Ryusei could still sense what was happening outside.
The enemies were searching for him, strangely gathered around one distinctive presence he could barely register.
There were five Edo Tensei, and one main caster, someone even he couldn't sense, which bothered him deeply.
He was sure that this one was their best sensor and the summoner behind the Edo Tensei, in the center of their tight formation, yet he had no idea who it might be from Konoha, and that uncertainty disturbed him.
For now, the seals around the lab still held.
He resisted the urge to act.
Moving now would be reckless.
It was smarter to wait for Ashina, who was already sprinting at full speed toward one of his nearby slug fragments.
Once Ashina reached it, Ryusei could use the link to summon himself there, make contact, and bring them both back to the lab before moving out to engage the intruders together.
He only hoped they wouldn't manage to sense this place before then.
Meanwhile, a flash of chakra already rippled through the lab as the summoning circle lit up.
Tsunade appeared a heartbeat later, her usual sleeveless top still dusted with dirt from wherever she'd been.
Her sharp eyes immediately swept the room, landing on Ryusei.
"Ryusei," she said, crossing her arms. "You better have a damn good reason for pulling me here like this."
Ryusei exhaled lightly. "There is one."
He quickly explained how Konoha had decided to make another attempt on him and found him just now, how five Edo Tensei of Kage level were moving outside, circling around a hidden caster whose presence even he couldn't sense.
Tsunade's expression darkened with each word, her jaw tightening until she finally muttered, "Those old fools just don't learn, do they?"
"This time," Ryusei said, his tone steady, "I'm not leaving until the laboratory is secure. Everything we've worked for is here—the research, the progress toward our real goal. Rebuilding what they destroyed. Taking back what's ours. And… revenge for Nawaki."
That last line struck deep.
Tsunade's rising anger at him for not retreating to the Shikkotsu Forest immediately and throwing himself into danger again wavered for a moment, replaced by something quieter.
After a brief silence, she let out a slow breath and nodded. "Fine. I'll help you hold the line."
Then her gaze shifted.
She'd finally taken in the rest of the lab, Kiyomi, Kanae, and Renjiro standing nearby.
Her eyes automatically lingered on the two charming girls who were also Ryusei's age first.
The Hyūga one had that pale, almost ethereal presence, refined, silent, her posture perfect.
The Uchiha girl beside her, in contrast, radiated confidence and fire, her expression calm but unmistakably proud.
Tsunade's brow twitched slightly. "So," she said flatly, "you've been… busy."
Ryusei blinked. "Hm?"
She didn't answer, just looked between him and the two girls again.
The air around her felt a little heavier.
For some reason, she couldn't shake an odd, faintly possessive irritation, an irrational sense of betrayal. "Get a grip, woman," she scolded herself inwardly. "You're his mentor, not his lover."
Still, the thought didn't help much.
She folded her arms tighter, trying to ignore the feeling while Ryusei, of course, noticed everything.
Internally, he almost laughed. "Tsunade… jealous? That's a first."
He decided to move things along before that mood deepened. "Tsunade, you've already met Kanae before, my teammate and research partner." He gestured toward Kanae, who bowed politely but coldly, Byakugan faintly flickering in vigilance. "And this is Kiyomi Uchiha," he continued, glancing at the other girl. "She's my bridge for coordination with the Uchiha clan."
That part was… only half true.
Kanae and Kiyomi exchanged a quick, cool look.
Both had learned about each other only recently, when Kiyomi moved into the hideout with Fugaku's reluctant approval after the things on the Kiri front had been going well recently.
Since then, their interactions had been a quiet clash of pride, Kanae's cold precision against Kiyomi's confident fire.
They tolerated each other, but only barely, like two queens forced to share a single throne.
And yet, they quickly realized there was an even bigger presence in the room presently.
The moment they caught Tsunade's watchful eyes and those faintly threatening glances she kept throwing at Ryusei, both girls understood something unspoken.
Still, under Tsunade's sharp gaze, they kept perfect composure. On the inside, though, neither of them liked what Ryusei had just implied about their roles.
Ryusei could feel the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a kunai.
He sweatdropped inwardly. "Perfect," he thought dryly. "Edo Tensei outside, three jealous women inside. What could possibly go wrong."
Tsunade's lips pressed together, unreadable.
Kiyomi crossed her arms, eyes narrowing slightly, as if silently saying, Bridge, huh?
Kanae gave a small, cold exhale that might have been a laugh.
And then there was Renjiro, standing off to the side, feeling completely out of place, for some reason that even he could subconsciously pick up on.
He looked between Tsunade, Kanae, and Kiyomi, then at Ryusei, his brow slowly twitching.
Their eyes met for a moment.
Ryusei's expression said, Don't even start.
Renjiro gave a faint smirk, the kind that said, Oh, I'm starting.
Ryusei's sigh came out almost invisible, his face as calm as ever, but his eyes carried one clear message: We'll talk about this later.
Renjiro only shrugged slightly, as if to say, Sure, sure. Enjoy your harem crisis, boss.
Ryusei turned back toward the monitoring seals, quietly thankful that the incoming Edo Tensei threat was at least a distraction from this.
Honestly, five unknown overpowered zombies might be easier to handle than this room.
Fortunately for Ryusei, both strategically and emotionally, Ashina finally reached one of his distant slug fragments in a few minutes.
He exhaled in relief and looked at the others.
"Good timing. I'm about to pull in a very strong ally."
They all knew who he meant.
He'd spoken of Ashina before, even to Tsunade.
He'd told her how Konoha had betrayed the Uzumaki, how Ashina had survived in spirit form, and how Ryusei had found him a new vessel.
She hadn't argued; in truth, she'd respected the old man's name far too much to question Ryusei's alliance with him.
So now, she simply gave a short nod.
Ryusei vanished in a flash of chakra.
Moments later, he appeared beside Ashina in the forest clearing where the slug fragment pulsed faintly.
The red-haired young man smiled slightly, battle aura already rising. "I sensed them too," Ashina said. "So they've finally come for you."
"Again," Ryusei replied. "Let's finish it properly this time."
They clasped forearms briefly, and in the next instant, the slug fragment beneath them glowed.
Back in the lab, Tsunade's lips curved as the summoning light flared.
"Katsuyu, you're really getting used like a transport network lately as well, huh?"
A deep, weary sigh echoed from the slug nearby.
"It was not part of my original duties, Lady Tsunade…"
"Tell that to him," Tsunade chuckled, nodding toward Ryusei as the light faded.
Ashina now stood beside him, calm but radiating authority, his red hair gleaming faintly in the lab's light.
His presence alone made the air feel heavier, older, steadier, despite his current form.
Outside, Ryusei could sense the five Edo Tensei converging, closer now, their chakra signatures tightening into a coordinated pattern.
He glanced around the room, eyes narrowing. "They're getting too close. If we wait any longer, they'll find this place."
He raised his head slightly, voice firm. "We move out. Time to engage them."
Tsunade smirked, already rolling her shoulders.
Kanae's Byakugan flared to life.
Kiyomi's Sharingan spun lazily, and Renjiro cracked his neck with a grin that was half anticipation, half madness.
For a moment, the lab fell silent.
Then Ryusei's chakra flared—commanding, unified, decisive.
"Let's remind them," he said quietly, "why you don't come hunting here."
At last, before heading out, Ryusei sent another Katsuyu fragment back to the Shikkotsu Forest.
Through it, he quickly explained the situation and gave precise orders for what to relay to his clone stationed at the Daimyō's palace.
It was to prioritize saving Pakura and his uncle at all costs.
If they managed to escape, they were to be brought here to join the battle.
The clone was also to help and replenish their chakra using some of Ryusei's stored external reserves around the slug fragments in that sage region.
He had no idea which help would arrive first, or if it would arrive at all, but every second counted.
The most important thing now was keeping the enemy from discovering this laboratory.
There were too many irreplaceable things inside.
Including those newly forming white Byakugan that needed to be carefully moved around.