[Timeline Skip]
[Your interactions with Senju Tsunade began with dice and gradually permeated every corner of her life.]
[You taught her how to control dice, and she dragged you into betting copper coins.
You won her candy, and she won your pocket money.
Back and forth, the debt grew more and more complicated.
She kept a small notebook specifically for bookkeeping, scribbling crookedly, “Kaede owes me: 3 dango, 17 candies.” You flipped to the next page and found that she had blacked out the part where she owed you with ink.]
[You accompanied her to practice Chakra extraction.
When Tsunade first channeled Chakra to her palm, a leaf stuck to it without falling.
She held up her palm for you to see, her grin stretching from ear to ear—but it only lasted two seconds before the leaf drifted away.
She turned to glare at you as if it were your fault.]
[Gradually, every time you visited the Senju Estate, the tea and snacks went from a single serving to a double.
When the maid brought in the tea, she no longer asked, “What would Lady Tsunade’s guest like to drink?” but instead placed your cup directly in its usual spot.]
[During this time, a major event occurred.
Senju Hashirama passed away.]
[It snowed for three days throughout Konoha Village.
During those three days, you went to the Senju Estate every day, saying nothing, just sitting by her room door.]
[On the evening of the third day, the door opened a crack, and a hand reached out to grab the corner of your clothes, holding on for a long time.]
[You didn’t move, nor did you look back.
You just let her hold on.]
[By the time she let go, the sky was pitch black.
A piece of paper was handed through the crack in the door, with two stick figures drawn on it.
One was a bit taller, the other shorter.
Next to the short one, “Idiot” was written in crooked handwriting.]
[You folded the paper and put it in your pocket.]
[After that, she stopped wearing her hair in a topknot.]
[In your spare time, you trained on your own.
You improved the speed of instantaneous Chakra extraction and polished the precision of your Chakra control.
Physical training never ceased.
These became your daily routine.]
[Tsunade was six, and you were seven.
The Ninja Academy held its first official enrollment.
The curtain on a legend was raised.]
[The second chapter officially begins.]
…
Konoha Ninja Academy.
The school gate was crowded with people.
Parents led their children inside; some walked with their heads held high, while others looked timid.
Those who could send their children in the first enrollment batch mostly had some background.
Kitahara Kaede stood at the entrance, surveying his surroundings.
At seven years old, his Chakra pathways had already been polished to be quite smooth.
The 10 points in Talent weren’t for nothing—while his peers were still learning how to extract Chakra, he could already achieve instantaneous extraction and precise control.
He wore ordinary dark blue clothes, standing casually with a flat expression.
“Kaede!”
A voice came from behind him.
Tsunade squeezed out of the crowd, her forehead beaded with light sweat, clearly having run there.
Six-year-old Tsunade.
Her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she wore a light green short-sleeved shirt and open-toed ninja sandals.
Since she stopped wearing the topknot, she looked much more capable.
“What are you standing here for?
Let’s go.”
She grabbed his sleeve and dragged him toward the school gate.
Kitahara Kaede was dragged along, making no effort to break free.
“You weren’t late today.”
“Duh, being late on the first day of school would be so embarrassing.” Tsunade didn’t look back.
“Besides, I bet someone will make a fool of themselves today, and I want a good seat to watch.”
“What are you betting?”
“I bet you’ll treat me to dango.”
“You bet that every time.”
“Because you lose every time.”
Kitahara Kaede didn’t argue.
He really did lose every time.
Part of it was intentional—she was his “white moonlight,” after all, and letting her win occasionally could boost her affection.
But the larger part…
was the fault of his 0 Luck.
The two had just entered the school gate.
“Hey!”
A blur of white rushed in from the side, firmly blocking Tsunade’s path.
A white-haired boy stood with hands on his hips, grinning to reveal a row of white teeth.
Jiraiya.
He had spiky white hair, wore white clothes, and had two red lines painted on his face with some kind of pigment.
His gaze locked directly onto Tsunade, his eyes excessively bright.
“My name is Jiraiya!
I’ll definitely become the greatest Ninja in the future!”
His voice was so loud that half the school entrance heard him.
A few passing parents glanced over and quickly pulled their children away.
Tsunade stopped in her tracks.
“And?”
“So—” Jiraiya puffed out his chest, his tone confident beyond his years, “If you want to write me a love letter, just give it to me next time.
No need to be shy.”
Silence for a second.
Tsunade looked at him.
Kitahara Kaede was all too familiar with that look.
It wasn’t anger, nor was it shyness.
It was pure confusion.
She couldn’t understand where this person got his confidence.
“Are you out of your mind?”
Tsunade pulled Kitahara Kaede around him without pausing for a moment.
Her movement was as smooth as walking around a lamppost.
Jiraiya was stunned for half a second.
Then he chased after them.
“Hey, hey, hey!
Didn’t you hear me?
I’m Jiraiya!
The future’s greatest Ninja!
You should at least remember my name!”
“I remembered it,” Tsunade said without looking back.
“The one who’s out of his mind.”
“You—”
Jiraiya ran in front of them, walking backward, and pointed a finger at Kitahara Kaede.
“Who’s he?
Your brother?”
“What’s it to you?”
“You two don’t look alike—could he be your boyfriend?”
Tsunade’s footsteps stopped.
Kitahara Kaede took half a step to the side.
Not to hide, but to give Tsunade room to strike.
Sure enough—
A punch.
Square in the stomach.
Jiraiya doubled over like a shrimp, crouching on the ground with his mouth wide open, unable to catch his breath for a long time.
Tsunade pulled back her fist and shook her fingers.
“I’ll say it again, what’s it to you?”
“It hurts…” he hissed, sucking in air, yet the corners of his mouth were curling upward.
“You’re so strong…
so amazing…”
Tsunade turned to look at Kitahara Kaede, her expression saying—is this guy really crazy?
Kitahara Kaede returned a very flat look.
Meaning—don’t ask me.
He didn’t harbor any hostility toward Jiraiya.
In the original story, this guy chased Tsunade his whole life and never caught her, eventually dying in the Hidden Rain Village without even his body being recovered.
In terms of being a “white moonlight,” Jiraiya’s level wasn’t actually low.
It was just that he took the path of genuine emotion.
While Kitahara Kaede took the scripted path.
They weren’t the same kind of person at heart.
Tsunade dragged him further ahead, leaving the crouching Jiraiya behind.
After a few steps, Kitahara Kaede’s attention was suddenly drawn in another direction.
Under a large tree to the left of the school gate.
A black-haired boy stood quietly in the shadows.
His skin was pale, and his features were refined to the point of being somewhat feminine.
Golden slitted pupils.
Orochimaru.
He didn’t speak to anyone, nor did he seem to have any intention of doing so.
He just stood there, his gaze sweeping over the passing freshmen one by one.
When his gaze fell on Kitahara Kaede, it paused.
Kitahara Kaede also looked at him.
The two of them locked eyes for a brief moment across the bustling crowd.
The corner of Orochimaru’s mouth twitched slightly.
It wasn’t a smile.
It was more like a form of confirmation—confirming that there was indeed an individual in this crowd worth a second look.
Then he withdrew his gaze and turned to walk into the school gate.
Alone, his figure looked solitary.
Kitahara Kaede looked away.
Orochimaru, a pure genius.
No Kekkei Genkai, no clan heritage, relying purely on talent to crush his peers.
“Kaede!
What are you looking at!”
Tsunade’s voice pulled him back.
She was standing in front of the hallway, hands on her hips, her face full of impatience.
“The classroom is this way, are you coming?”
“Coming.”
Kitahara Kaede followed.
From behind came the sound of Jiraiya finally getting up.
“Wait for me!
Aren’t we classmates?
Classmates should be friendly to each other!”
Tsunade didn’t even turn her head.
“Who’s your classmate?”
“Enrolling together makes us classmates!
You can’t deny that fact!”
“If you keep following, I’ll hit you.”