"Is the ultimate secret technique passed down through the generations of Hokage just a slap on my back?"
Tsunade bared her teeth and reached behind her, a posture that emphasized her impressive figure. As her fair hand brushed the skin of her back, she realized her clothes had been shredded into rags.
"Hardly." Makiya crossed his arms, deactivated his Sage Mode, and leaned against a tree. "That technique is too... cruel. It even carries a mental attack effect. One hit leaves the target crippled or dead. Out of concern for your safety—and your dignity—I canceled the activation at the last second."
"Unnecessary. Next time you have a secret technique, just use it openly. If I even blink, I'll take your last name." Tsunade patted her chest. The Sannin had their pride; although Makiya was strong, she didn't think any one ninjutsu could truly break her.
Especially after she activated Sage Mode, the defensive power of that golden aura was formidable. It wasn't something an ordinary ninjutsu could penetrate.
"Fine, you said it." Makiya nodded. It was his first time hearing such a request. He hadn't used the Thousand Years of Death much; if he used too much force, he couldn't be blamed.
A stinging pain flooded her nerves as a giant palm print surfaced where she had been hit.
Her golden shroud's defense was indeed impressive, but Makiya was also using Sage Chakra. Compared to Tsunade, he was far more familiar with it. At the moment of impact, the two types of Sage Chakra neutralized each other, allowing Makiya's palm to break through her aura and wound her.
The healing properties of the Strength of a Hundred Seal kicked in. Steam rose from the swollen palm print as the injury vanished at high speed.
However, Tsunade's reserve of natural energy was nearly depleted. As the last bit vanished, her golden aura flickered out, leaving only the purple markings across her body releasing chakra.
The goal of the test had been reached; there was no need to waste years of accumulated chakra. Her minor injuries were insignificant to a ninja like her—though a pampered idol might have made a scene over them.
With a few hand seals, the markings of the Strength of a Hundred Seal receded and shrank back into the diamond seal on her forehead, becoming dormant once more.
She hadn't consumed a massive amount of chakra, so she didn't age instantly like she had in the past. Only a few strands of silver appeared in her blonde hair. With time and chakra accumulation, this slight aging would soon be reversed.
"Screech!"
A sharp cry echoed across the sky as a majestic messenger hawk dove down from the heights, heading straight for Makiya.
"Is this... an emergency message?"
Makiya raised his left arm, allowing the hawk to land smoothly on his sleeve.
If it were truly urgent, Minato would have used his Flying Raijin coordinates to teleport. Using a hawk meant the situation was significant and required Makiya's attention, but wasn't so dire that he needed to be there in seconds. He just needed to return to the village as soon as possible.
Removing the letter from the hawk's leg, Makiya scanned the tiny writing. His brow slowly furrowed.
"What is it? What happened?"
Tsunade threw on her coat and walked over. Seeing Makiya's expression, she grew serious.
"It's nothing. The war with the Hidden Mist has taken a turn; the village took a hit." Makiya tucked the letter away and looked at her. "I need to head back. I'll likely be sent to the front lines. Do you plan on returning to the village?"
Tsunade fell silent. Her feelings toward Konoha were complicated, especially regarding the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. That was why she had been wandering—purely a case of ostrich mentality.
But now that the Fourth was in power, she could tell from Shizune's letters that a new era had begun. The village needed talent for its reconstruction.
Moreover, Makiya's sudden appearance had, in a sense, untied the knots in her heart, dispersing the shadows of the past and allowing her to look forward.
"I'm going back." Tsunade looked toward the distant hills. "I heard from Shizune that you, the acting director of the Medical Institute, spend all your time slacking off and skipping work. I have no idea what state those medical ninja are in under your 'guidance.' I need to see for myself."
Makiya's face crumpled. "That's unfair! Do you know why they can't find me? You of all people should know! The director appointed by the Hokage ran away from the village. Poor me, I had to travel across the country just to find her. How could I have time to sit in the office?"
Tsunade avoided his gaze, knowing she was in the wrong. The decline in the quality of Konoha's medical ninja was largely due to her departure.
"Hmph, you better watch out then." Tsunade put her hands on her hips and stepped onto a rock. "From now on, I run the Medical Institute. I'm making you my secretary. If you try to slack off again, watch out for my fist."
She brandished her fair, delicate fist, puffing out her cheeks with wide eyes.
Unfortunately, having just lost a bout, she lacked any real intimidation. She looked more like she was pouting.
Considering her actual age, she was a bit old to be playing the cute maiden, but she clearly knew how to play the part.
While not finding the Wood Style user was a regret, life was rarely perfect. For Tsunade, this trip had been fruitful enough.
As she stepped onto Makiya's flying sword, she pulled out a scroll and handed it to him.
"What's this?" Makiya took the scroll. It smelled faintly of perfume and felt warm to the touch.
"An improved Yin Seal." Tsunade smirked. "This is just the first draft. Try practicing it and record your progress. I'll keep refining it based on your feedback."
"You finished it that quickly?"
Tsunade shook her head. "I've been researching this for a while, but I lacked an experimental subject. I didn't know if it would actually work."
"So you're using me as a guinea pig?"
"Do you want it or not?"
"I want it!"
The golden sword soared into the sky. Makiya was eager to learn the Yin Seal. He created a Shadow Clone to steer the sword while his main body began practicing.
Having a healer next to him was a bonus. If he messed up his meridians, he could get an expert consultation immediately.
Makiya was also a top-tier medical ninja himself. Their discussion was essentially a meeting of specialists.
It turned out Tsunade's first draft did have issues. A conflict in the chakra pathways caused Makiya to cough up blood several times.
Under her guidance, his understanding of the Yin Seal deepened. As the name suggested, it was a sealing jutsu that used the meridians as a script and the body as a container to store chakra.
He practiced the whole way.
By the time they reached Konoha, Makiya had mastered the basics and was attempting to fill it with natural energy.
The improved version wasn't perfect; it had a 'leakage' problem where the stored chakra would slowly dissipate over time.
After channeling natural energy, light blue markings appeared on his forehead, forming a mysterious pattern that looked like a third eye.
"Go to the Hokage's office. I'll work on the seal some more and let you know when I have a new version."
Upon reaching the village, Tsunade jumped off the sword and looked at Makiya.
"Aren't you going to the office? You haven't been back in a long time; shouldn't you report in?"
"No, I'm going to find Shizune first." Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "That girl had the nerve to tease me in her last letter. I'm going to spank her until she can't sit down."
Makiya quickly tried to dissuade her. "Wait, wait! She's a young woman. Just give her a bit of a hard time. You can't just go around spanking people. What if you end up awakening some weird preference in her? What would her future boyfriend think?"
Tsunade stared at him. "???"
Before she could process that, Makiya vanished.
The Hokage's Office.
At the door, the Anbu guard bowed respectfully. "Consultant-sama, the Hokage has been waiting for you."
"Please announce me."
"Yes."
Moments later, the Anbu returned. "Consultant Makiya, please enter."
Entering the office, Makiya looked around. He couldn't see Minato at first. The massive office was buried in paperwork; even the coffee table and sofas were stacked high with scrolls.
"Minato?" Makiya called out. His perception sensed Minato's soul signal buried under the documents, unmoving.
"Makiya, you're back." Minato emerged from a pile of files, his eyes sporting heavy dark circles. He looked like a panda.
Makiya jumped in surprise and hurried to his side, his face grave. "What happened to you? Why aren't you taking care of yourself? I have some dietary suggestions; you should start on them immediately."
Makiya pulled out a slip of paper. "Eat more yams and goji berries. Have Kushina focus on black foods—black beans, black rice, black wolfberries, black dates, black fungus... and I mean the actual edible mushroom, don't overthink it."
Minato was confused. He looked at the list. "What is this diet supposed to treat?"
"Kidney deficiency, of course. What else?" Makiya continued pulling out jars. "These are Six-Flavor Rehmannia Pills, Waist-Strengthening Kidney-Tonifying Pills, Golden Cabinet Kidney-Qi Pills..."
"Stop, stop! Wait a minute." Minato's lip twitched. "Makiya, you've definitely got the wrong idea. My vitality is perfectly fine. I don't need supplements."
Makiya gave a knowing look, glancing at the Anbu guard. "I get it, I get it. A man who refuses to back down. You can lose anything, but never your pride—and certainly not your vitality."
Makiya sighed and shook his head. "Sister-in-law really should be more careful with the Hokage's health."
"It's really not what you think." Minato let out a massive yawn. "I haven't slept in three or four days. I just nap at my desk when I can't keep my eyes open. Kushina has been complaining, but there's just too much for the Hokage to handle. I can't finish it all."
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