Adopted by Tsunade [101-102] (Patreon)

Chapter 101: The Growth of Hinata

Natsume had eaten too many dumplings and was full, so he didn't join Tsunade and Shizune for dinner.

With time to spare, he continued practicing the Flying Thunder God Technique in the courtyard.

By late night, after showering off the sweat, he returned to the room.

Tsunade was already asleep.

Natsume tiptoed into the bed, snuggled up to her, and wrapped his arm around her.

Holding this pleasantly plush pillow, he closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Morning.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell across the bed.

Tsunade opened her bright brown eyes.

She had slept well.

During their mission in the Land of Fire, she hardly slept properly and often dreamed,

to the point that Asuma jokingly assumed Natsume owed her hundreds of millions.

Kind of funny.

Natsume, when sleeping, is quite well-behaved.

He doesn't toss around, nor does he snore.

Just listening to his steady breathing gave Tsunade a deep sense of peace.

She, on the other hand, tends to move a lot in her sleep.

Right now, one of her hands was around Natsume, while the other rested on his abdomen.

Tsunade carefully slipped herself free, and when she saw she hadn't woken him, she breathed out in relief.

She put on her coat and headed to the kitchen.

Before long, Natsume woke up.

Mainly because that warm, soft sensation was gone.

He sighed.

If before it was pure enjoyment, now it was torture.

After all, he really had grown up.

Still, courtship is like this—you take it step by step.

He could already feel the changes in Tsunade since she'd come back.

But it still wasn't enough.

She still treated him like a child to be doted on, which wasn't exactly conducive to romance.

The day she lets her fiery side show, then they'll be about there.

"Smells great."

Passing by the kitchen, Natsume grew curious.

For someone as hopeless at cooking as Tsunade, a smell this good was downright suspicious.

"Sis, what are you making?"

Standing at the bathroom door, he asked, "Why does it smell so good?"

"Tonkotsu ramen,"

Tsunade lifted her chin proudly. "I guarantee it'll taste amazing."

"…"

Natsume immediately felt something was going to go wrong.

But he was used to it; after washing up he returned to the living room to wait.

Shizune was already seated at the table.

Relaxed, she said, "Don't worry. I went to Ichiraku Ramen yesterday and bought their ingredients."

Beautifully done!

Sister Shizune, you're my goddess!

It's just that Tsunade's cooking is a natural disaster.

Natsume told himself not to drop his guard because of this.

Soon, three bowls of tonkotsu ramen hit the table.

"Eat."

Tsunade picked up her chopsticks.

Natsume panicked inside, but outwardly nodded obediently.

He took a bite.

He raised an eyebrow.

No weird taste, but why is it completely different from Ichiraku's?

 Natsume shot Shizune a look—did you buy a counterfeit?

 Shizune looked equally puzzled, utterly baffled.

In the end, breakfast concluded safely.

In the morning, Natsume went to Shikkotsu Forest to suffer again.

But it was necessary.

First, to cultivate the image of a mature man.

Second, to strengthen his body.

Afternoon.

Tsunade headed to the Hokage building.

If she wanted to become Hokage, she couldn't remain so lax.

At her request, she was now moonlighting as a Hokage advisor.

She often quarreled with Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane—almost to the point of turning the Konoha high council into a martial arts brawl.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had always let those two advisors do as they pleased.

But Tsunade was different—if they needed to be smacked down, she smacked them down.

Natsume wholeheartedly approved.

Even when Naruto became Hokage, Mitokado and Koharu were still meddling in village affairs.

If they truly had wise counsel, no problem—but they were just smoothing things over.

Clinging to power for dear life.

Natsume trained the Flying Thunder God Technique until dusk, then slipped into the Hyuga compound.

But Hinata wasn't in her room.

In the past, he would've left immediately, worried about being discovered.

Now, with greater skill, he had greater nerve.

He went to the courtyard where Hinata trained and stumbled upon something interesting.

She was sparring with Neji.

Only Neji's face was full of shock and disbelief.

Because it was the first time he'd been on the back foot.

Previously, Hinata had always been timid when sparring with him, but for some reason, in just half a month, her style had changed dramatically.

Each move was measured and methodical, with a flowing, unbroken softness like water.

Neji wasn't used to her change, and thus lost the initiative.

Natsume nodded in satisfaction.

Training in the genjutsu space had been simple—he gave Hinata an enhanced version of Neji.

If Kakashi could rely on the Sharingan to become Konoha's top technician,

then Natsume using his Mangekyo Sharingan to copy the Byakugan and Gentle Fist wasn't much of a problem.

Add the effects of genjutsu, and creating a buffed-up Neji was easy.

Hinata's early finish in yesterday's fight proved she'd made significant progress.

Perhaps it was the chance for a breakthrough—an enlightenment of sorts.

Besides, Neji was only seven now, far from the version who entered the Chunin Exams in the original story.

Losing to a Hinata was normal.

"This is impossible!"

Neji's body went rigid; he couldn't circulate chakra anymore.

Without realizing it, he had lost to this timid heiress?

How absurd!

In that instant, his expression twisted.

One of the big reasons he resented being branch family,

was that he believed himself exceptionally gifted and should not be bound by the Caged Bird seal.

Hinata, meek and hesitant, could be main family.

Fate was simply unfair.

"I've already figured out your fighting style."

Hinata took a deep breath. "Unless you learn new Gentle Fist techniques, you won't be able to defeat me."

In the illusion, she had been defeated over and over.

After much thought, she came up with a clumsy method: memorize his entire attack pattern.

"I said that one day I would deal with the Caged Bird."

Hinata clenched her fists, her tone firm. "This is just the beginning."

Neji stared blankly at her, then regained his composure.

"Talk is cheap. You're main family—why would you undo the Caged Bird? And how do you plan to do it?"

"Because I don't like seeing you give up on yourself."

Hinata hesitated but voiced her reason.

There was another: Hiashi Hyuga.

He didn't like the Caged Bird either and had sighed many times over Hizashi's change of heart, but bound by tradition, he was too conservative.

Compared to Natsume, both of them lacked that sense of unrestrained freedom.

And Hinata didn't want Hanabi to be branded with the Caged Bird seal.

It was simply too awful.

"…"

For the first time, Neji learned how she saw him.

Calling it self-destructive was fair.

His fate was controlled by others, yet he was granted such talent—what a cosmic joke.

"As for how to do it?"

Hinata raised three fingers. "First, allow the branch family to learn advanced secret techniques, like Rotation. Second, the Caged Bird does protect the Byakugan, but return control to the branch family. Third, improve the seal and fix its blind-spot flaws."

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"

Neji's eyes widened, more shocked than by his defeat moments ago.

This was severing the root—cutting off all the main family's privileges.

Hinata blinked, not understanding why his reaction was so strong.

In truth, these three points were Natsume's suggestions.

She clearly didn't grasp the deeper implications the way Neji did.

"I…I really do think that."

Hinata reverted to her old self, looking a bit unsure.

Neji's feelings were a tangle.

In his view, Hinata obviously hadn't considered the other main family members and was acting purely out of kindness.

But these three proposals were far too tempting.

"Naive."

Neji took a deep breath and turned to leave.

Hinata suddenly felt at a loss.

Did I say something wrong?

Natsume appeared at the edge of her vision.

She was about to run over when he pointed toward her room, and she immediately understood.

Out here, they could be easily noticed.

"Confused, aren't you?"

Natsume picked her up and set her on a chair. "I'll talk to you tonight about the issues you just brought up."

Chapter 102: An Uncle Can Be Tolerated, But Not an Aunt

Natsume yawned.

After several hours of tutoring, Hinata finally understood why Neji had such an intense reaction.

But she didn't give up because of it, forming a sharp contrast with Hyuga Hiashi.

"What a good kid."

Natsume patted Hinata's small head and said, "Good night."

The next moment, he returned to his room.

In the darkness, Tsunade's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't open her eyes.

She hadn't fallen asleep at all.

Although she had made up her mind, watching Natsume not return for so long still made her feel a little upset.

Men are all philanderers at heart.

So young, and already showing those traits.

Natsume had no idea Tsunade was awake.

Unless he used sensory abilities.

But that wasn't going to happen.

He wasn't that bored.

Natsume took off his coat, slipped under the covers, and gazed at her exquisite, beautiful face.

In sleep, she looked rather peaceful.

He couldn't help reaching out and giving her cheek a little pinch.

Soft, springy, and smooth.

Natsume thought of how Tsunade often called herself old and couldn't help but smile.

With skin like this, she could pass for twenty.

A moment later, Natsume placed a light kiss on her face, then wrapped an arm around her neck and drifted off to sleep.

Tsunade slowly opened her eyes.

She didn't say anything; she moved closer, pressed her face to his, listened to his breathing, and gradually lost consciousness.

Morning.

When Natsume woke, Tsunade was no longer by his side.

He got dressed and left the room.

"Natsume."

Shizune suddenly caught him, curiosity written all over her face. "Did you say something to Lady Tsunade? She actually went out to buy breakfast today. That never happens."

"How would I know?"

Natsume was slightly stunned. His first reaction was actually a little regret that there'd be no more lovingly made breakfasts.

Opps.

Something must be wrong with me.

Before long—

Tsunade returned with breakfast.

"Your favorite, Ichiraku Ramen."

As she spoke, she opened the takeout box and set it in front of Natsume.

"…"

Shizune sensibly fended for herself, opening the bag and taking out her own box.

Natsume glanced at Tsunade and thought, She still treats me like a kid.

If she doesn't change her mindset, how are we supposed to date?

Looks like I'll have to handle this myself.

After breakfast, Natsume went to Shikkotsu Forest again, put on the Mask of Pain, and began another ordeal.

A dozen minutes later, his body flayed and bloody, he was caught by Tsunade.

Under her pained gaze, the treatment began.

Fresh skin spread and covered him anew.

Tsunade handed him a set of clothes.

The first time, she'd been shy; after seeing it so many times, she was used to it.

That's the scary thing about habit.

If not for the years they'd spent together, she wouldn't treat Natsume this specially.

Ever since the Second Great Ninja War, she'd sealed her heart away.

It was Natsume who, over many years, had gradually pried it open.

"Go back and take a bath."

Tsunade ruffled his hair. "I'm heading to the Hokage Building. There's a lot going on in Konoha lately—especially with the Uchiha."

"Mm."

Natsume nodded.

In fact, ever since learning of Orochimaru's moves from Itachi, he'd been paying attention too.

Because if they weren't careful, it would be the fuse that set off a Uchiha clan rebellion.

Hiruzen Sarutobi still hoped Itachi could mend the rift between the Uchiha and the village.

Yeah—kill them all, and there won't be a rift.

Natsume spent the next stretch of time switching between training Sage Mode and the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Until the Sacred Ring of Fate chimed with a prompt.

[Because of your actions, Uchiha Izumi's fate has changed. You have received 60 Fate Points.]

Natsume's eyes narrowed.

Orochimaru.

Lately he'd been trying to stimulate the awakening of a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.

The method was simple:

In front of an Uchiha prodigy, torture their beloved—like a close friend or a relative.

But targeting Uchiha Izumi was unexpected.

After all, it would provoke Itachi.

On second thought, it made sense.

In today's Uchiha clan, the most famous prodigy is Itachi, followed by Izumi.

As for Sasuke, he's too young and hasn't realized his potential yet.

Orochimaru had already tried the other prodigies; it was Izumi's turn.

Natsume vanished from where he stood.

The next moment, he was inside a certain experimental base.

"No, don't!"

Uchiha Izumi's heart-wrenching scream rang out.

She was confined in a room, her Sharingan exuding a shocking aura.

Not far away, Orochimaru had his hand around her mother Uchiha Hazuki's throat.

As if she'd die the very next second.

Suddenly, Orochimaru's cold smile froze.

Someone had broken into his lab.

He tossed Hazuki aside, turned, opened the door—and saw someone who shouldn't be there.

The leader of the mysterious organization.

"How did you find this place?"

Orochimaru's tone was icy.

This underground base should theoretically be known only to him.

"Was it that hard to find?"

Natsume smiled and countered.

"…"

Orochimaru skipped past that and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"Hand over the people inside."

Natsume couldn't be bothered with small talk and cut straight to the point.

He knew that would set Orochimaru on guard, but he didn't care.

"They're already mine. I won't hand them to you."

Orochimaru felt a thrill inside—being coveted by the mysterious man meant Izumi had the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"We can make a deal."

Natsume had anticipated this and wasn't surprised.

"I'm not in the mood to deal. Not for now."

Orochimaru shook his head.

Compared to the troublesome Itachi, Izumi was obviously easier to control.

He wasn't about to give her up.

"Can't come to terms?"

Natsume raised a brow, a wave of pressure spreading.

But Orochimaru didn't hesitate in the slightest. He struck without warning.

He'd long wanted to test Natsume's true weight.

Besides, Orochimaru never bowed to threats.

Natsume had challenged his bottom line again and again. An uncle can be tolerated, but not an aunt.

How could I swallow this? I just learned Cursed Seals and Wood Release.

Ten Thousand Serpents Formation!

A dense mass of venomous snakes poured from Orochimaru's mouth.

As if his stomach held an entire world of snakes.

Natsume really wanted to ask him, Why do you stuff everything into your belly? Aren't you afraid it'll kill you?

The serpent tide moved at terrifying speed, surging over him like a looming sky and engulfing him in an instant.

Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Technique!

Natsume neither dodged nor flinched. His right arm burst into countless wooden spikes.

The moment they touched the nearest snake, they turned into blades, piercing its body—then exploding outward, turning it into a pincushion.

The wood spikes extended further, like a domino chain, one after another.

In a flash, the serpent horde lay dead.

Orochimaru drew a deep breath, black markings blooming across his face.

Curse Mark Transformation—activated.

This was the source of his confidence in making a move.

The Heaven Curse Mark, though not on par with Sage Mode, boosted his power immensely.