Chapter 116

Tsunade's roar reverberated through the streets, immediately drawing the attention of passersby.

Unbothered by the stares, she stormed out of the Hokage building, muttering angrily to herself, "That idiot! After nearly four years, and he still has the same perverted tendencies, no sign of changing at all."

Compared to Jiraiya, Orochimaru was the picture of perfection in her mind.

At the thought of Orochimaru, Tsunade's expression softened, shifting into a warm smile, as if Jiraiya's nonsense had already faded from memory.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya, now crumpled in a heap on the floor, was barely hanging on to consciousness. The occasional twitch of his sandals was the only indication that he was still alive after taking Tsunade's infamous punch.

*Whoosh!*

A chuunin suddenly appeared in front of Tsunade, his expression slightly awkward.

"Tsunade-sama!"

"Hm? What is it?" she asked, pausing mid-stride.

The chuunin hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "Well… you might need to head over to the ninja academy…"

"Ninja academy?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed in understanding. "Ah... I see what's going on."

---

Half an hour earlier, at the Konoha Ninja Academy…

"Tomato! Hey, from now on, your name is Tomato!"

"Hahaha! Look at that round, chubby face and that bright red hair! Doesn't she look just like a tomato?"

"How could a tomato ever become Hokage? I hate tomatoes more than anything."

"Same here. I leave them in my salad every time!"

"An unpopular tomato like you will never be recognized by the village!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A group of boys stood around a little girl with striking red hair, laughing loudly. The girl's face was flushed, but she remained silent, glaring at them.

One boy, emboldened by the group's jeers, reached out to grab the girl's hair. "Tomato Day is here! Let's harvest some fruit!"

What they didn't realize was that the girl was teetering on the edge of exploding.

*Bang!*

Before the boy could react, his wrist was tightly gripped by the girl's small but powerful hand.

"Who do you think you're calling a tomato?" she growled. "For the record, I hate tomatoes too!" With a yell, the girl used her surprising strength to lift the boy off the ground and throw him to the side like he was weightless.

Before the other boys could react, she lunged forward, fists flying, slamming into the boy's head repeatedly.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Punch after punch landed with brutal force.

"If you keep calling me a tomato, I'll make sure you won't be able to eat or even walk straight!"

The other boys screamed and scrambled to get away, helpless against her strength. As they fled, the girl heard another burst of laughter nearby. She whipped her head around and spotted a blonde boy in the same class, giggling at the scene.

"And what are you laughing at?" she snapped. "You laugh one more time, and I'll beat you up too, you sissy!"

The blonde boy froze, eyes wide with terror, and quickly turned his back on her to avoid her wrath.

---

"Really, Kushina, why are you always fighting?" Tsunade sighed as she ruffled the red-haired girl's hair in the academy office.

Uzumaki Kushina, despite her fierce temper, had a special place in Tsunade's heart. After all, Uzumaki Mito, Kushina's predecessor as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was Tsunade's grandmother. There was a family bond between them, and after Mito passed, Tsunade had taken it upon herself to keep an eye on the surviving members of the Uzumaki clan.

Today, however, Tsunade had been summoned to the academy because Kushina had beaten up a group of boys.

Kushina, feeling guilty, kept her head down, waiting for the scolding she assumed was coming. The teacher nervously began explaining the situation.

"Tsunade-sama, it's like this…"

But after hearing the story, Tsunade's reaction wasn't what Kushina expected.

"So that's what happened, huh?" Tsunade said with a casual shrug. "Alright, let's go, Kushina."

Without another word, she turned and walked out of the office.

Both the teacher and Kushina were left dumbfounded by Tsunade's nonchalant response, but Kushina quickly followed her out.

"Wait… aren't you going to scold me?" Kushina asked, confused.

Tsunade didn't even look back. "Why would I scold you?"

Kushina frowned. "Because I beat them up? Isn't fighting in school supposed to be wrong?"

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. "So what? You beat them up. Big deal. If it were me, I probably would've hit them even harder."

Kushina's eyes widened in surprise, but Tsunade wasn't finished.

"Kushina, listen. If you go around picking fights with people for no reason, then yeah, I'd scold you. But if someone messes with you first? Don't be afraid to give them what they deserve. If it gets out of hand, don't worry I'll back you up."

Tsunade's tone was so confident, so resolute, that it left no room for doubt. They walked down the street, Tsunade's words hanging in the air.

For someone like Tsunade, who had always been quick-tempered and fierce, her attitude was clearly rubbing off on Kushina. In fact, Kushina admired her for it. Tsunade's boldness and strength made her an ideal role model in Kushina's eyes.

But then Kushina's expression shifted to one of worry. "Tsunade-sama, can I ask you something?"

Tsunade glanced down at her. "Sure, what's on your mind?"

Kushina's voice dropped. "If I keep acting like this… will anyone ever like me?"

Tsunade paused, a little taken aback by the question. Kushina's red hair had always made her stand out, and being different often meant being isolated. If she was also known for being violent, it was easy to understand why Kushina might worry that no one would want to be around her.

Tsunade thought for a moment, then smiled. "Kushina, what do you think of me?"

"You?" Kushina blinked. "I don't really know much, but… I've heard people say you like gambling and drinking, and that you have a pretty bad temper…"

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. Before Kushina could finish, she realized her mistake. "No—wait! That's not what I meant!"

Seeing Tsunade's narrowing eyes, she quickly waved her hands defensively. "I mean, I really like you, Tsunade-sama! You're strong, and I want to be just like you!"

Tsunade's face darkened, but she forced a smile, trying to keep her temper in check. "Good to know," she muttered, though her patience was wearing thin.

She took a deep breath and added, "Don't let appearances fool you, kid. Believe it or not, I have a boyfriend."

"What?" Kushina's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You… have a boyfriend?"

The look on her face was as if she'd just heard the most impossible thing in the world.

Tsunade's patience was officially shot. That look felt like a knife in her heart.

Could she really be that unbelievable?

But before she could lash out, Kushina's next words brought her back to her senses.

"Tsunade-sama's boyfriend must be an incredible ninja, right?"

Tsunade's mood instantly improved. She couldn't help but smile with pride. "Of course! I can say with confidence that among all the ninjas our age, there's no one better than him."

"Really?" Kushina's eyes sparkled with amazement. "He must be so strong!"

"Definitely!" Tsunade beamed, her chest swelling with pride as she thought of Orochimaru. For her, being with Orochimaru felt like the best decision she'd ever made.

The more she talked about him, the more animated she became, recounting Orochimaru's many accomplishments. At one point, she nearly let some classified information slip, but caught herself just in time.

Still, even without the sensitive details, her stories were enough to spark a deep curiosity in Kushina. Tsunade, who was usually fiery and temperamental, was now openly showing a softer, more feminine side, something Kushina found fascinating.

For the young Uzumaki, Orochimaru had now become a figure of great intrigue. And seeing Tsunade act like this? Well, it wasn't something most people got to witness.

It was clear that whoever this man was, he was someone special.