Chapter 30

"Hm?"

Minato Namikaze took the scroll and gently lifted one corner.

Jiraiya leaned over for a look. His eyes instantly went wide as he cried out, "This is-the Second's Flying Thunder God?!"

The moment the words Flying Thunder God left his mouth, Tsunade could no longer maintain her detached expression. Her brows drew together sharply.

Her second grandfather had come up with that thing, after all.

To put it plainly, it belonged to their Senju Clan.

After confirming that neither Tsunade nor Nawaki had inherited the Wood Release bloodline limit, the clan's higher-ups had originally planned to pass this incredible technique down to the siblings.

Unfortunately, Tsunade wasn't suited to it, and Nawaki's aptitude fell far too short.

Since Konoha's founding, no one besides Tobirama Senju had managed to learn it.

"Lord Third really is generous."

The corners of Xuan Zhe's mouth curled into something between a smile and a smirk.

He suddenly understood why Minato Namikaze had been willing to work alongside Hiruzen Sarutobi later on without ever raising any objections.

His soft personality was one thing, but there was another reason-as a boy from a civilian background, he must have received plenty of help from Hiruzen Sarutobi as he grew.

"Flying Thunder God is only ranked B, but in the hands of someone who knows how to use it, it can deliver S-rank power."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, propping her chin on one hand as she stared at Minato Namikaze until his scalp prickled. Only then did she say, "And he just gave it to you for nothing?"

Back when Tobirama Senju had succeeded Hashirama Senju, in order to keep advancing policies that favored civilians...

The major ninja clans had all handed over their most closely guarded techniques for the sake of their own interests, and every one of them had been put into the Scroll of Seals.

Anyone who contributed enough to the village could learn those advanced ninjutsu.

Simply put, it gave ninja from ordinary backgrounds a chance to climb higher.

That was also why the Uchiha Clan's Great Fireball Technique had practically become a standard skill among Konoha ninja.

As for ninjutsu on the level of Flying Thunder God, one had to complete an S-rank mission just to qualify for access.

Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi had simply handed it straight to Minato Namikaze.

Anyone could figure out what intentions lay behind that, even without using their brain.

"Lord Hokage actually entrusted me with such an important ninjutsu..."

With the Second Hokage's signature technique in his hands, Minato Namikaze could barely contain his excitement.

At the end of the day, he was only a fourteen-year-old boy. He couldn't think that deeply about it; his mind was filled with gratitude.

That was exactly the effect Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted.

Standing to one side, Jiraiya sighed inwardly. Even he couldn't say whether this was good or bad.

He had taken Minato Namikaze out of Konoha to train precisely because he wanted to keep the boy away from the village's murky waters.

Unfortunately, Jiraiya had been too naive.

As long as Minato Namikaze still had his sights set on becoming Hokage, he couldn't escape all those messy conflicts.

Kushina waved, watching the teacher and student's retreating figures grow more distant.

At last, they disappeared completely over the horizon.

"Hey, aren't you worried? The old man's clearly grooming that kid."

Tsunade turned to Xuan Zhe.

"Him? Let him train another hundred years first."

Xuan Zhe's lips curled into a smile.

With the system at his disposal, Xuan Zhe wasn't worried about Minato Namikaze making any waves. Even if he activated Nine-Tails Mode, Xuan Zhe still wouldn't think anything of it.

"Besides, I think you've got the wrong idea."

Xuan Zhe picked up his sword, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to meditate.

He opened one eye and said to Tsunade:

"I did kill Sarutobi Shinnosuke, but I have absolutely no interest in that pathetic bit of power Hiruzen Sarutobi holds. As long as they don't mess with me, I couldn't be bothered even if they turned Konoha into a complete mess."

Kushina, who had just returned from saying goodbye, happened to hear those words.

Her little round face instantly turned frighteningly pale.

What?!

Had she just heard something she wasn't supposed to hear?!

Were her ears ringing?

Kushina swallowed hard, telling herself over and over.

Yes, ringing ears. Definitely ringing ears.

I didn't hear anything. I didn't hear anything.

When she heard the latter half of Xuan Zhe's remark, "I couldn't be bothered even if they turned Konoha into a complete mess"-

Tsunade's expression suddenly grew complicated.

She had no fondness whatsoever for Hiruzen Sarutobi as a person, but her feelings for Konoha itself still ran deep.

Even at fifty, her original-story self had still been unable to let go.

Besides seeing Nawaki in Naruto, another reason she had been willing to return to the village and become the Fifth Hokage was her attachment to this land, which she couldn't sever.

"...Sigh."

Tsunade sat there in a daze, an indescribable melancholy in her expression.

Xuan Zhe had no choice but to stop training, stand up, and walk over to pull her into his arms.

"What? Can't let go of the Hokage position? If you want it, I'll just help you take it back."

Kushina quickly slipped away-this was too sweet for her to stomach.

Xuan Zhe continued, "But just taking the Hokage's seat isn't enough. If we're doing it, we'll do it thoroughly and deal with everyone who gets in the way."

He considered that if he really helped Tsunade become Hokage, he couldn't let it turn out like Minato Namikaze's time in the original story, with two Hokage running the village together.

He wanted even less to see Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado buzzing around like flies, causing trouble all day long.

If he did it, he would go all the way.

Tsunade pressed her lips together and murmured, "...Take me."

Xuan Zhe sighed. His training had been interrupted again.

He bent down, picked Tsunade up, and carried her into the little house.

As for what happened next, imagine fifteen thousand words yourselves.

After the Second Shinobi World War ended, Tsunade should have left Konoha as she had in the original story.

But the wind stirred up by Xuan Zhe's butterfly wings had been too strong, and everything had changed.

Nawaki was alive and well. Though the Senju Clan had suffered a severe blow and wouldn't recover for decades, at least its line hadn't died out.

With Xuan Zhe around as well, Tsunade hadn't left at all.

Meanwhile, Kakashi, who had been known in the original story for graduating faster than anyone in history, was still dutifully attending the Ninja Academy.

He fought with Obito Uchiha every day, practically another version of Sasuke and Naruto.

Rin Nohara, on the other hand, the little girl determined to become a medical ninja, had grown particularly close to Tsunade.

After the Second Shinobi World War, nine out of ten female ninja in Konoha looked up to Tsunade as their role model.

Since Tsunade often spent the night at Xuan Zhe's place, Xuan Zhe also had quite a few more encounters with this little girl, who had seemed unremarkable in the original story but had actually changed the course of the shinobi world.

"Go buy me a bottle of shochu, and some chicken meatballs."

Tsunade had spent the entire day practicing armament haki, a skill Xuan Zhe had taught her.

The first thing she did after finishing her training was send Rin Nohara out on an errand.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

Rin Nohara nodded obediently, then turned to ask Xuan Zhe, "Do you need anything, Lord Xuan Zhe?"

"Hmm... Get me two boxes of **. We used them up yesterday."

Xuan Zhe thought for a moment before answering.

"**?"

Seven-year-old Rin Nohara tilted her little head, completely baffled.

"Shut your mouth!"

Embarrassed and angry, Tsunade threw a Monster Strength Fist at him.

Rin Nohara's little face flushed bright red, as though she had just been fished out of hot water.

Xuan Zhe dodged the punch with a slight tilt of his head. He shouted at Rin Nohara, "What are you standing around for? Get going!"

"Oh, okay-"

Rin Nohara nodded obediently, turned, and ran toward the village.

Xuan Zhe quickly changed the subject before Tsunade could keep after him. "You're treating her like a maid, aren't you?"

"Tch-I've taught her plenty of medical ninjutsu. Just consider it her tuition."

Tsunade curled her lips, not feeling the slightest bit guilty, and finally lowered her fist.

Xuan Zhe smiled and said nothing more.

Honestly, compared with the two burdens who had followed Tsunade around in the original story-

One was Shizune, whose presence was so faint she was practically invisible.