Naruto: I, who didn't want to be hacked to pieces, saved the ninja world.

Looking at that face that was so similar to Kushina's, Tsunade's expression suddenly softened.

Finally, she looked away and leaned back on the sofa, somewhat lost in thought.

Seeing Tsunade retreat on her own initiative, Naruto wore a smug expression.

She even secretly made a "V" sign at Baiyun Qingye.

They're really not afraid of getting beaten to death.

Shirokumo Aoba then looked at Tsunade, whose mood had become somewhat depressed, and understood that she was probably thinking of something sad.

Nowadays, among the ninjas of Konoha who have made their name on the battlefield, very few have escaped a life of hardship.

Tsunade and Kakashi, the fact that they haven't turned evil shows they have strong resilience.

Kakashi, in particular, is a legendary figure known for his resilience under pressure.

If Shirokumo Aoba were to experience that, she would more or less want to take revenge on society.

He glanced at the somewhat carefree Naruto again and couldn't help but raise his hand and tap the other's head.

"Ouch! Aoba, what are you doing?"

Naruto immediately cried out in pain, clutching his head and looking at Shirokumo Aoba in bewilderment.

This cry of pain also attracted the attention of the others, and Tsunade looked at him curiously as well.

Baiyun Qingye pretended to be annoyed and said, "Teacher, Naruto is so rude. I'll teach him a lesson for you."

"Ha, do I need you to teach me a lesson?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes dramatically, but the sadness she had just been building up was almost completely dispelled by Shirokumo Aoba's antics.

After all these years, she had long since adapted to many things, and her sadness came and went quickly.

She waved at the two of them impatiently, signaling them to leave.

"You two kids, go cool off somewhere else and stay there. Just come back at the same time tomorrow."

"okay!"

Baiyun Qingye immediately pulled the still somewhat dazed Naruto and ran out.

He felt extremely uncomfortable sitting on pins and needles in that atmosphere.

"Humph!"

Watching the two figures run away, Tsunade couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

"It seems that Lady Tsunade really likes her disciple Aoba."

"He's just a brat with a bit of talent who's not bad at cooking." Tsunade said with a forced smile.

"Humph!"

Skui and Shizune exchanged a glance and then covered their mouths to chuckle.

-

After running out of the Senju ancestral home, Shirokumo Aoba and Naruto slowed down their pace.

"Um..." Naruto suddenly mumbled something in a voice barely above a whisper.

If it weren't for Shirokumo Aoba's good hearing, he wouldn't have known that Naruto was speaking.

He turned his head and saw Naruto with his head down, looking hesitant and afraid to speak.

Are you using Hinata's script now?

"what happened?"

Naruto stopped and said sincerely, "Aoba, I'm sorry!"

"?"

Bai Yun Qingye asked, somewhat puzzled, "What have you wronged me about?"

"I...I didn't know that old woman...that person is Aoba's teacher, she shouldn't have been so rude."

"Oh, so that's what it was about."

Judging from Naruto's expression, he thought the other person was about to come up and say, "Bro, you smell so good."

Baiyun Qingye waved her hand and said as she walked away, "Don't worry, I'm not angry. My teacher isn't angry either. If it's you, it's fine to continue calling her Granny Tsunade."

Naruto quickly followed, also making sarcastic remarks.

"But Aoba's teacher hits really hard."

"That's her way of expressing concern. They say that hitting someone is a sign of affection, and scolding someone is a sign of love. My teacher is actually just a proud and aloof person."

Blonde hair, twin tails, and a haughty demeanor—all the essentials are there, making this older woman rather adorable.

"Tsundere...? What does that mean?"

"How do you explain this... it means saying one thing but meaning another. You may really like something, but you'll stubbornly say you don't. Sometimes, if you get impatient, you might even resort to violence."

"Isn't that just like Sasuke?"

"Yes! Just like Sasuke, you see, he clearly wants to play with us, but he just pretends to be forced to."

"I understand. When I come to see you tomorrow, I'll call her Granny Tsunade."

……

They chatted all the way, and passersby tried to avoid them, but the two kept laughing and talking.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was secretly observing the two, became troubled, unsure whether he should tell Tsunade about it.

He suddenly remembered that his story with Danzo seemed to have come from Shirokumo Aoba's mouth...

Baiyun Qingye and Naruto quickly arrived at Naruto's small base.

To their surprise, Sasuke was already there, doing push-ups.

When Naruto saw that Sasuke was already there, he shouted with joy.

"Sasuke! We're here!"

Upon hearing the sound, Sasuke's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He immediately sprang to his feet and pointed at Shirokumo Aoba.

"Baiyun Qingye, I challenge you!"

Are you awake?

Having just been beaten into a slump yesterday, he thought it would take Sasuke at least a while to regain his confidence before challenging him again.

And then the sky cleared up after just one night?

However, this was not a loss for Baiyun Qingye; he could still get a thousand taels of silver. Without hesitation, he agreed.

"Sure, but you should remember the rules, right?"

"Humph!"

Sasuke snorted and actually took out 10,000 taels of silver.

"What do you mean by this? Are you trying to bribe me to go easy on you?"

Bai Yunqingye looked at the ten thousand taels in her hand, somewhat bewildered.

Sasuke glared at him angrily upon hearing this: "I don't need your leniency. Are you looking down on the Uchiha clan?"

"Then what are you going to do with giving me ten thousand taels?"

"Keep this money with you for now. I'll deduct it from your account when I challenge you in the future. Let me know if you need more."

Sasuke had an expression that said, "Money is just an external thing."

"This... will do."

Bai Yun Qingye put the money into her pocket. "So, what challenge are you going to take this time?"

"I challenge you to a ninjutsu contest! Let's see whose ninjutsu is more powerful and stronger!"

Sasuke finally smiled, radiating confidence.

This morning, his older brother Itachi Uchiha and his older brother Shisui together instructed him in the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.

Although his Fireball Jutsu is not very powerful yet, he is much more skilled at using it than before.

It would absolutely blow Baiyun Qingye's mind.

He refused to believe that Baiyun Qingye was better than him in taijutsu, throwing techniques, or ninjutsu.

Once he defeats Shirokumo Aoba in ninjutsu, he can then instruct him, and they can become true friends.

Otherwise, Baiyun Qingye would only be a target he had to defeat.

Baiyun Qingye thought for a moment and said, "Your argument is not easy to compare."

"why?"