"Lady Katsuyu, I have some business with Tsunade. Using Flying Raijin from Konoha all the way there is too exhausting, so could I trouble you for a hand?" Makiya asked with a grin.
"No problem," Katsuyu replied, nodding her small head. "The natural energy Lord Makiya brought me last time was... very strange, yet delicious. If possible, could you spare a moment to bring me some more?"
After Makiya had collected Moryo's energy, he had a sudden whim to feed some to Katsuyu. To his surprise, she actually loved this foreign natural energy.
"It's a piece of cake. Since you like it, Lady Katsuyu, I'll bring more next time."
Having secured Makiya's promise, Katsuyu happily performed a Reverse Summoning, bringing Makiya to Shikkotsu Forest. As soon as he looked up, he saw her massive main body.
Makiya couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but he felt like Katsuyu was even larger than the last time he saw her.
"Lord Makiya, please wait a moment," Katsuyu's gentle voice echoed through the forest. Her antennae swayed slightly, as if searching for a target.
Soon after, Makiya felt a space-time force envelop him. The sensation was familiar; he relaxed his body and didn't resist. His vision blurred, and he vanished in a puff of white smoke.
The Land of Grass, ruins of Kusagakure.
The world-shaking battle had long since passed. The civilians living on the outskirts had moved away, leaving behind nothing but broken walls and debris.
Makiya's ninjutsu had completely reshaped the terrain. The flames that had surged deep underground had created a vast lava pool, which continued to radiate heat even after all this time.
Groundwater gathered in the low-lying areas, heated by the lava until it erupted from the surface, forming various natural hot spring pools.
In a hot spring pool hidden within a secluded mountain valley, mist rose in clouds, shrouding the surrounding air. A pair of fair, lotus-white arms emerged from the water, sending ripples across the surface.
Poof!
Makiya's figure suddenly appeared. Experienced as he was, he didn't plunge headfirst into the water. Almost instantly, he sensed the two Flying Raijin marks he had left behind and vanished in a flash.
He reappeared beside a pile of clothes.
"Tsunade, you really do love bathing. Out of every ten times I look for you, you're in the tub for eight of them. Is it really that comfortable?" Makiya snapped his fingers, and his chakra dispersed the thick mist to prevent his clothes from getting damp.
"What do you know? Bathing is good for skin maintenance, relieves fatigue, promotes blood circulation, and beautifies the complexion. In short, there are countless benefits." The blonde beauty in the water leaned against the edge, her charms fully on display.
Tsunade stretched lazily, not minding the man standing before her at all. After giving him an eyeful, she asked in a casual, lethargic tone, "What is it this time?"
"A mission from the Hokage, of course." Makiya pulled out a scroll. "The Land of Grass has been turned upside down by you. Since you haven't found anything, why not return to the village for a rest? It'll make it easier for me to report back."
Tsunade's eyes drifted. "And besides the mission? Anything else?"
"I actually do have a small matter for you." Makiya pulled another scroll from his robes. "I've encountered some issues with the meridians while researching Sage Mode, and I wanted to discuss them with you."
Tsunade felt a twinge of disappointment at not getting the answer she hoped for, but Makiya's words piqued her interest. "Sage Mode? Meridians? Haven't you already succeeded in your Sage Mode training?"
"This is a new Sage Mode. Unlike the one from Shikkotsu Forest, I'm developing a version unique to humans."
Tsunade knew Makiya practiced the Shikkotsu Forest Sage Mode. She had once tried it herself but failed. Now, her interest was piqued, and she stood up from the pool.
Makiya's gaze was instantly drawn, wandering between the fragrant grass and the towering peaks.
In the 'Try Not to Look' challenge, Makiya achieved a personal best of 0.01 seconds.
"Hand me the scroll once you've seen enough," Tsunade rolled her eyes, her hands half-heartedly covering a few key points.
Their current relationship was subtle—something more than friends but less than lovers. Neither had taken that first step, as if both were waiting for the other to speak.
Tsunade had taken note of many things Makiya had done. Although she hadn't returned to the village, she had sent Shizune back to work at the hospital, allowing her to stay informed of Konoha's news at all times.
Every change had come from Makiya's hands, and the village her grandfather left behind was now flourishing. Consequently, her favor toward him grew by the day. Tsunade believed she understood Makiya better than anyone, knowing this Uchiha was completely different from the rest.
Yet, she had her own hang-ups. Her complicated feelings made her reluctant to speak first. If Makiya were willing to take the initiative, she would have likely accepted him.
After all, she wasn't getting any younger. After Hiruzen stepped down, he and Biwako had started a matchmaking campaign. They used the Wood Release as an excuse, arguing that a thriving family was more likely to produce a Wood Release successor and that having more children was the most reliable path.
The old couple's words were blunt but made sense. Tsunade was forced to consider her life's path. Looking at everyone she knew, Makiya was the most suitable candidate.
Though he was theoretically a bit young, his body was mature. Tsunade had secretly scouted his equipment and found it quite impressive; their married life would likely be very harmonious.
But Makiya was like a block of wood, completely oblivious. This left Tsunade both anxious and a bit vulnerable.
"Hmm, it actually passes through these meridians?" As Tsunade focused on the scroll, the romantic thoughts in her mind were cast aside as she threw herself into the research.
"I feel..." Tsunade tilted her head. "This part... is a bit similar to my Strength of a Hundred Seal."
"The Yin Seal?" Makiya mused. Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal was a unique secret technique that only women could practice. It allowed them to store unused chakra in a diamond mark on their forehead, which also had the effect of maintaining a youthful appearance. When released in a crisis, it could provide a massive burst of chakra.
Makiya's current problem was storing natural energy. The cultivation methods from the Liao Zhai World could refine worldly spiritual energy and store it three inches below the navel to form a Golden Core, which was incredibly miraculous.
The human body in the Ninja World was built differently. There was no such special function three inches below the navel. Forcing natural energy in there resulted in corroding the bladder. At best, it caused urinary incontinence; at worst, it could lead to a permanent physical reaction.
Don't ask Makiya how he knew.
Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal might provide a new pathway for storing natural energy.
The steam was thick, and his clothes were already becoming damp. Makiya simply set up a barrier and stepped into the pool.
While the two were discussing, Jiraiya, far away in the Land of Hot Water, suddenly felt a pang of tension, an ominous feeling as if he had lost something.
He rubbed his forehead, and the feeling vanished.
Jiraiya gave a self-deprecating laugh, thinking it must be because he had been doing too much research lately, causing him to have such hallucinations.
The Land of Hot Water truly lived up to its name as the land of hot springs. There were plenty of research locations here. Jiraiya had originally received intel to investigate a mysterious organization called Seireitei that had suddenly appeared, but he ended up indulging himself in the capital cities, forgetting his duties.
"This won't do. The business with the Evil Child and the Child of Prophecy hasn't been settled yet. Jiraiya, oh Jiraiya, you can't keep being this decadent!"
Jiraiya repeatedly warned himself, resolved to... start on his proper work tomorrow.
Just one more night, just one more location, and I'll definitely start tomorrow!
At the border of the Land of Fire, along the endless coastline, the war still raged.
Even after being blessed with a son, Fugaku had not slowed down. Driven by the pressure Makiya put on him, he even took his younger son to the battlefield personally, despite Mikoto's protests.
The young Itachi Uchiha took on the responsibility of caring for his brother. After every mission, little Sasuke's innocent smile was the best medicine, healing Itachi's heavy heart.
In the darkness, a half-black, half-white aloe vera-like creature slowly emerged from the ground.
"Can he really replace Obito?" Their eyes looked toward the distance, in the direction of the Konoha camp.
Though they shared a body, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu were independent individuals with separate thoughts.
In White Zetsu's eyes, Obito was still more suitable. They could at least have fun together.
"Idiot, trust Lord Madara's judgment!" Black Zetsu hissed in a low voice.