It was the kind of thing where even if someone investigated, they wouldn't find a trace of anything wrong. At the thought of her sealing scroll gaining hundreds of thousands of ryo, Tsunade felt an impulse to keep gambling.
Kiyoshi was right. It was by borrowing her luck that they won so much. If he hadn't come, she would have used that final chip herself anyway.
"Lady Tsunade, we still have a mission to execute," Kiyoshi said immediately, seeing that Tsunade was showing signs of that eager impulse.
"I know, I know," Tsunade said, waving her hand.
She took off her green robe, revealing her ninja combat gear beneath. Her torso was covered in a layer of armor with a metallic luster, and she wore corresponding gauntlets on her wrists. Even so, one could see those exaggerated curves.
"Fine."
Kiyoshi nodded and followed Tsunade out. They left behind only the whispering gamblers. Those people had no problem with Kiyoshi giving half the money to Tsunade; on the contrary, they looked forward to the Legendary Sucker continuing to deliver money so they could take back the half Kiyoshi had won.
***
The mission location was outside the borders of the Land of Fire. The first thing Kiyoshi and Tsunade had to do was leave the territory of the Land of Fire.
"Lady Tsunade, rumors say the First Hokage knew Senjutsu?"
Among the Three Great Sage Regions, Shikkotsu Forest was undoubtedly the most mysterious. Whether it was Mount Myoboku or Ryuchi Cave, many people had visited them. Yet, aside from the summoning of Katsuyu, there were no other descriptions of Shikkotsu Forest.
In fact, whether Hashirama's Senjutsu actually came from Shikkotsu Forest was something that required careful scrutiny.
"Did Orochimaru tell you something about that?"
Tsunade looked at Kiyoshi while leaping across tree branches to make time. She knew Orochimaru and Kiyoshi had been close lately. It was quite a coincidence that the three of them, known as the "Sannin," had each obtained different inheritances from the Three Great Sage Regions.
That fellow Jiraiya had successfully mastered [Sage Mode], while she and Orochimaru had failed. Moreover, Orochimaru seemed to have paid a certain price. The White Snake Sage did not have a good temper like Katsuyu; it was a ninja beast that had eaten many people. If not for the prestige of being a Sage Region and the title of Senjutsu, people might view them as demons.
"He did mention it." Kiyoshi did not deny it.
"I heard Senjutsu can increase the power of all techniques several times over, is that right?" Kiyoshi asked, feigning partial knowledge.
Tsunade nodded. "That's how it is, but it is incredibly difficult to learn. Aside from the show-off Jiraiya, no one has successfully mastered Senjutsu."
Tsunade's tone was flat; she had no real desire for Senjutsu. Even Jiraiya's Senjutsu required the Summoning Jutsu to bring out two toads to cooperate. Researching Senjutsu was truly inferior to continuing to refine one's own area of expertise.
"What I want to know is, can it amplify Medical Ninjutsu?"
Kiyoshi's next sentence caused even the fast-moving Tsunade to freeze for a moment. This was a completely new perspective.
"Perhaps it could," Tsunade said uncertainly.
"Then, is it possible to take just a bit of a deceased person's genetic material and use Medical Ninjutsu bolstered by Senjutsu to resurrect them?" Kiyoshi spoke again.
With genetic material and a massive amount of vitality to stimulate growth, it was theoretically possible to resurrect a subject's physical body. It would be like the jutsu [One's Own Life Resurrection], though its medium was the original person's puppet and the cost was the user's entire chakra.
Kiyoshi was actually thinking about whether the ordinary chakra consumed could be supplemented with Senjutsu chakra. One would only need to create several Shadow Clones to act as Senjutsu chakra battery packs. That way, the person themselves wouldn't be drained dry.
"I'm afraid that isn't something a bit of chakra could achieve."
Two figures, one tall and one short, flashed through Tsunade's eyes. One was her former love interest, and the other was her dearest little brother. Sadly, both were dead. The joy Tsunade felt from winning money was instantly dampened significantly. She simply buried her head and continued traveling.
Kiyoshi didn't speak either, following Tsunade. The atmosphere between the two suddenly became silent. Only after a long while did Tsunade say melancholically, "If it were truly possible, that would be wonderful."
"Indeed."
Kiyoshi echoed Tsunade's sentiment. If one were to ask what Tsunade's deepest wish was, it would certainly be to resurrect those two! When Orochimaru went to Tanzaku Quarters and claimed he could resurrect them in exchange for her help in destroying the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsunade had wavered.
She thought for an entire week before deciding to refuse him. If the [Reanimation Jutsu] didn't require sacrifices and Orochimaru didn't need to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsunade's final answer would be easy to guess.
Of course, Kiyoshi currently had no intention of resurrecting Dan Kato and Nawaki. He simply wanted to leave an impression in Tsunade's mind. Once he mastered the [Sage Mode] of Ryuchi Cave, he would use this as a breakthrough point to have Tsunade take him to Shikkotsu Forest.
As for whether this theory could actually resurrect people, Kiyoshi didn't know; he was only concerned with painting a grand vision. If the "bread" didn't materialize, it must be because [Sage Mode] wasn't perfect yet, and Tsunade would have to help him find the one from Mount Myoboku...
***
"That's a child from that village, right? The place where the fighting happened earlier."
A child wearing a green hat looked at the Director in front of him. They were currently standing near the boundary between scorched earth and green land. On the scorched side was a ruin of buildings after a fire, still continuously emitting smoke.
"What should we do, Director? This guy looks like he won't live long. Should we take him back?"
The voluptuous woman in the black nun's habit smiled upon hearing this and said, "Urushi, his injuries are much lighter than yours were back then."
She placed her hands on the head of the unconscious child leaning against a broken tree. Instantly, a pale green light emerged from her palms. The unconscious child gradually showed signs of waking up, and the hazy face of the nun appeared in his eyes.
"Don't worry. Despite how I look, I know a little bit of Medical Ninjutsu," Nono Yakushi said.
The child in front of her had a vacant expression and did nothing but shake his head. Nono called for Urushi behind her to help support the child.
"Lucky you. Come, hold onto my shoulder." Since the Director had spoken, Urushi had no choice but to support the dazed child, who was about his age. The group headed back toward the orphanage.
***
An hour later.
"Has the war already spread this far?" Tsunade frowned.
Next to several broken trees ahead was a destroyed village. She didn't sense the presence of any living people either. This indicated that the villagers had likely met with misfortune. Faced with such an offensive, few villagers could survive.
"There is an orphanage ahead; let's go take a look," Kiyoshi suggested.
There was a small village ten kilometers away where they had briefly resupplied before continuing. On the way, they learned that a new orphanage had opened recently. It had received support from the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf Village, and many orphans had been sent there.
The Director was a beautiful and gentle blonde woman wearing round-framed glasses. Hearing this, Kiyoshi knew it was Nono Yakushi! He then suggested taking this path. It didn't conflict with the final route to the border, so Tsunade didn't refuse. Thus, the current scene unfolded.
"Very well." Tsunade nodded with a complex look in her eyes.
Come to think of it, she had never been to a place like an orphanage. Her parents, grandfather, grand-uncle, and even other close relatives had died one after another while she was quite young.
After that, her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki, raised her alongside Kushina Uzumaki. By now, she was the only one left among her relatives within three generations. The Senju clan no longer existed.
***
"From now on, you will live here. That is to say, from today on, I am your mother."
Nono Yakushi smiled, her saintly expression radiating maternal light as she patted the boy's shoulder. Surrounding them was a group of children of similar age, all gathered around Nono.
"But it's very inconvenient that this guy has no name," Urushi said.
"True... what should we call him?" Nono pushed up her glasses and pondered for a moment before speaking. "Hmm... Kabuto... how about that name? You can take the surname Yakushi with me."
Nono's tone was gentle. The surrounding children chimed in with their opinions.
"Isn't the Director being a bit casual with the naming?"
"Simplicity is the truth..."
Kabuto Yakushi didn't care about the noisy voices of the others. He stared blankly at Nono's saint-like mercy. For the first time, his heart felt a massive stir. This was... a woman who could become his mother. Kabuto's vacant expression finally changed, revealing a smile.
Before anyone else could say anything, an old maintenance man with square-framed glasses and slicked-back gray hair came in from outside.
"Director, there are two ninjas outside who want to see you."
"Ninjas..." Nono frowned slightly. "Who are they?"
"There is a black-haired man who claims to be Kiyoshi Uchiha."
"...Kiyoshi?"
Nono subconsciously clenched her hand. A wave of pain suddenly shot through Kabuto's right shoulder. Realizing her loss of composure, Nono quickly apologized to Kabuto. A ninja, even an unconscious action, was not something an ordinary person could withstand. She hurriedly walked out.
The others in the orphanage looked at each other. This was the first time they had seen the Director lose her composure like this, and they couldn't help but wonder who Kiyoshi Uchiha was. A child who knew a bit more spoke up: "The Uchiha is a very powerful clan among ninjas!"
The group of children was instantly amazed. Any ninja lord was someone they needed to revere, yet now an "elder" among the ninja lords had arrived? Kabuto looked blankly at Nono's departing figure; his nearsighted eyes only allowed him to see a hazy shape. But he still felt a sense of loss in his heart.
Kiyoshi Uchiha... did he matter that much to Mother... to the Director?
"Teacher Nono, I didn't expect to run into you here."
Kiyoshi smiled. Tsunade was also surprised; she knew Nono Yakushi had found a secluded place to live in seclusion after retiring. She hadn't expected it to be to open an orphanage.
"Kiyoshi, you've changed so much."
Nono sighed. It was undeniable that after so much time, Kiyoshi had grown taller and more handsome. But a trace of bloodlust had also begun to cling to him. This was a problem every ninja who had been to the battlefield and killed people had to face.