Tsunade washed her hands while watching Kairen's water-style technique, smiling lightly.
"You have a real talent for ninjutsu against Fire Release. By the way, you killed so many sand-nin today — that must be some merit. I'll report it for you, the village will reward you with ninjutsu."
Kairen withdrew his water technique and snorted. "No need. My own ninjutsu is enough."
"Your merits still need to be reported. I'm grooming you to be the Hokage — how can you become Hokage without any merits?"
"I don't want to be any Hokage."
Tsunade demanded firmly, "I'm your sister. If I want you to become Hokage, then you will become Hokage. Don't disobey your sister."
"All right, all right!"
When the woman got stern, Kairen immediately softened.
Tsunade asked the question that had been on her mind.
"Where did you get those jutsu of yours?"
The Multi Shadow Clone Technique, the Eight Gates Tactics, the Uchiha clan's standard Fire Release jutsu…
Surely he didn't invent all of them by himself, right?
Kairen said nothing — he couldn't exactly admit he'd been glitched in, after all.
Tsunade shook her head. "I won't ask. That's your secret."
Tsunade guessed he might be a backup her second uncle left in the village — carrying secret techniques of the Senju clan.
...
Night deepened. The two sat by the campfire; Kairen shamelessly lay with his head in Tsunade's lap. Tsunade could only tolerate it and let him lean there.
Kairen was about to roll over and rest in that peculiar way from his hometown when Tsunade controlled his head, not wanting him to go any further.
"You little pervert. I'll have to keep an eye on you so you don't take advantage of me again!"
Tsunade chuckled softly and slowly massaged the temples of Kairen, recalling the day's dramatic events.
This morning he'd been flirted with by a little scamp, then like a man possessed he'd beaten the front line of Sunagakure to its knees.
She'd gone into a blood phobia at the sight of red blood, and it was only because Kairen had single-handedly protected her to the death that she escaped. Looking back, it was truly exciting.
"I really do want to be a shinobi," Tsunade murmured. Compared to her days of drunken haze in the village, the life of a ninja suited her better.
"Ah…"
Kairen yawned and slowly fell asleep against Tsunade's thigh.
Tsunade looked at the boy asleep on her leg, pinched his cheek lightly, and then smiled.
"You really inherited the Senju looks, you'll charm a lot of people when you're older."
Kairen had fused the high bloodlines of the Hyūga and the Senju — his appearance and bearing were not ordinary.
Kairen turned over and murmured in his sleep, "Tsunade, if you have the guts, strangle me with your ample thighs — I want to die happy there!"
Tsunade's brow twitched into a # shape. She reached to pinch his cheek, then relaxed and let it go.
In the dim night came only the soft voice: "You little pervert, I'll train you back into shape!"
...
Footsteps on leaves sounded, several figures appeared in the shadows.
Tsunade's face immediately hardened when she saw them.
"What are you here for?"
Shimura Masao looked at Kairen, who was lying in Tsunade's lap, and felt odd. This intimacy didn't match the kill-or-be-killed attitude from earlier in the day.
He didn't think too much of it and smiled at Tsunade.
"Princess Tsunade, don't you hate that brat? Hand him over to me and I'll take care of him for you!"
"Get out!" Tsunade's voice came cold and curt.
"Princess Tsunade!" Shimura Masao raised his hand in disbelief.
"I told you to get out!" Tsunade said each word like a blade; her brown eyes brimmed with unstoppable killing intent.
Shimura Masao felt a chill in his heart; under that murderous intent he grew afraid and slunk away with the Shimura retainers.
They ran about five hundred meters before Shimura Masao slammed a fist into a tree, leaving a dent.
"That damned woman — she humiliates me again and again. I'll make her pay with her life!" he snarled viciously.
He glanced at his retainers. "Contact the people in Sunagakure. I want to cooperate with them."
"Sir…"
"Go! Now!"
"Yes!"
After those annoying people left, Tsunade gently stroked Kairen's hair. Seeing the boy's peaceful smile, her heart eased.
"You'll definitely carry the Senju heritage. I'll protect you properly — protect you so you become the village's Hokage and fulfill the Senju's wish."
"Kd…"
A leaf-stepping sound rang out; several silhouettes returned to the shadows.
...
In the Sunagakure main camp, inside the strategy room, the air was silent except for the steady, anxious breathing of those present.
Rasa slumped in his chair, dazed. Beside him, Chiyo and Ebizo also wore tightly furrowed brows, their faces fully written with worry.
Kairen — like that enormous fire dragon from yesterday — had grown overnight.
And Sunagakure paid a heavy price witnessing his growth: nearly 200 ninjas were buried in yesterday's pursuit battle, many of them Jōnin.
More importantly, the frontline commander Meimuda also fell.
If it weren't for some Jōnin later leading the pursuing army to slink away, they would have been completely annihilated.
Such losses were suffocatingly painful.
"The Fiery Cloud…"
One of the high command muttered; Meimuda's last words had been transmitted by jutsu.
That child truly was an evil deity who controlled flames. One forbidden fire jutsu wiped out a hundred ninjas — which village could withstand that?
After a long silence, Rasa said coldly, "From now on, if there's any news of him, I'll strike. I don't care about anything else — Sunagakure must kill him immediately. Don't think about studying his kekkei genkai or sealing him."
"Hmph!"
Chiyo scoffed, "If we could have killed him, we would have — that brat's bloodline limit is a real pain!"
Ebizo sighed. "Who knew he'd grow so fast? That kind of forbidden jutsu — one strike and a whole forest's destroyed. If he used it inside the village, who could stop him?"
The atmosphere fell quiet again. The higher-ups here were deeply troubled; they even felt it would be easier to defeat Konoha than to deal with this little Moku Kairen.
"But just a low-rank genin brat, and you're all helpless!"
A cold voice suddenly entered the room.
A slender figure pushed open the door. The newcomer was a woman wearing very little; her hair was an odd mix of dark green and yellow.
Her sensual figure and beautiful face made several people swallow — yet they sighed inwardly; this desert rose was not for anyone to pluck carelessly!
Rasa glared at the newcomer.
"Pakura, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to call us useless by beating around the bush?"
"Hmph!"
Pakura snorted without saying much. She folded her arms and swept her gaze over the high command seated around the table.
"Do you really think holding a meeting will come up with a solution for that brat?"
Rasa snapped, "If you've got the guts, then go yourself!"
"Fine — I'll go. I'll bring that kid's head back and show you, useless Kazekage!"
"Pakura, you—"
Pakura turned and left, ignoring Rasa's gloomy expression.
People shook their heads. Pakura and Rasa's discord had lasted more than a day or two.
Rasa hadn't dealt with her yet because he relied on her extremely destructive scorching-nature jutsu.
Chiyo sighed and turned. "Go try to persuade Pakura! She's no match for Moku Kairen — don't let the village lose another great shinobi!"
After Chiyo and Ebizo left, the others departed one after another, leaving only a pale-blond-haired person and Rasa behind.
Yashamaru whispered, "Brother-in-law, should we try to persuade Pakura?"
Rasa's mouth curled into a cold smile.
"Persuade her? I'd rather she die. It's decided: send her to die. Assign a few disobedient Jōnin to follow her, let them all go to Konoha and meet their end."
"Brother-in-law…"
"Enough chatter — do it!"