In the end, Orochimaru didn’t lend Tsunade a single ryō.
Not because he didn’t want to.
Because he genuinely didn’t have much money.
Over the past few years, most of his mission earnings had disappeared into research.
Laboratories.
Equipment.
Materials.
Rare specimens.
Experimental facilities.
Every project consumed enormous amounts of money.
What remained was barely enough to maintain his daily expenses and ongoing experiments.
Besides, even if he did lend Tsunade money, there was little chance of ever seeing it again.
He wasn’t as softhearted as Jiraiya.
When Tsunade realized Orochimaru wasn’t pretending, she finally gave up.
“Tch.”
She crossed her arms.
“Fine.”
“No money means no money.”
Then she pointed directly at him.
“But you’d better bring back plenty of meat for lunch.”
“And some alcohol.”
Her expression was completely serious.
“Don’t even think about fooling me.”
Tsunade was currently broke.
Completely broke.
Going to Shizune’s place for free meals was too embarrassing.
Since Orochimaru had accidentally become a convenient source of food, she intended to take full advantage of the situation.
Orochimaru stared at her silently.
Then sighed.
A long, weary sigh.
“Tsunade.”
His tone sounded exhausted.
“I have work to do.”
Without waiting for a response, he immediately turned around and left.
Staying any longer would only increase the chances of being dragged into more trouble.
Research was far more important.
Meanwhile, at one of Konoha’s training grounds—
“Tanya!”
A familiar voice rang out the moment she arrived.
Might Guy rushed forward.
His eyes practically sparkled.
His entire face radiated excitement.
“You finally came!”
Before Tanya could react, Guy grabbed her arm.
His voice became increasingly enthusiastic.
“Your ninjutsu yesterday was incredible!”
“How did you learn it so quickly?”
“Can you teach me?”
The question had been tormenting him since yesterday.
Unfortunately, after the incident with Takuya, events had moved too quickly.
First the Hokage.
Then Orochimaru.
Then Tanya disappearing entirely.
He finally had an opportunity to ask.
Unfortunately—
WHAM!
A green blur appeared behind him.
Guy’s sentence ended abruptly.
A powerful kick landed directly against the side of his face.
The young boy flew several meters before crashing into the ground.
“Oof!”
Dust exploded upward.
Might Dai stood proudly behind him.
His pose was magnificent.
His smile radiated confidence.
“Guy!”
His voice thundered across the training ground.
“There are no shortcuts to youth!”
He pointed dramatically toward the sky.
“If you wish to become stronger, you must rely upon your own effort!”
“Day after day!”
“Step by step!”
“That is the path of youth!”
Guy immediately jumped back to his feet.
Not a trace of anger could be seen on his face.
Instead, his eyes became even brighter.
“You’re right, Father!”
“I was mistaken!”
Then Dai turned toward Tanya.
His expression instantly became polite.
“Please forgive him, Tanya.”
“The boy is still immature.”
Then, as expected—
His smile became passionate once more.
“Now then!”
“Let us burn our youth together!”
Tanya’s eyelid twitched slightly.
No matter how many times she witnessed it, adapting to the father-and-son duo remained difficult.
There were benefits.
Both Dai and Guy possessed excellent taijutsu foundations.
And their training discipline was extraordinary.
Without complaint, Tanya joined them.
Time passed quickly.
Since successfully refining chakra, Tanya’s physical condition had improved significantly.
Although she still couldn’t fully match Dai and Guy’s absurd stamina, she could now keep pace with most of their training.
This alone was impressive.
After all, their training volume bordered on insanity.
Watching Tanya keep up, Dai’s eyes suddenly became moist.
His fists trembled.
“Guy!”
He pointed dramatically toward Tanya.
“Do you see this?!”
“Even a genius trains this hard!”
His voice echoed across the field.
“What excuse do we have to rest?”
Guy immediately straightened.
“None, Father!”
“Excellent!”
Dai’s smile widened.
“Two hundred extra laps today!”
“And if you fail—”
His expression became serious.
“One hundred laps of handstand walking!”
“YES, FATHER!”
Guy responded instantly.
Not even a hint of hesitation appeared.
His determination only intensified.
Yesterday’s humiliation remained fresh in his memory.
He wanted strength.
Strength to protect his father.
Strength to stand proudly beside him.
And strength to someday catch up to Tanya.
Nearby, Tanya silently observed the pair.
At times, their enthusiasm bordered on madness.
Yet she couldn’t deny the results.
Their discipline was remarkable.
In modern Konoha, most shinobi focused heavily on ninjutsu.
Few devoted themselves entirely to taijutsu.
Reliable front-line combatants were valuable.
Very valuable.
If the future brought war—as it inevitably would—the father and son might become trustworthy allies.
The thought remained in the back of her mind as training continued.
By noon, all three were exhausted.
Dai gathered firewood beside a nearby river.
Guy caught several fish.
Soon, a small campfire crackled beside the water.
The aroma of roasting fish gradually filled the air.
Guy swallowed visibly.
“Father.”
His eyes remained fixed on the fish.
“It smells amazing.”
“When can we eat?”
Dai laughed.
Then patted his son’s shoulder.
“Patience, Guy.”
His expression gradually became serious.
“After lunch…”
“I will teach you something important.”
Guy’s eyes widened.
Instantly.
His excitement surpassed even his hunger.
“Really?!”
“Yes.”
Dai nodded.
“A special taijutsu.”
“You must listen carefully.”
“And remember every word.”
Guy immediately sat upright.
“I understand, Father!”
“I won’t let you down!”
A short while later, the fish finished cooking.
The meal began.
While eating, Dai finally started his explanation.
“The technique is called the Eight Gates.”
His voice became unusually solemn.
Tanya immediately paid closer attention.
Even Guy’s expression changed.
The usual excitement faded.
Both listened carefully.
“The human body possesses limitations.”
Dai pointed toward his chest.
“These limitations protect us from harming ourselves.”
“The Eight Gates are the restraints placed upon the body’s chakra pathway system.”
“If those restraints are released…”
His eyes sharpened.
“A shinobi can temporarily gain power far beyond their normal limits.”
The principles behind opening them.
The dangers.
The consequences.
He even demonstrated the proper methods of channeling chakra.
Unlike most instructors, Dai explained everything in painstaking detail.
Because he understood the risks better than anyone.
He had paid for that knowledge with countless injuries.
As the explanation continued, Tanya gradually stopped eating.
Without realizing it, her eyes shifted to gold.
The Nine-Five Jewel activated.
Calculations exploded through her mind.
Muscle groups.
Chakra pathways.
Pressure points.
Cellular stress.
The enormous burden on the body quickly became apparent.
The conclusion was immediate.
Dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
The technique forcibly exceeded the body’s natural safety limits.
In exchange, it generated overwhelming short-term power.
No wonder they train like this.
The realization struck instantly.
The relentless physical conditioning.
The endless running.
The impossible training schedules.
Everything existed to strengthen the body enough to survive the Eight Gates.
Tanya didn’t interrupt.
She simply memorized everything.
Every principle.
Every detail.
Every warning.
Although she didn’t currently need the technique, its value was undeniable.
In a desperate situation—
A technique capable of exchanging bodily safety for survival was priceless.
The afternoon passed in continued training.
Dai corrected stances.
Adjusted posture.
Improved footwork.
Occasionally, Tanya offered suggestions of her own.
Drawing from military combat experience and the Nine-Five Jewel’s calculations, she frequently identified more efficient methods of generating force.
Several of her observations even surprised Dai.
The veteran genin found himself praising her repeatedly.
By evening, the training finally ended.
After saying goodbye to Dai and Guy, Tanya stopped by the market.
Purchasing ingredients for dinner, she returned toward Orochimaru’s residence.
The sun was already setting.
The courtyard gate creaked open.
The moment she entered, she froze.
Inside the living room—
Tsunade was still there.
The legendary Sannin sat slumped in a chair.
Her posture looked completely lifeless.
Her eyes were vacant.
Her expression resembled someone abandoned by the world.
A question mark practically appeared above Tanya’s head.
Why is this woman still here?
The sound of footsteps immediately caught Tsunade’s attention.
Her head snapped upward.
The moment she recognized Tanya—
Her eyes lit up.
Like a starving traveler spotting food in a desert.
“You finally came back!”
She practically launched herself from the chair.
In an instant, she appeared beside Tanya.
Her hands seized the grocery bags.
“Let me see!”
She immediately began inspecting the contents.
Fresh vegetables.
Meat.
Seasonings.
Fish.
The inspection continued.
Finally, she nodded with satisfaction.
“Excellent.”
A broad smile appeared.
“Go cook.”
She waved her hand decisively.
“No need to wait for Orochimaru.”
At that exact moment, another figure stepped through the courtyard gate.
Orochimaru had returned.
Hearing Tsunade’s weak yet enthusiastic voice, he froze.
His expression stiffened slightly.
Why was Tsunade still here?
For the first time in quite a while, the future Sannin felt genuine regret.
Perhaps bringing up Nawaki yesterday had been a mistake.
Now Tsunade had attached herself to his residence.
And more importantly—
How was he supposed to conduct his experiments with her constantly hanging around?