"I've already heard about your little 'partnership' with that Might Duy. Let me tell you, as your teacher, a ninja shouldn't care too much about wealth. It'll only get in the way of you becoming truly great. Do you understand?"
Inside the Senju compound, Tsunade lectured Tatsuma with a look of utmost gravity. Tatsuma nodded solemnly. "I understand, Sensei. My primary focus will always remain on my training and studies."
Tsunade gave a satisfied nod and produced an aged, weathered scroll. "This contains my Second Grand-uncle's insights regarding Sensory Ninjutsu. Take it and study it well."
"Thank you, Sensei."
Tatsuma accepted the scroll—which looked as if it had been gathering dust for decades—with both hands. A wave of genuine gratitude washed over him. Tsunade must have spent a considerable amount of time digging through the clan archives to find this for him.
And yet, he couldn't help but find it ironic that his teacher—the most notorious degenerate gambler in Konoha—was lecturing him on the dangers of being too attached to money. I guess even a chronic gambler doesn't want their student to inherit their bad habits, he mused.
"Ahem!"
Tsunade's cough abruptly broke his train of thought. A flicker of sheepishness crossed her face before she spoke again. "Since you understand the principle, your share of the profits from this new business... well, I'll keep it safe for you."
"Profits? What profits?"
Tatsuma looked genuinely confused for a moment before the realization hit him. His face went flat. He'd wasted his gratitude. His teacher really was... well, she was Tsunade.
Seeing his expression shift, Tsunade's brow twitched. "You organized all those clan kids into a merchant association. Don't tell me you aren't taking a cut!"
"Sensei, you've got it all wrong," Tatsuma said matter-of-factly. "I just provided a platform for everyone to practice and create. I don't produce any of the goods, nor do I handle the sales. Naturally, I don't take a commission."
Tsunade practically bolted upright, pointing at him with a look of pure, "unfilial" frustration. "So you went through all that effort just to help other people make money?!"
"It wasn't that much effort, really. Just a favor. Besides, didn't you just say a ninja shouldn't care about money?"
"Dammit! How did I end up with such a dense disciple?! What about Minato? Is that kid taking a cut?"
Tsunade was gnashing her teeth. Tatsuma shrugged. "Minato isn't taking a cut either. Kushina is, but only because she's actually producing the sealing scrolls."
"It must be Jiraiya! That idiot has clearly corrupted your common sense!"
With that, Tsunade stomped out of the room in a huff, likely looking for someone to vent on. Tatsuma weighed the scroll in his hand, a sudden sense of satisfaction bubbling up.
In a way, he'd actually come out ahead. If he had been taking a share of the profits, Tsunade would have definitely used this scroll as leverage to "safekeep" all his earnings. Since he had no earnings, the scroll was effectively a free gift.
Not a bad trade, he thought. Plus, refusing a cut had earned him a massive amount of goodwill among his classmates—a resource Tsunade couldn't touch.
Tatsuma stayed in Tsunade's room, unrolling the scroll to begin reading.
It didn't contain a specific Ninjutsu, but rather Tobirama Senju's fundamental understanding of "Sensing." Even as a master of forbidden arts, the Second Hokage hadn't codified sensing into a single, rigid system. Instead, his notes described ways to integrate sensory awareness into the Five Elements.
For example...
Tatsuma set the scroll aside and formed the Snake seal with both hands. He then transitioned his right hand into the Seal of Confrontation, pressing two fingers firmly against the floor. He funneled his chakra directly into the earth.
The Snake seal was a cornerstone of Earth Release, used to communicate with the ground beneath one's feet. It was common in both Earth and Wood Release techniques. Guided by the seal, Tatsuma's chakra spread through the soil with incredible speed and range.
Faintly, he began to perceive dozens of chakra signatures. One was a cluster of energy moving at high speed, about to leave his range—likely the departing Tsunade.
But then, he felt another one. No... it wasn't just a signature. It was an entity as vast and heavy as a mountain.
Tatsuma jerked his hand back from the floor instantly, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
In a distant room, Uzumaki Mito set down her calligraphy brush. She glanced in Tatsuma's direction with a faint smile. "Tobirama's methods, hm? He's certainly a fast learner."
Back in Tsunade's room, Tatsuma's shock faded, replaced by a surge of excitement. This method was infinitely clearer than the vague, "foggy" sensing he'd used before.
He returned to the scroll and quickly found Tobirama's notes on another elemental medium. After reading it twice, he performed a different sequence of seals.
He used the Dragon seal—the one he felt most comfortable with—then extended his palms before interlacing his fingers. It looked similar to the Snake seal, but with his knuckles pointing forward rather than up.
This was one of the specialized hand signs Tobirama had recorded: the "All" (Kai) seal from the Nine-Syllable Seals, also known as the Buddhist Outer Binding Seal.
Under the combined influence of these seals, Tatsuma's chakra diffused into the air like a breeze, riding the currents to sense the energy in the atmosphere.
Tatsuma wasn't surprised that Tobirama utilized Buddhist mudras; after all, his brother Hashirama was a devoted student of Buddhist philosophy. The Wood Release technique Hashirama used to suppress Tailed Beasts—Kakuan's Entering the City with Bliss-Bestowing Hands—drew its name directly from the Ten Ox Herding Pictures. "Kakuan" referred to the Zen master who created the series, and "Entering the City" was the final image, symbolizing peace and harmony.
Even the name "Senju" (Thousand Hands) had obvious religious connotations.
As his chakra drifted on the wind, the sensing speed was slower than the Earth-based method, but it could capture things that didn't touch the ground—like messenger hawks in the sky or tiny specialized insects hidden in the eaves of the compound.
This time, Tatsuma avoided sensing in Mito's direction. The crushing weight of her presence was simply too much to handle. After a brief sweep of the area, he retracted his chakra.
He continued reading Tobirama's notes. Much of it was experiential; Tobirama even noted that with sufficient mastery of Nature Transformation, one could eventually omit the seals entirely. This reminded Tatsuma of how the Second Lord would often sense entire armies just by touching the ground with two fingers—no Snake seal required.
It's a shame Minato can't learn the Earth-based sensing, Tatsuma thought. Minato didn't have an affinity for Earth; he struggled even with basic moves like Subterranean Voyaging. Communicating with the earth was likely out of his reach.
Of the Five Elements, Earth and Wind were the most effective for sensing. There might not be lightning, water, or fire in a specific location, but there was always ground and air. The other three elements were situational, while Earth and Wind were universal. Minato would only be able to master one.
Tatsuma didn't run to find Minato immediately. This scroll belonged to the Senju, and Tsunade was the one who had lent it to him. He'd need her permission before sharing it with an "outsider."
However, given Tsunade's current mood, he decided to wait. He valued his friendship with Minato, but he valued his own physical safety more.
The following day, the Sannin's departure was delayed. Word reached the camp that Jiraiya had been "ambushed by an unknown assailant" the night before.
Minato spent the morning training session looking frantic, wishing he could hunt down the culprit who had dared to injure his teacher. He had no idea that the "culprit" had only returned from the casino at dawn and was currently sound asleep.
Tatsuma, who had a very good idea of what had actually happened, kept his mouth shut. A student shouldn't snitch on their teacher's teacher.
The mission to investigate Iwa's movements in the Land of Rain was pushed back several days so they could depart with a larger force.
Tatsuma and Minato were integrated into the main army. After their two-month break, they were assigned to the Reconnaissance Unit that would infiltrate the Land of Rain ahead of the main body.
Their job was simple: stay hidden. Their actual combat deployment would depend entirely on how the Sannin's mission went. If the three succeeded in delivering the intel to Hanzo without a hitch, the support unit would simply withdraw. But if they were intercepted by Iwa or Rain forces, the support unit would have to move in for a high-speed extraction.
A mission like this required elite-level scouting and anti-reconnaissance skills. Tatsuma and Minato were chosen specifically for their exceptional sensory talents.
Outside the hospital, a freshly discharged Jiraiya looked at a brooding Orochimaru. "What's with the long face, Orochimaru? The mission is tough, sure, but with the three of us together, we can handle anything."
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "The old man said we can call for backup whenever we need it. You look like we're being sent on a suicide mission."
"Perhaps," Orochimaru sighed.
Before Jiraiya could retort, Tsunade let out a boisterous laugh and slapped Orochimaru on the back. Even without using her Monster Strength, the force made Orochimaru's pale face turn a shade of mottled purple.
"You've been spending too much time with that brat Tatsuma!" she laughed, oblivious to Orochimaru's discomfort. "You're even starting to sound like him with that 'premonition' talk. But let me make one thing clear: he's my student. If you want to play mentor, go find your own."
Jiraiya didn't know what this "premonition" was about, but he joined in the laughter anyway. He laughed so hard he strained his bruised diaphragm and devolved into a coughing fit.
Orochimaru shook his head, looking at his two carefree teammates. The worry in his eyes didn't fade. He looked back at the support unit—at the hundreds of ninjas prepared to cross the border—and thought of the consequences of a full-scale clash between Leaf and Stone on Rain territory.
If we actually have to call for that backup, Orochimaru thought grimly, the three of us will be the ones who officially started the Great War.