The wind had stopped, and the forest was eerily silent.
Tsunade stared at Haruto Saito, her eyes wide with shock, filled with surprise, confusion, and sheer disbelief.
"Am I dreaming?" She pinched herself as if to confirm reality, then sucked in a sharp breath. Ouch! Definitely not a dream.
If this wasn't a dream, then why had this brat just said something so ridiculous?
Was he the one dreaming?
"Hey! Wake up already!" Tsunade grabbed Haruto's cheek and gave it a hard tug.
"Ow!" Haruto bared his teeth at her.
"So you do feel pain. What did you just say? Say it again!"
"I said, if you teach me, I can learn the Healing Palm Technique in one day."
"Say it again!"
"I said! If you teach me! I can—"
"Hahahaha! Hahahahahaha!" Tsunade burst into laughter, doubling over, holding her stomach as she nearly collapsed to the ground. She pounded the dirt as if she couldn't contain herself.
"Hey! Do you have to be so dramatic?" Haruto tilted his head, watching her roll around, laughing uncontrollably.
"I'm mocking you! Can't you tell?" Tsunade suddenly jumped up, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Brat! You're so full of it! If you're going to brag, at least make it believable! You really think—"
Haruto suddenly waved his hand, knocking away her finger that was persistently poking his forehead. He then crossed his arms, standing tall with an air of arrogance. "Aren't you a gambler? Let's make a bet."
"A bet? On what?" Tsunade still had traces of laughter in her voice.
"Bet that I can master the Healing Palm Technique in one day." Haruto lifted his chin proudly.
"Oh?" Tsunade's interest was piqued. She squinted slightly and mumbled under her breath, "So, basically, I win no matter what?" Then, grinning, she asked, "And what if you can't?"
"If I fail, I'll teach you my hypnosis technique and my gambling skills—no strings attached."
"Alright, deal. It's settled then. Tomorrow morning, I'll come find you—"
"Hey, hey, hey! Aren't you forgetting something?" Haruto interrupted her.
"Huh? Forgetting what?"
"Big sis!" Haruto nearly lost it, gesturing wildly. "If I succeed, what do I get? What's your wager?"
"You? Succeed?" Tsunade scoffed.
"Hey! Whether I succeed or not is my problem. A bet needs stakes, right?" Haruto rolled his eyes.
"Oh... fine." Tsunade stroked her chin thoughtfully before shrugging. "Whatever! If you actually pull it off, you can ask me to do anything. Whatever you want."
She looked completely indifferent.
Because it was absolutely impossible for this brat to succeed!
"Deal!" Haruto snapped his fingers.
"Of course!" Tsunade shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm heading back. See you tomorrow."
Returning alone to the lakeside cabin, Haruto let out a long sigh of relief. That was close—he had stripped Tsunade completely, washed her clothes, dried them, dressed her again… and she hadn't noticed a thing.
"Never thought I'd sink so low as to wash a woman's underwear…"
Muttering to himself, he walked into the cabin, thinking about the day's events.
It seemed like his cleanliness obsession was finally being broken—thanks to Tsunade.
Lights out. Sleep.
The night grew deeper.
In the early morning hours, Haruto woke briefly and checked the Reputation Exchange menu. A new selection had just refreshed, but with only 4,800 points, there wasn't much he could afford—nothing that caught his eye.
He closed the menu, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
The darkness thickened.
Outside the cabin, across the lake.
A faint rustling broke the silence.
More than a dozen figures crept closer, moving stealthily through the underbrush. When they reached the lakeside, they halted, blending into the shadows.
Fifteen Hyuga clan shinobi had gathered—two elite jonin, six jonin, and six elite chunin, all acting as guards. The fifteenth person, however, was just a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy.
The young leader of the Hyuga branch family—Hyuga Hizashi.
In the rigid hierarchy of the Hyuga clan, his rank was fourth, behind the clan head, the heir of the main family, and the branch family leader. Those three included his father, his twin brother, and his uncle.
Despite his status, he had personally come to oversee this mission.
Pressure from the clan forced his hand.
Multiple assassination attempts on Haruto Saito had failed, bringing disgrace to the Hyuga. The first assassination had been his responsibility—he had sent Hyuga Renji, an elite chunin. If he had sent an elite jonin from the start, this wouldn't have dragged on so long.
This was his failure.
And now, he was here to correct it.
By witnessing Haruto Saito's death himself.
"Byakugan!"
Hizashi and the two elite jonin activated their Byakugan simultaneously. The veins around their eyes bulged as their world turned monochrome, gaining the ability to see through objects and track chakra signatures.
"Young Master, someone's there!" One of the elite jonin whispered urgently.
"It's ANBU! Damn it, weren't they supposed to have withdrawn from protecting that brat?" The other cursed under his breath.
Hizashi's face darkened. He quickly shifted his gaze across the lake, scanning the surrounding forest.
He saw them.
Two masked ANBU operatives lurking behind the cabin in the trees.
They had sensed something—both disappeared instantly with a flicker.
Due to their specialized masks, even the Byakugan couldn't see their faces.
"It seems Lord Hokage deliberately spread false information. ANBU is still secretly protecting him," Hizashi muttered before signaling, "Retreat."
The Hyuga swiftly withdrew into the shadows.
Hizashi's status was too high to risk exposure. Unlike Hyuga Renji's solo attempt, his presence meant that an attack on Haruto now could have catastrophic political consequences.
In the trees behind the cabin.
The fallen leaves trembled slightly before two figures emerged from underground, landing silently on a thick branch.
They gazed coldly at the retreating Hyuga.
"That was the Hyuga clan."
"They want Haruto Saito dead."
"We can't let them interfere. Per orders, we need to determine if he has any other hidden protectors before we eliminate him."
"Eliminate him... by accident."
Their words were swift and emotionless—cold and methodical.
They were not ANBU.
Technically, they belonged to ANBU, but they were part of a different faction—ROOT.
And their mission was the same as the Hyuga's.
To kill Haruto Saito.
Morning.
The sun rose over the tranquil lake, and the breeze was gentle.
Haruto had been awake early, meditating on the grassy shore as part of his morning training.
Then—
BAM!
A powerful kick landed square on his back, sending him tumbling headfirst into the lake.
"Hahahaha! You sneaky little liar, your guard is pathetic!" Tsunade cackled, standing proudly on the shore, hands on her hips.