The practical exams were wrapped up by noon, and the afternoon was spent listening to the teacher drone on about essential protocols for new Genin.
With graduation looming, the atmosphere was electric; the students were so rowdy that the Chunin instructor had to slam the desk several times to keep order.
"See you all tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow, Saiki-kun!"
At the school gates, Saiki waved goodbye to Rin Nohara, Kurenai Yuhi, and the other girls.
"Saiki, aren't you going to train today?"
Seeing that Saiki hadn't dispatched a clone to the back mountains for his usual routine, Shizune asked with a look of doting confusion.
"Not today. Graduation is right around the corner, and I'm feeling a little high-strung. It's time to unwind. Let's head home—I'll cook you something special," Saiki said, giving Shizune's head a playful rub.
Hearing this, Shizune beamed with a happy smile, temporarily forgetting the uncertainty of whether they would be assigned to the same team.
Looking back at the intimate scene between the two, Rin, Kurenai, and the other young girls wore expressions of pure envy.
There was nothing they could do; Shizune had the ultimate advantage of living under the same roof.
In their hearts, the girls silently cursed Shizune for her "unfair" proximity to the boy they all adored.
They eventually arrived back at the small estate on Hot Spring Street.
Just as they reached the entrance, Saiki detected a familiar chakra signature lurking behind the door. Though it was suppressed masterfully, it didn't escape his senses.
Shizune, still happily chirping away about the morning's exam, was completely oblivious; her eyes were fixed entirely on Saiki.
Creeeak!
Shizune pushed the door open, her attention still lingering on Saiki.
"WAAARGH!"
A blonde woman with a legendary, mountain-peaked bust jumped out from behind the door with a sudden, thunderous roar.
"KYAAAH!"
Startled out of her skin by the sudden noise, Shizune shrieked and instinctively lunged into Saiki's arms for protection.
Catching Shizune by her slender waist, Saiki looked on with a sigh at the wide-eyed, mischievous Tsunade, whose hands were still raised in a scaring gesture.
"Sister Tsunade... was it really necessary to jump out and scare us like that?"
Originally, Saiki had intended to address Tsunade as "Lady" just as Shizune did, but he had been beaten for it because Tsunade felt it made her sound old.
Therefore, Saiki always referred to her as Sister Tsunade, or simply Sister.
Three years ago it was fine, as Tsunade was only twenty-nine then, but now she was thirty-two and approaching thirty-three.
Facing Saiki's eternally calm and composed face, Tsunade felt a wave of boredom and complained, "What a dull brat. Look at how normal Shizune's reaction was!"
In the original story, Shizune was a total pushover who was constantly bullied by Tsunade; even with Saiki around now, her situation hadn't improved much.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Shizune called out with reddened eyes, sounding quite aggrieved.
Though her face showed distress, Shizune was actually ecstatic in her heart; among all the girls in class, she had the most contact with Saiki, yet there had been no real progress until now. Having finally landed in his arms, Shizune was beyond happy.
Faced with Shizune's pitiful little eyes, Tsunade burst into hearty laughter.
Approaching, Tsunade gave her a big hug. Tsunade probably wanted to tease Shizune a bit more, but since Shizune was holding Saiki, Tsunade pulled Saiki into her arms as well.
Tsunade's attire was quite revealing, her ample white skin and deep cleavage dazzling the eye.
Nine-year-old Saiki was a little over 1.4 meters tall, while Shizune was only about 1.25 meters, and Tsunade was just over 1.63 meters.
The position was perfect. As Tsunade pulled him in, Saiki felt a rush of white, snowy skin before his eyes, and then his face sank into two warm, soft mounds.
He had experienced this before, but experiencing it again, even with Saiki's strong will, caused a slight crack to appear, because the feeling was truly too wonderful.
His entire face was enveloped in something soft, warm, and smooth, carrying a delicate fragrance. Saiki wanted to breathe, but something soft blocked his nostrils, making it impossible.
Actually, Saiki wanted to rub his face against it, but to maintain his persona, he held back.
A small act of impatience could ruin a big plan; if he showed a lewd expression, Tsunade would never give him another chance.
Sure enough, after using her superiority to tease the still flat-chested Shizune, Tsunade released them.
Even if Shizune was a girl, facing Tsunade's legendary grandeur left her cheeks and ears burning a deep crimson; in contrast, Saiki remained far more composed, his expression flat as if nothing had happened at all.
Watching Saiki's utterly calm demeanor, Tsunade suddenly felt a twinge of pique, almost doubting her own irresistible charm.
"What an annoying brat!"
Women are often like that: when you fawn over them like a sycophant, they find you tedious regardless of your looks, wealth, or status.
But once you successfully capture a woman's attention, adding a touch of cold indifference makes her feel a sense of defeat, sparking a desire to conquer you—and then you are one step closer to conquering her.
In truth, facing Tsunade's magnificent figure, Saiki was internally surging with excitement; he was no saint, otherwise, he wouldn't bother with these long-term "cultivation" games with young girls.
His ability to suppress his impulses toward Tsunade relied entirely on that "Breath" within him; with a slight circulation, it not only granted immunity to Genjutsu but also stilled his heart and calmed his spirit.
It was clear now that Tsunade was being played right into Saiki's hands.
"Sister Tsunade, did I do something wrong?" Saiki responded with a smirk.
Saiki's composure only fueled Tsunade's irritation further: "Brat, with that attitude, do you think you'll ever manage to find a girlfriend?"
Facing Tsunade's annoyance, Saiki maintained his smile and replied, "Ah, it's fine. Wasn't I brought back by you to be your 'child bridegroom' anyway? If I can't find anyone, I don't mind marrying you, Sister Tsunade—I don't care about the age gap."
Ever since he was brought back by her, Saiki had cracked this joke more than once; while Tsunade didn't mind the "child bridegroom" jest, bringing up her age always struck a nerve.
"Brat, who are you calling old?"
Thump!
Tsunade slammed her fist directly onto Saiki's head. He let out a hiss of pain, clutching his skull.
Saiki could have easily dodged it, but he chose to take the hit. Grimacing, he muttered, "Sister Tsunade, I'm the one not being picky here, so why are you so sensitive? Am I not handsome enough for you?"
Having struck Saiki without his chakra protection active, Tsunade felt as if she had punched a solid steel plate. Her own knuckles throbbed from the impact.
Faced with Saiki's "I'm doing you a favor" rhetoric, Tsunade simply rolled her eyes.
Compared to the original timeline, Tsunade was in a much better mental state now. She bickered with Saiki daily, and he frequently teased her with jokes about being her "child bridegroom" or how he would marry her one day.
To some extent, Saiki had replaced the void left by her brother Nawaki, while quietly beginning to occupy the space once held by her lover, Dan Kato. Time washes everything away; once Saiki dominated the majority of her memories, Tsunade would find herself unable to escape his grasp.
As it turned out, in this world, the "Talk-no-Jutsu" really was the strongest. Under Saiki's verbal onslaught, Tsunade could only say helplessly, "What does a kid like you know? Go cook! This old lady is starving!"
Tsunade reached out, tucked both Saiki and Shizune under her massive arms, and dragged them toward the house.
Suffocated by Tsunade's physical dominance and the terrifying pressure against his face, Saiki swore to himself that one day, she would be the one yielding under his hands.
Since she suffered from hemophobia, Tsunade couldn't stand the sight of raw meat or even a few drops of blood—they made her legs go weak. Consequently, she never stepped foot in the kitchen.
Now that Tsunade was back, Saiki didn't go to the training grounds. He spent his time making a feast of braised pork and sweet and sour ribs.
As the saying goes: if you want to conquer a man, start with his stomach. The same applies to women!
"Phew! Your cooking is still the best, kid. I've been craving this for days."
Having shed her "Gamble" haori, Tsunade sat in a loose, sleeveless top that exposed her pale, shapely arms. Full and satisfied, she slumped back in her chair without a care for her image, rubbing her stomach and sighing in relief.
"I'm glad you like it, Sister Tsunade. But try not to be such a picky eater."
Saiki gave her a speechless look before clearing the table of every last scrap; he hated wasting food.
Once Saiki and Shizune finished the dishes, Tsunade had digested her meal enough to take a sip of tea to cut through the richness.
Saiki had actually eaten more than Tsunade, yet he looked perfectly fine, showing no signs of bloating despite consuming enough food for several grown men.
"You had your practical exam today, right? How did it go?" Tsunade asked after recovering.
"We both cleared two rounds easily," Saiki replied.
Tsunade nodded. "Figures. With your strength, forget your classmates—even your Chunin instructor is likely no match for you."
"Yeah. In a death match, I could kill him in seconds," Saiki answered with total honesty.
Seeing his bluntness, Tsunade finally cut to the chase: "Brat, did you kill a Sand scout in the back mountains last night?"
Saiki had expected the Third Hokage to come looking for him, but he hadn't expected it to come from Tsunade's mouth first.
"Yeah, I did. How did you find out?" Saiki asked, surprised.
"How? I'm the one who took the fall for you," Tsunade explained.
She recounted her conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hearing that the Third Hokage assumed she was the killer, Saiki breathed a sigh of relief. He had no desire for fame.
Nearby, hearing that Saiki had taken down a Sand Chunin, Shizune finally understood why he lacked an appetite and hadn't been very responsive to her advances the night before.
Knowing how powerful Saiki was, Shizune felt a surge of excitement, vowing to try even harder to get closer to him next time.
"Thanks, Sister Tsunade!"
Saiki offered his gratitude. He didn't want to be flashy; he would worry about fame once he reached Kage-level and had enough power to truly protect himself. Those who stood out too early usually died young.
Tsunade just smirked at his thanks and asked mysteriously, "Want to know who your sensei is?"
"Who?" both Saiki and Shizune asked in unison.
Tsunade gave a cryptic smile, teasing them. "I'm not telling. You'll find out tomorrow. It's going to be a huge surprise!"
Coming from Tsunade, the intel was definitely accurate. Seeing her mysterious grin, Saiki suddenly felt an ominous premonition.