"Is this the Senju Clan Estate? It's... a bit different from what I imagined."
Tatsuma looked around with curiosity, feeling a strange sense of unease at how deserted the place was. Minato shared his confusion; after all, the Senju were one of the founding clans of the Hidden Leaf. It was bizarre to walk through their ancestral land and see almost no one.
"It's because many of the Senju have moved out of the estate," Jiraiya explained. "Most don't even use the Senju name anymore. For example, Tsunade and her younger brother, Nawaki—neither of them go by 'Senju' in their daily lives. It seems like since the village was founded, there haven't been any children officially given the surname. Still, the estate gets lively for a few days every year during festivals."
Jiraiya didn't elaborate further. After dropping that bit of lore, he continued leading the way. A moment later, he came to a halt—or more accurately, he stopped because he didn't dare take another step forward.
On the other side of a nearby gate, Tsunade was in the middle of smashing a stone bench into fine powder with her bare hands. Her expression was terrifying, reminiscent of a student who had been promised gaming time only to be forced to do homework by their parents—a picture of pure, localized, powerless fury.
"Jiraiya?!"
Even though Jiraiya had frozen in his tracks, Tsunade spotted him instantly. The moment her eyes landed on him, her frustration pivoted into pure rage. "Why aren't you under house arrest?!"
"Huh?! What house arrest?" Jiraiya stammered, feeling wronged. "The Old Man told me you were back here to master some special technique."
He felt like he was being bullied for no reason. Here he was, helping her look after her future student, and he was getting barked at the moment he showed his face.
"They won't let me leave until I learn it! How is that not house arrest?!" Tsunade roared.
Jiraiya took a deep breath and held up his hands. "Tsunade, look, I know you're in a hurry, but just hold your horses for a second. I'm actually here to see Lady Mito. Maybe I can ask her what's going on for you?"
Tsunade frowned, considering this for a moment. Finally, she huffed. "You'd better convince Grandma to let me out. Otherwise, you aren't leaving either."
"Not leaving?" Jiraiya's face suddenly flushed with a faint pink hue as his mind wandered into dangerous territory. But before he could get lost in a daydream, Tsunade crushed his hopes.
"You'll stay here and be my punching bag!"
Gulp.
Jiraiya didn't doubt for a second that she would do it. After all, the only time he had ever been truly near death was at Tsunade's hands—though, to be fair, he had been caught peeping at the time.
"I'll do my absolute best!" Jiraiya barked. He scurried past Tsunade as fast as his legs could carry him, heading deeper into the compound toward Uzumaki Mito's residence.
Tatsuma and Minato exchanged a bewildered look. Had they just been... abandoned by their sensei?
At that moment, Tsunade's gaze fell upon them. She remembered what Hiruzen Sarutobi had told her: she and Jiraiya were to "split" these two, each taking one as a formal disciple.
While she didn't particularly mind Hiruzen's "low-responsibility, no-obligation" apprenticeship deal, she couldn't help but survey them with a critical eye. Even if she didn't have to take full responsibility for their education—and could theoretically blame any failure on Jiraiya—she still had no desire to attach her name to anyone mediocre.
She squinted at them. They looked familiar. After another few seconds of scrutiny, she remembered where she'd seen them.
Hiruzen had actually given her their files a while ago, but she hadn't bothered to read them, nor had she really listened to his sales pitch at the time. The moment she heard she wouldn't have to actually teach them day-to-day, she had checked out mentally. Now, looking at them, she recalled seeing them two years ago when Hiruzen had taken her to observe the first-year year-end exams.
Tsunade knit her brows in confusion. She didn't see why two eight-year-old kids were worth such a high recommendation from her teacher—to the point that Jiraiya had been pulled off active missions just to mentor them.
She specifically remembered the white-haired brat (Tatsuma) having very average talent. Back then, she had pegged him as someone who might not even make it to Chunin. Why were they wasting a Sannin's time on him?
But as she looked closer, her confusion deepened. Tatsuma didn't carry himself like a Genin at all. His body hadn't hit its growth spurt yet, so he didn't look "powerful," but his movements and posture were incredibly coordinated.
Tsunade wasn't the type to over-analyze with just her head. She beckoned them with a finger. "Come. Attack me."
"Huh?" the two boys blurted out simultaneously.
Still reeling from Jiraiya's sudden desertion, they were caught off guard by the request. However, the confusion vanished from their eyes almost instantly. They both realized that Tsunade was to be one of their masters, and this was likely her way of testing their mettle.
Seeing the serious glint return to their eyes, Tsunade felt a spark of interest. As they dropped into combat stances, she nodded. "At least you look the part."
Whoosh!
The two charged her simultaneously. Neither used Ninjutsu; they were surrounded by houses and property belonging to the Senju clan, and they didn't dare cause collateral damage.
Watching them close in, Tsunade didn't bother with anything fancy. She responded with simple, brutal efficiency, using superior speed and overwhelming force.
She caught each of them by the collar and swung, throwing them backward. They slammed into a wall, but Minato seemed to take the brunt of the impact. He hit the ground with a grimace, looking like the wind had been knocked out of him.
Tatsuma shot a glance at Minato. Minato gave a small shake of his head—a silent signal honed over three years of friendship. Don't worry about me.
Whoosh!
Tatsuma whipped out several shuriken and hurled them at Tsunade before lunging forward with a kunai. Tsunade's response was insultingly simple: with a casual wave of her hand, she swatted the shuriken out of the air, plucking one between her fingers.
As Tatsuma reached her, she grabbed his wrist, intending to repeat the throwing maneuver. But Tatsuma was ready this time. The moment his wrist was caught, he crunched his core and kicked out, driving both feet toward Tsunade's chest to force a release.
Thud!
Tsunade blocked the kick with her free hand. This time, she didn't give him another opening. She swung him again, tossing him onto the grass right next to Minato.
What Tsunade wanted to see wasn't their "ninja tricks," but something more fundamental: how well they had conditioned their bodies. It was the easiest way to gauge a ninja's true foundation.
In less than two exchanges, she had her answer. Tatsuma's physical conditioning was already on par with a seasoned Chunin.
As for why she had dragged Minato into the "test" as well? Well, she didn't want anyone feeling left out. If she only beat up Tatsuma, Minato might feel neglected, right?
Minato: "Gee, thanks."
Tsunade was genuinely intrigued now. Two years ago, she had judged Tatsuma as having "Genin-tier" talent—poor physique and slow recovery. But seeing him now, after taking a hit from her, he was already pushing himself back up and adjusting his breathing...
She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Where exactly have you been training with Jiraiya?"
Tatsuma blinked, having expected a lecture or a scoff. He exchanged a look with Minato before answering, "We don't have a fixed spot. Usually Training Ground Three or the mountains behind the village."
Tsunade gave a sharp, authoritative wave of her hand. "Tell Jiraiya that starting tomorrow, you're training here."
Tsunade's command was absolute, but Minato slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade, but we can't come tomorrow."
Tsunade's expression froze. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And why not?"
"Uh... we have a mission tomorrow."
"Dammit! How is it that two runts like you can leave the village, but I can't?!"