The weather was so clear, and the world felt so beautiful.
The Husky, enjoying the autumn breeze, couldn't help but squint his eyes lazily as he lay by the river, enjoying the service of his well-trained slave. When thirsty, he would lick a sip of sweet river water, and when feeling comfortable, he would let out a hearty howl, observing the Iwagakure ninjas across the river with casual indifference.
He still hadn't found any weaknesses in that girl, Hoshimaru.
Conquering a human, whose actions are guided by logic, was far more difficult than conquering a dog, whose actions were driven by instinct. After all, Hoshimaru was meant to be offered to his big brother in the future. She had to fully submit, body and soul. That's why the Husky had been tirelessly searching for a weakness in Hoshimaru, aiming to destroy her will first, then conquer her body.
There was no living creature without a weakness!
On the opposite riverbank, Hoshimaru stopped once more.
"What's going on now?"
Seeing Hoshimaru suddenly halt in the middle of their sparring, Daruo almost couldn't stop himself from throwing explosive clay at her face. Did she really have no awareness of the battle at hand? Daruo thought that if he were an enemy of Hoshimaru, she probably wouldn't even know how many times she'd be dead by now.
"I want to kill that annoying stupid dog over there," Hoshimaru said through gritted teeth. "It's one thing to be watched, but to be watched so blatantly and then do that kind of thing—it's just too much!"
Hoshimaru felt her patience wearing thin. Over the past eighteen days, they had switched training locations several times, only to return here again today, and that stupid dog still hadn't gone away. If Yukari hadn't told her not to stir up unnecessary trouble, Hoshimaru would have already killed the dog!
Even while showering or sleeping, she had felt like that dog's eyes were still on her, tormenting her. The Husky had almost driven her to a nervous breakdown.
So today, Hoshimaru couldn't hold back anymore. As long as that stupid dog was in her sight, she couldn't concentrate on her training. And she knew that Tsunade was currently training for a very powerful ultimate technique!
"I haven't had dog meat in a long time," Daruo added mischievously.
Daruo, always one to enjoy causing chaos, was more than happy to see Hoshimaru take down the "ninja dog" Yukari had called "Konoha's surveillance dog." After all, it might lead to something interesting.
With Daruo's encouragement, Hoshimaru took action.
Hoshimaru moved quickly, and by the time the Husky realized something was wrong, she had already reached its side, standing on the surface of the river. She reached out and grabbed the Husky by the neck, lifting the entire dog up.
The other dog that had been serving the Husky immediately reacted with an angry snarl and bit at Hoshimaru's calf, but she kicked it away effortlessly.
"Xiao Hua!" the Husky cried out in pain, glaring at Hoshimaru with fury.
"What do you want?"
The Husky, already a coward, didn't hesitate to call on his backup. "My big brother is Tsunade. If I lose even a single hair, I guarantee you won't leave Konoha standing!"
"Tsunade?" Hoshimaru's voice dropped dangerously. "Tsunade of the Senju clan?"
Hoshimaru's expression became cold and terrifying, and the Husky immediately felt a chill, as though it was facing Tsunade herself. Due to Tsunade's low blood pressure, she would sometimes feel dizzy and mildly nauseous in the mornings, leading to a bad mood and an especially foul temper. The Husky had learned the hard way that provoking Tsunade under such circumstances led to a painful beating. He had vivid memories of it.
Now, seeing Hoshimaru's expression that resembled Tsunade's, the Husky shrank back, nodding its head like a frightened puppy.
"Did she send you to watch me?" Hoshimaru suddenly asked, her expression softening.
The Husky was confused, unable to figure out what Hoshimaru was thinking. Shouldn't she be adopting a darker, more villainous look right now? Why the sudden look of being taken seriously?
The Husky was sure that this girl must be a little crazy.
"What are you two doing?"
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. The Husky almost felt like it had seen a savior, nearly overwhelmed with emotion.
"Big Brother!"
Hoshimaru turned her head, and there she was—Tsunade, still wearing that perfectly tailored kimono that accentuated her figure. Her golden hair glowed under the sunlight, making it almost too dazzling to look at. Her face still carried a kind, approachable expression.
For a moment, Hoshimaru almost felt like she had been transported back to the days of "kisses, hugs, and being lifted high."
But even the most dazzling appearance couldn't hide the dirty heart within.
When Hoshimaru saw Tsunade walk out from the small grove, her expression darkened again, and she coldly asked, "So you sent this dog to watch me, huh? You're as sneaky as always."
"Eh?"
Tsunade looked at Hoshimaru with confusion. It didn't take long for her to realize that this was the Husky's doing. She shot a glare at the dog and said, "Sorry, this stupid dog acted on its own. So feel free to steam it, stew it, or whatever."
"Big Brother!"
The Husky was utterly shocked. How could Tsunade still not understand its good intentions? It felt a wave of desolation. After all this time, it had just wanted to find a suitable RBQ for Tsunade. A life without an RBQ was incomplete!
"You're saying you weren't spying on me?" Hoshimaru sneered, clearly not believing it.
"Yeah, why would I spy on you?"
Having successfully tricked the legendary Konoha White Fang, Tsunade had no fear left!
Victory in the Chūnin Exams was within her reach!
The key was looking cool and elegant.
"Why wouldn't you spy on me?!" Hoshimaru was almost incredulous.
"…"
Tsunade thought that if it wasn't for Hoshimaru's strange choice of words, this whole situation had taken an odd turn.
(End of Chapter)