Kei felt a fleeting softness flash across his back as he was suddenly thrown down, his body stiffening for a moment.
Tsunade... She truly lived up to her name! Just one back throw, and this was already too much!
He took a step towards the entrance.
Kei subconsciously shrugged his shoulders, trying to dispel the tingling sensation on his back.
He sighed—at this age, his energy was still burning strong. Just a little stimulation, and he was already getting restless.
"The Hōzuki clan's technique?"
Tsunade flipped in mid-air, sliding her legs back while supporting herself with her left palm on the ground. After her chest trembled three times, she quickly stabilized herself in a standard cushioning motion.
Looking at the water vapor faintly rising from Kei's muscular body, she instantly recognized it.
"Going on that trip paid off. Want to test it out?" Kei raised an eyebrow provocatively and gestured at Tsunade with his fingers.
"Heh~ I'll make sure you break fewer bones!"
Tsunade sneered, her usually cold and stunning face now showing a rare serious expression. With a sudden burst of chakra at her feet, she shot forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring.
"Senpai, just don't cry when you lose!"
Kei moved just as swiftly, dodging her incoming punch while lifting his knee to strike at Tsunade's waist.
Her punch missed. She swiftly pressed down with her left hand to block his knee strike, using the momentum to spin and kick toward his head.
With [Zero-Frame Start] active, Kei predicted her movement in advance. As he crouched to dodge, he quickly formed a seal with one hand, gathering a surge of Yin Release chakra.
Demonic Illusion: Paradise!
Throughout the exchange of blows, Tsunade kept her eyes locked onto Kei.
In an instant, she fell into his genjutsu.
Her originally serious expression showed a hint of surprise before quickly shifting into excitement.
The Yin Seal on her forehead slowly released energy, disrupting her chakra flow. However, even the chakra she could have used to break free from the illusion—she willingly stopped circulating it.
[Name: Senju Tsunade]
[Traits: Medical Sage (Purple), One of the Sannin (Purple), Overflowing Power (Blue), Sealing Mastery (Blue), Meticulous Precision (Blue), Colossal Strength (Blue), Fading Youth (Blue), Inherited Bloodline (Green), Hemophobia (Gray), Cursed Gambler (Black)]
Two purple, five blue, one green, one gray, and one black.
Absolutely amazing! Even Minato only has six traits, but you've got ten!
Hmm, although two of them are negative traits, who dares say that's not impressive?
Kei marveled at the densely packed list of Tsunade's abilities. He had to admit—her expertise in Yang Release and medical ninjutsu was truly top-tier!
And then there was [Fading Youth]...
As long as her chakra remained abundant, her appearance wouldn't change over time. In fact, her presence, charm, and allure would only increase. At twenty or forty, she would still be just as stunning—if not even more elegant.
This... If Kushina knew such an ability existed, she would go crazy.
"Hahahaha~ You guys lost! Pay up! Pay up! Hahahaha~"
Tsunade, fully engrossed in the genjutsu, stood barefoot in the courtyard, hands on her hips, laughing wildly without a care for her image.
"Huh? Amazing! Tsunade-nee even fell for it while keeping the Yin Seal active!"
Kushina peeked her head from the doorway, watching Tsunade trapped in the illusion. Her face was filled with awe as she gave Kei a big thumbs-up.
Earlier, Tsunade had specifically trained with two elite jonin from the Yamanaka clan to familiarize herself with their secret techniques. She had even set up a small seal to complement her Yin Seal, designed to counteract genjutsu.
It had worried Kushina for days, making her toss and turn at night, afraid that Kei would get beaten up.
But in the end… this was it?
Kei turned around and looked at Kushina, who was wearing an apron and still holding a spatula in her hand. Clearing his throat lightly, he flashed a gentle smile and spoke again.
"W-Welcome home! I-I already made dinner." Kushina stared into Kei's radiant eyes, and her delicate face instantly turned bright red, with wisps of steam practically rising from her head.
This is too unfair! Why is he suddenly looking at me like that?!
And this kind of dialogue… isn't this something that only happens between married couples?!
A gentle wife welcoming her hardworking husband home after a long day... Her imagination ran wild, and she immediately transformed into a flustered, steaming mess, completely unable to meet Kei's gaze.
She quickly grabbed his indoor slippers from the shoe cabinet, placed them at the entrance, and then dashed into the kitchen like a startled rabbit.
Clapping her burning cheeks with both hands, she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes.
Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my—
Starting today, I am finally going to have a sweet romance!
"Um… do you need help bringing the dishes out?"
Kei's voice came from outside the kitchen.
"N-N-No need! It's almost ready!"
Kushina splashed her face with cold water, forcefully cooling down her flushed cheeks. Taking a deep breath several times, she clenched her small fists, hyping herself up before finally stepping out of the kitchen with the food.
Beef bourguignon, coq au vin, ratatouille, potato gratin, and French onion soup.
As each dish was placed on the table, Kei's expression grew even softer. In the shinobi world, authentic European cuisine didn't exist.
The fact that Kushina could make these dishes was entirely because he had given her a handwritten recipe book as a graduation gift.
He never expected that, with just a single recipe book… She would be able to master such a refined and delicious cooking style.
"The Kushina who used to mix up salt and sugar… has actually become this amazing?"
Kei chuckled, offering her a heartfelt compliment.
"Hmph~ Of course! There are plenty of people who want to taste my cooking but don't even have the chance!"
Kushina proudly lifted her chin, completely defenseless against this kind of praise.
Back in the Academy, she had been utterly conquered by Kei's homemade bento, freeloading off him for years. Who would have thought that the moment they graduated, he would get caught up in nonstop missions?
Unable to stomach the food at home, she had no choice but to dive into that cursed recipe book.
And those vague instructions like "a little bit," "appropriate amount," "some"—they tormented her for ages!
For a beginner in cooking, how was she supposed to know what "a little" meant?! Or how much "some" was?!
Thankfully, hard work paid off.
With her amazing sister Tsunade serving as her unwilling taste tester, she eventually had a breakthrough—her cooking traits soared to mastery!
Now even Mikoto praised her cooking!
"Huh? Can you tell me who these 'plenty of people' are?" Kei raised an eyebrow, pretending to be heartbroken.
"Are you jealous? Hehehe~ You're not convincing at all, your acting is terrible."
"I can't help it. The infamous Red-Hot Habanero has such a reputation—I don't even have the right to be jealous."
"That nickname is awful! You're not allowed to call me that!"
"But I think it sounds really cute."
"I'm already 19—is it really okay to still call me cute?"
"Anyone who dares to say you aren't cute, just give them a good one-two punch."
"Ehh~ Shouldn't that be your job?"
"I don't do things without a reward."
"What kind of reward do you want?"