On the training ground, Saiki put his Taijutsu and various Ninjutsu to the test. With his recent surge in overall power, even the raw destructive force of his jutsu had increased significantly.
The power of a Ninjutsu isn't determined solely by chakra volume; it also relies heavily on the speed and precision of hand signs, microscopic chakra control, and the mastery of shape and nature transformation.
As he grew stronger, Saiki's control over his body and chakra became increasingly surgical. He could now execute jutsu with minimal chakra waste without sacrificing an ounce of lethality.
The most obvious result of this was that Saiki found he could now manifest significantly more Flower Clones simultaneously.
He trained straight through the afternoon. However, upon returning home, Saiki was struck dumb. Tsunade and Shizune were nowhere to be found; only a single note rested on the table.
"Shizune and I have left the village. Don't come looking for us!"
In the original timeline, the exact date of Tsunade's departure from Konoha was highly debated. Some said she left immediately after the Second Great Ninja War concluded.
Others argued she left during the Third Great Ninja War, citing the fact that during the Lost Tower incident, Shizune was seen waiting in line for ramen at Ichiraku.
But today, Tsunade had definitively packed up and left with Shizune.
"God damn it!"
Crash!
Saiki, who usually maintained a perfectly placid temper, completely lost control. He violently kicked the table, sending it smashing through the window and shattering into the courtyard below.
Having crossed that ultimate line with her, Saiki had anticipated Tsunade might try to run away to avoid the reality of what happened. That was exactly why he had inscribed the curse mark on her lower abdomen as a preventative measure. It guaranteed that she would eventually be forced to return to him like an obedient pet.
Despite knowing she would come back, Saiki still felt a profound sense of depression. The fact that she ran meant Tsunade didn't truly love him.
Well, perhaps there was some love there!
If she didn't care for him at all, she never would have sacrificed her purity to save his life.
The Shinobi World was brutal, yes, but it wasn't the modern era of Saiki's previous life where a girl might treat her virginity as a casual joke. Tsunade valued her purity immensely.
If she hadn't found the situation completely unacceptable, she wouldn't have chosen to flee.
After allowing himself to wallow for a moment, Saiki adjusted his mindset.
Tsunade's departure didn't mean she felt nothing for him. From her perspective, he was just a little brother. They had a twenty-year age gap; in her mind, a relationship between them was fundamentally impossible.
Having thought it through, Saiki refused to give up. He steeled his resolve. He firmly believed that sooner or later, he would make Tsunade fall deeply, irrevocably in love with him.
With a heavy sigh, Saiki helplessly began cleaning up the wreckage of the living room he had just destroyed.
On a quiet dirt path far beyond the borders of Konoha, Shizune's face was still etched with a deep sense of grievance.
Seeing Shizune dragging her feet at a snail's pace, Tsunade snapped irritably, "Walk faster, Shizune!"
"Lady Tsunade, is it really okay for us to just abandon Saiki like this?" Shizune asked timidly.
Hearing this, Tsunade stopped dead in her tracks. Suppressing the knot of frustration in her chest, she finally said, "If you can't bear to leave him, then go back! I had always planned to leave the village once the two of you graduated anyway."
Shizune replied tearfully, "But why couldn't we take Saiki with us?!"
Unable to find a valid excuse, Tsunade could only reply with forced impatience, "Why would I bring him along? It's not like he's going to die without us. If you want to go back, go back! I can travel perfectly fine on my own."
Having said her piece, Tsunade felt a surge of anger. If Saiki had been there, he undoubtedly would have noticed the faint trace of grievance hiding in Tsunade's own expression.
Shizune knew Tsunade had always intended to leave Konoha; she had just assumed it would be the three of them leaving together.
Watching Tsunade march away, Shizune, who wasn't an ignorant child, understood that the Third Great Ninja War was beginning. She could somewhat grasp why Saiki had stayed behind, so she had no choice but to swallow her sadness and hurry after her master.
The news of Tsunade and Shizune's sudden departure caught Hiruzen Sarutobi completely off guard. She hadn't even given him a moment's notice.
Ever since Hiruzen and Danzo had orchestrated the deployment of the Senju clan to the front lines, his relationship with Tsunade had fractured. The master-student bond between them existed in name only.
Hiruzen had originally expected Tsunade to leave the village much sooner, but because of Saiki and Shizune, her departure had been delayed for three years.
The sparks of the Third Great Ninja War had been smoldering for a while, evident in the massive stockpiling of military supplies by all the major nations.
Once the war truly began, medical personnel would be absolutely vital.
Although Konoha's Medical Corps was under Hiruzen's direct control, he wasn't a medical ninja himself. Finding someone capable of actually leading and managing the department was critical.
Because of her hemophobia, Tsunade couldn't perform many surgeries, but simply having her presence meant countless systemic and theoretical problems could be solved flawlessly.
Konoha wasn't lacking in highly skilled surgeons; what they desperately lacked was a walking encyclopedia of medical ninjutsu like Tsunade—someone with the vision to lead the entire medical infrastructure.
To keep Tsunade in the village, assigning Saiki—an outsider—and Shizune as Kushina's students was a calculated political move to win her favor.
Kushina was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Konoha's ultimate nuclear deterrent. By making Saiki and Shizune her disciples, the village forged a powerful bond. Even if Tsunade never became Hokage, this connection guaranteed her enduring power and status within Konoha.
Yet, right on the precipice of the Third Great Ninja War, Tsunade had simply walked away. The realization left Hiruzen feeling deeply disheartened.
Between Nawaki's death and the effective erasure of the Senju clan, he felt Tsunade was still fundamentally unable to forgive him.
The entire Senju clan was gone. The fact that the "God of Shinobi," Hashirama, had been killed by explosive tags of all things was utterly absurd, forcing anyone with a brain to suspect a dark conspiracy.
Given all that, how could Hiruzen possibly expect Tsunade to forgive him? He might as well eradicate the Sarutobi clan himself and see who he could forgive afterward.
However, there was one silver lining for Hiruzen: Saiki, the recently emerged, monstrous genius whose talent easily rivaled Kakashi's, had chosen to stay.
To be perfectly honest, if Tsunade hadn't already moved beyond Saiki's massive sensory range, he would have bolted from the village hours ago to drag her back.
Within a few hours, the news of Tsunade's departure reached not only Hiruzen but also Danzo, and the latter immediately mobilized.
The Konoha Medical Corps had been established solely through Tsunade's relentless effort and sheer force of will, fighting against the fierce opposition of the village elders who deemed it far too expensive.
But once established, the casualty rates plummeted.
Ninja were often treated as disposable killing tools, but no ninja actually wanted to die. Whether it was a minor injury or a chronic illness, everyone eventually needed a medical ninja. Overnight, the Medical Corps had become the most coveted department in the village.
To an individual, their own life is always the most precious commodity. Whoever controlled the Medical Corps effectively controlled half the political voice of Konoha, given that ninja lived their lives licking blood from the edge of a blade.
Since its inception, Hiruzen had kept the Medical Corps firmly gripped in his own hands.
Danzo was incredibly jealous!
He desperately wanted a piece of that pie. With control of the Medical Corps, his dream of becoming Hokage would be within reach. Consequently, Tsunade's movements had always been a top priority for Danzo's surveillance network, especially during this critical wartime period.
With Tsunade gone, numerous high-level positions within the Medical Corps were suddenly vacant. After all, it would take multiple people to even attempt to cover the workload Tsunade managed alone.
Furthermore, Tsunade had left Saiki behind! For Danzo, this was a double blessing. He had been racking his brain trying to figure out how to snatch Saiki for himself.
At Nono'u's Konoha Orphanage.
Under Nono'u's gentle guidance, while there were a few rowdy kids, the children were generally very well-behaved and sensible. They didn't just play all day.
In the courtyard, Nono'u was teaching the children basic lessons, while the older kids helped the caretakers sweep or wash clothes.
It looked like a scene of perfect, harmonious warmth, but the arrival of several uninvited guests instantly shattered the peace.
Nono'u was the first to notice them. She looked toward the gate and saw a man with bandages covering half his face and a cross-shaped scar on his chin. He wore an expression so dark and miserable he looked as if the world owed him five million Ryo. He was flanked by two figures in black cloaks wearing porcelain ghost masks. It could only be Danzo.
With Danzo's appearance, a chilling, bone-deep coldness swept across the courtyard. The children, who had been laughing and playing happily, suddenly fell silent. Instinctively, they all turned to look toward the source of the terrifying aura.
Seeing that face—more vicious and merciless than any demon—both the children and the adults felt their hearts tremble, as if they were staring at a beast ready to devour them whole.
Among everyone present, only Nono'u was capable of facing that oppressive aura with composure, though a heavy gravity settled between her brows.
"Children, head back into the classrooms. We'll continue our lesson in a bit."
While comforting the children, Nono'u shot a meaningful glance at the older women washing clothes.
The orphans didn't make a fuss; they obediently filed out of the courtyard. The caretakers quickly gathered their things and retreated as well.