Only after carefully inscribing the curse mark onto Tsunade's lower abdomen did Saiki finally, somewhat reluctantly, begin to dress her.
Looking at the neatly folded clothes Tsunade had left on the nightstand, Saiki felt a complex knot of emotions. Was using a curse mark to control her going a bit too far?
Picking up her rather conservative small panties, Saiki gently lifted her legs and slowly slid them on.
Taking one final, lingering look at the bare, hairless little mound, Saiki used his Flower-Flower Fruit ability to sprout a few hands to lift her hips, allowing him to properly secure the garment. He let out a long sigh.
A flurry of petals drifted by as several arms sprouted from the bed, gently lifting Tsunade's torso so he could drape her bath robe back over her. Watching those two massive "white rabbits" vanish from sight, Saiki still felt a strong pang of regret.
However, he wasn't quite sleazy enough to grope her while she was unconscious. If he wanted to touch her, he would do it when she was fully awake; anything else was simply too pathetic.
After dressing her and covering her with a light quilt, Saiki looked down at Tsunade. Having been thoroughly "plowed" and "cleared out" by him throughout the grueling night, she had received complete, overwhelming satisfaction. Her complexion was a vibrant, healthy pink, and she was sleeping incredibly soundly. Her beautiful face brought a fond smile to Saiki's lips.
By the time Saiki finished his tasks, the sun had already fully risen, filling the room with bright morning light. After extending his perception toward Shizune's room and confirming the girl was still fast asleep, Saiki simply sat down cross-legged on the edge of the bed.
The night of wild passion with Tsunade had yielded far more than just the incredible physical pleasure she provided; it had triggered a massive leap in his personal strength.
Saiki's sensory abilities were already exceptionally strong, but following the breakthrough from dual cultivation, his mental energy had condensed and evolved into something functionally identical to the "Spiritual Sense" (神识) or "Divine Will" (神念) described by cultivators.
Focusing his attention inward, Saiki felt as though he possessed the x-ray vision of the Byakugan; his internal structure, muscle tissues, and chakra meridians were all perfectly, crystal-clearly visible to his mind's eye.
Within the "Qi Sea" (气海) of his Dantian in his lower abdomen, the Pre-natal Qi—which had previously existed as a dense, nebulous mist—had finally condensed into a liquid state, forming a tranquil pool of water. However, the water was continuously evaporating, forming a small, auspicious cloud (庆云) hovering above the pool. This cloud, in turn, constantly condensed the vapor into drops of "rain" that fell back into the pool.
Observing the state of his Qi Sea, Saiki couldn't help but marvel. "Have I successfully completed Foundation Establishment (筑基), or have I officially entered the Dao (入道)?"
As Saiki pondered this, a sudden realization struck him. Inhale... Exhale... He drew all his scattered Qi back into the Qi Sea of his Dantian. On the surface, it appeared to be just a small pool of water, but it felt as unfathomably deep as a vast ocean. His Spiritual Sense hid deep within, guiding the singular Qi to bifurcate into Yin and Yang.
On the eastern edge of the pool... splash! The water boiled, and a speck of brilliant golden light emerged. A crimson sun, trailing a vast, majestic river of purple energy from the east, slowly rose toward the auspicious cloud in the sky.
The great sun rose in the east and set in the west. At the moment of sunset, ripples disturbed the eastern surface of the water, and a bright, pristine moon ascended from the depths.
One Qi bifurcates into Yin and Yang; extreme Yin births Yang, and extreme Yang births Yin. Within the Yang dwells the Golden Crow, and within the Yin resides the Jade Rabbit. From this point forward, Yin and Yang were harmonized. The foundation of the Dao was established, and the formation of a Golden Core (金丹) was truly within reach.
This "Golden Core" was not merely a metaphor. As the old saying goes: "Once a single Golden Core is swallowed into the belly, one realizes their destiny is not dictated by the heavens." It neither increases nor decreases, is neither born nor destroyed, neither defiled nor pure. True immortality was finally a realistic prospect!
Watching this internal evolution, Saiki gained profound insights. Although the evolutionary process still possessed many flaws, his heart was filled with profound gratitude for this gift of fate.
Previously, even with the Flower-Flower Fruit, Saiki felt he would be severely outmatched when facing Six Paths-level entities—beings who fused all five elements plus Yin and Yang into the Truth-Seeking Orbs (Gudodama). Without Haki to counter them, he would be at a massive disadvantage. But now? He genuinely felt he could sit down and have a very "polite" chat with the Six Paths Sage and the Otsutsuki clan.
After a moment of reflection, he acknowledged that the profound mysteries of Yin-Yang transformation were simply too deep for him to fully comprehend right now. He needed more cultivation, and significantly more dual cultivation, to progress.
Saiki began his visualization technique once more. The breath of Pre-natal Qi absorbed the natural energy of the world, drawing it down from the Niwan Palace (Crown Chakra) into the Qi Sea of his Dantian. With a tremor, the energy transformed into the clear waters of the pool. As the moon rose and the sun set, the profound mysteries of Yin and Yang transformation began another cycle of evolution.
As the internal evolution progressed, it began to manifest externally around Saiki's physical body. His entire lower half appeared as though it were submerged in a shimmering, ethereal lake. Though small, the vapor rising from it carried the majestic, boundless aura of an ocean connecting heaven and earth. Above his head floated an auspicious cloud, within which a great sun bobbed and drifted, while drops of rain fell continuously from the cloud into the lake below.
Saiki failed to notice that Tsunade, who had been sound asleep, was awakened by the subtle commotion he was causing. Finding herself seemingly immersed in a phantom lake, and staring at the bizarre cloud and sun floating above Saiki's head, Tsunade genuinely wondered if she had been caught in some strange Genjutsu.
Tsunade didn't understand the profound mysteries at play. During their Yin-Yang dual cultivation, as Yin exited and Yang entered, and Yang exited and Yin entered, the primordial Qi had circulated through their organs, dividing into the Five Elements before unifying once more. This process perfectly embodied the ultimate Daoist secrets of Yin-Yang dual cultivation. Under the harmonizing effects of Yin and Yang, Tsunade's own latent potential had been significantly elevated.
Staring at the bizarre phenomena Saiki was generating, Tsunade momentarily forgot her current predicament. Only when the visual effects began to fade did she realize Saiki was about to wake up. In a panic, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.
After meditating, regulating his breathing, and carefully absorbing his new insights, Saiki felt incredibly refreshed. The physical exhaustion from his night of passion with Tsunade, as well as the internal damage sustained from his Qi Deviation, had all been almost completely healed.
Stretching lazily, Saiki turned to look at Tsunade.
Her beautiful face still held a faint, lingering flush. Her breathing was steady and calm. Looking at her face, one couldn't find a single trace of the passage of time; it was as if she had been permanently frozen in her teenage years.
Feeling Saiki's gaze on her, Tsunade's heart hammered with intense anxiety, terrified he would realize she was already awake.
Thinking back to the wild, shameful events of the previous night, she felt she had completely lost all face. She had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to confront Saiki now.
Amidst her apprehension, Tsunade sensed movement. He seemed to be leaning closer to her. Her heart leaped into her throat.
The light hitting her eyelids was suddenly blocked by a shadow. Then, two soft, warm lips gently pressed against her smooth forehead. Tsunade, her hands hidden beneath the covers, instinctively clenched her fists as her heart began to race wildly.
Tsunade's feigned sleep was excellent. In the past, Saiki might have struggled to notice she was awake. But with his newly evolved Spiritual Sense, he instantly knew she was fully conscious.
Tsunade's reaction upon waking surprised Saiki. Given her notoriously explosive temper, and the fact that he had forcefully pinned her down and dominated her all night, he had fully expected her to fight him to the death.
Even if she didn't try to kill him, he expected, at the very least, a brutal beating followed by her running away.
But Tsunade's reaction—acting as bashful and nervous as a young maiden—made Saiki smirk internally. The situation wasn't nearly as disastrous as he had imagined.
Giving her a good morning kiss on the forehead was Saiki risking his life to test the waters.
And based on her reaction, Saiki concluded that before he even had to implement his darker schemes, Tsunade herself seemed to have subconsciously accepted everything that had happened the night before.
However, Saiki only dared to kiss her forehead!
If he had dared to kiss her lips, Saiki guaranteed that Tsunade would have absolutely beaten him to death on the spot.
Still, Tsunade's reaction this morning was an incredibly promising start. Saiki couldn't suppress the wide smile spreading across his face. What a truly beautiful day!
Listening to the rustling sounds of Saiki moving around the room, Tsunade only let out a breath of relief after she heard him close the door behind him.
"Damn it!"
But Tsunade quickly realized the absurdity of the situation. He's the brat who did all those horrible things! Shouldn't he be the one terrified of me?!
Why am I the one trembling in fear? Even when he kissed me, I didn't dare make a sound! A wave of intense shame, embarrassment, and resentment suddenly flooded Tsunade's heart.
After a long session of furious, frustrated overthinking, realizing she had already committed to playing possum, Tsunade found herself too embarrassed to actually get up.
Having been relentlessly tormented by Saiki the entire night, despite being briefly woken up, Tsunade was still profoundly exhausted. Lying in bed, surrounded by Saiki's lingering scent, she quickly drifted back into a deep sleep.