As the sun dipped below the horizon, darkness blanketed the sky.
In the inn, the landlady called a fellow middle-aged woman to keep her company.
Meanwhile, Kiyoshi and his companions chose not to pay any more attention to a visibly perplexed Jiraiya and instead made their way to a private room downstairs for a hearty dinner.
"When did you start learning Sage Mode?" Tsunade demanded coldly, her expression stern as she scrutinized Kiyoshi.
"You mastered Sage Mode all on your own? And you kept it from me all this time."
Seething with frustration, she stepped forward, reaching out to twist his ear. "Do you have any idea how wild natural energy is? A single mistake could leave you crippled, or worse."
"Don't be mad, Tsunade-sensei," Kiyoshi responded, dodging Tsunade's fierce gaze.
"I only figured it out right before you and Shizune-senpai returned to the village... because of my Wood Release, I was sensitive to natural energy from a young age.
After making sure I was fully prepared, I experimented by letting a clone absorb natural energy into my body, fusing it with my mental and physical energy.
I didn't expect it to produce Sage Chakra, and just like that, I mastered Sage Mode."
"At first, I didn't even realize it was Sage Mode. It wasn't until I looked into the Uchiha clan's archives and read the Wood Release scroll you gave me from the First Hokage that I confirmed it was indeed Sage Chakra."
Kiyoshi gave a small shrug, blending truth with a hint of exaggeration.
"Hmph, and yet you didn't say a word." Tsunade rolled her eyes but let it slide.
Initially, she had considered sending Kiyoshi to the Shikkotsu Forest in a few years to learn Sage Mode.
Later, she thought he might even go to Mount Myoboku to study its sage techniques and, if possible, integrate both sacred grounds' knowledge to develop his own unique Sage Mode, similar to the First Hokage.
But unexpectedly, Kiyoshi had achieved it all on his own, naturally developing Sage Mode and activating it instantly with impressive strength. It was unbelievable.
"Given that I was still getting to know everyone, I thought it best to have a bit of caution," Kiyoshi admitted, spreading his hands.
"And then I figured I'd already shocked you guys enough with surprises."
"More like terrified us." Shizune corrected him.
From the moment they met, her entire worldview had been turned upside down.
First, he'd shown unparalleled medical skills, then the ability to use Wood Release, and later, even the Mangekyo Sharingan.
She had never met anyone quite like him before, and now Kiyoshi was telling her that he had mastered Sage Mode. It was unfathomable.
"All right, I'll let you off the hook." Tsunade knocked Kiyoshi on the head and urged him.
"Enough talk. Let's eat."
She patted him on the shoulder approvingly. "But you did the right thing earlier. Jiraiya needed a bit of a lesson."
"Don't you think you were a little too ruthless?" Shizune added with a grin from her seat nearby. "Who'd have thought, Lord Jiraiya, of all people, would get taken down by you."
Now, with Kiyoshi and Karin as her students, Tsunade had devoted most of her energy to teaching them.
Though she hadn't quite curbed her love for gambling, her spirits were lighter, and she no longer seemed burdened.
This was partly because of the peace she'd found within herself, which left her happier and more relaxed.
As the Treasurer of their little group, Shizune was now all smiles every day, no longer stressed and gloomy over finances.
In fact, over the past two years, they had managed to pay off Tsunade's massive debts, and she even had a decent amount of money left, ensuring their daily needs without requiring financial help from Kiyoshi.
Compared to the old days of traveling with Tsunade to escape debt collectors and often roughing it out, this was bliss.
And thanks to Kiyoshi's influence, Shizune's courage had grown.
She now regularly denied Tsunade's requests for money to gamble, much to Tsunade's chagrin. Her little piglet, Tonton, squealed in agreement from beside her.
Karin was counting on her fingers. "Thirty million ryo... that's enough for our expenses for the next two to three months." she calculated cheerfully.
In truth, Jiraiya wasn't the only one with money.
Tsunade, widely regarded as the top medical expert in the ninja world, would have amassed a significant fortune if it weren't for her gambling habits.
The wealthy patrons seeking her expertise paid generously, as she often dealt with cases that other doctors had deemed hopeless, pulling patients from the brink of death.
Out of gratitude or a desire to build goodwill, they would offer sizable fees—except for the few cheap ones.
Thirty million ryo was indeed a fortune for many, but for Tsunade, it was just part of her job. The title of "Medical Sage" was a goldmine, attracting more than enough wealthy patrons.
Karin's estimate of two to three months of expenses factored in the considerable time their group spent traveling and training, rather than solely treating high-paying clients.
They often offered free medical services to others, as they did when Tsunade instructed Karin to treat ill civilians.
Though they weren't overly sentimental, they found ways to practice medicine and strengthen their medical ninjutsu while helping people along the way.
"Money's nothing to him," Kiyoshi chuckled, unbothered by having charged Jiraiya.
"And honestly, if he weren't your acquaintance, Tsunade-sensei, he'd have lost far more than that."
"Yes, that man needed a lesson."
"Enough about him." Kiyoshi turned to Shizune, smiling.
"Shizune-senpai, come to my room later—I have a bold idea I want to try out."
Having recently mastered the Spirit Transformation Jutsu, he wanted to see if it would work on Shizune.
"Eh?" Shizune froze, her eyes wide as she looked at Kiyoshi, her cheeks flushing. "This."
Kiyoshi inviting her to his room after dinner? How could she possibly agree? Although…maybe it wouldn't be so bad?
"No way." Karin clenched her fists, her face red as she shot Kiyoshi an indignant look.
"You pervert, Kiyoshi, don't you dare try anything with Shizune-senpai."
The truth was, though she would never admit it, Karin had already developed feelings for Kiyoshi. If he had directed those words at her instead, she wasn't sure if she'd refuse.
"A bold idea?" Tsunade's eyes sparkled with mischief. She couldn't resist teasing him. "Well, well~ Kiyoshi is really growing up, isn't he? Trying to make a move on his senpai?"
Recalling yesterday's events, Tsunade's face flushed slightly, feeling a sudden, inexplicable embarrassment.
Kiyoshi, however, sighed. "What are you all thinking? I'm only ten."
"I was talking about mastering the Spirit Transformation Jutsu." Seeing Shizune's cheeks redden even further, he quickly explained.
"The jutsu is quite unique—it allows me to control another person's body. I wanted to see if I could use my spirit to help Shizune-senpai focus her chakra and master the Yin Seal."
"Oh." Karin paused, momentarily caught off guard.
She'd totally misunderstood. Of course, Kiyoshi wasn't like that. He was too focused on training and growth.
"The Spirit Transformation Jutsu? Isn't that… uncle's…?" Shizune murmured, realizing her misunderstanding as well, her embarrassment only deepening.
Her uncle, Dan Kato, had been famous for his Spirit Transformation Jutsu, a terrifying jutsu he wielded on the battlefield to decimate enemies.
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