Over the next two months, Hoshiyomi didn't take Tsunade wandering around, but instead quietly stayed in the Senju compound, training alongside her—or more accurately, helping her develop Creation Rebirth.
Besides helping Hiruzen dispel persistent rumors, there was another reason: the Second Great Ninja War was coming to an end. Hoshiyomi no longer had many opportunities to "farm" experience points.
Even so, Hoshiyomi was very satisfied. At this point, his accumulated experience had reached: Master-level Swordsmanship: 390/500.
Looking over the system log, his recent experience gains came mainly from these battles:
Defeating Chiyo: +25
Defeating Suna shinobi forces (~300 men): +25
Defeating the Third Kazekage, Ryūnosuke: +30
Defeating three elite Hashirama-cell test subjects (semi-Kage level): +25
Defeating Danzō (Hashirama Cell Mode): +25
The remaining ten points came from his daily training during this period.
In just half a year, Hoshiyomi had scraped together all the experience points he possibly could. For that, he was more than satisfied.
…
"Yin Seal: Release!"
In the wide training grounds of the Senju compound, Tsunade formed hand seals. As she did, the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead slowly spread, unfurling into a complex, eerie pattern.
Under the influence of those dark markings, Tsunade's entire aura shifted. Normally, she carried a heroic air at best. Now, under the influence of the markings, that heroic air transformed into raw dominance.
At this moment, just one glance at Tsunade could give people the subconscious urge to lower their heads in submission.
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and gave a satisfied nod. For a beautiful woman like her, appearance mattered—and this pattern matched her aesthetic perfectly
With the Yin Seal released, Tsunade had partially lifted her self-imposed limit. She could now use the Strength of a Hundred Technique to enhance her combat ability, or perform low-level Creation Rebirth.
Feeling the abundance of chakra surging within, Tsunade clenched her fists eagerly. With Hoshiyomi's approving nod, she shouted, then slammed her fist into the training ground.
Boom!
The ground erupted, leaving behind a massive crater—over a hundred square meters wide and half a meter deep.
Standing in the center of the pit, Tsunade looked up at Hoshiyomi with a smile, her face alight with satisfaction at the results of the Strength of a Hundred. Hoshiyomi, meanwhile, wore a helpless expression.
The punch wasn't particularly fast, but the sheer power behind it was undeniable. Without exaggeration, there were likely no creatures in the current shinobi world—besides tailed beasts and giant summons—that could withstand such a blow.
Even the Third Raikage would probably have a few bones broken if he took it head-on. And the terrifying part was: this wasn't just a one-off punch.
With the Yin Seal released and using only the Strength of a Hundred to attack, Tsunade had three years' worth of stored chakra to fuel dozens, even hundreds of strikes at this level.
After confirming the sheer destructive power her monstrous strength gained from the buff, Tsunade moved on to the second test: low-level Creation Rebirth.
She pulled a kunai from her waist. Without the slightest hesitation, she stabbed it into her own shoulder, tearing the flesh into a bloody mess.
Tsunade frowned slightly, then casually pulled the kunai back out. Within five seconds, the deep wound—so deep the bone had been visible—completely healed.
If not for the torn fabric at her shoulder and the bloodstains on her clothes, no one would have guessed that Tsunade had just suffered such a severe wound.
Seeing that both the Strength of a Hundred Technique and the low-level of Creation Rebirth had succeeded, Tsunade's eyes gleamed with excitement as she poured even more chakra into the Strength of a Hundred.
As her output increased, the markings on her forehead began to spread. In just a few seconds, the cross–shaped black patterns covered her entire body.
This was Tsunade's ultimate mode—
Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth — Strength of a Hundred Mode!
In this state, Tsunade converted all the chakra sealed within the Yin Seal into Yang Release chakra. Her regenerative ability in this mode briefly surpassed even Hashirama's.
At this point, unless she suffered something like a fatal headshot or catastrophic heart damage, Tsunade was essentially unkillable.
But the technique wasn't perfect. This regeneration wasn't infinite—after all, human cells could only divide and renew a limited number of times.
Put simply: overuse shortened her lifespan. When the cells reached their limit, the user's life would end.
With that in mind, Hoshiyomi quickly cut in:
"Alright, stop with the foolish grinning. It affects your lifespan. Turn it off now."
Tsunade gave him a sidelong glance and said:
"Well, since it's already activated, why don't you stab me and test it?"
If it had been Orochimaru or Jiraiya, they'd probably have already stabbed her by now. Orochimaru, in particular, would most likely be studying which organ to target in order to best observe the limits of this technique.
But Hoshiyomi was different. At her words, he shook his head furiously like a rattle drum.
"How could I ever bear to hurt you?"
Hearing this, Tsunade couldn't help but smile. She deactivated the Strength of a Hundred and Creation Rebirth, climbed out of the crater, and pinched Hoshiyomi's cheek.
"Smart answer."
Walking behind her, Hoshiyomi allowed himself a subtle, self-satisfied smile—proof that all those "survival instinct tests" from his past life hadn't been in vain.
Seizing the moment, he reminded her:
"This jutsu drains your life force. Unless it's absolutely critical, you can't keep using it. Come on—my mom's already set up the hotpot at home. Let's go and eat properly, you need to replenish yourself."
Tsunade was even more pleased at his words, but before she could praise him, she suddenly froze—then lit up with excitement. She had just realized her chakra reserves had surged dramatically.
Her overall strength spiked upward, and the bottleneck that had held her back at the Kage level for three years was finally shattered.
....
On the way to the Gekko household, Tsunade suddenly asked:
"By the way… it just occurred to me, how come I've never seen you get stuck at a bottleneck?
Even though you were held back for years by that Terrifying Death Curse, you suddenly went straight past us. We've been stuck at the Kage threshold for so long, and yet with you—one fight with the old man and, just like that, you advanced."
Hoshiyomi flashed a self- (showing off) confident- (secretly smug) smile.
"That must be because I'm exceptionally gifted."
But inwardly, he sighed:
Can't be helped… life as a cheat is always plain, simple, and boring.