The Leaf Village was generally pretty welcoming toward Bloodline Limits.
But if it were just a common Bloodline Limit, he wouldn't need to beg her specifically for help...
Thinking about who she was, Tsunade's eyes flickered. A crazy guess popped into her head—one she almost couldn't believe.
After a long silence, a rich, savory aroma drifted through the air, interrupting her thoughts. She swallowed involuntarily.
"What did you make? Why does it smell so good?"
"Mouth-Watering Chicken (Sichuan Steamed Chicken with Chili Sauce)."
Minato brought out a plate to show her. It was pieces of tender chicken thigh soaked in red chili oil, topped with green and red peppers and Sichuan peppercorns.
It wasn't a complicated dish. Even though it was meat, it tasted refreshing. Personally, he liked it spicy.
Tsunade picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and eagerly stuffed it into her mouth.
"So spicy! But so good! Hiss... this would be perfect with sake!"
"Looks like you can't handle spicy food very well..."
Seeing Tsunade hissing from the heat, Minato felt a little bad. He didn't expect someone to get wrecked by Mouth-Watering Chicken. He quickly handed her a glass of water.
"Take a break. The other dishes aren't spicy."
"What else is there?"
Tsunade's eyes lit up. The chicken was spicy, but it had weirdly kick-started her appetite. Her stomach rumbled, and her mouth started watering uncontrollably.
"There's Scallion Beef Stir-fry, Tomato and Eggs, and Pan-Seared Cod. Everything's prepped, so it'll be ready in a minute."
Minato created a Shadow Clone. With two stoves going at once, the food was ready in no time.
"Whoa! What a feast!"
Once the rice was served, Tsunade immediately grabbed a piece of beef. The meat was coated in a silky sauce, tender and delicious.
"This is amazing!"
When she looked up at Minato, her eyes were practically sparkling. "I've never had any of these dishes before. Where did you learn them? From Jiu-Jiu-Ya? No, this is even better than Jiu-Jiu-Ya!"
Jiu-Jiu-Ya was a famous Chinese-style izakaya in the Leaf Village—at least, that's what the sign said (according to the Book of Soldiers). Its selling point was stir-fry and expensive liquor. Minato thought it was hilarious when he first heard about it.
"Just regular home cooking. I learned by watching my mom and experimenting. The only difference is the ingredients and spices. I was worried it might be too oily for you."
Minato smiled shyly. Even though stir-fry existed in the ninja world, there weren't many dishes, and the technique was basic. The most famous one was probably Mapo Tofu.
"Are you kidding? Ninjas need high-calorie food!"
Tsunade said as she swept through the food on the table like a tornado.
In no time, all four plates were empty. Seeing his cooking appreciated like that made Minato happy.
His sunny, handsome smile made Tsunade zone out for a split second.
Tsk. This kid is too perfect.
"Burp~"
Letting out a very unladylike burp, Tsunade leaned back in her chair lazily, tapping her fingers on the table. "Alright, spill it. What do you need? For the sake of this meal, I'll do my best to help you."
Minato nodded. He got up, turned on the lights, and closed the curtains.
Then he sat back down. Under Tsunade's inquisitive gaze, he held out one hand.
Creak, creak...
The next second, as Tsunade watched in shock, a small sapling sprouted from Minato's palm. It grew rapidly, branching out and filling with vibrant green leaves.
"I knew it..."
Once the sapling stopped growing, Tsunade waved her hand. "Okay, put it away. So your goal is the Jutsu scrolls left by the First Hokage, right?"
"Yes."
Minato nodded and retracted the sapling.
Tsunade couldn't understand it. She and (Nawaki) were the direct grandchildren of the First Hokage, yet neither of them inherited the Wood Style.
But this random little blond kid from nowhere just casually showed off Wood Style right in front of her!
"Do your parents have any Senju blood?"
"I'm not really sure about that..."
"Hmm... whatever, doesn't matter."
Tsunade didn't dwell on Minato's lineage.
If you trace a person's family tree back eighteen generations, they have over 500,000 ancestors.
Even though Minato's last name was Namikaze, maybe one of his ancestors had Senju blood. "Atavism" (traits reappearing from ancient ancestors) was rare, but not impossible.
Strictly speaking, in clans with Bloodline Limits, exceptionally strong individuals were basically just cases of strong atavism.
Tsunade looked at Minato with a hint of appreciation. "Not bad. Keeping it a secret was the right move. But why didn't you go to the Third Hokage? Why tell me?"
"To be honest... I don't really trust the village higher-ups."
Minato had prepared this answer long ago. It was also a subtle warning for Tsunade.
The things the "Konoha F4" (Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura, Koharu) did in the original story were enough to make even a nice guy like him furious.
"My father was a Chunin. After he retired to become a merchant because of my mom's health, he told me things... He said ever since the Third Hokage took over, the vibe of the village changed."
"Changed?"
Tsunade was confused. "What do you mean?"
"My father said the First Hokage was so strong that he alone could make the entire ninja world love peace. The Second Hokage wasn't as strong as the First, but he was strong enough to make sure the village only had one voice."
Seeing Tsunade thinking, Minato continued. "But after the Third took over, members of the Second Hokage's old guard all became heads of different departments."
"Basically, whether intentional or not, a '利益共同體' (interest group/clique) formed, centered on the Hokage's power and bound by old friendships."
Minato phrased it conservatively but clearly.
Conservatively, because he was just a five-year-old kid. Fortunately, ninja kids grew up fast, so he framed it as "raising a question" rather than an accusation.
Clearly, because Tsunade... and honestly, most characters in Naruto... didn't have great political instincts. He was genuinely afraid she wouldn't understand if he wasn't blunt.
"You kid..."
Tsunade frowned deeply. Minato's point was clear: he was worried the higher-ups were colluding, hoarding power, and might suppress... or even kill... any new talent they couldn't control.
Although she hadn't heard of anything that bad happening recently, she couldn't guarantee it hadn't happened. The ninja world was full of dark, dirty secrets.
As for "colluding and hoarding power"? She definitely felt that.
Especially in the last two years, the bureaucratic vibes from those old guys were getting stronger.
But some things were unspoken rules—you couldn't just say them out loud.
"You can't just say stuff like that!" Tsunade warned.
"I'm just trying to ensure my own safety. I don't know how the other higher-ups would react to me, so I won't pin my hopes on them."
Minato smiled sheepishly. "But you're different, Lady Tsunade. You're the granddaughter of the village founder and the most outstanding kunoichi of the younger generation. Everyone trusts you. I figure you must be proud of your identity, and at the very least, you wouldn't do anything to tarnish the First Hokage's name."
Of course, that was just flattery. Minato couldn't exactly say, "I read the script and I know you're the only one who isn't corrupt, while the rest of the leadership is rotten to the core."
Luckily, even if it was flattery, Tsunade loved hearing it.
"Hmph. You're not wrong about that. But seriously, don't say stuff like this again. The village has plenty of spying Jutsus—some can even monitor you in real-time. Even when you're alone, be careful."
As she said this, the corners of her mouth twitched up uncontrollably.
She thought Minato made sense. Even though she didn't inherit Wood Style, she did inherit the Senju clan's powerful intuition. Her gut feelings were frighteningly accurate.
And her gut told her those old guys in charge weren't saints—especially Danzo, the Hokage's advisor.
But she warned him again anyway. "At your age and strength level, you shouldn't understand this much about politics."
"And don't worry too much. The old man (Hiruzen) might be indecisive, but he's trustworthy enough. He's in his prime, and his position is solid. Nothing crazy will happen anytime soon. Besides, Wood Style means something special to the Leaf. Those guys would kill to have a Wood Style user appear."
"What if it's not just Wood Style?"
Minato raised his hand. A blinding light burst from his fingertip.
Whether it was Wood Style or the Sharingan, their power depended on chakra reserves. Even with the "Creation of All Things" buff speeding up his growth, he wouldn't be a serious powerhouse until he was a teenager.
But the Glint-Glint Fruit was different. This power from the One Piece universe ran on physical stamina. The elemental phasing (turning into light) let him ignore most attacks. Plus, he could try combining it with the chakra system. It was his best option for combat in the early game.
"What is that?!"
Tsunade shot up in her seat, looking shocked.
"A Bloodline Limit?"