Ryoma could only laugh helplessly as he quickly pulled the two apart.
"Drink!"
Kushina, cheeks flushed, stubbornly clutched her cup. Ryoma snatched it away.
"What the hell, I still want to drink!" she protested.
"No more. We're going home," Ryoma said firmly.
He scooped Kushina into his arms, then turned and gave a sharp kick to Uchiha Fugaku, who in his drunken stupor was about to fall onto Mikoto.
"Don't think being drunk gives you an excuse to misbehave."
Glancing at the half-conscious Mikoto, Ryoma sighed, then helped her up as well before leaving Fugaku sprawled on the floor clutching at empty air.
Just as they stepped out, they encountered Mikoto's father. Relieved, Ryoma carefully handed Mikoto over to him, ensuring she was safe. Then, still carrying Kushina, he departed from Uchiha territory.
Under the moonlight, Kushina mumbled drowsily, "Ryoma… five sixes…"
Ryoma nearly tripped, rolling his eyes. Great. Is she going to turn into another gambling addict?
After all, Konoha already had one infamous "gambling monster"—Tsunade-hime.
"Hey, Jiraiya, how about a trip to the hot springs?" A hearty woman's voice rang out from ahead.
Ryoma froze. That voice… wasn't it Tsunade?
Beside her was a tall man with long white hair that gleamed under the moonlight. Even without introductions, Ryoma instantly recognized them—Jiraiya of the Sannin. His unmistakable white mane made him stand out.
Jiraiya waved a hand dismissively. "No need. Let's report back to the teacher first. Quit dawdling."
"Come on, soaking in the hot springs relieves fatigue. And I heard this place is especially popular with girls. Besides…" Tsunade smirked. "…they've recently changed it to mixed baths."
The moment Jiraiya heard mixed baths, his entire demeanor shifted. "Oh, well… a man does need to relax every now and then. Hot spring, here I come!"
Tsunade chuckled slyly. As she turned her head, her eyes locked onto Ryoma—who was carrying Kushina in his arms.
"That's… Kushina?"
At this hour, Kushina was clearly drunk, and here was some unknown man taking advantage of her?
Her expression darkened. "You bastard! You dare touch Kushina like that? You're courting death!"
Golden chakra flared around her as she launched herself straight at Ryoma.
"Huh?!" Ryoma blinked in confusion. What is she—
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Before Tsunade's fist could land, thick wooden pillars erupted from the earth, bending and interlocking to form an arching barrier before Ryoma.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently as Tsunade's chakra-enhanced strike shattered the wooden wall.
Far away, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been waiting for Tsunade and Jiraiya to return with their report. Hearing the deafening explosion, he sprang to his feet.
"What now? Konoha hasn't known peace for even a moment lately."
Grabbing his cloak, the Third Hokage leapt from the window and sprinted across the rooftops toward the disturbance.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya—who had just stepped into the hot spring—froze at the sound of the explosion. He turned sharply. "What the hell…? Tsunade?!"
He dashed out, only to see Tsunade already engaged in a furious clash with a young man.
From the boy's side, countless thick wooden roots surged upward, intercepting her blows.
"Shadow Clone?" Jiraiya muttered, eyes narrowing. For another figure—identical to the first—stood a short distance away, still carrying a red-haired girl in his arms.
"That's… Kushina…? And… Wood Release?"
For the first time, Tsunade and Jiraiya got a proper look at the young man who had been making waves in Konoha recently—Ryoma.
Kunai and shuriken whistled through the air in a chaotic flurry.
Boom!
Some even came dangerously close to Jiraiya.
"Oi! Watch it!" he shouted, barely dodging, only to hear Tsunade's furious voice.
"Brat! Put Kushina down this instant! The Senju clan has never raised anyone as shameless as Jiraiya—but you seem determined to set a new record!"
"Hey, hey! Why drag me into this?!" Jiraiya yelled back, a fresh cut marking his cheek.
Even while holding Kushina, Ryoma's hands flew through signs, countering Tsunade's assaults with Wood Release techniques. He still had the composure to snap back, "Tch, you gambling monster, you really have the nerve to call me shameless? Keep pushing, and don't blame me when I stop being polite!"
"Oh? So you do have some spirit." Tsunade's golden chakra flared, her grin widening. "Come on then, show me what you've got!"
She shattered one of Ryoma's shadow clones with a single punch, then closed the distance in an instant, aiming straight at the real one.
But suddenly, countless vine-like branches erupted from the ground, coiling around her legs before surging upward to entangle her entire body. Within moments, they thickened into a massive tree, binding her beneath its crushing weight.
"Wood Release: Tree World Binding!"
Tsunade's eyes widened.
Boom!
The restrained figure burst into smoke. A clone.
Her real form materialized behind Ryoma in a blur. "Not bad."
She swung her leg, aiming a devastating kick.
But Ryoma's form flickered and vanished, reappearing at Jiraiya's side.
Jiraiya's eyes went wide. That speed… the Flying Thunder God Technique?! Did sensei teach him that?!
Even Tsunade faltered for a moment. Wood Release, the power of Grandfather… and the space-time technique of Second Grandfather? This boy…
But Ryoma didn't press his advantage. His gaze shifted upward, sensing something powerful descending from above.
A golden flash split the night sky.
Boom!
A Vajra staff slammed into the earth, its shockwave rattling the ground.
Descending with it was none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Sensei!"
"Teacher!"
"Lord Third!"
Both Tsunade and Jiraiya called out as another figure stepped from the shadows, pale and serpentine.
Orochimaru.
In an instant, the three Sannin stood together once more before the hot spring hall—joined by their master, the Third Hokage.
...
TN:
Please Enjoy~😊