Two days and one night had already passed since the second round of the Chuunin Exam ended. During this time, in order to prevent Kikuchi Satsuki from waking up too soon, Tsunade had stayed up late by his side. As soon as she saw any sign of him regaining consciousness, she immediately knocked him out again.
Of course, after this story was recounted by Kikuchi Satsuki's mother, it naturally became a tale of "little Tsunade staying up day and night by your side," despite Kikuchi Satsuki not feeling this was Tsunade's usual style. He had no choice but to accept the narrative.
After all, Tsunade had "witnesses," and Kikuchi Satsuki had no concrete evidence. He couldn't just claim "a feeling," something so vague and intangible, could he?
In fact, the reason Tsunade had kept Kikuchi Satsuki asleep for longer was purely to gain favor with his mother. Tsunade wasn't entirely sure about Kikuchi Satsuki's personality and feared he would reject her request as decisively as he had rejected lending her his sword earlier. So, she decided that if Kikuchi Satsuki were to refuse, she would approach his mother to take another route.
Thus, gaining Kikuchi Satsuki's mother's favor was essential.
Speaking of the incident where Tsunade had tricked Kikuchi Satsuki, she had to admit after truly feeling Kikuchi Satsuki's strength that the "original story" had it right: even the "legendary Three Ninjas" had to respect the Konoha White Fang. Though still young, it was clear that Kikuchi Satsuki possessed extraordinary power.
So, after a second's deep thought, Tsunade made her decision.
Principles could be tossed aside, but the White Fang must lose!
Just as Kikuchi Satsuki had realized that Tsunade's power didn't pose much of a threat to him, Tsunade also understood in that moment that she had less than a 40% chance of winning against him. No matter how strong a power was, it was meaningless if it couldn't land a hit!
With the thought of not sharing a bath with Jiraiya, Tsunade embraced the mindset of "the dead bald monk and the stubborn old hag," and, risking the potential grudge from Konoha White Fang for undermining his reputation, Tsunade ended Kikuchi Satsuki's slaughter in the second round just before it concluded.
After all, a lack of elegance could be compensated for, but losing could never be called a victory.
Furthermore, whether Kikuchi Satsuki would ever discover the truth was uncertain. At the time, after Tsunade knocked him out, the Uchiha examiner had said nothing—his attitude was neither to deny nor affirm. He immediately declared the second round of the Chuunin exam to be over.
Among those present, Tsunade was confident that Guy and Jiraiya believed it, and even if Katou Dan and Orochimaru knew, they wouldn't say anything since they weren't familiar with Kikuchi Satsuki. As for the Cloud and Stone Ninjas, Tsunade had already instructed Katou Dan's subordinates to seal the news as best as possible. Once the Chuunin exam was over, everyone would go their separate ways, making the likelihood of the truth leaking even smaller.
In short, unless someone conducted a thorough investigation, this incident might remain hidden forever. The Kikuchi clan had suffered the heaviest losses in the First Shinobi World War. However, calling it "severe" seemed too mild a description—it didn't capture the gravity of the situation.
So, Tsunade felt it necessary to describe just how tragic the Kikuchi clan's situation had been.
That is: The entire Kikuchi clan was left with only Kikuchi Satsuki as the sole male.
Under these circumstances, Tsunade didn't think Kikuchi Satsuki had the ability to investigate the matter.
Of course, according to the "original story," Kikuchi Satsuki would eventually reach a point where he could easily discover the truth. But when that time came, even if the issue was brought up, he would probably just laugh it off, wouldn't he?
However, this didn't mean Tsunade was afraid of Kikuchi Satsuki. In fact, Tsunade only thought that before completing the task of achieving "elegant victory," it was best to avoid any other troubles. After the task was complete, Tsunade had a hundred ways to make Kikuchi Satsuki fall under the weight of gravity and submit to her. Revenge was never out of the question.
Only those with the mindset of being punished can be tricked!
The next day, bright and early, Tsunade had freshened up and made her way to Kikuchi Satsuki's house.
"Satsuki, Tsunade is here to see you."
Downstairs, Kikuchi Satsuki's mother called out, and after sitting in his room all night, Kikuchi Satsuki suddenly opened his eyes. It was as if a flash of lightning had struck through them—despite having stayed up all night, Kikuchi Satsuki was still wide awake, probably because he had slept so much the previous night.
The main reason he hadn't slept was because his neck hurt badly, as if it had been struck by an incredible force multiple times. It was impossible to sleep. But despite being awake all night, for a young and strong person like Kikuchi Satsuki, it wasn't an issue. He also managed to figure out what kind of technique would be most suitable for Tsunade.
He had thought of a technique that would fit Tsunade perfectly, compensating for her overwhelming strength but lack of speed. Though it was still only a concept, if successful, it would be the perfect jutsu tailored for her.
"Satsuki, you little brat, hurry up and come down?!"
His mother's voice rang out again, but this time it was more of a command.
Kikuchi Satsuki immediately felt a headache coming on. What had Tsunade done to his mother?
However, Kikuchi Satsuki had no intention of intentionally being late or putting on airs. So, he grabbed his White Fang short sword and left the room.
As he entered the living room, he saw Tsunade kneeling with a cup of hot tea, and he was momentarily stunned by how she looked.
Yes, today Tsunade was wearing a practical outfit more suited for training; of course, to avoid any suggestion of improper conduct, she had used white cloth to bind her chest.
At this moment, Kikuchi Satsuki couldn't deny that Tsunade was far superior to girls his age in every sense. Also, he finally understood that Tsunade's Konoha forehead protector was tied to her thigh, which explained why he had never seen it before.
"What's wrong? Do I look strange in this outfit?"
Tsunade tilted her head slightly, asking. Kikuchi Satsuki suddenly felt her gaze was somewhat intense, hard to look at.
"No, it's just that this outfit is quite convenient… convenient for training."
"…"
Convenient, Tsunade thought it was indeed very convenient, in every sense, but why did it feel so awkward coming from Kikuchi Satsuki?
"Tsunade, are you sure you want to train with me in kenjutsu?" Kikuchi Satsuki suddenly asked.
Tsunade blinked in surprise but nodded affirmatively.
"Then before we begin, I need to confirm something with you," Kikuchi Satsuki said, his gaze becoming direct. "Kenjutsu isn't something you can learn in a day. It's going to be tough. Are you prepared for that?"
"Please trust my resolve."
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PS: In conclusion, everyone, Happy New Year.
(End of chapter)