Chapter 25 - Call Me Sis, and I'll Have Your Back from Now On!

The threshold to mastering monstrous strength was right there—
And even just stepping through it was extremely difficult.

In the past, even many members of the Senju Clan couldn’t grasp it, let alone ordinary shinobi.

Tsunade pondered for a moment.

“Your ability doesn’t worry me—but for now, don’t go around teaching it to others. It’s not that I’m being secretive. It’s just that this is a very dangerous technique.”

“I understand,” Kyōen replied with a serious expression.

He knew his own situation best.

If it weren’t for the system, even knowing the method wouldn’t help—he wouldn’t just risk injury using it, he probably couldn’t even get started at all.

Letting the average person recklessly try to learn it…

Could very well cripple them.

Take Haruno Sakura, for example. Even with her natural talent in this area, she still had to train extensively before she could master it.

Tsunade’s warning wasn’t just talk.

Her face relaxed slightly, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and a rare smile appeared.

She tossed over a package.

Kyōen opened it.

A full basket of soldier pills!

His face lit up with joy.

“Lady Tsunade…”

“Don’t call me that. Based on your grandmother’s generation, we can just about pass as siblings,” Tsunade said.

Senju Tōka may not have been closely related by blood to Hashirama, but she was deeply trusted and had a close relationship with his family.

Kyōen hesitated.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and leaned forward—an overwhelming presence surging.

“What, do you think I’m too old to be your big sister?”

“No, no, no!”

That was a trap question—he didn’t dare fall for it.

He frantically waved his hands.

“I just mean, if you're my big sis, then what about my teacher? This whole seniority thing is getting really confusing!”

“It’s not a problem. If Jiraiya has a problem with it, tell him to come find me. And if he gives you a hard time, you come find me!”

Tsunade leaned against a wooden frame.

She turned her head to gaze at the old house, then smiled.

“You said before that you wanted to be Hokage, right?”

“Yeah!”

If Hiruzen could be Hokage, why couldn’t I?

With the Hokage System in hand, if I don’t become Hokage, I might as well be a salted fish!

Kyōen’s resolve was unwavering.

Tsunade chuckled. “Then you’d better work hard. I’m going for the Fourth. After that, you aim for the Fifth—step up and take over from me as soon as you can!”

“You’re really going for it?” Kyōen asked, delighted.

Tsunade let out a soft laugh.

“Just saying. Look at me now—do you think I can really be Hokage?”

“You can!” Kyōen replied without hesitation.

Tsunade paused.

She gave him a small smile. “You’re not just trying to make me feel better, are you?”

“Of course not! People my age grew up hearing stories about you. Besides…” Kyōen hesitated, but eventually voiced his thoughts, “I think maybe you could look at it from a different angle.”

“You little brat, what idea have you come up with now?” Tsunade eyed him curiously.

The last time he said something like this, she ended up slamming her hand on the council room table.

What was it this time?

Kyōen said, “If you weren’t born with hemophobia, then it’s an acquired condition. If it’s a condition, then why not try to treat it?”

“Treat it?” Tsunade blinked, then let out a dry laugh. “It’s not that simple…”

“These past few days, I’ve been reading about genjutsu. Some of it talks about techniques that affect emotions. So logically, shouldn’t there be drugs that can regulate emotions too? If you could feel a bit happier every day, maybe a lot of psychological issues would heal faster.”

“Emotions…”

As the top medical expert in the shinobi world, Tsunade certainly knew there were herbs that could positively influence emotional states.

But—

She’d never thought to use them to treat psychological trauma.

So—

There weren’t any actual medications developed for that purpose.

She thought about it for a long time.

“It’s worth a try. But the issue is, the risks are high, and it’s difficult to conduct proper tests.”

“Start with summoning beasts?” Kyōen suggested.

They were intelligent, able to communicate, and seemed suitable for early testing.

Tsunade shook her head.

It wasn’t that simple.

You had to match the treatment to the condition to prove it actually worked. And even if it did work—

“What’s the point?”

“I think we’re not the only ones who’ve lost loved ones to war. Some people can cope and heal on their own—but others can’t. Like… my friend, Kakashi.”

Kyōen finally brought up Kakashi.

Sakumo Hatake. Kakashi Hatake.

Tsunade grew thoughtful. Resting her chin on her hand, she watched Kyōen, then got to her feet.

“I’ve got a bunch of things on my plate. I’ll think about it later. Oh, and that basket of soldier pills isn’t all for you—take a few, and the rest are my little ‘interest payment’ to Jiraiya. Give them to him for me tomorrow.”

“Oh, got it.”

So they weren’t all mine…

Well, that’s a relief.

Kyōen’s excitement mellowed significantly.

The Next Day — Konoha’s Hokage Building

The commotion from yesterday had been heard by many ninja. Today, whispers filled the halls as everyone speculated on what had happened.

Hamano Tatsu was among them.

He was chatting intensely with a fellow chunin.

Kyōen walked in with Jiraiya, and soon overheard their muttering.

He stepped forward quickly.

After listening for a few seconds, he leaned in and asked in a low voice:

“So, who was it?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It had to be Lady Tsunade! Lord Jiraiya might be pervy, but he doesn’t have that kind of temper. The worst he does is—”

Hamano Tatsu whispered on.

But—

He soon noticed the change in atmosphere. The room had fallen completely silent.

Hamano Tatsu looked up—and instantly froze.

Standing right in front of him was Jiraiya. Behind him, Tsunade stood with a dark expression, her gaze sharp enough to kill.

His legs went weak—he nearly collapsed, barely managing to support himself on a desk.

Kyōen silently stepped behind the two, hiding his contributions like a true unsung hero.

“Lord Jiraiya, L-Lady Tsunade!”

Tsunade was clearly the more intimidating one.

Because she would actually hit people. And worse—she could heal them afterward, probably without even granting sick leave.

Hamano Tatsu bowed deeply. “I’m sorry!”

Tsunade’s face remained cold as she walked upstairs. The other chunin quickly scattered, leaving Hamano standing awkwardly alone.

Kurenai Yuhi stifled a laugh behind her hand.

Jiraiya casually tapped the desk with his fingers.

“Tatsu… you might want to be a little more careful in Konoha from now on.”

Hamano Tatsu braced himself. “Lord Jiraiya, I won’t ever do it again.”

“I’m not fussed. Heh, anyway—let’s get to work. The Matsuyama Clan’s request should’ve come in by now, right?”

Jiraiya said.

Hamano quickly got to work searching.

Before long—

“Yes, Mr. Ichirō Matsuyama has arrived. He’s in the side lounge,” he said, already retrieving the request scroll. “Here’s the request.”

“Good,” Jiraiya said, taking the document and heading to the next room.

Side Lounge, First Floor of the Hokage Building

A middle-aged man sat waiting, with a young jōnin beside him. Upon seeing Jiraiya and the others arrive, the jōnin quickly wrapped up the conversation and left.

Judging by his appearance, he was likely Shikaku Nara.

“Lord Jiraiya, my name is Ichirō Matsuyama.”

“A pleasure. If there’s nothing else, shall we depart now?”

“Could we wait a bit? I’ve got a shipment I need to pick up—some goods from the Nara Clan that I plan to sell in the Land of Waves.”

Ichirō Matsuyama said.

“When will you be ready to leave?” Jiraiya asked.

“This afternoon.”

“That works.”