Tsunade came closer swiftly, her hands glowing as she leaned down to heal him directly.
The torn edges of her upper clothing left patches of smooth flesh exposed. Ryusei's gaze lingered where it shouldn't a little.
Her brow twitched, then her fist cracked him across the head. "Eyes shut, brat. Now."
Ryusei rubbed the sore spot, but she was already pressing chakra into his burns. "Really? You order me to close my eyes, but you don't move away?"
"Shut up and do as I say."
He sighed, letting his eyes fall closed. "Fine. The 'golden lion' roars, and I obey."
With sight gone, he let his other senses take over.
Her scent was faint but distinct, warm and intoxicating, mixed with the clean sharpness of medic chakra.
So close, yet untouchable. His mind wandered, imagining white scenery just beyond reach.
He smirked and shifted the subject along his thoughts. "So… Katsuyu. Do you think I can become her summoner eventually, too? After what I just saw, I'd say I'm very impressed."
Tsunade's hands paused for a fraction of a second. She hesitated, then answered. "It's possible. I have the Shikkotsu Forest contract. If you want to sign it, I'll let you… But you'll have to promise me one thing. You'll drop any thoughts about Sage Mode. At least for now."
She had a nagging feeling he wouldn't stay at her side much longer after this for some reason.
So, at the very least, the contract would give him something additional to fall back on when she wasn't there.
For a moment, another thought slipped in: maybe it could even let them stay in contact.
The notion felt strange, almost embarrassing, so she shook it off.
It had to be because this brat was always such a handful, forever dancing on the edge of death and exhaustion, forcing her to check on him again and again.
Yes… that was the only reason they needed to stay connected.
Ryusei tilted his head, still smirking with eyes closed. "So you're admitting it exists, just off-limits for me. That's all I needed to hear." Inside, he was almost cheerful. Confirmation at last.
Tsunade's tone hardened. "Don't play dumb. Shikkotsu's Sage Mode is the hardest of the three. Harder than Mount Myōboku, harder than Ryūchi Cave. In the last few centuries, only my grandfather managed to master it. Every failure ends in disaster. I didn't even dare to try myself, honestly."
Ryusei hummed. "That only makes it more interesting…" Then he raised his voice. "Well? Katsuyu, what do you say?"
The slug's voice echoed calmly. "It is as Lady Tsunade says. The training is dangerous. But… your qualifications are better than most I've seen in a long time, judging from this battle. Your chakra control is already sufficient; your physique is stronger than hers was at the same age. In theory, you might succeed... Eventually."
A grimace popped on Tsunade's face. "Oi! Who are you supposed to be praising here? He's not even your summoner yet."
She glared, but her lips pressed tight against the warmth in her chest.
Pride slipped through despite herself. To hear Ryusei compared even faintly to Hashirama…
Ryusei chuckled. "See, Tsunade? Not even your summon, and she's already taking my side. Guess I'm just more likable."
Another smack to the head, harder this time.
He rubbed the spot with a grin, though inside he was thinking more seriously. 'She's right. If I try it too early, it'll kill me. My body's still young. Shinobi keep developing until their thirties. Even if it's tempting, I can't risk it unless there's no other choice.'
Out loud, he shrugged. "Just the contract's good enough. I saw what you and Katsuyu can do today. That acid ability alone was terrifying and could corrode anything. I'd be a fool not to want that at my back."
Katsuyu's answer was as calm as ever. "Praise or not, it makes no difference to me. Summon or not, I simply act."
Tsunade gave a small grin at Katsuyu's reply, shaking her head. "That's just how she is. Unlike the other summoning realms, Katsuyu never fussed over carefully picking her contractors. She doesn't need to. In the end, it's only certain Senju or Uzumaki who have bodies strong enough to carry her contract forward, strong enough to survive Shikkotsu Sage Mode, or disciplined enough not to destroy themselves chasing it without the right qualifications, since they have their own powerful stuff. My grandmother Mito was her last summoner before me. And my grandfather… Hashirama mastered Shikkotsu's Sage Mode itself, but not through a contract. He didn't need one, not with Mito by his side. Which makes me the last contractor left now."
Ryusei tilted his head, smirking with his eyes still closed. "So she's basically been holed up in your clan's archives, waiting for someone sturdy enough not to crumble trying to use her. That makes her sound less like a great sage and more like… an introvert hiding at home."
His tone turned sly as he looked at her next. "But, if you didn't care about new summoners, then why keep leaving the contract around? Don't tell me, you just wanted a handful of close ties. A small circle, not a horde. Safer that way. Also, less chance of greedy fools breaking themselves chasing Sage Mode."
Katsuyu's feelers twitched, her tone even. "…Strange words. But perhaps not untrue. Fewer bonds, fewer risks. Yes… Perhaps a smaller circle is preferable."
Ryusei chuckled low. "So basically, you've been lonely. Hiding out, waiting for someone to call you a friend."
For the first time, the great slug hesitated. "…Friend. An unusual word. But your way of phrasing it… feels accurate."
Eventually, Tsunade's chakra glow finally faded as she drew her hands back.
Most of Ryusei's burns had already sealed over, leaving only faint traces.
"Done. Now, about that contract…" she reached into her pouch and pulled out a tightly sealed scroll. "If you really want this, no turning back. Once your blood's on it, Shikkotsu Forest will answer you."
Ryusei tilted his head, a slit-eyed grin tugging at his lips. "So it's that easy? I was expecting some long lecture, maybe a few more punches before you agreed."
Her brow twitched. "Don't tempt me. The only reason I'm letting you sign is because you're… you. And because I've got this gnawing feeling you won't be sticking around my side much longer, for some stupid reason."
He blinked once at her words, then chuckled low. "That almost sounded like concern."
She shoved the scroll into his lap. "Shut up and sign."
Unrolling it, Ryusei found the faint marks of other names burned into the parchment: Mito Uzumaki's clear and sharp, Tsunade Senju's flowing script.
He bit his thumb, pressed the blood down, and scrawled his own name.
The characters glowed faintly before sinking into the scroll.
Katsuyu's voice rumbled quietly in the background. "So it is done. From now on, your call will reach me as well."
Ryusei smirked. "Guess that makes us partners now. Don't regret it later, Katsuyu."
The slug's reply was as calm as ever. "Regret is meaningless. Summon or not, I act when called. That is all."
Tsunade folded her arms, watching him. "Don't let it get to your head. Katsuyu's not your cheerleader. She's not impressed by you."
Ryusei glanced at her sideways, grin widening. "Maybe not impressed… but she already admitted I've got better qualifications than you."
Another smack to the back of his head. "Don't push it, brat."
Still rubbing the sore spot, he muttered with a sly edge, "Worth it."
Ryusei then leaned back on the rock, stretching his arms as the last traces of healing warmth faded. "If you're done pampering me, we should move. Kumo's still pulling out. If we hit them now, alongside Orochimaru, we'll rack up even more merits. Might as well squeeze them dry."
Tsunade groaned, rubbing her temple. "You're relentless. You just survived getting half-charred, and you're already thinking of points on a ledger?"
He grinned. "Merits keep you alive in this world. And besides… You promised you'd protect me. The best way to do that is to make sure they don't come back."
Her sigh was long, but in the end, she pushed herself to her feet. "Fine. But don't think I won't knock you out if you collapse on me mid-charge."
Within the hour, the two of them rejoined the push.
Orochimaru's serpents had already surged across the broken ridges, driving Kumo back, while Katsuyu's fragments gave Konoha's ranks stamina enough to keep pressing.
For hours, the clash stretched from ridge to ridge, until the fighting spilled around the outskirts of Yugakure.
By the time the sun was dipping low, the village's defenses cracked, and Kumo's banners were already vanishing in retreat.
It was brutal, but decisive. Kumo was forced back across the border, pushed entirely out of the Land of Hot Water. A massive success for Konoha's northeast line.
When the dust finally settled, Orochimaru lingered in Yugakure, weaving his snakes and sealing squads through the streets to root out stragglers and establish control.
Tsunade was already setting up a triage center among the rubble, healing line after line of exhausted shinobi.
Only later, as night fell, did the three of them converge again in the center of the ruined village.
The air smelled of smoke, ash, and wet earth, but the fires were dying, leaving a strange stillness behind.
Ryusei's slit-eyed grin returned as he looked between them. "Not bad for one day, hm?"