Chapter 12 — The Drawbacks of Being Possessed by a Demon
After a long pause, Tsunade suddenly let out a sigh of relief: "I trust you… and I trust my own instincts."
To be honest, during this period, Tsunade was showing all the signs of a full-blown love-struck brain.
But if the target of that love-struck brain happened to be you… then there's only one word for it: bliss.
Ryusuke exhaled deeply, and the tense atmosphere between them finally eased.
"After all that work, I'm a bit hungry. What do you want for dinner?" Ryusuke asked.
"Sashimi, meatballs…" Tsunade replied.
Before she could finish, Ryusuke interrupted: "Forget sashimi and meatballs. Get some meat. And some sake would be nice, right?"
Tsunade opened her small mouth in slight surprise, then gave him a satisfied look: "Whatever you want."
"You're even being tsundere about it." Ryusuke stepped forward, playfully rubbing her golden hair—something he had been wanting to do for a while.
Just as Tsunade was about to snap, Ryusuke flashed out of the house.
"Nice texture," Ryusuke's laughter came from outside the door.
"Damn it!" Tsunade shouted.
After a while, however, the corners of her lips lifted into a smile.
Through this little incident, their mutual trust deepened even further.
After dinner, the two of them lounged on the sofa, one stretched like a "tree" and the other like a "big character" (大), eyes half-closed, enjoying the quiet and peaceful moment. They looked almost like an old married couple.
"小Tsunade, do you know how to quickly improve one's physical condition?" Ryusuke squinted his eyes and asked.
"Improve physical condition?" she tilted her head.
"You can achieve it temporarily with some potions, but if you want a permanent increase, it still requires training combined with medicinal stimulation," Ryusuke explained.
"I remember a forbidden technique called Eight Gates Formation. That technique includes some complementary medicinal preparations to enhance physical condition."
Tsunade turned her head to look at him: "If you want, I can research it and see if I can tailor a version suitable for you."
"Eight Gates Formation?" Ryusuke's eyes lit up with excitement.
This technique had been part of Ryusuke's plan before, after all—it was a ninja skill that almost determined the ending of his story.
Its potential for both performance and power enhancement placed it among the top-tier techniques.
"Don't look at me like that. Even if you stare, I won't give you that forbidden technique," Tsunade said decisively.
"I've studied it before. The first three gates are relatively safe, only temporarily affecting the body, and recovery is possible. But from the fourth gate onward, the damage is irreversible. Opening the eighth gate is basically a death sentence."
"Although it grants a huge temporary boost, repeated use could completely ruin your ninja career."
She suddenly reached out, cupping Ryusuke's face: "And that strange transformation you used in the battle against Hanzō… it's similar to the Eight Gates Formation."
"Both rely on suppressing one's own potential to dramatically increase combat power."
"When I treated your injuries, I noticed that your entire meridian system and internal organs were overworked."
"If your constitution weren't relatively strong, or if the transformation lasted longer, you might have died on the spot."
Tsunade's expression turned very serious: "You should also limit the use of that transformation from now on. Otherwise…"
She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Ryusuke knew the drawbacks of being possessed by a demon. However, the consequences weren't the immediate death Tsunade described.
The Demon Possession technique uses the dragon-type dangerous species "Tyland" as its material to create an Imperial Weapon.
This strange species has extremely strong adaptability, and even after becoming an Imperial Weapon, it remains in a "living" state.
Long-term use of Demon Possession results in being gradually consumed, ultimately transforming the user into a dragon-like creature without self-awareness.
Without wearing Demon Possession, survival in the dangerous ninja world is impossible. But wearing it risks eventually becoming a monster.
This was one of Ryusuke's biggest problems to solve in the future.
"Got it," Ryusuke said gently, taking Tsunade's small hand that cupped his face and placing a soft kiss on it.
"You really… even when talking seriously with me, your mind is on these things," Tsunade said, quickly retracting her hand. She blushed, her lowered eyes and shy demeanor making Ryusuke's fingers twitch.
"Tomorrow morning, you'll come with me. I'll take you to meet someone," Tsunade continued after a moment, regaining her composure.
"You've caught the attention of that old man Danzo. Without sufficient backing, he'll eventually come after you."
Her eyes narrowed, glinting with a cold light.
She really couldn't understand why Hiruzen Sarutobi would allow the existence of a "Root" organization.
"Alright," Ryusuke answered.
Being targeted by that old schemer Danzo was extremely dangerous. He didn't know when he might get stabbed in the back.
At present, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans were publicly the two strongest families in Konoha.
In reality, under Hiruzen Sarutobi's 17-year reign, the Konoha F4 had already expanded their family influence extensively.
For an ordinary ninja to face these complex family powers alone was obviously a guaranteed failure.
Looking at this woman, wholly devoted to him, Ryusuke felt a deep sense of gratitude.
The atmosphere, charged with warmth and intimacy, prompted Ryusuke to mutter on impulse: "Maybe tonight…"
His attempt to team up with her immediately put Tsunade on guard.
She extended her small foot, pressing it against Ryusuke's chest to stop him from moving forward.
With a half-smile, she said: "You're just like Jiraiya… a pervert."
"First, think carefully about where that lingering scent of perfume came from on you the day we attacked the Rain Hidden Tower."
As expected, women liked to settle scores later.
She pushed him back into his original position with her foot. Watching his defeated silence, Tsunade let out a light hum: "Heh, think it through before you say anything."
After putting on her shoes and clasping her hands behind her back, she left Ryusuke's house.
Ryusuke lay back in his spot, sighing: "So true… what goes around comes around."
---
In a dark underground base, dimly lit by a few torches, a masked ninja knelt before a seat. His attire clearly marked him as the Root ninja who had left Ryusuke's house.
The masked ninja said to the man in the seat: "Lord Danzo, that guy 'Ji' refused to come to the base with me. He's very likely already betrayed you."
His head was bowed low, showing deep respect for the seated Danzo Shimura.
Danzo, only 40 years old at the time, was in his prime.
During Hiruzen Sarutobi's 17-year tenure as Hokage, Danzo had served as his assistant for all 17 years.
Having tasted power firsthand, his restless heart could no longer be restrained.
"Those who betray Root must die. Even if 'Ji' has some ambiguous relationship with Tsunade, it doesn't matter."
"'Kage,' you'll go. Clean him up, and make sure it's thorough."
"Remember, under no circumstances must he leak the mission information regarding the assassination of Tsunade."
"Yes!" The Root ninja named Kage responded immediately, then vanished swiftly into the shadows of the base.
"Tobirama-Sensei… it's not that I cling to the past," Danzo murmured.
"You ostensibly disbanded the Senju clan back then, but in reality, you allowed them to infiltrate every department."
"For the current Konoha, they pose a serious threat to its safety."
"The power of the Hokage should remain concentrated in the Hokage's hands, not redistributed to the Senju clan."
"Forgive me, Tobirama-Sensei. It's all for Konoha."
Danzo's lone eye gleamed ominously in the empty hall.