"Cough, cough~ Sister, it's me! Nawaki! Your little brother! Cough, cough~"
At this moment, Nawaki, who was embedded in the wall, forcefully broke free and fell to the ground.
Tsunade glanced at the boy claiming to be her brother. At first glance, she found it a bit strange. She rubbed her eyes and took a second look. Tsunade was left completely stunned.
This boy with a melon-shaped head and wearing a tight green suit was supposed to be Nawaki?!
Not only Tsunade, but even Orochimaru, known for his rare expressions, showed a look of disdain and astonishment. He instinctively took a half step back, as if trying to avoid something.
Orochimaru, with impeccable taste in clothing, not to mention being among the top three in Konoha, couldn't comprehend why his disciple would wear such unsightly clothes?! And that hairstyle, was he imitating a male stretcher or something?
Tatsuma felt a slight discomfort in his eyes. Every time he tried to focus on Nawaki, his eyes resisted, refusing to see this person clearly.
Only Minato, still wearing a warm and gentle smile, said, "It's a style just like Brother Duy's."
"Haha~~ It has to be you, Minato! You recognized this as the design Brother Duy made for me at a glance. Indeed, the marks left by youth and passion are always the same!"
Nawaki, with one hand on his hip and the other pointing towards Minato, gave a thumbs up and revealed a mouthful of Konoha's small white teeth.
"Is that Might Duy?" Orochimaru muttered, with a gaze filled with murderous intent. He turned to leave, but Tsunade grabbed him, not daring to let Orochimaru in this state go.
If he were allowed to leave, tomorrow, no, today, rumors might spread about Orochimaru brutally harming fellow village ninjas.
At this moment, a voice emerged not far away, with conspicuous red hair making it easily recognizable. Minato's gaze instantly shifted, and his eyes lit up.
Kushina, watching Nawaki still posing, said, "Sister Tsunade, deal with Nawaki. His appearance is affecting my appetite."
Tsunade nodded and immediately grabbed Nawaki by the back of his neck, ignoring his struggles and resistance. Holding him, she walked towards the depths of the clan's territory, loudly shouting:
"Grandma! Aren't you going to do something about Nawaki? How can he face people like this?!"
Tatsuma poked Minato in the waist with his finger, reminding him not to stare blankly. Then, he quickly caught up, eagerly anticipating a good show.
After walking a distance, Tatsuma saw Mito coming out of the house. She nodded with a kind smile at the group. Tsunade, with Nawaki in tow, approached Mito and said:
"Grandma, look at Nawaki like this!"
Mito gently patted Tsunade's hand, indicating for her to let go of Nawaki. Once Tsunade released him, Mito waved her hand, placing Nawaki behind her protective embrace. She then spoke kindly:
"Nawaki looks quite lively now, doesn't he? Just like your grandfather when he was a child."
Hearing her grandmother compare her brother's current state to their grandfather, Tsunade instinctively shook her head in resistance. In her memory, her grandfather, while not as handsome as her second grandfather, wasn't exactly a dullard either!
"Impossible! My grandfather couldn't have had a watermelon head!"
Seeing her granddaughter's disbelief, Mito didn't continue explaining with words. Instead, she waved her hand, then entered the house. Tsunade followed suit, and Tatsuma, who was eagerly watching the drama, naturally stuck close behind.
Inside the house, Mito retrieved a darkened tin box. Upon opening it, a stack of photos appeared. She flipped through them for a while before finally taking out a faded photograph, showing cracks and signs of discoloration.
"Here, this is what your grandfather looked like when he was a child. It was also the photo sent before the engagement."
Although the photo had faded, the main subject was still discernible – a boy who bore a strong resemblance to Nawaki, sporting a watermelon head, striking a pose with a thumbs-up, and smiling with his eyes squinted, revealing a mouthful of teeth.
"How is this possible?! Moreover, even if that's my grandfather, he looks only as old as Tatsuma. How could he be of marrying age?!"
Tsunade continued to shake her head, and Mito, looking at the photo, calmly said, "Back then, there weren't many opportunities to take pictures. The photo I sent at that time had been taken over several years."
Tatsuma pointed to the faded area that resembled shattered glass, saying, "Why does this photo look like it's been crumpled?"
Mito paused at his words, then chuckled, "Back then, I thought Hashirama looked a bit foolish and didn't take me seriously, so I got upset and crumpled it."
As she spoke, she took out another photo – a picture of a girl with twin buns, sitting slightly sideways. Her hands were folded on her thighs, and her eyes were fixed on the camera, giving off an air of dignity. The sides of the photo were slightly faded, corresponding precisely to the position where Mito's fingers were when holding the photo.
"This is a photo I gave to your grandfather. Many years ago."
Tsunade looked at the young girl in the photo, who was only in her teens. Then, she glanced at Mito's current appearance, feeling a bit sentimental. However, she realized something and asked, "So, Grandma, you didn't like that kind of image of grandpa, did you?!"
"Ah?..."
Mito belatedly realized, glancing at Nawaki, who was also looking at the photos. Suddenly, in her mind, Nawaki transformed from the current image to a more naive and innocent version, reminiscent of the youth in her memories.
It was the filter of reminiscence, the blessing of the past, giving her an illusion that the changed Nawaki looked surprisingly good!
"You have a point. The way Nawaki looks now is indeed not very appealing to girls."
"And his choice of clothing."
Orochimaru, with a sinister tone, chimed in.
Suddenly realizing that, Nawaki, who had been protected by Mito, had a chill crept into his heart.
"Gulu~"
Nawaki subconsciously began to step back, one hand covering his head, the other protecting his chest. With a stern expression, he said, "What are you guys... What do you want?! Don't come any closer! This is the witness to the youth between Brother Duy and me! It's the memory of our sweat under the twilight! You guys... don't!!!"
Later on, forced to change back into his old clothes, Nawaki sat disgruntled at the dining table. Muttering phrases like "Give me back my youth" and "You've taken away the fruit watered by my blood and sweat," he wore an expression of sorrow.
Suddenly, he raised his head and looked at Tatsuma and Minato, fiercely stating, "Grandma! Sister! Look at Tatsuma and Minato, their hair doesn't look right, it's too long! It must be short! Better yet, completely bald!"
Tatsuma proudly swayed his bird's nest of hair on his head, saying, "I have naturally curly hair; it only expands, not lengthen!"
His hair tips still reached between his eyebrows and eyes, but the volume had multiplied several times. It resembled a tuft of windblown grass, and the tips didn't obstruct his line of sight. It was one of the few benefits of having naturally curly hair.
Minato also touched his lengthened hair and said, "Bald isn't bad either. On the battlefield, there's no opportunity for a haircut. Being bald can endure longer."
Seeing these two unfazed, Nawaki's expression fell again. He stood up, straightened his neck, and said, "Don't think you're great just because you've been on the battlefield. I've been training hard too, maybe I've already caught up with you!"
Nawaki's thought process left the others somewhat speechless. However, compared to his previous embarrassing remarks, Nawaki now seemed somewhat normal? Tatsuma scrutinized Nawaki from top to bottom. He didn't want to discourage Nawaki, but if he were to compare the progress Nawaki had made in these three months with numerical values, it was roughly a two-fold improvement.
The talent bestowed upon him by "Growing Through Battle" had provided him with a tremendous boost. Even Minato couldn't keep up with the progress rate of Tatsuma on the battlefield.
Of course, the cost was the tragic fate of his left shoulder, even more gruesome.
"Damn it! What's with that look? Come on! Let's have a spar right now!"
Seeing Tatsuma's expression, Nawaki was somewhat caught off guard and tried to drag Tatsuma outside. Tsunade's face darkened, and she slammed the table.
"Bang!"
"Eat!"
"Alright, Sister!"
Nawaki immediately slumped back into his seat, patiently waiting for the meal to be served.
After finally finishing their meal, Nawaki was about to invite Tatsuma for a spar again when Tatsuma suddenly remembered Nawaki's life trajectory in the original story.
At the age of twelve, Nawaki died on the battlefield, which meant it would be next year. Tatsuma looked at Minato and said, "Minato, why don't you spar with Nawaki first? I'd like to review the production of Explosive Tags."
"Sure, Nawaki, let's have a spar, okay?"
"Great!"
Since both of them had battlefield experience, although Tatsuma was clearly asking for trouble, it didn't matter. Nawaki could pummel Minato first and then deal with Tatsuma!
Tatsuma borrowed the study and, using some blank scrolls, created a dozen smaller versions of Explosive Tags. The reduced-power versions involved simplifying the chakra-sealing techniques.
After finishing the Explosive Tags, Tatsuma returned to their usual training spot. Nawaki and Minato were engaged in a heated battle, or more accurately, Nawaki was fervently attacking while Minato suppressed the urge to strike, continuously evading and blocking.
Tatsuma moved around the field, skillfully setting up Explosive Tag traps using his proficient techniques. Everyone noticed it except for Nawaki, but no one stopped it, and no one revealed the secret. Especially Orochimaru, who now looked at Tatsuma with even greater satisfaction. He knew that Tatsuma intended to teach Nawaki a lesson. The headstrong Nawaki indeed needed such a lesson.
After setting up the traps, Tatsuma exchanged a glance with Minato. Their understanding was enough for Minato to realize that he should use a swift palm thrust to push Nawaki away. Then, Minato pointed at Tatsuma, smiling, and said, "Tatsuma is ready over there. I also want to take a break."
Nawaki, panting heavily, nodded at Minato's words. Then, proudly, he said, "Minato, your stamina is lacking! You need to go through some passionate training to endure a prolonged battle like me!"
Minato, who hadn't even broken a sweat, stood side by side with Nawaki, whose appearance now resembled a drenched chicken. Their words, paired with their current states, created a sense of discord.
"Indeed, Nawaki, you truly understand the principle that a man must endure even at a young age."
Tatsuma's praise left the others with a speechless expression. Tsunade suspected that Jiraiya might have influenced her disciple during the time he filled in as a teacher, and she began to plan how to hold Jiraiya accountable.
Tatsuma, undeterred, continued, "However, you won't even touch my clothes"
"That's impossible!"
"Then, give it a try." Tatsuma gestured with his hand provoking him and saying, "Come on, come at me!"
"Bring it on!"
Nawaki charged forward!
"Bang!"
Nawaki went flying.
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