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"A little monster like you really can just pop out of nowhere."
"Those old geezers really do things in an outrageous way."
They walked side by side, crossing the long street.
Lady Tsunade held a bottle of rice wine she had just bought from a street vendor in her small hand, carrying a tokkuri sake flask, and spoke as if by accident, glancing sideways at the young man beside her who was looking straight ahead.
"Lady Tsunade has already investigated, I see."
"What advice do you have for me today?"
Sawara Kiri merely smiled shyly, his azure pupils able to see everything within a 360-degree range without needing to glance sideways, seemingly unconcerned by Lady Tsunade's scrutiny.
"No hurry, my house isn't far."
Lady Tsunade's alcohol tolerance was surprisingly good, or perhaps the rice wine's alcohol content was quite low; she drank most of the bottle by herself without her face turning red or her heart racing, only a faint scent of gardenias in her hair mixed with an alcoholic aroma.
Sawara Kiri didn't pay much attention either, only buying two three-color dango skewers when they passed a pastry shop.
He casually handed one to Lady Tsunade, who scoffed, "Childish stuff."
"Indeed."
Sawara Kiri picked up a skewer himself, chewing on the sweet jicama flavor: "Because of your appearance, I almost forgot, Lady Tsunade, you're getting on in years too."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the three-color dango in her other hand vanished.
Lady Tsunade, with the dango in her mouth, felt she should have been offended, but the first half of his sentence seemed like a compliment, leaving her in a dilemma.
She could only scold him exasperatedly: "You sharp-tongued brat!"
Sawara Kiri turned his head, smiled at her, and said nothing.
In a short while, the two arrived in front of a building with an impressively large footprint.
The simple, dark-tiled, foot-high square courtyard walls alone spanned most of the street; the red-lacquered wooden gate was wide and heavy, with the double-headed halberd-shaped Senju family crest intricately carved into the door knocker.
However, tiny moss grew in the cracks of the stone steps.
This was likely due to no one entering or exiting here for a long time.
This was the Senju Clan territory.
Lady Tsunade led Sawara Kiri through the main gate, and just as she was about to walk further in, the young man suddenly stopped, standing by the wall.
"Lady Tsunade."
"If there's anything, please resolve it quickly here."
"I still need to go home and cook for my sister."
However, no sooner had his words fallen than a bamboo skewer suddenly shot out with lightning speed, 'whoosh', and stabbed forward.
Sawara Kiri stood still, unmoving.
The bamboo skewer grazed his cheek and plunged deep into the green brick wall behind him.
Lady Tsunade's palm pressed against his cheek, striking the wall.
As her fair palm pressed the skewer completely into the wall, her voluptuous body suddenly pressed extremely close to him; although slightly shorter in height, her imposing aura was not diminished in the slightest, her forehead almost touching his nose tip, even the sensation of her warm breath on his skin was incredibly clear.
A very forceful wall-slam.
Their eyes met.
Sawara Kiri, however, seemed to have anticipated this scene, and still waited calmly.
"Sawara Kiri, fifteen years old, parents deceased, younger sister Sawara Yuki."
"Great-grandfather Sawara Masahide was from the Land of Rainbows; his grandparents' generation moved to Konoha to reside; both parents were Chunin, deceased in the First Ninja World War, with no outstanding combat records. The only notable member of this family was the great-grandfather, a wandering Ninja; both parents graduated from the Ninja Academy, with no inherited secret techniques, no Kekkei Genkai, and no special tutelage."
Lady Tsunade stared intently into his azure eyes, as if trying to discern every subtle psychological change from his gaze.
"Do you have anything you wish to explain?"
Several days of transition and rest had clearly allowed her to recover from the upheaval of her lover's and comrades' deaths, and rationality had once again taken over, no longer as fragile and helpless as when she first met Sawara Kiri.
At this moment, this calm and domineering woman was the Tsunade everyone in Konoha was most familiar with.
"Holy crap!!"
"This damned woman is so beautiful, she saw through all your flaws, and she even dared to threaten you. She's already courting death!"
"The only way now is to use your peerless big *** to make her submit on the spot!"
"You've been strengthened, Kiri! Go for her!"
"Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!"
At this moment, the System-chan sounded exactly like the King of Hurry, shouting loudly in his ear, her tone clearly tinged with schadenfreude.
Inside and outside his mind seemed to be split into two worlds by her voice.
Sawara Kiri ignored the noise in his ears, looked down at Lady Tsunade, feigning a slightly surprised expression, but his voice remained unchanged:
"That's truly impressive."
"To have gathered so much information after only one day back in the Village."
"Should I say, as expected of Lady Tsunade?"
Lady Tsunade, however, had no intention of being fooled by him and still said coldly, "If you're unwilling to answer, then I'll ask directly."
"What exactly is that 'Soul Secret Technique' you spoke of?"
Sawara Kiri smiled at her, composed: "There's a lot of highly confidential information, crucial to a family, that you won't find."
"For example, Kekkei Genkais that are too powerful for some weaker Ninja."
Lady Tsunade's brows furrowed at his words.
Before she could say anything more, Sawara Kiri suddenly lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
This provocative action immediately sparked a bit of anger in Lady Tsunade's heart.
But before she could step back, her vision suddenly paused.
In those already clear, azure eyes, a brilliant light, like a dazzling galaxy, suddenly reflected.
Almost unconsciously, Lady Tsunade's gaze was drawn to those eyes.
"What, what exactly is this...?"
Even Sawara Kiri's voice, at this moment, seemed a little ethereal and detached:
"Beautiful, isn't it? These eyes."
"These are the eyes that appear once every four hundred years in our Sawara family, named 'Six Eyes'."
"They possess reconnaissance abilities surpassing the Byakugan, and Chakra analysis and tracking capabilities equivalent to the Sharingan; seeing souls is merely one of its many functions."
"Besides that, it also possesses a unique innate technique."
As he spoke, he extended his hand, took Lady Tsunade's slender wrist, and brought it before them, spreading his fingers.
Their palms faced each other, making a motion as if to touch.
However, Lady Tsunade clearly saw it.
Between their palms, there clearly existed a 'space' that she could not close, no matter how hard she tried.
"Its name is 'Limitless'."
"It controls the power of space."
"Because of these eyes, five hundred years ago, a peerless expert also appeared in the Sawara family."
"But unfortunately, it was merely a fleeting moment."
"The subsequent pursuit, however, lasted for countless years."
"Since then, the Sawara Clan's Kekkei Genkai became a legend passed down orally, with the previous generations' hand seals and techniques only passed down to sons, not daughters, until my generation."
After listening to his story, the expression on Lady Tsunade's face had already turned to one of understanding.
Sawara Kiri smiled calmly, withdrew the invisible space, and interlocked his fingers with the woman in front of him, allowing her to once again feel the warm sensation of 'being able to touch', and asked softly:
"Now, do you have any more questions?"
At this moment, Lady Tsunade experienced the feeling of being tightly held by a large hand, momentarily stunned, then suddenly reacted, shaking off Sawara Kiri's hand, but her brows remained tightly furrowed.
No wonder there were no related records in the entire Village.
And this brat, so young, could master such bizarre power.
If it was a Kekkei Genkai, everything made sense.
However—
Lady Tsunade looked at him suspiciously: "Do you know what the Hyuga and Uchiha would do if this Kekkei Genkai got out?"
Sawara Kiri spread his hands: "That's why I only told Lady Tsunade."
"Please, you must keep it a secret."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Lady Tsunade scoffed softly:
"You certainly trust me."
"Because you are that person, Lady Tsunade."
Sawara Kiri's smile was incredibly composed, as if this great secret had nothing to do with him.
She stared at the young man in front of her for a while, then promised: "From today on, if Danzo comes looking for trouble, you come to me."
This was the first condition.
Sawara Kiri did not immediately respond.
Lady Tsunade, as if anticipating his reaction, took two steps back, took a scroll from her sleeve, and tossed it into his arms: "This is the Senju Clan's secret technique catalog. You can choose three things from it."
Sawara Kiri took the scroll, unfurled it directly, and casually asked, "Can I choose the Yin Seal as well?"
Lady Tsunade scoffed: "If you can learn it, you can choose Flying Thunder God too."
This was the second condition.
But Sawara Kiri still said nothing, merely scanning the catalog quietly.
Lady Tsunade continued: "Although our family has declined quite a bit, we still have some connections. If you need them later, you can continue to come to me for assistance."
This was the third condition.
After saying this, Lady Tsunade finally stopped speaking.
Sawara Kiri closed the catalog scroll and asked:
"Lady Tsunade."
"The deceased are gone. Using such generous conditions as a 'price' to allow you to meet with a memory, won't you feel regret?"
Clearly, Sawara Kiri knew from the beginning why Lady Tsunade had called him over.
These three conditions were all her 'price' for meeting those false memories in the necklace.
Facing this sharp question, Lady Tsunade merely turned her head away and said softly:
"That kind of thing, we'll talk about it when I regret it."
"I understand."
Sawara Kiri was a very sensible person: "However, I still need to remind you in advance—souls and memories are Chakra existing in special forms. The more they are used, the more they wear down."
"Eventually, they will also completely disappear."
"..."
After a long silence, Lady Tsunade said, "I know."
Sawara Kiri then smiled, handed the catalog back to her, and said calmly, "Then I'll choose this first... Uzumaki Sealing Technique basics. For the remaining two, please wait until I've finished learning this one."
"As you wish."
"From now on, if there are no missions, I will come every Saturday."
With his words, Sawara Kiri prepared to turn and leave.
However, before he could walk far, he heard Lady Tsunade, her back to him, suddenly speak:
"Thank you for what you did before."
Sawara Kiri's steps halted.
Lady Tsunade, her arms crossed and her back to him, continued: "I'm referring to that day, when you saved me and helped me return the necklace."
"I don't like owing people favors."
Sawara Kiri then turned around, smiled at this awkward woman, and said:
"Please guide me from now on."
Lady Tsunade did not reply, still with her back to him.
However, a message notification appeared on the panel in front of Sawara Kiri.
"Sawara's Book of Friends: Character 'Tsunade' collected"
"Bond Level Increased ↑"
"Tsunade Bond Level: Zero → One"
Almost simultaneously, a message notification also appeared on the faint white halo above Lady Tsunade's head.
"Tsunade's Emotional Knot (Shallow)"
[T/N: Heart Knot, Unresolved Worry, Emotional Knot, don't know what to name it]
"Details: In this blood-soaked world, parents, siblings, lovers, one by one, disappear. In the end, will I be the only one left?"
"I can't do anything."
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