After bidding farewell to Auntie Reimi, Saiki led Genhai back to the estate. Kushina and Tsume had already arrived.
"Sensei Tsume, Sensei Kushina." Saiki and Genhai greeted them.
Genhai was starstruck. Standing before the legendary Sannin, Tsunade, he was visibly shaking with nerves. He bowed deeply. "I-it's an honor to meet you, Lady Tsunade! My name is Genhai Kobayashi!"
Saiki turned to Tsunade and gave her a casual smile. "Hey, Tsunade. You're finally up."
Seeing Saiki, Tsunade felt a phantom heat in her chest. Whether it was the torn clothes from the other night or the "morning service" from a few hours ago, the brat had taken far too many liberties with her body. She wanted to grind her teeth, but she had to keep her cool in front of guests.
She wouldn't bring it up now, but she knew they needed to talk. She was genuinely worried that these "incidents" might mess with the boy's head.
She gave Genhai a brief, noncommittal nod. "Genhai Kobayashi, huh? Work hard, kid."
"I will! I won't let you down, Lady Tsunade!" Genhai shouted, ecstatic at the "praise."
Tsunade found the name "Kobayashi" vaguely familiar. She wondered where she had heard it—perhaps in an old scroll.
"Kobayashi" and "Senju of the Forest" (Mori no Senju) shared a certain linguistic resonance. Saiki himself had suspected Genhai might have Senju blood, given the boy's unusually high chakra reserves.
While the Senju clan had "vanished" from Konoha—mostly due to Hiruzen and his advisors sending them to the front lines to be slaughtered—many had simply integrated into the civilian population through marriage, hiding their names to survive.
After acknowledging Genhai, Tsunade turned back to Saiki with a predatory, knowing smirk. "I must say, brat, you've got some nerve. I didn't expect you to stop hiding your strength during the exams."
Kushina and Tsume must have briefed her on the details.
Tsunade knew Saiki was strong, but she was genuinely shocked that he had managed to wipe out an elite Sand squad led by a Jonin.
She also couldn't help but wonder if Saiki's sudden fame and her own streak of "winning" luck were connected. The money, the torn clothes, the grinding... it was all very suspicious.
Saiki met her smirk with an easy grin. "Sister Tsunade, hiding is for self-preservation. But sometimes, life doesn't give you a choice."
"Tch. Look at you, getting all cocky," Tsunade rolled her eyes.
Saiki felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Her casual banter meant she wasn't harboring a grudge over the morning's events.
Kushina cut in, "Alright, Saiki! You promised bear meat! Where is it?"
"Coming right up, Sensei!"
Soon, the scent of roasting meat filled the small courtyard.
Looking at the massive ninken whose mouth was literally watering, Saiki patted the dog's head.
"Kuromaru!"
The dog gave him a sharp eye-roll. If Kuromaru hadn't seen how ruthlessly Saiki fought, the dog would have bitten him for being so patronizing.
"Alright, it's ready! Dig in!" Saiki, acting as the grill master, shouted.
The group swarmed the table.
"Move over, kid." Tsunade shoved Saiki aside. She wasn't holding a grudge, but she wasn't going to be nice to him yet either.
The marinated, thinly sliced bear meat was a revelation.
In his previous life, Saiki would have been arrested for eating bear, likely earning himself a "lead pill" for poaching.
But here, it was gourmet. He had expected the meat to be tough and gamey, but it was surprisingly tender and rich—perhaps due to the bear's natural chakra or the natural energy of this world.
As they ate, Kushina and Tsume confirmed Saiki's suspicions about the exams.
"The third stage is cancelled? We're all officially Chunin?" Genhai shouted with joy.
Kurenai Yuhi, who had joined them, nodded. "Yes. My dad said we're all being promoted effective immediately."
Hearing this, Rin Nohara—who hadn't even passed the second stage—felt a surge of relief and happiness.
The Genin were ecstatic, but the adults—Tsunade, Kushina, and Tsume—remained grimly silent.
The children didn't understand the weight of the promotion. Konoha looked peaceful, but the shadows were lengthening. The mission board was empty of low-rank tasks; the village was mobilizing for total war.
And the man who had been hounding the Cloud on the front lines was back in the village.
The Cloud had officially rejected all diplomatic overtures. War was no longer a threat; it was a reality. Danzo and his Root operatives were no longer needed on the front, so they had returned to "protect" the village and root out spies.
Inside the Hokage's office, Danzo stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "I have seen the boy. He is even more exceptional than I imagined. Hand him over to me for training, Hiruzen."
"Absolutely not, Danzo," Hiruzen replied without hesitation.
Danzo's brow furrowed, but he didn't back down. He stood up and loomed over the Hokage's desk. "You gave Kakashi Hatake to Minato Namikaze. That was for the light. But a village needs ninja to walk in the shadows and bear the weight of the dark. I have seen Saiki Shiroya; I can feel the darkness in his heart. He is the perfect fit for Root. You know this is the logical choice."
Hiruzen's brow tightened.
He couldn't deny Danzo's logic. Konoha thrived because of the balance between the light of the Hokage and the shadow of Root. It was why he tolerated Danzo's "excesses."
As the man at the top, Hiruzen knew that as long as there was light, there would be shadows. If Minato was to be the future of the village, he would need a powerful shadow to support him.
But thinking of Tsunade's reaction, Hiruzen could only offer a weak compromise. "I will consider it."
Danzo returned to a state of cold calm. Hiruzen's answer was exactly what he expected.
"Consideration" meant Hiruzen was wavering. Danzo didn't need to push harder now; he just needed to arrange a few "incidents" to force the Hokage's hand.