116-120

Chapter 116: Touji? Most Important? (Please Subscribe!)

Tsunade was stunned for a moment, completely surprised that Jiraiya had shown up.

But Tsunade only hesitated for a split second, her hands never stopping what she was doing.

At the moment, if she slowed down even a bit, the neighboring town might catch wind of her actions, and then she wouldn’t be able to gamble at all.

Between Jiraiya’s misunderstanding and her gambling, it was clear the latter was more important.

At that moment, Temari also rushed over, joining Tsunade’s team.

But it was obvious that Temari was only there to stir up trouble.

"Enough... I can put on my own clothes!" Touji quickly finished changing, and just as he was done, Jiraiya came over, hooking his arm around Touji’s neck.

"Touji, you better give me a good explanation, or I’ll make you taste your own famous jutsu, the Spiral Millennium Kill!"

Touji shuddered.

He knew very well the power of the Millennium Kill, and he definitely didn’t want Jiraiya to use it on him.

Especially in Jiraiya’s current state, it could probably go straight to his stomach.

"Yesterday, I had a few drinks with Lady Tsunade, and I was just trying to change clothes when you came in..." Touji swallowed hard, his face showing a fearful expression.

"Really?" Jiraiya looked highly doubtful.

Touji had a notorious reputation when it came to this. He had a string of girlfriends following him around, and he hadn’t even spared Anko, who was nearly a whole decade older.

If he was only changing clothes, Jiraiya wouldn’t believe it even if he was beaten to death.

Bang!

Before Jiraiya could interrogate further, a fist came down from above and landed directly on his head.

"Jiraiya, what do you think you’re doing? Touji is the most important person to me right now. You dare lay a finger on him, and I’ll make you pay!" Tsunade said angrily.

If Touji got hurt, where would Tsunade find such a great gambling partner who also understood discussions?

Not even Jiraiya could compare.

"Touji? Most important?"

Jiraiya's mouth twitched uncontrollably, wishing he could swallow Touji whole.

Jiraiya deeply regretted bringing Touji along.

He only lost track of him for one day, and Touji had already surpassed him in Tsunade’s eyes.

"Touji! This isn’t over!" Jiraiya gritted out each word, making Touji feel a chill run down his spine.

If he left Jiraiya here to earn money, there was no way he’d make it back to Konoha alive.

"Tsunade, I’m actually here for a reason. I hope you’ll return to Konoha to become Hokage!"

Tsunade suddenly grew serious, her face showing a cold smile.

"Me, become Hokage? Has the Third finally decided to step down?"

"Sarutobi-sensei is dead."

At Jiraiya’s words, Tsunade couldn’t help but shudder.

Although Tsunade had greatly disliked Sarutobi Hiruzen, he was still the one who had taught her ninjutsu. Hearing about his sudden death stirred an unexpected sadness in her heart.

"Given his age, it was bound to happen."

"He was killed by Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked angrily.

The rift between the Legendary Sannin began with Orochimaru’s departure.

Tsunade had always hoped to one day bring Orochimaru back to Konoha.

But she never imagined this would happen.

Orochimaru had indeed returned, but his goal had been Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"That bastard, he even killed our teacher. What wouldn’t he do?" Tsunade huffed angrily.

"Orochimaru did it for the Third’s sake. His defection was because of Danzo." Touji quickly explained.

"So it was Shimura Danzo? I knew there was something off about him from the beginning, but I never had enough evidence," Tsunade said, smashing her fist on the table, which instantly shattered into pieces.

"I’ll go back, but not to become Hokage. I want to investigate Danzo’s schemes and beat him to a pulp!"

Touji awkwardly coughed.

"Uh... I already killed Shimura Danzo."

"......"

Tsunade looked at Touji in disbelief, unable to comprehend that Shimura Danzo had been killed by him.

After all, Danzo’s strength was on par with Hiruzen Sarutobi’s, and Touji was only twelve years old.

However, seeing that Jiraiya didn’t deny it, Tsunade believed it about 70%.

"If Danzo’s already dead, then I have no reason to return. I’d rather we all happily go gambling together!"

Tsunade only cared about the result; she didn’t care at all about what had happened in between.

Plus, with Touji having killed Danzo, it was clear he couldn’t stay in Konoha, so she might as well keep him by her side.

That way, she could continue getting him drunk, and next time Shizune wouldn’t be there to interfere.

"Hey, Pervy Sage, can someone like her really become Hokage? Are you sure you’ve got the right person?" Naruto asked, clearly displeased.

In Naruto’s eyes, the Hokage was someone respected by the villagers, and only someone like that deserved to hold the title.

But the Tsunade in front of him was a gambling addict, completely unfit for the Hokage position, in his opinion.

At this, Tsunade couldn’t help but frown.

Whether she wanted the position or not was one thing, but having the qualifications was another. Clearly, this twelve-year-old kid was underestimating her.

"So what kind of person do you think is qualified to be Hokage?" Tsunade asked coldly.

Jiraiya could already sense Tsunade’s anger, and he tried to stop Naruto.

But Naruto, not picking up on Jiraiya’s hints, kept talking. "I think someone who’s recognized by the villagers and strong enough should be Hokage!"

"Villager recognition can’t be seen right now, but strength can be tested immediately. For instance, I could defeat you with just one finger!" Tsunade said smugly, raising one finger and challenging Naruto. "So, want to try?"

Naruto knew Tsunade must be incredibly strong, given how much respect Jiraiya showed her.

But when she said she could beat him with just one finger, Naruto couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

"Fine, I’ll give it a shot!" Naruto replied without hesitation.

Tsunade was momentarily stunned.

She had only meant to show off, but she hadn’t expected Naruto to accept her challenge.

Now that she had said it, there was no backing out.

"Alright, let’s take this outside!" Tsunade sneered at Naruto.

As Naruto boldly headed out to fight Tsunade, Touji couldn’t help but shake his head.

Naruto was certainly bold, challenging one of the Legendary Sannin like this.

But being Hokage was Naruto’s lifelong goal, and seeing someone unworthy in his eyes take that position was unbearable.

If Touji were in his shoes, he’d probably make the same choice.

But none of that stopped Touji from his task.

He quickly made up for the missed sign-in with Naruto.

"Sign in with Naruto Uzumaki!"

Ding! Naruto Uzumaki sign-in successful! You’ve earned Naruto’s Uzumaki Barrage! Affection increased by 2 points! Current affection: 82 points!

Three updates today! Please support with subscriptions and other requests!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 117: Double Standards on Display (Subscribe!)*

The group arrived outside the inn.

At this moment, Naruto's face showed a heavy expression.

Gone was his usual playful demeanor.

Even if he acted indifferent, Tsunade was one of the legendary Sannin, and her strength was no joke.

Tsunade, on the other hand, seemed much calmer, occasionally winking at Touji.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto crossed his hands, and instantly, several Naruto clones appeared before everyone. The clones quickly dashed towards Tsunade from different angles.

Tsunade couldn't help but frown.

The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu was a forbidden technique, not only testing a ninja's chakra but also their endurance.

Normally, a genin shouldn't be learning such a dangerous jutsu.

"Is this your trump card?"

Tsunade sneered. Even if Naruto knew the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, so what? To Tsunade, it was nothing more than a minor challenge.

With a smirk, she extended one finger and flicked it forward with force.

In an instant, several of Naruto's shadow clones exploded.

She then swung her hand behind her, shattering the rest of the clones.

Naruto's heart sank.

Though shadow clones were fragile, they weren’t supposed to break so easily.

Only a fatal blow would usually disperse them, and Tsunade had just shattered multiple clones with a single finger. It was clear how powerful that finger strike was.

But Naruto wasn’t about to give up.

A ninja's way of life is to face and overcome challenges. This was something Touji had taught Naruto early on.

"In that case, I’ll just add more clones!"

Naruto used the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu again, this time summoning several times more clones than before.

The rooftops and streets were flooded with Naruto’s clones.

Tsunade frowned even deeper.

The more clones there were, the more pain would be returned when they were destroyed. If too many were shattered at once, the feedback could cause a ninja to faint or even become mentally incapacitated.

Especially since Naruto was still a child, his endurance wasn’t on the same level as a hardened veteran ninja.

Although Naruto's words had annoyed Tsunade, she only wanted to teach him a lesson, not cause real harm.

Tsunade turned to Jiraiya and snapped, "Jiraiya, what do you expect me to do with this?"

"Relax, the kid’s an idiot. Do whatever you want!" Jiraiya said dismissively.

After all, Naruto had summoned many clones before and always came out fine.

Besides, these clones weren’t much of a threat.

"In that case, don't blame me!"

Tsunade’s voice grew sharper as she slammed her finger forcefully into the ground.

A large crater instantly formed, and the ground around them began to quake.

The clones closest to Tsunade shattered instantly, while those a bit farther away fell on their backsides.

Jiraiya looked on, his heart pounding with fear.

He had been on the receiving end of Tsunade’s fists many times before.

He could still feel the lingering pain.

At that moment, on the rooftop, three Naruto clones gathered together. One held his hand out, while the other two rubbed their hands against it.

In no time, a blue, swirling ball appeared.

Seeing this, Tsunade glared at Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, how could you teach such a dangerous jutsu to a child!"

Jiraiya looked aggrieved.

"It wasn't me who taught him... it was Touji."

Tsunade's expression softened a bit, and she looked tenderly at Touji.

"Touji, you’ve done a great job teaching. It took the Fourth Hokage three years to create this jutsu, and this kid has learned it. Looks like you’re quite the teacher."

Jiraiya almost coughed up blood.

When she was dealing with him, she was harsh. But with Touji, she was all sweetness.

It was the first time Jiraiya realized just how much of a double standard Tsunade had.

"The Rasengan isn’t just about creating it. The key is whether you can land it on your target. Let’s see if you can hit me!" Tsunade said mockingly, her lips curling into a smirk.

Naruto shouted in anger, and his remaining clones charged at Tsunade, while he lunged forward with the Rasengan in hand.

"Got to hit her!"

Naruto’s heart raced with excitement as his Rasengan neared Tsunade.

If he could land this, it would be over.

And Tsunade was just standing there, not even trying to dodge.

"To deal with you, one finger is enough!"

Tsunade sneered, raising her hand high and bringing it down swiftly.

Her finger made contact with Naruto’s hand, deflecting the Rasengan away from its target.

Boom!

Rocks flew in every direction, scattering across the surroundings.

A massive crater formed in the ground.

"How is this possible? She deflected my Rasengan with just one finger!"

"Still distracted? Get back!"

Tsunade flicked Naruto’s forehead with a finger.

Naruto flew backward, rolling across the ground before finally stopping.

"Do you still want to keep fighting?" Tsunade asked, smiling smugly.

Naruto, looking dejected, lifted his head.

If Tsunade had used a kunai earlier, he would have been dead by now.

Naruto couldn’t even handle a single one of Tsunade’s fingers, which showed just how powerful she was.

"I... I lost," Naruto muttered, hanging his head in frustration.

Tsunade's grin grew even more smug as she looked down at Naruto.

"Do you think I’m qualified to be Hokage?"

"You’re qualified..."

"I may be qualified, but I don’t want to be Hokage." Tsunade grinned mischievously, then looked over at Touji.

"Can we go to the next town now?"

Touji smiled softly and walked over to Tsunade.

"Actually, I really hope you’ll become Hokage, so I’d like to test that finger strength of yours myself."

Tsunade frowned, clearly not pleased.

"Touji, don’t push it. You’re someone who can kill Danzo. Using just a finger against you would be asking for trouble. I’d have to go all out!"

Hearing this, Naruto felt even worse.

Tsunade only used one finger against him, but she’d have to go all out against Touji.

But both of them were the same age!

Naruto couldn’t argue, though, because Touji was Touji.

The one who had defeated Orochimaru. The one who had taken down Shukaku.

If it was Touji, Naruto could accept it without complaint! (End of Chapter)

Chapter 118: Breaking Techniques with Pure Strength (Please Subscribe!)

Touji walked up to Tsunade. While he appeared calm on the surface, his mind grew increasingly serious.

Although Tsunade wasn’t likely to go all out at the start, if her temper flared, she might not just use her full strength but even exceed it.

To defeat Tsunade, he had to win before she got serious!

"If you beat me, Touji, I'll listen to whatever you say," Tsunade smirked mischievously before dashing toward him.

Touji quickly activated his Byakugan, and his originally dark eyes turned white in an instant.

“Byakugan? From the Hyuga clan?”

Normally, even without activating the Byakugan, the eyes would still be white, but Touji’s had always been black before now.

This surprised Tsunade. The Hyuga clan’s greatest strength was their Gentle Fist technique!

“I want to see if your Gentle Fist can block my punch!” Tsunade declared, throwing a powerful punch.

Touji quickly used the Gentle Fist, catching Tsunade’s fist like a pet on a leash, guiding her for a moment before throwing her away.

Tsunade landed on her backside, staring at Touji in disbelief.

Tsunade had seen the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist before—soft and lacking physical force, relying on chakra to block the opponent’s points.

But Touji’s Gentle Fist was different.

It looked just as soft, seemingly without any strength, but when Tsunade’s punch connected, it felt like hitting cotton, and she was led into an uncontrollable spin.

"Touji’s quite impressive!" Tsunade wasn’t angry at all. In fact, she was getting excited.

Jiraiya furrowed his brow, looking displeased.

If he had countered Tsunade’s attack and made her fall, her response wouldn’t have been a smile, but an even fiercer punch!

Jiraiya wasn’t upset with Touji though. Considering their age gap, there was no way they could end up together. Jiraiya decided he had to figure out Touji’s secret for charming girls.

At that moment, Tsunade charged at Touji again.

Her speed and intensity had grown by leaps and bounds compared to before.

Touji frowned.

The Gentle Fist could redirect force, but only to a certain extent.

He couldn’t exactly use it to redirect the entire planet.

The punch Tsunade threw just now had nearly overwhelmed his defenses.

Touji then decided to abandon the Gentle Fist.

Since Tsunade was using brute strength, he would do the same.

Overcome all techniques with sheer power!

Tsunade frowned as she noticed Touji wasn’t using the Gentle Fist to defend.

This punch was even stronger than the previous one. If it connected with a person, it could very well destroy them.

What Touji did next left Tsunade stunned.

Not only did he not dodge, but he also swung his own fist toward her.

“Is this kid trying to die?!”

Jiraiya was shocked too.

Tsunade’s fists were feared even by the strongest Kage-level fighters.

Yet Touji was planning to meet her punch head-on.

“Kid, run! You can’t take Tsunade’s punch!” Jiraiya shouted.

But before he could finish, the two fists collided.

Jiraiya instinctively turned his head away.

The only person brave enough to clash fists with Tsunade was the Raikage, A, from the Hidden Cloud Village.

And Touji, only twelve years old, hadn’t even fully matured yet. How could he possibly withstand her punch?

Jiraiya could already imagine the outcome:

Touji’s fist would be utterly shattered, and he might never use it again in his life.

But after waiting for what felt like an eternity, Touji’s agonizing scream never came.

Curious, Jiraiya looked up, only to tremble at the sight before him.

Touji and Tsunade were still locked in a fist-to-fist standoff, neither willing to give an inch.

Looking down at the ground between them, the stones were completely pulverized. Tsunade had been forced back, leaving two deep trenches where her feet had dragged.

Even Tsunade herself wore a look of disbelief, her eyes locked on Touji.

“Why is your strength... so strong?”

Though she didn’t want to admit it, Tsunade had to acknowledge that Touji’s strength had surpassed her own.

Being defeated in her own area of expertise brought a flicker of anger to her face.

“Touji, that’s not fair!” Tsunade’s emotions were conflicted.

If it had been Jiraiya who embarrassed her like this, he’d already be beaten to a pulp.

But facing Touji, she couldn’t muster any real anger.

Still, she couldn’t just admit defeat!

“Touji, take another punch!”

Tsunade stepped back and gathered her strength before charging toward him again.

Her aura surged, suffocating those around her.

Shizune anxiously gripped her clothes, eyes full of worry for Touji.

Touji extended his fist again, this time pouring chakra into it. A chilling cold began to emanate from him, freezing the air around them.

“What’s this kid up to now? No matter, this time I’m getting my revenge!” Tsunade thought as she increased her punch’s power beyond its usual limits.

But deep down, she wasn’t so sure.

Touji’s techniques were unpredictable, and she had no idea what would happen next.

“Touji, take my punch head-on!” Tsunade yelled.

It seemed Touji was listening to her. His punch halted, and even his body froze.

Tsunade’s pupils contracted in shock. She hadn’t expected him to actually stop.

Normally, at 70% power, a punch could be controlled. But at full strength, pulling back was nearly impossible.

And this punch was beyond her limit.

“Idiot, dodge!” Tsunade yelled in panic, desperately trying to retract her punch, but she could only reduce its force by half.

Even at half strength, her punch could easily kill an elephant.

*BANG!*

Tsunade felt as if her fist had struck a block of ice, cold and piercing.

Touji spat out a mouthful of blood, spraying it onto Tsunade’s face.

His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing hard onto the ground, motionless.

Tsunade’s pupils shrank. Her body began trembling uncontrollably as she stared at her fist in regret.

“Why didn’t you dodge? Why did I have to be so competitive? Why?”

Tsunade was consumed by guilt.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 119: Treating Hemophobia (Please Subscribe!)

Tsunade stood there, dumbfounded, while everyone else quickly rushed forward.

Shizune, who had been silent the whole time, was the first to reach Touji's side. She immediately raised her hand to stop the others.

After a thorough check, Shizune's face turned pale.

"This... I can't do anything..."

Temari frowned and tried to push past the others.

"Don't stop me! I need to complete the mission!"

Jiraiya angrily shouted, "What mission are you thinking about at a time like this?!"

Turning back, he anxiously asked, "Is there really no way to save him?"

Shizune hesitated for a moment and then looked toward Tsunade.

"The only one who can save Touji now is Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade froze, then crouched down, hugging her knees, and shook her head frantically.

"No! I can't do it!"

Jiraiya instantly understood.

Ever since Tsunade's lover, Dan Katō, had died in front of her, she had developed hemophobia.

Whenever she saw blood, her body would tremble uncontrollably.

Tsunade was now suffering from this exact condition.

Jiraiya stepped up to her with a serious expression, grabbed her by the arm, and lifted her up.

"Tsunade! Treat Touji now! You're the only one who can save him!"

"I want to save him too, but I can't!" Tsunade cried as tears streamed down her face.

Smack!

Tsunade touched her cheek in disbelief.

She never imagined that Jiraiya, who had always doted on her, would ever slap her.

Normally, she would immediately show Jiraiya who had the bigger fists. But now, she couldn't summon any anger; instead, guilt filled her heart.

"Touji is about to die, and the only one who can save him is you! Are you really going to watch him die?!" Jiraiya roared.

Jiraiya never thought he'd ever get this mad at Tsunade.

But right now, nothing else mattered—Touji's life was the priority.

Tsunade pushed Jiraiya's hand away and took slow steps toward Touji.

The closer she got, the stronger the scent of blood became.

At first, she just trembled slightly, but after a few steps, her whole body started shaking violently, and she nearly stumbled.

Shizune showed a small glimmer of hope on her face.

In truth, Touji wasn’t hurt at all. When he came out earlier, he had secretly grabbed Shizune’s hand.

Shizune had been against the idea, but when Touji confidently suggested it could cure Tsunade’s hemophobia, she reluctantly agreed.

When Tsunade had punched Touji in the chest, Shizune’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest, but after checking him over and finding no real injuries, she was relieved.

Now, everything depended on how much Touji meant to Tsunade.

Seeing Tsunade's hesitation, Shizune decided to add fuel to the fire.

She quickly stuffed a pill into Touji's mouth.

Touji was puzzled. In his script, there was no scene like this.

But being the "dying man," he had no choice but to go along with it.

As the medicine took effect, Touji felt his blood surge, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Lady Tsunade, there’s no time!" Shizune shouted, though secretly feeling triumphant.

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat when she saw Touji's condition.

Clearly, that punch had been too strong, injuring his heart and lungs. If she didn’t act soon, Touji would surely die.

Without any more hesitation, Tsunade walked over to Touji with heavy steps.

She quickly composed herself, taking on a serious expression.

"Shizune, assist me. I'm going to stop the bleeding."

Tsunade took a deep breath. Although she looked calm, her hands were still trembling, though much less than before.

As she looked down at Touji, the scene mirrored a past trauma.

Just like this, Dan Katō had laid there, breathing his last.

Suddenly, Touji spat out more blood, spraying it all over Tsunade’s face.

Tsunade panicked for a moment but quickly regained her composure.

With this much blood loss, any further hesitation would cost Touji his life.

Every second she delayed, his condition worsened.

Too much blood loss would leave him weak for the rest of his life, even if she managed to save him.

"Prepare for blood stoppage!"

Tsunade's gaze turned resolute.

She couldn’t explain why, but even though she’d only known Touji for a day, he completely occupied her thoughts.

It felt as if they’d been childhood friends, growing up together.

Tsunade hadn’t felt this way in years, and she wasn’t going to fail this time.

She gathered chakra in her hands and placed them on Touji's chest.

For the first time, her hands stopped trembling, and her eyes showed no fear.

Her hemophobia was cured!

Shizune was overjoyed. Tsunade’s long-standing fear of blood had finally been healed!

But now wasn’t the time for celebration—it was time to run!

The moment Tsunade touched Touji's chest, she realized something was off.

Despite spitting out so much blood, Touji’s heartbeat was still strong. Clearly, this was all a ruse.

And Shizune had to be in on it.

Tsunade angrily looked up, but Shizune was nowhere to be seen—she had long since fled.

"Tsunade! Hurry! If you don’t treat Touji, he won’t make it!" Jiraiya called out anxiously.

Tsunade's eye twitched, and she slowly turned to glare at Jiraiya coldly.

"So, you were in on this too? That slap earlier really hurt!"

Tsunade stood up in a fury, stepping toward Jiraiya.

Jiraiya, now frustrated himself, couldn’t believe that Tsunade would let her temper flare when Touji was gravely injured. But then he noticed Touji moving slightly on the ground and realized why Tsunade was angry.

Jiraiya suddenly felt weak at the knees and almost collapsed.

"Tsunade, let me explain! I had no idea they were faking it!"

Tsunade's eye twitched again, and she sneered.

"So, you were in on it! That slap... I can still feel it!"

"Wait! Tsunade! I swear I didn’t know! I’m innocent!"

And so, Jiraiya found himself pinned to the ground, being relentlessly beaten by Tsunade.

Naruto, watching from the side, realized just how foolish he was to ever think he could challenge Tsunade.

Meanwhile, Touji used the opportunity to slip away unnoticed, leaving Jiraiya alone to endure Tsunade's wrath.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 120: The Showdown (Please subscribe!)*

Touji and Shizune huddled together in a corner of the small room, trembling uncontrollably as they held each other.

At that moment, the door was kicked open and flew off its hinges, crashing into the wall.

Tsunade entered with a cold sneer, dragging Jiraiya behind her, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

Shizune and Touji clung to each other even tighter, with tears streaming down Shizune's face out of sheer terror.

"Well, thanks a lot, you two!" Tsunade dropped the unconscious Jiraiya and, with one hand, grabbed Shizune.

"Tsunade-sama… let me explain… Aah!"

Touji watched Shizune being beaten and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread, like a rabbit watching a fox meet its end.

Even though there was some distance between them, Shizune's blood splattered onto Touji.

However, seeing Tsunade's current state, it was clear that she had overcome her hemophobia.

No longer afraid of blood, Tsunade even licked some of the blood off her fist.

Lying on the floor, Shizune looked at Touji with despair in her eyes, struggling to say, "Run…"

But Touji was already backed into the corner of the wall. There was nowhere to run.

Tsunade then walked over to Touji.

Covered in blood, she looked like a demon straight out of hell.

Touji, terrified, closed his eyes tightly.

But instead of the expected iron fist, he felt a soft kiss on his forehead.

Then, his whole body was enveloped in a tight embrace, as if he was being crushed by two mountains, making it hard to breathe.

"Thank you..."

*Ding! Tsunade's affection increased by 10 points! Affection now at 98 points! You can now sign in!*

Touji was stunned.

He hadn't expected gratitude from Tsunade instead of a beating.

Since her affection had reached its maximum, he wasn't going to miss this chance.

"Sign in with Tsunade!"

*Ding! Sign-in with Tsunade successful! You have gained the Yin Seal! Affection increased by 2 points! Affection is now at 100 points! You can continue signing in!*

*Ding! Sign-in with Tsunade successful! You have gained the Strength of a Hundred Technique! Affection is maxed out, unlocking unlimited sign-ins!*

Touji was ecstatic. After Hiashi Hyuga, Tsunade was the second person whose affection had maxed out.

Not only that, but he also gained the Yin Seal and the Strength of a Hundred Technique!

Now, he could store unused chakra within himself and unleash it all at once when needed.

However, he still hadn't acquired the Creation Rebirth, so his recovery ability was lacking.

Tsunade hugged Touji for several minutes, and he felt like he was about to suffocate before he hurriedly pushed her away.

With a flushed face, Tsunade hesitated for a moment before giving him the necklace around her neck.

"Take this."

Touji's mouth twitched. This was the legendary "death necklace."

Whoever wore it died.

He couldn't believe it had ended up in his possession.

Touji was a hundred times unwilling, but seeing the determined look in Tsunade's eyes, he had no choice but to accept it.

Both Shizune and Jiraiya lay on the ground, staring at Touji.

Why had they both been beaten while Touji was unharmed?

Shizune even felt a twinge of jealousy in her heart.

Why wasn't she the one hugging Touji?

"If it's Touji's wish, I'll go back to Konoha and become Hokage. Don't worry, from now on, no one in Konoha will dare to bully you!" Tsunade declared firmly.

Touji let out a long sigh of relief.

He had finally steered the plot back on track. Since Orochimaru's hands hadn't been sealed, he hadn't come to Tsunade for help, so she had to overcome her hemophobia on her own.

Thankfully, he had used Ice Release to create a layer of defense on his chest.

Even the unbreakable ice from the Dance of the Crescent Moon had been shattered by Tsunade's punch.

His body had suffered quite a bit from it.

It was a testament to Tsunade's monstrous strength.

Touji started coughing, and Tsunade quickly examined him with concern.

After carefully checking him over from head to toe, Tsunade sighed in relief.

But soon after, her anger flared up again, and she turned to Shizune.

"Why did you come up with such a dangerous plan? What if something went wrong?"

"It wasn't my plan; it was Touji's idea…"

"Why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you volunteer to take that punch?"

"I…"

Shizune was on the verge of tears.

She finally understood. No matter what, her own safety didn't matter, but if Touji got hurt, everyone would be in trouble.

Tsunade raised her fist again, bringing it down on Shizune.

From then on, Touji was treated with utmost care.

Any tasks requiring effort were passed off to others. But if Touji so much as coughed, both Shizune and Jiraiya would suffer.

However, Touji became troubled.

Initially, he had planned to convince Tsunade to return to Konoha as Hokage, then leave for the Hidden Mist Village on the way.

But now, he had no opportunity to do so.

Even in normal times, Touji felt like someone was always watching him, whether he was in the bathroom or the shower.

And now they were getting closer and closer to Konoha. If they reached the village, it would be even harder to leave.

Touji shook his head helplessly. In the end, there was only one option left.

The showdown!

Touji found an opportunity and invited Tsunade and Jiraiya into a room.

"Touji-kun, why did you send them out? Could it be that you want to…?" Tsunade's face suddenly turned red, and she hugged Touji tightly.

Jiraiya coughed awkwardly from the side.

He stared at Touji, his eyes full of jealousy.

"Tsunade, I'm still here!"

"Oh? You're still here? Then why don't you get out!" Tsunade huffed.

Touji shook his head in resignation.

"Alright, enough fooling around. I have something serious to say."

"Okay, I’ll listen to whatever Touji-kun says!" Tsunade said, her voice sweet.

Jiraiya's eyebrows furrowed.

Every time Touji got serious, it was about something that concerned Konoha, or even the entire ninja world.

So Jiraiya couldn't help but become serious too.

"I'm planning to leave Konoha and go to the Hidden Mist Village."

Touji’s words were like a thunderclap, causing both Tsunade and Jiraiya to tremble.

"Why are you leaving Konoha? Are you afraid the two advisors will bully you? I'll fire them immediately! No, I'll kill those two old fools!" Tsunade pleaded, hugging Touji tighter, as if afraid he would suddenly vanish.

Jiraiya, however, remained calm and looked at Touji seriously. "What's your reason?"

"Do you know the Akatsuki? The Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village is being controlled right now. If we don't deal with this, the entire ninja world could be thrown into chaos!"

"The Mizukage is being controlled? Is the Akatsuki that powerful? They can even control a Kage?" Jiraiya immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

The Land of Water was one of the Five Great Nations. For someone to control its Kage showed how dangerous the enemy was.

Next time, it could be Konoha's Hokage!

"I'll go with you!"

"I'm going too. I won’t let Touji-kun face danger alone!"

---

(End of Chapter)