Konoha's attitude towards Kekkei Genkai remained quite tolerant.
But if it were just an ordinary Kekkei Genkai, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to seek her out...
As she considered her own status, Tsunade's eyes flickered with a sudden, almost unbelievable suspicion.
After a moment of silence, a rich, fragrant aroma suddenly filled the air, interrupting Tsunade's thoughts and making her swallow involuntarily.
"What did you do? What's that incredible smell?"
"Kung Pao Chicken."
Minato held up a plate for Tsunade to see. It was filled with chunks of chicken thigh meat soaked in red oil, garnished with green and red chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns.
The dish wasn't particularly complicated. Though a meat dish, it had a refreshing quality, and Minato personally preferred it spicier.
Tsunade picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and stuffed it into her mouth.
"So spicy! But so fragrant! Hiss... it would be even better with some wine!"
"Looks like you can't handle the spice after all..."
Seeing Tsunade hissing and sputtering from the heat, Minato felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected anyone to be overwhelmed by the Kung Pao Chicken. He quickly handed her a glass of water.
"Calm down for a moment. The other dishes aren't spicy."
"What else is there?" Tsunade asked, her eyes gleaming. The spicy chicken she'd just eaten had only whetted her appetite, her stomach growling and saliva pooling in her mouth.
"A plate of beef with scallions, a dish of tomato and egg stir-fry, and some pan-fried cod. Everything's ready to eat."
Minato summoned a Shadow Clone, and with two stoves lit, the dishes were quickly prepared.
"Oh my! This looks amazing!"
After serving the rice, Tsunade eagerly picked up a piece of beef and took a bite. The tender, savory meat, coated in a glossy sauce, left a lingering, fragrant taste on her tongue.
"So delicious!"
When she looked up again, her eyes sparkled as she gazed at Minato. "I've never tasted any of these dishes before! Where did you learn to cook like this? Sake-Sake House? No, this is even better than that!"
Sake-Sake House was a renowned Chinese-style izakaya in Konoha, its entrance proudly displaying the characters for "Book of War" (Bingzhi Shu). Known for its stir-fries and fine wines, the establishment had struck Minato as quite a novelty when he first learned of it.
"It's just ordinary stir-fry," Minato replied modestly. "I studied my mother's cooking techniques and adapted them. The main differences are the ingredients and seasonings. I was worried it might be too greasy for your taste."
Minato chuckled sheepishly. In the Shinobi World, while there were chefs, the variety of dishes was limited, and the culinary skills were generally lacking. The most famous dish was something like Mapo Tofu.
"What are you talking about?" Tsunade said, sweeping up the food on the table with voracious hunger. "Ninjas need high-energy food!"
In no time, all four plates were cleared. Seeing his cooking so thoroughly enjoyed brought a delighted smile to Minato's face.
That bright, handsome smile left Tsunade momentarily dazed.
Tsk, this brat is too perfect.
"Burp~"
Tsunade let out an undignified burp, then leaned back lazily in her chair, tapping her fingertips against the table. "Alright, spill it. Why did you come to see me? Considering this meal, I'll do my best to help you."
Minato nodded, got up to turn on the light, and drew the curtains shut. He returned to his seat, meeting Tsunade's probing gaze as he extended his hand.
Crackling...
In the next instant, under Tsunade's astonished stare, a sapling slowly sprouted from Minato's palm. The tiny tree grew rapidly, sprouting branches covered in vibrant green leaves.
"So it really is like this..."
Tsunade waved her hand when the sapling in Minato's hand stopped growing. "Alright, put it away. So, your goal is to master the ninjutsu left behind by the First Hokage, isn't it?"
"Yes," Minato nodded, tucking the sapling away.
Tsunade was puzzled. She and Nawaki were direct descendants of the First Hokage, yet neither of them had inherited the Wood Release. Instead, this little blond kid had suddenly shown up and demonstrated the very same ability!
"Do either of your parents have blood ties to the Senju Clan?" she asked.
"I'm not really sure about that..." Minato replied.
"Hmm... never mind, it's not important." Tsunade dismissed the matter. After all, tracing a family tree back eighteen generations would yield over half a million ancestors. Even if Minato's surname was Uzumaki, it was possible that some distant ancestor had carried Senju blood. While rare, genetic reversion was not unheard of. Strictly speaking, even the most powerful Kekkei Genkai abilities were essentially manifestations of genetic reversion.
Tsunade's gaze toward Minato carried a hint of admiration. "Impressive. You were right not to make a fuss. But why did you choose to tell me instead of the Third Hokage?"
"To be honest... I don't really trust the village's leadership."
Minato had long prepared an explanation for Tsunade's question, partly as a warning to her.
Even someone as good-natured as him burned with anger at the despicable deeds committed by the Konoha F4 in the original story.
"My father used to be a chūnin in the village. Later, because my mother was ill, he left the ninja ranks and became a merchant. But beyond that, he also mentioned... that after the Third Hokage ascended to the position, the village's atmosphere changed."
"Changed?" Tsunade asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"My father once said that the First Hokage was so powerful that he could have single-handedly made the entire Shinobi World love peace. The Second Hokage wasn't as strong as the First, but he was strong enough to ensure that only one voice prevailed within the village."
Seeing Tsunade's thoughtful expression, Minato continued, "After the Third Hokage succeeded him, several members of the Second Hokage's Shadow Guard became high-ranking officials in various village departments."
"From that point on, whether intentionally or not, a power bloc centered around the Hokage's authority, bound by former camaraderie, had formed."
Minato spoke conservatively and bluntly.
His conservatism stemmed from his young age—just five years old. Fortunately, children in the Shinobi World tend to mature early, so his words were merely a question, not even a proper challenge.
His bluntness arose from Tsunade's... or perhaps from most characters in Naruto's... apparent lack of political acumen. He genuinely feared she wouldn't understand.
"You little brat..."
Tsunade frowned deeply. Minato's meaning was crystal clear: he was worried about the Konoha elders colluding, clinging to power, and suppressing—or even eliminating—new talent they couldn't control.
Though she hadn't heard of such egregious acts recently, she couldn't rule them out entirely. The ninja world had never lacked for such dark, filthy schemes.
As for collusion and power-grabbing, she did indeed have vague suspicions in that direction, especially in the past two years, as the bureaucratic tendencies of the elders had become increasingly pronounced.
However, some truths were tacitly understood yet never openly acknowledged.
"You shouldn't speak such things so carelessly!" Tsunade warned.
"Actually, I was just ensuring my own safety. I couldn't be certain about the higher-ups' stance towards me, so I naturally wouldn't rely on them."
Minato smiled sheepishly. "But Tsunade-senpai is different. As the granddaughter of Konoha's founder and the most outstanding female ninja of our generation, you're deeply trusted by everyone. I imagine you're proud of your lineage, and at the very least, you wouldn't do anything to tarnish the First Hokage's reputation."
Of course, this was just an excuse. Minato couldn't exactly say he'd read the script and knew she was more trustworthy than the rotten Konoha higher-ups.
Fortunately, though the words smacked of flattery, they clearly pleased Tsunade.
"Hmph, that's true enough. But don't say such things again. Konoha has plenty of intelligence-gathering ninjutsu, even techniques that can monitor a person's privacy in real-time. Even when you're alone, you should be careful."
As Tsunade spoke, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.
She found Minato's words reasonable. Though she hadn't inherited the Wood Release, she had indeed inherited the Senju Clan's powerful sensory abilities. Her intuition in certain matters was remarkably accurate.
At least from her perspective, the higher-ups weren't exactly good people, especially Shimura Danzo, the current Hokage's assistant.
Still, she warned him again, "At your age and skill level, you shouldn't know this much."
"Don't worry too much. The old man might be a bit indecisive, but he's still trustworthy. He's in his prime, and his position is secure. At least for the short term, nothing will happen. Besides, Wood Release is crucial to Konoha. Those guys would be thrilled to have someone with that ability."
"But what if it's not just Wood Release?"
Minato raised his hand, and a dazzling light erupted from his fingertips.
Whether it was Wood Release or the Sharingan, their power depended on the amount of chakra. Even with the All Things in Creation power accelerating his growth, it would still take until his teens to develop a formidable combat strength.
But the Glint-Glint Fruit was different. This power from another film set could be activated solely with physical strength. Its ability to elementalize allowed him to ignore most attacks while also potentially integrating with his chakra system. It was his preferred combat method in the early stages.
"What is this?!"
Tsunade bolted upright, her face a mask of shock.
"A Kekkei Genkai?"