Chapter 17 Treat, Behead, Accept

When Natsume woke up, he found himself back in Konoha.

Scratching his head, he remarked, "Unexpectedly, I fell asleep because it was so soft and fragrant."

"How can you oversleep at your age?" he chided himself.

In the hall, Shizune was engrossed in a book, while Tsunade was conspicuously absent.

"Sister Shizune, I'm going back to the orphanage," he informed.

"Be careful on the road," Shizune replied, not at all surprised by his frequent visits to the orphanage.

While Konoha Village might be extensive, the core area within the barrier wasn't that large. The Uchiha clan's dissatisfaction with their new territory stemmed from reaching the barrier's edge. Continuing in this direction would lead them to the perilous Forest of Death. Uchiha Fugaku had used this situation to emphasize their loss of dignity compared to Shimura Danzo.

Senju Hashirama's former residence and the orphanage resided in the central area, so they were relatively close.

After a brief walk, Natsume arrived at his destination.

"Brother Natsume, you are back!"

"Brother Natsume!"

"wao candies!"

The moment Natsume walked into the orphanage, he was swarmed by a group of children.

He opened the bag in his hand and said, "Don't grab it, one lollipop for each person."

"Thank you, brother!" the children chimed in gratitude as they eagerly received their candy.

Natsume scanned the room and soon spotted Kabuto Yakushi, who was engrossed in examining a little white rabbit's anatomy.

"Kabuto, do you want some candy?" Natsume approached and asked.

"I'm not a child," Kabuto Yakushi responded with a shake of his head. His hands bore the marks of dissecting the white rabbit, and he displayed no fear or distress.

At just seven years old, Kabuto didn't look his age, and his demeanor was mature beyond his years.

"Kabuto, you'll come with me to see Tsunade-sama shortly. You can showcase your medical skills," Natsume informed him.

He unwrapped a lollipop and savored it while the prospect seemed to excite Yakushi Kabuto. His previous calm facade dissolved, and he inquired with evident enthusiasm, "Tsunade-sama, will she accept me?"

"Yes," Natsume confirmed. He couldn't help but contemplate how unaware Kabuto was of the extraordinary talent he possessed in the field of medicine. "Even if she doesn't take you as a disciple, I'll make sure she teaches you medical ninjutsu."

Given the current state of their relationship, with some effort and persuasion, it should be achievable.

Caretaker Nono was, in fact, an excellent medical ninja, but her position was quite delicate.

Kabuto Yakushi was under her care, and she had to be cautious not to draw the attention of Shimura Danzo, the first-generation Hokage, who had a tendency to recruit and manipulate geniuses.

Shimura Danzo aimed to integrate such talents into his organization, root, by conditioning and transforming them into loyal followers.

On the other hand, Orochimaru collected the bodies of exceptionally gifted individuals for the purpose of using them as vessels for himself.

Yakushi Kabuto undeniably met the criteria.

Natsume pondered for a moment and decided to share an amusing joke from his previous life: "Did you hear about the woman who complained about her rabbit stew."

He then added with a playful grin, "She said there was a hare in her soup" Kabuto Yakushi was taken aback for a couple of seconds, then he nodded, saying, "Yes I planned to stew it later."

The orphanage wasn't particularly affluent, and hence, wasting food was not an option.

Natsume observed the kids for a while as they focused on the rabbit but found it rather uninteresting. Instead, he decided to engage in ninjutsu practice nearby.

Today's choice was the D-level teleportation technique.

This technique was incredibly valuable. Namikaze Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique was essentially a more advanced teleportation technique, incorporating space manipulation that went beyond the reach of most ordinary ninjas.

In contrast, the D-level teleportation technique was the most fundamental form of teleportation. It wasn't true teleportation; it was achieved through acceleration, creating the illusion of instantaneous movement.

In addition to this, Natsume was also learning another basic water release ninjutsu: Water Chaos. This technique required forming three hand seals and enabled the user to shoot out a powerful stream of water from their mouth to attack an opponent.

Given his natural affinity for the water element, which was his primary affinity, he prioritized mastering water release techniques. By using water escape ninjutsu, he could further conceal his true nature as a wood release user and present himself as a water release specialist.

Natsume enjoyed the rest of his Sunday at the orphanage before returning in the evening.

"You are back? "

Tsunade was already home, sitting on the sofa, and watching TV. Although technology like televisions and computers existed in the ninja world, access to these devices was limited, especially among those who struggled to make ends meet. The world outside the five great nations was even more impoverished.

Yet, despite the socio-economic divide, ordinary people couldn't challenge the ninja status quo. A single jonin could easily handle the problems of thousands of civilians. This power imbalance ensured the stability of the ninja world.

Upon returning, Natsume settled next to Tsunade, and as usual, she affectionately placed her hand on his shoulder, even ruffling his hair, much like how someone would pet a cat. In that moment, Natsume couldn't help but feel like a pet. Interestingly, this reminded him of his love for cats from his previous life.

It was the weekend, so Natsume decided to take a break from learning Wood Release Ninjutsu. Meanwhile, Shizune was diligently working as a medical ninja.

Natsume couldn't help but think, "Studying medicine alone can't save the ninja world." He knew that an ordinary medical ninja could never reach the level of expertise that Tsunade had achieved. Even in her late stages, Tsunade seemed like a soy saucer compared to her full potential.

As Natsume pondered, he noticed a pleasant fragrance in the air. It was like the scent of flowers, and he couldn't quite tell if it was perfume or simply a pleasant natural aroma.

Then, he recalled a theory from his previous life. If you can smell a person's fragrance without them wearing perfume, it means your genes have selected them, and any offspring you have together will be less likely to have immune gene defects. It was an interesting thought that briefly crossed his mind.

As Natsume pondered the pleasant fragrance, he couldn't help but wonder if Tsunade had used perfume. He decided to ask her.

"Sister, did you use perfume?" Natsume inquired.

Tsunade smelled herself subconsciously and then responded, "No. Is there any strange smell?"

Natsume shook his head and said, "I seemed to smell a fragrance just now."

Tsunade paused for a moment, and a playful smile crossed her face. She moved closer to Natsume, her body entangling like a snake, and teased, "Smell it again and see what it smells like?"

Natsume's face turned red.

["Woman! You are playing with fire!"]

He couldn't help but make a silent vow, ["Why am I so small? You wait! Just wait. Brother will make sure you give me dozens of babies!"]

The always honest boy in his mind seemed to be facing an unexpected challenge.

As Natsume observed Tsunade's behavior, he couldn't help but feel that she was behaving quite differently from his previous impressions of her. Her affection seemed to have intensified, making him question if this was what having a sister was like.

"I can't watch TV like this," Natsume finally managed to say, feeling the need for some fresh air.

Tsunade then allowed him to go, releasing him from her affectionate grasp.

Over the course of the following two weeks, Natsume continued attending school while also making progress in taking control of Gunma Company. With Tsunade's support, the process was relatively straightforward. They treated the company's leaders as guests, and if negotiations didn't go well, they didn't hesitate to take more forceful measures. Soon, the company leaders began to fall in line, welcoming their new boss and pledging their loyalty.

Gunma Company primarily dealt in two businesses: casinos and underground banking, which included lending services. Both were less-than-savory enterprises, but with Tsunade and Natsume now at the helm, things were changing.

With control over Gunma Company in his hands, Natsume immediately initiated a process of reform. He didn't stop at just the casino but also made changes to the underground bank, converting it into a banking model similar to what he knew from his previous life. Understanding the profitability of banking, he felt this was a prudent decision.

These renovations and changes would take a month or two, and there was also the need to train the staff, which would be a time-consuming process. However, for now, Natsume put this on hold.

He had other matters to attend to. He planned to visit Orochimaru and deliver a significant gift to his deskmate, Uchiha Itachi. Simultaneously, he aimed to use the money he had earned to hire ninjas for a mission to Kusagakure. The choice of which ninjas to hire was a decision he would need to make carefully.

Under the dark moonlight and high winds, Natsume used a point of fate to send his wooden clone to Orochimaru's courtyard, setting his plans into motion.