Mount Myōboku.
The Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, stirred from a deep slumber.
His usually cloudy eyes were, for once, startlingly clear and wise.
He recalled the chaotic visions from his dream.
After a long moment of contemplation, Gamamaru abandoned his initial plan of sending the toads to investigate what was happening in the shinobi world.
The world is constantly changing. Destiny is never set in stone.
If the future has become unreadable...
Then trying to control or prepare for it is nothing but a fool's errand.
Just as the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, once said:
From ancient times until now, the true protagonists of this world have always been humans. The best thing the toads can do is understand their place, maintain their integrity, and know their limits.
They are summon beasts, meant to aid humans in battle.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The future of humanity should be left to humans themselves.
As long as they are not completely wiped out—as long as shinobi still exist—the toad clan will have a place in this world.
...
"Haaah—so... what's your plan to power me up fast? Gonna use one of those weird crash-course ninjutsu of yours?"
Tsunade flopped down in a starfish pose on the grass, gasping for breath, her whole body aching.
If not for her Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique's insane regenerative abilities...
She probably would've already been playing cards in the Pure Land with Grandpa and Uncle.
"That's part of it. The other part is teaching you Sage Arts."
Yamanaka Shinno answered while using Earth Style to patch up the cratered terrain outside their training ground.
After all, this place had been painstakingly constructed by Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya with a mountain of resources. Borrowing it for a sparring session was one thing, but leaving it in ruins would just be rude.
"Sage Arts? Sage Mode? The Slug Sage already told me I don't have the talent for that."
Tsunade frowned slightly.
Among the sages of the three major summoning realms, the Slug Sage was known to be the kindest and most gentle.
She had asked about Sage Arts long ago.
But the Slug Sage had been clear: Sage Mode required talent—and she didn't have it.
"The Sage Arts from the three great summoning lands... honestly, they weren't designed for humans in the first place. My Sage Art is different."
As Shinno spoke, he finished replanting and restoring the shattered trees using Wood Style.
Then, glancing at Tsunade who was still sprawled across the grass like a corpse, he let the chakra of his Sage Mode surge forth once more.
A radiant white light surrounded him, divine and pure.
Dragon-like chakra horns formed on his forehead, while nine fierce and majestic white chakra dragons roared and spiraled around him.
"You think I could learn this?"
Tsunade stared at the silver-white mark on Shinno's brow and felt the overwhelming power radiating from him. She swallowed hard.
"Only one way to find out."
Shinno let the energy subside and plopped down beside her.
Then he leaned toward her neck.
"Y-you... what are you doing?!"
Tsunade, sore as she was, scrambled back in alarm, flailing her arms and legs.
Sure, those horns were kinda cool, but—but still!
"Don't move. I learned this method from the Ryūchi Cave. Haven't refined it yet. My neck can't stretch, so just bear with it—it might sting a little."
"Y-you're biting my neck?!"
"...Maybe stop reading those trashy romance novels."
Without warning, Shinno bit down on a key chakra node in Tsunade's neck.
Pure Sage energy—devoid of bloodline or impurities—slowly seeped into her body, thread by thread.
As a direct descendant of the Senju Clan, Tsunade appeared to have inherited very little of the Sage Body's power.
But the truth was that those dominant genes had simply gone dormant.
Shinno's goal was to awaken those hidden abilities—give her the Sage Body, and full control of Sage Mode.
"AHHHHH!! Just knock me out—hurry!"
Tsunade's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
The Sage energy rampaging through her chakra network felt like a wild beast ripping through her body, devouring her cells.
It was as if someone had taken a rasp and was grinding down every single one of her nerves.
The pain was so overwhelming, she couldn't even pass out!
BOOM—
"...Okay, yeah, maybe it hurts a bit."
Shinno's left palm glowed with the power of Yin-Yang Sage Art, pressing down on the chakra convergence point at her lower abdomen.
He continuously healed the parts of her body shredded by the raw Sage energy, while replenishing the life force burned away during the process.
Seeing her convulsing even in unconsciousness, he decided to add a little something extra—a dose of the addictive healing technique, Grave Milk Medic—as a makeshift painkiller.
"Bluuuhhh..."
Tsunade's head lolled to one side, drooling uncontrollably.
Startled, Shinno immediately retracted the special technique.
About an hour later...
Tsunade's body—now covered in a layer of blood and filth—finally stabilized. Her heartbeat and pulse returned to normal.
Her cells, battered and rebuilt again and again, had become tougher, more vibrant.
And most importantly, her body had started to adapt to Sage energy.
...
In his mind, Shinno gave the system a command.
"System, give Tsunade the white trait [Courtesan's Grace], the green trait [Master Sidekick], and the blue trait [Void-Splitting Sit]."
Three beams of light—one white, one green, and one blue—entered Tsunade's body.
[Courtesan's Grace]: boosts flexibility, agility, and charm.
[Master Sidekick]: enhances taijutsu skills, strength, dexterity, physical attractiveness, physical growth, and learning speed for martial arts.
[Void-Splitting Sit]: strengthens bone density, and improves hip, leg, and pelvic strength and defense.
While none of these traits matched the purple [Magical Girl Transformation] he gave to Kushina...
Their combined effects were formidable.
With boosted physique and Sage Mode...
If Tsunade still couldn't beat the hell out of Hiruzen Sarutobi, she'd be wasting all his hard work!
"Damn, I'm bleeding trait dry here... Only thirteen Trait Gift chances left!"
Shinno grumbled, determined to make sure Tsunade repaid him someday.
He checked her condition.
The blue traits [Juggernaut ] and [Precision] on her personal interface were now flickering.
And the three new traits had disappeared altogether.
Shinno's lips curled into a smile.
Trait fusion had already begun.
With his genjutsu speeding up the process, in no more than three days, Tsunade should finish fusing the traits and adapting to her new power.
Perfect.
Hoisting the barely recognizable Tsunade over his shoulder, Shinno locked onto the Flying Thunder God seal back home and teleported to the living room.
He dumped her into the bedroom and cast a genjutsu to help her stabilize.
Then, with the two clueless little ones and Kushina, he went to prep lunch in the kitchen.
...
Time flew by without anyone noticing.
In Konoha, tensions were quietly rising.
As the morning sun crept over the horizon...
Hiruzen Sarutobi paced back and forth in the Hokage's office, red-eyed and anxious. He hadn't slept in two days.
For three straight days, there had been no updates from the front lines.
And during those three days, various shinobi clans and elite jōnin had been holding private gatherings for reasons unknown.
Whenever the ANBU tried to investigate...
The groups had already dispersed.
It felt like countless invisible eyes were watching his every move—leaking information and warning others before his agents even got close.
He had swapped out his messengers multiple times, but it didn't help.
The feeling of dread crept deeper and deeper into his chest.
It was like everything was spiraling out of his control.
"If we can't find solid evidence, maybe it's time to bring them all in and question them face-to-face."
Koharu Utatane tapped the armrest of the sofa, her expression just as grim.
"Bring them in together, but question them separately in different rooms," Homura Mitokado added. "Someone will slip up."
For the Hokage to feel like he was losing control of the village...
For the ANBU to be completely outmaneuvered...
If this wasn't handled quickly, Konoha could be in serious trouble.
BANG—!
Before Hiruzen could respond, the door to the Hokage's office burst open with a loud crash.
Standing there in a pale green blouse, her long blonde hair tied back with a red ribbon, Tsunade stood tall with one hand on her hip and her chin held high.
"No need to call anyone."
"Old man, fight me. I'm taking the Fourth Hokage's seat!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (258 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)