Originally—
Ryujin had planned to return to Konoha that very night.
But—
Because of Saeko Busujima…
He stayed.
One more night.
And not just because of her.
There was also—
Shizuka Marikawa.
That unexpected situation completely derailed his plans.
As a result—
It wasn't until noon the next day that Ryujin finally finished preparing to leave.
Of course—
Before departing—
He did something crucial.
He formed a Life-Bound Contract with both Saeko and Shizuka.
A bond of shared fate.
Life.
Death.
Connected.
With that—
Even across worlds—
He no longer needed to worry about their safety.
Originally, Ryujin had intended to bring both women back to Konoha.
But—
Saeko hesitated.
She was worried about her father.
She wanted to wait.
As for Shizuka—
She was waiting for her friend, Rika Minami, to return.
So in the end—
They refused to leave with him.
And thus—
Ryujin returned alone.
But overall?
This trip—
Had been more than worth it.
Whether it was his research into power—
Or the acquisition of new techniques—
His gains were immense.
Especially—
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
Through the Multiverse Communication Guild—
He had mastered it instantly.
Not just learned—
But perfected.
And then—
It evolved.
His version—
No longer required marking formulas.
No need for pre-placed seals.
With a single thought—
He could move through space.
Not teleportation as it was known—
But something far more refined.
More absolute.
A true Spatial Shift.
Compared to the original technique—
His version was on an entirely different level.
…
…
Inside his residence—
Ryujin had just returned—
When Mikoto arrived.
And as always—
She brought food.
Lots of it.
Over time—
Her cooking had improved tremendously.
More variety.
Better taste.
Greater refinement.
"Ryujin-sama… how does it taste?"
Mikoto sat quietly at the table, watching him take a bite of the meat, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Two of the dishes today—
Were new.
Her first attempt.
Before bringing them—
She had already tested them multiple times herself.
Making sure the flavor was right.
After all—
She still remembered her childhood disasters.
That memory alone—
Was enough to make her blush.
"It's good."
Ryujin nodded after a few bites.
"All of it."
Hearing that—
Relief washed over her face.
Then—
As if remembering something—
Ryujin asked casually,
"Mikoto… has Tsunade come by recently?"
"Tsunade-sama?"
Mikoto tilted her head slightly.
Then shook it.
"No… she hasn't."
That answer—
Surprised him.
Before he left—
Tsunade had clearly said she would move in.
Something… must have happened.
"Ryujin-sama," Mikoto added after a moment, "I heard something from people in the village…"
"She might have been placed under confinement."
"…Confinement?"
Ryujin's brows instantly furrowed.
Tsunade—
The princess of the Senju Clan.
Someone like her—
Being confined?
That didn't make sense.
Unless—
Something serious had happened.
Without another word—
Ryujin sped up his meal.
Moments later—
After finishing—
He gave Mikoto a brief instruction—
Then left immediately.
His destination—
The Senju Clan.
Located at the edge of Konoha—
Low-profile.
Quiet.
Almost forgotten.
Ever since the death of the Second Hokage—
The Senju had withdrawn from the spotlight.
In the previous war—
They had suffered heavy losses.
Too many elites.
Too much damage.
So they chose—
To step back.
To recover.
To give space—
To the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And it worked.
With Hiruzen in the light—
And Danzo in the shadows—
Konoha had flourished.
As for the Senju—
After more than a decade—
They had regained strength.
But remained hidden.
Standing at the entrance—
Ryujin looked at the quiet territory before him.
"…The clan that built Konoha…"
And now—
Reduced to this.
Honor.
Reputation.
All of it—
Had become chains.
They had even aligned themselves with Hiruzen—
Suppressing the Uchiha.
Pathetic.
A faint coldness flickered in Ryujin's eyes.
Then—
A thought surfaced.
Tsunade's confinement…
Could it be related to me?
The timing—
Was too perfect.
The day he left—
She was confined.
And more importantly—
That was the same day—
They had crossed a line.
A relationship.
If the Senju discovered it—
Punishing her…
Would make sense.
After all—
Uchiha and Senju—
Were never truly allies.
But—
Ryujin didn't care.
He would never allow—
His woman—
To be locked away.
Stepping forward—
He entered the Senju territory.
The guards recognized him instantly.
The Uchiha Clan Head.
Their expressions changed.
They moved to block him—
But—
Ryujin disappeared.
"…What?!"
The guards froze.
Gone.
He vanished—
Right before their eyes.
No signs.
No chakra fluctuation.
No trace.
"…What kind of technique is that?!"
Their minds went blank.
Was it ninjutsu?
Impossible.
Before they could react—
Ryujin reappeared.
Already—
In front of the main hall.
Inside—
The Senju Clan Head—
And three elders—
Were in discussion.
Their topic—
Clear.
Tsunade's pregnancy.
Ryujin stepped inside—
Just in time to hear it.
"…Tsunade is pregnant?"
For the first time—
His expression changed.
Shock.
Real.
Direct.
Tsunade—
Pregnant.
And then—
A single thought hit him like lightning.
One time…
And it worked?
"…Seriously?" 🔥