"That's what everyone says."
Tsunade had picked up a few things from Kawaki—just enough to feign ignorance of Orochimaru's sarcasm.
"Haha~ You've got nerve."
Orochimaru was amused despite himself. Kawaki-kun was trouble incarnate.
"Bye-bye."
Tsunade waved at Orochimaru and walked out the door.
"Done chatting?"
Perfect timing for Tsunade to walk out.
Kawaki couldn't stand chatting with those two any longer—it was pure torture.
"Yeah, let's go."
Before Tsunade could finish speaking, Kawaki took her hand and vanished on the spot.
"The in-vivo experiments will have results soon."
"If they meet our expectations, we can proceed with your fusion."
"If not, then we'll need to keep refining them."
They reappeared at the Hatake residence. Before Kawaki could ask, Tsunade directly reported the experiment's progress.
After all, it was Kawaki's life on the line—and Tsunade wasn't about to take any chances.
As far as current experimental achievements went, if this were during Orochimaru's research period in the original plot, it would have made him overjoyed.
"Alright, I'll follow your lead."
Kawaki obediently agreed.
He wasn't an expert himself—so he'd leave the science to the pros.
"Why don't we pay my Anbu leader a visit?"
Once business was done, Tsunade turned playful.
Sakumo was a perfect fit for Anbu leader. If even Kawaki's older brother wasn't trustworthy, how many people in Konoha were left she could trust?
"Let's go."
Kawaki stood up, and the two left the room.
After the meeting, Sakumo received the appointment letter. He hadn't expected anything less.
It puzzled him a little that Kawaki became principal, though. With a younger brother like that, was he even qualified?
Tsunade didn't seem worried about him ruining the Ninja Academy's atmosphere either.
Just thinking about when Kakashi was in school, always bragging, "My uncle is the principal," gave him a headache. When did dad become less impressive than uncle?
While he sat alone in the living room pondering, he heard Kawaki's voice approaching.
"Big bro, where's Kakashi?"
"Not home."
Sakumo replied impatiently. _If he liked kids so much, why didn't he have one of his own? So annoying._
"He must've gone to Shinryu's place again."
Kawaki didn't even need to think before guessing where Kakashi had gone.
"Yeah, my sister-in-law had no choice but to bring him along."
A kid that young already acting so shameless—he clearly didn't get that from him.
"Good, good."
Grinning, Kawaki plopped down beside Sakumo.
"Big bro."
Tsunade finally greeted Sakumo without interrupting their conversation.
"Hmm."
Sakumo wasn't putting on airs. He didn't hold much stock in Tsunade becoming Hokage.
"There's something I want to talk to you about."
"I've agreed to let Nawaki join Anbu as a squad captain. Later, I'll leave the arrangements to you."
Now that Sakumo was Anbu leader, these things would be easier for him to handle.
"Sure thing. Let him report to Anbu later."
Sakumo immediately agreed. He knew exactly how strong Nawaki was.
Being a squad captain with a few subordinates—he was more than capable.
"Then I'll go discuss it with him."
Tsunade had completed the task Nawaki had asked her to do, finally putting to rest something that had been weighing on her mind.
"So, Nawaki's entering Anbu?"
"Perfect. I've got someone else I want to get in there as well."
"Hey big bro, got a sec?"
Kawaki approached wearing a sugary-sweet grin.
"If you've got something to say, just spit it out."
Sakumo was already accustomed to it; Kawaki had always acted this way since childhood.
Whenever Kawaki wanted something, he'd suddenly act extra obedient.
"I'm thinking of letting Minato lead Nagato and the others as an independent team. Help me get him in."
Kawaki looked at Sakumo hopefully. He'd wanted to do this for a while now.
In the past, though, the Anbu head had been under Hiruzen's influence, making things difficult for Kawaki.
Except for Nagato, the other three—Yahiko, Konan, and himself—still weren't quite strong enough yet, but under Minato's supervision, it wasn't a major concern.
So slipping one more person into Anbu through his older brother shouldn't be an issue, right?
"Oh man, my neck's been a bit stiff lately," Sakumo said, immediately striking a pose and dramatically twisting his neck.
Tsunade didn't get it yet, but Kawaki instantly stood up.
"Big bro, let me give you a massage!"
Kawaki's smile was dripping with flattery.
As Tsunade watched Kawaki skillfully work on Sakumo's shoulders, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Hey bro, how's the pressure feel?"
"Not bad. Your skills haven't gotten rusty."
What a heartwarming display of brotherly affection. No wonder Kawaki was so good at massages—obviously all his practice came from doing this to Sakumo.
"And what I mentioned earlier..."
Kawaki leaned forward slightly, whispering near Sakumo's ear.
"No problem, no problem."
"More pressure."
With his eyes closed and clearly enjoying himself, Sakumo gave instructions to Kawaki.
"Gotcha, bro."
Kawaki kept massaging happily, looking pleased. Fortunately, no outsiders were around.
This wouldn't ruin his reputation as Kawaki Hatake's hard-earned reputation.
After a while, Sakumo shrugged his shoulders.
"Alright, I'll tell Minato to take them in for assignments."
Kawaki's massage finally did the trick—Sakumo caved in.
Not long after their playful sibling teasing ended, Natsuki returned holding Kakashi.
Gradually, the whole family gathered together, and dinner time arrived.
...
Orochimaru closed the lab door behind him and made his way home at a slow pace.
When he arrived, he found the door slightly ajar—it had been intentionally left open by Pakura.
This chapter isn't finished yet!
If you enjoy Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade, please consider bookmarking it: (m.
Day after day.
Orochimaru adjusted his clothes before stepping inside, his expression cold and unwelcoming.
"You're back?"
Pakura heard the door close and came out from the living room to greet him.
"I made red-braised ribs today. Come try them."
Full of smiles, she walked over and pulled Orochimaru toward the dining room.
"Let me release the seals on you first."
Orochimaru allowed Pakura to drag him along quickly, his facial expression unchanged.
"Not in a hurry. Let's eat first."
She glanced back at him, her tone still warm and steady.
To her, releasing the seals could wait. What mattered most now was getting Orochimaru to taste her cooking.
"Fine."
Pakura was never one for many words. She came to the dining room and sat down.
She brought Orochimaru a bowl and chopsticks, then placed a rib filled with the most meat into his bowl.
Under Pakura's watchful gaze, Orochimaru took a bite.
"How is it?"
Before Orochimaru had even swallowed, Pakura couldn't help herself from asking eagerly.
"Good."
Orochimaru responded with just two words. Noticing Pakura's sudden look of frustration, he quickly added,
"Give me another one."
"Okay."
Pakura immediately regained her smile and added another rib to Orochimaru's bowl.
"You should eat too."
Orochimaru was often stared at by Tenten, but today her gaze felt particularly intense.
"Okay."
Pakura sat across from Orochimaru and began eating as well.
They hadn't drunk any sake, so the meal ended quickly.
The entire plate of ribs was devoured.
"I'll wash the dishes first."
Without waiting for Orochimaru to speak, Pakura picked up the bowls and plates and left.
As he watched Pakura walk away, Orochimaru drifted into thought.
Without realizing it, he remembered Tsunade's words again.
"What are we all thinking about?"
Orochimaru secretly pinched his thigh and finally calmed his thoughts.
If you enjoy Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade, please add it to your bookmarks: (m.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>