Tsunade sat up straight, adjusting her clothes.
In front of unfamiliar children, she didn't want to appear too disheveled.
She then scanned the room, briefly pausing when her gaze crossed Ryōmine Kyōen's.
"Didn't expect you to bring a whole team. Looks like you've really taken a liking to the role of teacher," she commented.
"Haha, being a teacher isn't so bad. They're all very talented kids," Jiraiya responded as he entered and took a seat.
He then made introductions, and everyone responded accordingly.
Kyōen glanced at the side, giving a subtle nod to the quiet Ino—who had previously argued with Tsunade but was now standing quietly, occasionally glancing at them.
However, when Ino looked at Kyōen, her surprise was evident.
Kyōen hadn't been particularly remarkable in school, with average grades in both theory and practical skills. Yet, in the two years they hadn't seen each other, he had graduated early and become Jiraiya's subordinate.
Ino, filled with curiosity, remained silent, not daring to ask anything with Tsunade and Jiraiya present.
Tsunade's gaze swept across the room.
Shikamo's son...
Her thoughts wandered to recent rumors about Shikamo, and her eyes darkened as she turned to look at the second person.
Sunset Red.
The daughter of the Crimson clan, undoubtedly gifted in genjutsu. As for the rest...
She glanced back at Jiraiya, her curiosity rising.
By all accounts, Sunset Red didn't seem to fit Jiraiya's skillset. He couldn't possibly be interested in her looks, could he?
Tsunade's gaze shifted from curiosity to seriousness, then annoyance.
Jiraiya, knowing his friend too well, immediately waved his hands in panic, his face turning pale. He lowered his voice. "It's not what you think! Don't misunderstand!"
He cleared his throat and changed the topic.
"Kyōen, why don't you take everyone outside for a bit? I need to have a private chat with Tsunade."
"Understood!" Kyōen nodded, leading the others out of the room but staying close by, allowing space for Jiraiya and Tsunade to talk.
Tsunade leaned against the window, squinting down at the street below.
"So, your team is really being led by that child? Ryōmine Kyōen, I think I remember the name, but I can't say I remember him too clearly."
"His grandmother is Chishō Tōka," Jiraiya explained.
Tsunade paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she looked down below.
"He's a descendant of Tōka, huh?"
"Yes, his parents are quite average, but this kid seems to have inherited the strong bloodline of the Senju clan. More impressively, his maturity and awareness at a young age are remarkable," Jiraiya continued seriously. "I believe he has the potential to become the second Hokage."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "High praise. It's rare to hear such a compliment from you."
Leaning against the window, she looked down at the young man leading the group below.
Tōka's descendant... Chishō Tōka had been a trusted confidant of Hashirama Senju, referred to as "Aunt" back then.
Without realizing, Tsunade had grandchildren now.
But unfortunately, Aunt Tōka had passed away.
Tsunade's gaze darkened.
She sat back down, her mood visibly lower. "You're not trying to get him to convince me to return to the village, are you?"
"I won't try to pressure you into coming back," Jiraiya shook his head. He understood Tsunade's situation. Forcing her to return would only be difficult for both her and the village, and it wouldn't help the larger picture.
As a friend, he didn't want to force her.
After a brief pause, Jiraiya got to the matter at hand. "What do you think of Sunset Red?"
"Huh?"
Tsunade blinked in surprise, then chuckled softly. "You don't want her to be my apprentice, do you?"
"Her talent in chakra control is exceptional. Her physical strength is lacking, but she can compensate for that with hard work. She's not completely unsuited," Jiraiya responded.
Tsunade fell silent.
That was true.
Those gifted in genjutsu often had fine chakra control.
As for her physical prowess, it could be improved through hard work, but there were limits, so Sunset Red wouldn't be able to fully inherit her skills...
However, if trained well, at least the village would have another leader in medical ninjutsu for the next generation.
She thought for a moment.
"Let's have her learn and see how it goes."
"I'll take that as a yes," Jiraiya smiled.
Tsunade didn't object but stifled a yawn.
At that moment, Jiraiya grinned. "One last thing—this one's for you."
"There's more?"
"Yeah, the owner of Seika-kan, Matsuyama Kōji, asked me to bring you this IOU."
Jiraiya pushed a piece of paper toward Tsunade.
Tsunade's face immediately darkened. The drowsiness from her earlier yawn vanished, and she shot Jiraiya a sharp glare. "You!"
"Ahem, you're a famous ninja. How can you avoid paying your debts?" Jiraiya chuckled, pushing the paper closer.
Tsunade snorted, took out a pen, and was about to sign the IOU. But then she paused, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Since you're collecting this for your student, you should pay for it. Help me clear this debt!"
"Ah?"
"You're far richer than I am anyway."
Tsunade smiled slyly.
Jiraiya's face stiffened.
True, he was bringing the IOU, but why was he getting roped into paying it now?
The two girls walked ahead.
Kyōen and Kakashi followed behind.
"I didn't expect Kyōen-kun to graduate early and become Jiraiya-sama's student," Ino murmured softly.
Sunset Red couldn't help but chuckle. "Seven-year-old Kyōen graduated? That's nothing. Kakashi graduated at five."
"It's different," Ino shook her head.
She sighed. "Kakashi was a genius from a young age. Our generation practically grew up hearing stories about him. As for Kyōen…"
Few were like Guy.
Everyone respected Kakashi and knew they couldn't catch up to him.
Kyōen was different.
Who had heard of him before?
Even Ino, whose impression of him still lingered from when they were five, never would have imagined that, upon meeting again, he would have become such a talented figure.
Every time she thought about it, she felt a sense of how things had changed.
Before Sunset Red could ask anything, the surroundings suddenly grew eerily quiet.
Ahead was Shōmatsu City.
But—
Suddenly, the sky was filled with birds taking flight, chirping loudly.
Wait!
Kyōen's expression hardened.
"Everyone, be careful!"
In the next moment, threads began to appear around them, followed by kunai and shuriken flying toward them.
Kyōen immediately leapt forward.
In the air, he was already drawing on chakra and forming hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
A flood of water surged, forming a high wall to shield everyone.
The kunai and shuriken struck the water, swept away, unable to advance further.
At the same time—
Cherry blossoms began to fall.
"Falling Cherry Blossom Illusion!"
Kakashi vanished in a blur, disappearing from sight.
From behind the wall, masked ninjas emerged, at least a dozen of them.
"Capture them and exchange them for the young master!"
In the chaos, someone shouted.
As the water wall dropped, Kyōen quickly discarded his leg bands.
"Be careful!" he shouted.
Then, in an instant, he vanished from his spot.
Ssshh!
Kyōen's kunai pierced a ninja's throat, blood splattering over him.