuzaki Eiji about exactly what had happened.

Their paychecks told them not to ask questions they shouldn't, after all.

So they could only sling Shimura Shio, whose fate remained uncertain, over their shoulders and leap away.

On the way back to the Senju Ancestral Home, Kushina held Eiji's hand and refused to let go, as though afraid he might run into danger again.

"All right, since you're going to stay at our ancestral home, shouldn't I ask for a little interest?"

The sight of Eiji's unruffled expression annoyed Tsunade a little. For some reason, she really wanted to pick on him and see him look pained and miserable.

In psychology, this was called "the desire to puncture a perfect facade." It did not mean Tsunade had a dark streak; Eiji's behavior was simply too unusual.

"But I'm only a child who isn't even a ninja yet, ma'am. All I have to offer is five thousand ryo, three kunai, and a few shuriken."

"Who wants your money?! Then how about leaving all the laundry in the house to you from now on? Hmm... you can do the dishes, too! And I told you to call me Big Sister!"

"You're too lazy, Big Sister Tsunade!"

Kushina hugged Eiji's arm and stuck her tongue out at Tsunade.

Having taken the opportunity to throw herself into Eiji's arms earlier, Kushina had suddenly become much bolder. Being this close to him made her feel blissfully happy.

"Sure. I've always lived alone, so those chores are just part of my everyday routine."

Failing to make Eiji pull a sour face left Tsunade feeling a little bored. She had specifically looked into the brat's personal information that morning.

Because he was so outstanding, the Anbu's records on him were a little more detailed than those of the other children.

His parents had both been ordinary chunin who often went on missions together. During one escort mission, both had lost their lives, leaving behind Ryuuzaki Eiji, who was only six and had just entered the Ninja Academy.

He got along well with the children of the Village's Great Families. After learning of his parents' deaths, he had mourned at home for three days, and almost all his peers from the Great Families had visited him.

He had excellent grades and led a disciplined life, often running laps around Konoha with a genin named Might Duy.

The rest of his time was spent working odd jobs wherever he could, or fishing and hunting in the Forest. To be honest, Tsunade's heart had ached a little when she read that information.

Among the Konoha children his age, he led an exceptionally busy life. Given what he had been through, Tsunade would not have been surprised at all if he had developed flaws in his personality.

Yet he merely seemed a little quiet and reserved. Beyond that, he showed no signs of a warped psyche.

As she thought about it, Tsunade could not help reaching out to ruffle Eiji's soft hair.

Eiji did not resist, either. Before long, his hair looked like a bird's nest, leaving him to straighten it as they walked.

Upon reaching the Senju Clan Compound, Eiji was stunned by the magnificent residence before him.

As a commoner, he naturally had never been allowed near Mito Uzumaki's residence. Now that he could see the estate up close, his eyes went wide.

Calling it merely ostentatious wealth would not do it justice. Although he had never seen the Daimyo's Palace, he felt that even it could hardly be more impressive than this.

All he could say was that Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi of his era, had possessed an extraordinarily substantial fortune.

Any random thing taken from this place could have bought that shabby little room of his.

But when Eiji thought about how Tsunade would eventually give up on everything after Nawaki's death and use the valuables in the Senju Clan Compound to pay off her debts, he could not help feeling wistful. Even such a magnificent estate would fall into decline one day.

At that thought, Eiji looked at Tsunade, the biggest sucker in the shinobi world, with a complicated expression.

Still, Eiji did not ogle Tsunade. For one thing, that would have been rude. For another, she had yet to grow to the astonishing proportions she had in the original story, so there was not much to look at.

"Well, brat? Our estate is a lot grander than your little room, isn't it?"

There was no mockery in Tsunade's words. She merely wanted to tease Eiji a little.

"Yeah. It really does live up to being the home of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi. Don't tell me he planted all the trees here himself?"

Eiji felt no sense of inferiority and chatted naturally with Tsunade. After all, strength brought confidence.