The three people and one Tonton received their mission, then formed a team and went to Konoha Hospital.
When Kakashi fought Uchiha Itachi, he took a direct hit from Tsukuyomi. Even though he had a Sharingan himself, and Uchiha Itachi was holding back, the mental stimulation he suffered in the Tsukuyomi world was still immense.
With Tsunade about to leave the Village, she treated Kakashi, prescribed a lot of medicine, and then told him to rest well.
Team 7's three classmates also came to visit Kakashi.
Jiraiya was busy with official duties now and couldn't personally protect Naruto as he did in the original timeline. However, he had a solution: Naruto's fundamentals were too weak, so he would stay in Konoha Village to do some basic missions, and then use his free time for remedial lessons.
No matter how powerful the Akatsuki Organization was, they couldn't just come directly to him and abduct Naruto, could they?
During the Konoha Crush, Naruto saved many villagers using the Shadow Clone Technique. It was hard to say how many people truly accepted him, but now no one dared to call him a demon fox, because he was the Hokage's disciple!
This identity was more effective than saving ten thousand people.
His father was Jiraiya's disciple, and he was also Jiraiya's disciple. The seniority seemed a bit muddled, but Ninja didn't really care about such things. Jiraiya mostly treated Naruto like a grandson.
Although the issue of the observer hadn't been resolved, the Village had re-established contact with Uchiha Itachi.
Jiraiya planned to have Kakashi formally accept Sasuke as his disciple. This was different from being a squad leader before; it was a formal master-disciple relationship, and it was also a form of repayment to Itachi. If Sasuke became excellent enough in the future, he could even succeed Kakashi as Hokage. Theoretically, all of this was possible.
Seniority didn't matter; their seniority was already messed up, so a little more chaos wouldn't hurt.
Jiraiya stayed in the Village as Hokage, and Tsunade treated all the patients in Konoha before leaving with Ino.
They still needed to continue practicing the Spirit Transformation Technique. Many medicinal herbs and special environments were conducive to training, and staying in the Village wouldn't do.
Jiraiya tried to persuade Tsunade to stay, but Tsunade used Ino as an excuse to brush him off.
Unlike Naruto, who left for three years in the original timeline, Ino was now a Chunin and had a large family. She brought up her previous agreement with the Third Hokage. Jiraiya found the Third Hokage's records and approved of her 'commuter' learning method.
She would undertake a mission, use her rest time to study with Tsunade, and then return to continue her mission.
"Put in a good word for me with Tsunade. If you encounter any debt collectors, just mention my old name! I'm the Hokage now, and that signboard is still very useful, got it?" Jiraiya, even after becoming Hokage, hadn't lost his lecherous streak. Seeing no one around, he winked and gestured, asking Ino to speak well of him.
Ino readily agreed: "Leave it to me! I'll definitely convince Teacher to come back and be the Hokage's wife!"
From her heart, she truly felt that Tsunade and Jiraiya were a good match. The dead were dead, so why make the living suffer? Since they both had feelings for each other, there was no problem with them getting together.
However, with the next two years being so tumultuous, Ino needed to leave the Village occasionally to stir up trouble. It was better for Tsunade to wander outside. As for Jiraiya... he had been single for so many years anyway, so waiting another two years wouldn't matter.
Tsunade also asked Shizune what she wanted. If she was willing to stay in the Village, the Village would appoint her as the leader of the Medical Corps.
Shizune was promoted to Chunin at thirteen and then followed Tsunade everywhere. She was used to this lifestyle and directly refused the position of Medical Corps leader, choosing to continue following Tsunade.
The next day, as soon as the sky began to lighten, Ino, Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton left Konoha Village.
Thinking of Naruto's disappointed expression, Ino was particularly happy.
Young man, you stay in the Village and study hard. I'll go out and have fun for you!
Konoha Village wasn't bad, it just sometimes felt particularly oppressive. Staying in such a place for too long could make one sick.
There were many bad people outside the Village, that was for sure. At the beginning of her transmigration, if you had told her to go out, she wouldn't have.
Now it was different.
Among ordinary people, a 'big bug' referred to a tiger. For Ino, a 'big bug' usually referred to a semi-flesh-and-blood man-eating plant, tens of meters long, with two rows of fangs like a tumble dryer.
In the usual sense, 'bad people' were generally equated with 'experimental material' in Ino's mind.
The three people and one Tonton found a tavern that evening and drank, throwing all their worries and troubles to the wind.
"At that time, I asked Shodai(1st)-sama, I said, 'Shodai(1st)-sama, what exactly is the secret to Wood Release?'" Ino was relaxed and a little tipsy from drinking. When Tsunade asked about her and Shodai(1st)-sama, she began to recount the story with great animation.
When she got to the secret of Wood Release, she paused, building suspense.
Tsunade held her wine glass, waiting for her to continue. Shizune's mouth was slightly agape, her eyes shining, seemingly eager to know what the secret was.
When Ino described and gestured "exerting force, half-squatting, and Chakra bouncing," the three people and one Tonton burst into laughter.
Shizune and Tonton's laughter was somewhat restrained; after all, it was the renowned First Hokage who founded Konoha Village. Tsunade, on the other hand, laughed until tears streamed down her face. Yes, that was the feeling! Her grandfather was just such an unreliable idiot!
Ino then demonstrated her Flower Release. Water Release had very little room for improvement at her current level. Relying solely on Water Release wouldn't be enough to defeat future powerful enemies. Flower Release and the subsequent Wood Release would both be revealed eventually, and it was better to say it sooner rather than later. Conveniently, she could blame everything on Shodai(1st)-sama.
Tsunade thought for a moment: "Yours is a bit like the Kazamatsuri family's Wood Release. They have some blood ties with the Senju Clan... But I remember their family's was called Grass Release, and yours is called Flower Release? How strange, why are they all different from my grandfather's Ninjutsu?"
Of course, it's a Chakra issue! Ino knew the answer but couldn't say it.
Tsunade rested her elbow on the table, tilting her head in thought: "Hmm, I remember my grandfather seemed to have written a piece of calligraphy that contained the secret of Wood Release, at least that's what he told me..."
Even though she had developed Flower Release by adding skill points, Ino still asked with a look of anticipation: "Where is that calligraphy now?"
Tsunade slammed her hand on the table, saying with great force: "It was stolen by those scoundrels from Hidden Cloud Village! We're going to Hidden Cloud Village to get it back."
Ino:???
What's happening? We were just chatting and bragging at the tavern, and now suddenly we're going to Hidden Cloud Village? There's a whole Village of powerful Ninja there. Just the three of us and a Tonton? Are we delivering a gift?
Ino felt that even if she put her'Speed' stat to 10, she probably couldn't outrun the Fourth Raikage.
Is it still not too late for her to return to Konoha Village now?
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 70 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!