At noon the next day, Tsunade stood at the entrance to the old Senju residence, already dressed in her combat gear and ready to leave.
Nobuhiko watched her from behind, reluctant to see her go. Although he knew she probably would not come to harm, he still could not help worrying.
After all, he, Kihara Nobuhiko, had not existed in the original story. Now that he had arrived, who knew whether some uncontrollable butterfly effect might arise behind the scenes?
Tsunade turned to look at Nobuhiko again, and the worry on his face warmed her heart. She reached out and pulled him into her arms again.
She comforted him softly. "All right, stop worrying. Your big sister is the famous Princess Tsunade of Konoha! Don't worry, I'll definitely come back safely."
With that, she gently patted his head again.
Although she had only spent three or four days with Nobuhiko, she already regarded him as a younger brother.
Nobuhiko had become an honest fellow again. Despite being in paradise, he felt no stir in his heart.
He even pulled himself out of Tsunade's embrace, looked at her earnestly, and said, "Big Sis Tsunade, you promised me. You have to come back safely!"
Seeing his earnest expression, Tsunade felt both touched and a little helpless.
↓↓↓
For a moment, Nobuhiko felt incapable of thinking. His mind went completely blank.
Looking at the dumbstruck Nobuhiko, Tsunade walked away smugly without lingering for even a moment.
Only after a long while did Nobuhiko's brain finally recover from its crash.
With no time to look back on it, he watched Tsunade's receding figure and shouted, "Big Sis Tsunade, you have to come back alive!"
This time, Tsunade did not turn around. Instead, she quickened her pace.
Only after a long while, when Tsunade was finally out of sight, did Nobuhiko return inside.
He felt both reluctance and excitement.
He was reluctant because Tsunade was about to head to the front lines, and he had no idea how long it would be before they met again.
↓↓↓
It meant that his efforts over the past few days had not been wasted. He had finally secured a place in Tsunade's heart.
It meant that if he, too, died in the war one day, Tsunade would grieve and shed tears for him.
Pah, pah, pah! What a jinx! How could I possibly die in the war? I have to live to a ripe old age and spend the rest of my life by Tsunade's side.
Suddenly, Nobuhiko's expression darkened.
It suddenly occurred to him that someone else was still alive-Dan Katō.
"Ugh, this is tricky!"
It was currently year 39 of Konoha, and Nobuhiko remembered that Dan Katō had died on the battlefield in year 40.
Could I save him?
Did I want to save him?
Should I save him?
Nobuhiko posed these three soul-searching questions to himself.
Then he sank into thought.
Could I save him?
Nobuhiko went through the original story in his mind again, only to realize that all he remembered was that Dan Katō had died in year 40 of Konoha.
He knew neither the exact time nor the location.
How was I supposed to save him, then?
He could hardly tell people that Dan Katō was going to die on the battlefield and that they should hurry up and send people to protect him.
That would really stir things up.
Whether anyone believed him or not, the Third Hokage and Danzo would probably set their sights on him immediately.
Then, once word of Dan Katō's death reached them from the front lines, the two would have someone examine his memories and discover that he was a transmigrator who had watched Naruto...
That would stir things up even more.
He dared not think about it, nor could he afford to.
Save him, my ass. I'm only five this year. I have no ability whatsoever to rescue Dan Katō.
He could only let go of his compulsion to help others and respect their fate.
As for Tsunade being so overwhelmed by grief after Dan Katō's death that she even developed a fear of blood...
He would be by her side from then on. Whether she chose to stay in the village or leave, he would stay with her.
He definitely would not let Tsunade suffer as she had in the original story.
So, Brother Dan Katō, go in peace. I'll take care of Tsunade from now on.
Nobuhiko observed a few minutes of silence for Dan Katō in advance as a show of respect.
Having thought it through, Nobuhiko threw himself back into training, brimming with motivation.
The Second Shinobi World War would more or less end next year, and seven years after that, the Third Shinobi World War would break out.
He had eight years at most.
I still have to work hard!
I'll start by practicing Water Shockwave.
Nobuhiko went to the forest west of the village to train.
Ox-Monkey-Hare-Rat.
First, Nobuhiko slowly completed the hand seals in the sequence recorded on the scroll, then carefully sensed the flow of chakra within his body.
Rather than gathering together, his chakra spread outward through his body. Its flow was very different from that of Water Trumpet.
After all, the former used chakra to summon large quantities of water around the body to control, while the latter shot a waterfall-like jet of water straight from the mouth.
After his analysis, Nobuhiko felt confident. He resumed practicing the hand seals, directing the chakra within his body to flow according to their guidance.
The first prerequisite for performing ninjutsu was that the caster had sufficient chakra. The second was that the chakra flowed along specific pathways within the caster's body. Only then could the ninjutsu be successfully released.
Nobuhiko felt that he had no need to concern himself with the first prerequisite right now. With both Uchiha and Senju bloodlines, he would definitely have enough chakra as long as he grew normally. There was no need to worry at all.
As for the second prerequisite, Nobuhiko did not think it would be difficult either. After all, as a transmigrator, his soul was inherently stronger than those of the natives, so his chakra control was naturally much stronger than theirs as well.
Thus, as long as he proceeded step by step, he should be able to learn any Wind Release or Water Release Ninjutsu without special requirements, whether A-rank or S-rank, provided he had enough time.
Moreover, with chakra control far beyond that of ordinary people, it seemed possible that after learning a ninjutsu, he could simplify its hand seals down to just two or three, or even a single clap of his hands.
I'm getting ahead of myself. I've already practiced Water Shockwave several times without successfully releasing it. I still need to keep working.
As Nobuhiko continued practicing, his hand seals grew faster and faster, and the chakra within his body flowed ever more smoothly along its specific pathways, feeling ready to burst forth.
But he was still just a little short. Nobuhiko remained patient and kept practicing.
Finally, Ox-Monkey-Hare-Rat. Four seals in one second, and the chakra within Nobuhiko surged out through his pores.
Water appeared out of thin air around Nobuhiko, spinning rapidly upward like a tornado. It only stopped rising at around five meters, enclosing him within it.
It finally worked!
Nobuhiko felt a little tired, but not much.
Then he began testing his control over this water tornado.
Sure enough, it was just as he had thought. Maintaining this state provided a certain degree of defense, but he also had to expend additional chakra to sustain its form.
If he chose not to use chakra, the water tornado would spread out like a waterfall and crash down on his opponent.