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While the courtyard was still noisy, Sawara Kiri suddenly detected a faint sound of footsteps.
When he turned his head, he saw a tiny, timid girl, like a little bean, hiding by the bedroom door, peeking out half her small head to observe the commotion outside.
Noticing Sawara Kiri's gaze sweep over, the little bean immediately seemed startled, pulling her head back sharply.
However, perhaps because the elder brother looked quite handsome and seemed like a good person, she quietly peeked out a little more, hiding and shrinking, primarily focused on making no sound.
"Lady Tsunade, who is this?"
Although he pretty much had the answer in his heart, Sawara Kiri still turned his head and asked Tsunade.
Tsunade, who was shaking and swaying like her great-grandfather reincarnated, chasing her good-for-nothing little apprentice, stopped when she heard Sawara Kiri's voice and turned her head in confusion.
Then she reacted and casually said, "That's Dan's niece, Shizune. Her parents also died on the battlefield, and there's no one else in her family, so I just brought her along."
"Her name is Shizune, huh."
Sawara Kiri looked at the child's round little head, and his impression gradually aligned with the somewhat dazed, short-haired woman from the original story.
He thought for a moment, reached into his pocket, found a piece of candy, and held it out towards the little bean, coaxing her over like he was teasing a cat.
Shizune looked at Tsunade, then at her sister Yuki, who was always kind to her, and eyed the candy with a bit of a craving.
After hesitating for a while, she took small steps to come before Sawara Kiri.
However, before she could take the candy, Sawara Kiri picked her up in a surprised "Ah—", and said to the two people beside him:
"You two go change your clothes first. I just saw Akimichi Barbecue Restaurant reopen on the way here. If we don't go now, we won't get a spot."
The little bean-like Shizune struggled with muffled sounds in his arms.
But as soon as Sawara Kiri peeled the wrapper and fed the sweet fruit candy into her mouth, the little bean immediately stopped moving, letting him hold her obediently.
During this wartime period, candy and medicine were important supplies almost on par with each other, and they were rarely seen in ordinary stores anymore.
At least, since this little one was born, she had rarely had such sweet snacks.
A child born in wartime...
Sawara Kiri thought, gently rubbing the little bean's smooth, tofu-like cheek with his finger.
Seemingly understanding the basic principles of trade, Shizune didn't resist at all, letting him rub her cheek, only staring at him with watery eyes, as if waiting for something.
"There's no more,"
Mr. Sawara stated the cruel reality.
"Ah—"
Shizune's eyes immediately dimmed.
Commercial street, Akimichi Barbecue Restaurant.
Perhaps because a large number of Ninja from the Kikyo Castle front lines returned to the Village for rotation, even the commercial street, which had been deserted for a long time, suddenly became lively starting today. Many shops that had been closed for a long time also suddenly opened their doors, immediately welcoming a large number of customers whose shopping desires had been suppressed for a long time during wartime.
Naturally, many common goods were also suddenly priced very high during this period.
Ninja are also people.
However, for Sawara Kiri and Tsunade's group, there weren't so many problems.
Because they had contacted the owner's family in advance, a small private room for four should have been reserved. Along the way, pedestrians bustled about, and the Village, which had been quiet for several years, rarely saw such a lively scene. Many originally gloomy pedestrians unconsciously showed slight, almost imperceptible smiles, and the noisy sounds made the little bean Shizune, who hadn't seen such a sight, shrink into a ball in Sawara Kiri's arms, quietly burying her head—for some reason, this little one seemed very shy.
"Lady Tsunade, why don't you hold her for a bit?" Sawara Kiri turned to his side. "Shizune must also feel more comfortable being held by you, right?"
Tsunade kept her hands tucked into her wide sleeves, too lazy to turn her head: "Let the child walk herself. When I was her age, I was almost graduating from the Ninja Academy!"
"If she doesn't learn to be strong from this age, she won't be able to face an even more tragic life later."
Yuki, who was on Sawara Kiri's other side, immediately teased in a low voice: "—And then she'll become like Lady Tsunade, who gave up on the rest of her life, spends all day drinking and gambling, and is a rotten woman who can't cook or wash clothes."
"You stinky brat, what did you say?!"
"My cooking is great!"
"Pfft, I've never seen you cook yourself!"
These two started bickering again.
Clearly, Sawara Yuki was not the submissive, gentle character like Shizune in the original story; she would definitely stand up to the injustices of the world. The only reason she usually took care of Tsunade's daily life was simply as a disciple's duty and compensation.
Sawara Kiri was caught between the two of them, his ears filled with their incessant chattering like ducks.
However, not many pedestrians on the road laughed at this small matter; instead, many cast surprised or reverent glances at their group.
Most of those with strong consumer desires at this time were Ninja.
And during this period, almost no Ninja didn't recognize Tsunade and Sawara Kiri.
One was one of the Konoha Three who had saved the lives of countless Konoha Ninja throughout the early period of the Second Shinobi World War. The other was 'Crimson Blade Kiri', famous throughout the Land of Wind battlefield for 'Sawara Squad's swift arrival"Recently, there were even rumors that he had directly and forcefully destroyed a Tailed Beast in a head-on confrontation.
At this point, it was impossible not to be noticed.
Unfortunately, Sawara Kiri was probably undercover for too long, and he was still somewhat unaccustomed to the intense gazes around him, so he slightly quickened his pace.
Tsunade only thought he was thin-skinned and couldn't handle such a scene.
The group then quickly entered the barbecue restaurant.
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle."
Because they had called ahead, by the time they entered the private room, the wire mesh, ingredients, and charcoal were already prepared, and a professional service attendant was waiting nearby.
However, Sawara Kiri still had some things to say later, so he casually gestured for her to leave, then started to turn the charcoal under the grill, oil it, prepare the seasoning plates, and slowly cook the meat slices himself.
Although Konoha Village was relatively in the south of the entire Ninja World, it was still quite chilly in winter, and it seemed that it would snow soon.
At this moment, as the charcoal warmed up this small private room, everyone felt a warm current wash over them, dispelling the cold.
Before even eating, their bodies were already warm.
"...So?"
Tsunade picked up a slice of meat from the grill. It looked cooked, but she pressed it on the plate to heat it further before placing it on Shizune's small plate. As she spoke, she picked up another slice for herself, dipped it thoroughly in the seasoning plate, and stuffed it into her mouth in one go, puffing out one side of her tender cheek.
"You just came back from the battlefield and you're already treating me to a meal... A guy like you who doesn't do anything without profit, you wouldn't happen to have something to tell me, would you?"
Even during the early days of their acquaintance, when Sawara Kiri unhesitatingly exposed his greatest secret, his Kekkei Genkai and those eyes, and made a deal with her, Tsunade clearly realized—this was a little guy who seemed a bit shy and timid, but was actually quite realistic and cold.
But this situation was not surprising.
In the Ninja World, there were similar people everywhere.
Sawara Yuki looked at Tsunade, who was eating with a greasy mouth, and seemed to cast a somewhat indignant glance.
However, she was always a child who understood the 'atmosphere' very well. Only when she was certain that her elder brother truly had something to say to her did she restrain herself and close her mouth.
"Lady Tsunade is truly discerning."
Sawara Kiri smiled unreservedly, placed a piece of meat wrapped in lettuce and bean curd on Yuki's plate, and then continued, "Today, I do have something I'd like your help with—to be precise, it's to lay the groundwork for things after the war ends."
Just as expected.
Tsunade chewed her meat, thinking to herself.
She had already somewhat anticipated this during the previous speech at the Hokage Building, but at the time, she thought this little guy intended to push her up through various methods. She never expected Sawara Kiri to become famous in the Ninja World so quickly.
These two are completely different concepts.
Although at that time, in order to avenge Dan and to get rid of that scoundrel Danzo, she could almost be said to be willing to do anything, this did not mean that Tsunade at that time did not know what she was doing, or did not know that she was being used by someone.
She was a woman who was impulsive and easily angered, whose head would spin when she lost her temper, but who would inadvertently display remarkable wisdom when she calmed down.
The two were not contradictory.
Noticing her waiting gaze, Sawara Kiri continued, "After this war ends, I hope to work with you to develop a medical device and pilot it at Konoha Hospital."
"Medical... equipment? Are you talking about special Ninja tools?"
Tsunade pondered his wording for a moment before asking again.
"Yes."
Sawara Kiri's expression remained calm, as he looked at her with his azure Six Eyes.
Saying this, he casually picked up an unused dining knife for cutting beef from the table and lightly cut his own hand.
The sharp dining knife left a clear mark on his skin, and blood welled up.
Shizune, sitting on a specially raised small stool, flinched and averted her gaze.
Sawara Yuki showed no expression.
Even in the Ninja Academy, practicing self-dissection and reassembly under a teacher's guidance was quite common.
This small wound was nothing.
Instead, when Tsunade noticed the crimson blood spilling out, her whole body seemed to stiffen for a moment, as if she were frozen in place, her fingertips trembling faintly, as if instinctively recalling something, and even her body inadvertently felt a little weak.
Noticing this, Sawara Kiri sighed inwardly but said nothing.
It seems that Tsunade in this world still has severe hemophobia, doesn't she?
The next moment, almost immediately after Sawara Kiri inflicted a wound on himself, subtle, blood vessel-like Sealing Technique marks, barely visible, suddenly appeared on the surface of his wound.
At the same time, light blue Yang Chakra, like flowing water, appeared out of thin air, smoothing out the mark on his hand at a visible speed.
It disappeared.
Both Tsunade and Sawara Yuki were stunned the moment they saw this.
Although Tsunade herself could do something similar, it was because she possessed the Senju Clan's inherited 'Sage Body' Kekkei Genkai, which granted her cell vitality and recovery abilities far beyond ordinary people, and a total amount of Yang Release Chakra far exceeding the norm.
But Sawara Kiri...?
"A Sealing Technique?"
After recovering from her initial fear, Tsunade immediately grasped the key point, her brows slightly furrowed. "To have this level of effect, it's almost comparable to what Grandpa could do back then."
"How did you do it?"
"Reversal Technique."
Sawara Kiri smiled gently, placed the dining knife aside, and explained, "To be precise, it should be a form of Sealing Technique that uses the Yin Chakra generated and passively released by the pain from a Ninja's injuries as energy, converting it into Yang Chakra, and restoring them to a state where they can basically move."
"The upper limit is very high, and the lower limit is also very low."
"Currently, I've only tested this Sealing Technique on my own body, and it should be considered successful."
"If the main part of the Sealing Technique were to be extracted and made into a product..."
Before he could finish speaking, Tsunade, who had just recovered from her hemophobia, her eyes already lit up: "...It would undoubtedly be a groundbreaking medical product!"
"Yes."
Sawara Kiri's smile remained benevolent, as he gently coaxed, "If this equipment could be applied to Ninja, then the situation where severely wounded individuals cannot receive treatment due to a lack of medical Ninja would be greatly alleviated."
"Moreover, this is a product that is not yet complete and whose upper limit can still be raised—since it can heal people, can this Ninja tool be used to enhance a Ninja's physical limits?"
In fact, Sawara Kiri had had this idea for a long time.
The abilities he acquired from other worlds were not static items fully replicated from a system, but rather products that had undergone 'information localization' and conformed to all the concepts of the Ninja World.
As long as it didn't involve his core interests, like Six Eyes or Limitless, then what was wrong with using a portion of it to exchange for what he needed?
Although the Reversal Technique's performance in the original Jujutsu Kaisen was quite limited, serving only an auxiliary role and not being widespread, its principle was quite intriguing.
What's more...
Sawara Kiri looked at Tsunade, who was clearly moved.
She should be researching the Hundred Healings Technique now, right?
If it could provide some impetus for Tsunade, it would also be a significant boost to the 'background force' he currently relied on.
Even living in a world where one person could destroy a nation, accomplishing certain things still required companions.
Now, he could both fulfill Tsunade's dream of healing others and enhance her own foundation.
With these two combined, the bond between Tsunade and him would undoubtedly increase significantly.
To strengthen Tsunade's bond and resolve her inner conflict, he had to use some strong methods!
However.
Tsunade was only halfway through her thoughtful gaze when her expression suddenly froze.
She raised her hand, picked up the sake beside her, and took a big gulp, seemingly resignedly saying:
"You brat, you clearly know my situation, don't you?"
"What's the point of telling me this now? I'm already..."
Tsunade lowered her head, looking past the excess flesh that obstructed her view, at her hands.
Even now, just thinking about the moment she saw the blood, her hands trembled uncontrollably.
For a doctor, this was already considered a complete loss of skill.
"So what?"
The next moment, Sawara Kiri's voice suddenly startled her awake.
Tsunade abruptly raised her head, her face still seeming to carry some uncontrollable anger, her pale lips tightly pressed together, as if about to burst into a hysterical roar.
But when her gaze met the young man's calm and steady eyes, her emotions seemed to be smoothed out in an instant.
Sawara Kiri casually took the sake bottle from her trembling hand, picked up a small cup, slowly filled it for her, and then pushed it in front of Tsunade, his tone calm:
"Lady Tsunade."
"My question just now was 'do you want to,' not 'can you.'"
"As long as you're willing, I have countless ways to help you overcome those small difficulties, you know."
He said, picking up the orange juice in front of him and gesturing to her, "Or are you completely disappointed with everyone in this Village and don't want to do anything anymore?"
"Even if it's a method that could allow countless Ninja, like Kato Dan, to survive on the battlefield?"
"Bang!"
Tsunade's fist slammed down on the table, but at the last moment, she softened the force, only producing a soft thud.
"You bastard..."
She glared directly at Sawara Kiri's handsome face, gritting her teeth.
How could this brat always have so many reasons to manipulate her?
But when the words 'small difficulties' flashed through her mind, she couldn't help but hesitate.
"..."
After a moment of hesitation, she continued, "If I find out you were lying about helping me solve my problems, you're dead!"
Upon hearing this, Sawara Kiri's face immediately showed a gentle smile, making Tsunade feel a bit embarrassed to even get angry.
"It's a deal."
Almost as soon as Sawara Kiri's words fell, the private room, which had been somewhat quiet with only the sizzling sound of barbecue, seemed to come alive again, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
Only Sawara Yuki looked at Kiri and Tsunade with some unease, suddenly feeling an inexplicable worry.
That idiot Kiri, he wouldn't be reeled in by a slight seduction from the big-breasted woman, would he?!
What's so good about those two lumps of flesh anyway!!
Among everyone, only Shizune was truly happy, stuffing beef and orange juice into her small mouth, proving to be quite a big eater.
Tsunade also acted like a child, quickly moving her chopsticks, as if she wanted to eat the two Sawara siblings, who only knew how to make her angry, into poverty.
Just as the barbecue room was filled with a harmonious atmosphere.
"Bang—!"
Someone suddenly burst in from outside, slamming the door open.
Sawara Kiri and Tsunade both frowned almost simultaneously, looking towards the door.
Then, they saw an Anbu standing there, looking very urgent:
"Lady Tsunade! Lord Sawara!"
"Please come with me immediately to the Hokage Building for an emergency high-level meeting."
The moment they heard this command, both their expressions tightened.
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