Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 90: Konoha's White Fang

Tonari sat slumped in his seat, rubbing the bump on his head with a miserable expression. Meanwhile, Tsunade had a broad, smug smile plastered across her face.

Still too green to take me on!

Satisfied with the outcome, she nodded approvingly. "Although your skills still leave something to be desired, your teamwork this time was commendable. You pass… barely."

Hearing this, Nara Yoshino smiled in delight, Uchiha Yoshin remained expressionless, and Tonari, the only one who got beaten up, didn't even attempt a smile—avoiding tears was hard enough.

Tsunade didn't need to think hard to know whose idea the elaborate strategy was. Only someone like Tonari, with his inexplicably wild imagination, could have come up with it.

"Yoshino, your Shadow Possession Jutsu has improved a lot. You showed great courage and took on more responsibility this time. Well done!

"And Yoshin, your Fire Release jutsu and weapon skills have also improved. I'm sure you've spent more time honing your Sharingan than these, though. I expect you've made significant progress with it as well. Make sure to explain its capabilities to your teammates before we start missions, so they know what to expect."

Yoshino and Yoshin both nodded, taking Tsunade's praise to heart. After all, compliments from one of the Legendary Sannin were rare and invaluable.

Then Tsunade's stern gaze turned to Tonari. "And you! What's with your sudden jump in physical strength?

"Your body hasn't even started its growth phase yet. Pushing yourself too hard now could backfire. Stick to your original training regimen. Once your body starts maturing, all the effort you've put in so far will pay off. Don't jeopardize your future for temporary gains."

Her tone was sharp, and her eyes were uncharacteristically serious.

During the earlier sparring session, she'd noticed something off about Tonari's body. Specifically, when she kicked him, the sensation wasn't what she expected.

While it was clear Tonari was dedicated to training his physical abilities, overtraining—especially at his age—could easily lead to irreparable damage.

Feeling the genuine concern in Tsunade's words, Tonari's heart warmed. While he was touched, he couldn't resist a hint of pride as he explained, "Don't worry, Tsunade-nee, I'd never risk my future.

"After the fight with the Cloud ninja, I discovered a unique lightning-based body refinement technique. While it's not as strong as the Cloud Village's Lightning Chakra Mode and can't be used in combat, it's perfect for breaking past physical bottlenecks during training. So far, the results have been great!"

Tsunade frowned slightly, taking his hand to inspect him. She hesitated to channel her chakra into him due to the Two-Tails sealed within him but opted for a simple physical examination.

After a moment of contemplation, she relaxed.

As Tonari claimed, his body didn't show signs of overtraining. On the contrary, his muscles seemed even more vital and resilient than before.

Accepting his explanation, Tsunade attributed his improvement to her old friend—and Tonari's teacher—Orochimaru.

"Fine," she said. "As long as you know your limits, I won't interfere. Just remember: every body has its limits. Don't push yours unnecessarily, especially while you're still growing."

She turned to Yoshino and Yoshin. "This goes for you two as well. Never forget it."

The trio nodded obediently.

"Now, onto the main topic," Tsunade said. "Today wasn't just about testing your skills. It's also to let you know that starting tomorrow, our team will officially begin taking on missions.

"I've already arranged our first assignment."

Her words immediately brightened Yoshino's and Yoshin's expressions, while Tonari looked disappointed.

"So all that talk about starting with D-rank missions was just a bluff," he thought bitterly.

Meanwhile, Yoshino and Yoshin beamed, their excitement barely contained.

"It's a B-rank mission," Tsunade continued.

Tonari was stunned. A B-rank mission right off the bat? Isn't this moving too fast? What's wrong with starting slow and steady with D-rank missions?

Before he could voice his thoughts, a group of people entered the barbecue restaurant, drawing Tsunade and Tonari's attention.

Tsunade's eyes lit up. She waved toward one of the newcomers. "Sakumo, over here!"

Hatake Sakumo.

Konoha's White Fang.

Tonari's gaze locked onto the man with silver hair, standing out conspicuously in the crowd. Clad in standard Konoha shinobi attire, the short blade on his back looked unassuming but carried an unmistakable aura.

"Go on ahead," Sakumo said to his companions with a gentle smile. "I'll join you later."

"Yes, Captain!" his team replied cheerfully before moving to another table.

As Sakumo approached, Tonari couldn't reconcile the kind, handsome man before him with the fearsome legend of the battlefield.

This was the man who once fought against three Kage-level enemies simultaneously, killing two of them and cementing his reputation.

This was the man who caused the Sand Village's unrelenting grudge against Konoha after he killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law—Sasori's parents.

This was the man whose name alone instilled fear across the ninja world.

And now, he was walking toward their table.

"Tsunade, it's been a while," Sakumo greeted warmly. "Let me guess—you're treating your students to dinner?"

Tsunade made room for him at the table, while Tonari, ever perceptive, quickly poured him a cup of sake.

Sakumo looked at Tonari, surprised by the boy's attentiveness, and responded with a kind smile.

Tonari grinned back, eyes practically sparkling. "Sakumo-san, I'm your biggest fan!"

To prove his point, he pulled out his own chakra-conducting short blade.

Sakumo blinked in confusion, unsure how to react.

Tsunade's patience ran out. With a swift flick, she delivered a sharp flick to Tonari's forehead, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Watching this unfold, Sakumo gave a polite but awkward chuckle. "Tsunade, you really haven't changed at all."

The two old comrades exchanged a knowing smile. Despite being peers, Sakumo held a slightly higher rank, often serving as their commander during wartime.

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(Chapter End)

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