As Tsunade and Ron were finishing their conversation, footsteps approached from inside the mansion. Raiya emerged with a warm smile.
"Welcome back, Ron. It seems we'll be hosting a guest in our home," she said lightly with a smile.
Raiya herself was a formidable ninja. With the various systems, resources, and enhancements developed under Ron's guidance and supported by the village, her strength had risen rapidly. She had recently stepped into the shadow level after breaking through her spiritual realm. As the wife of the Third Raikage, she had endured immense pressure over the years, surviving both political and battlefield struggles. She was already a veteran shinobi with experience and presence; once her body had been strengthened through various training resources, her spirit followed through feedback, finally crossing that threshold.
Naturally, Raiya immediately sensed the overwhelming aura surrounding Tsunade. It was unmistakable; this was a renowned shadow-level ninja unlike her, who could be considered getting started.
Tsunade, for her part, was momentarily surprised. She had not expected the Raikage's wife to possess strength on the same level as herself.
Raiya inclined her head slightly and spoke with calm confidence. "San-nin Tsunade. I've heard much about your medical skills. They are respected throughout the world. Most importantly, your combat ability as a medical ninja and as a woman is also something admired by countless female shinobi."
She smiled faintly before continuing. "If you're interested in joining Kumogakure, I could safely hand over the entire medical department to you and focus on assisting my husband with administrative duties. Knowing that such a capable junior had taken over would put my mind at ease."
Everyone present understood the meaning behind her words. Handing over an entire village department was not a casual offer; it was a declaration of trust. And yet, it was also clear that this trust rested not only on Tsunade herself, but on the reputation of the Raikage and Raiya. They were figures deeply respected and trusted by the village; their decisions were rarely questioned. If they chose Tsunade, few would object.
Ron, however, was thinking along entirely different lines.
"Mother, how could that happen?" he said immediately. "The research institute is where the pay is highest, and it's where we need her the most. She's a top-tier researcher. Otherwise, Konoha wouldn't have survived Suna's poisons, and so many advanced medical ninjutsu and techniques wouldn't even exist."
He continued without pause. "More importantly, the head of a department is basically an advisory position. Father can just appoint her as an advisor instead. If Kurama and Katsuya Sage are interested, they could also hold advisory roles."
Ron shrugged slightly. "Honestly, it's better to keep it honorary. Compared to my laboratory, department leadership is more work, more paperwork, and less pay. It's almost volunteer work; you do it because you love the village. And since it's a sensitive position, it's hard to delegate much to subordinates. Unlike my research center."
Raiya simply smiled at him, entirely unsurprised.
"So that's why you kept urging your father to recruit Tsunade as soon as you learned she had left Konoha," she said. "You already have tasks prepared for her, don't you?"
She then gestured toward the interior of the mansion. "But before anything else, come inside. Let's eat first. We'll have a larger family dinner in two or three days, once the initial meetings are over and everyone returns."
She sighed softly. "For now, it looks like your father and uncle will be staying at the Raikage Building to oversee the details and make sure everything proceeds smoothly."
Hearing this, even Kurama, who had been wondering if Ron learned tailed beast names from the Eight-Tails and was still unsettled by the sheer abnormality of the brat, came to a quiet conclusion.
Compared to becoming an advisor to the Raikage and drowning in endless responsibility, sharing a bit of chakra and earning absurd amounts of money sounded far more appealing.
After all, even the Raikage worked hard.
And Kurama, at the very least, valued his freedom and liked to watch the world change rather than work; most importantly, he felt that in Kumogakure, he could be an observer and still enjoy life rather than just being a sealed Tailed Beast.