Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 396: Great Toad Sage

From that day on, the intense and exciting research and development of the new technique began at the Senju mansion.

Because it involved the Nine-Tails, its significance to Konoha was undeniable. Orochimaru and Jiraiya were both fully committed, temporarily setting aside their usual duties. Scrolls and books were brought in one after another, turning the mansion into their makeshift research center.

Naturally, this commotion couldn't be hidden from Nawaki—though it was likely Mito's intention for him to notice. Within two days, Nawaki learned the painful truth: his grandmother's time was running out. At first, he struggled to accept it, but soon, he chose to spend every moment by Mito's side. Time, after all, was the best medicine.

Though unable to contribute to the research, he and Tsunade took on the role of observers. As the days passed, the three-month deadline approached.

"How has the new technique been progressing?"

Kawakaze revealed his toned upper body, exhaustion evident in his eyes. Using his brain all day and working at night was wearing him down.

"It's going well. There's just one more key point," Tsunade replied. "I think it'll be done in a week at most."

Her hair was disheveled, and faint traces of red lingered on her face. She leaned against Kawakaze's arm, her plump figure partially curled up and exposed.

"What's the key point?" Kawakaze's large hand moved idly, pretending to navigate.

"Does that even make sense to you? Can you understand it or solve it?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. Truthfully, she couldn't fully explain it herself. While her knowledge of Fūinjutsu surpassed Kawakaze's, there were limits. Even together, they couldn't match Orochimaru or Jiraiya, let alone Mito.

"It's a disadvantage to have little education," Kawakaze muttered, rubbing his head awkwardly. He silently resolved to pay close attention to Ginji's education, ensuring his son wouldn't face the same predicament.

"Oh, there's no such thing as a perfect person," Tsunade murmured, pulling him closer. "I'll let you know if I hear anything."

She nestled against him again.

"Alright, let's sleep." Kawakaze sighed. "Why are there so many documents lately?"

With Jiraiya and Orochimaru on leave, many critical documents had been redirected to him. Combined with his academy responsibilities, he was essentially doing the work of four people. No wonder he was exhausted.

"You've worked hard," Tsunade said softly. "Just get through this period."

Her face darkened again. No matter how much she prepared, the thought of the inevitable still hurt.

"Okay, go to sleep."

Kawakaze pulled the quilt over both himself and Tsunade, then gently stroked her back.

"I'm fine. Goodnight."

Tsunade nestled in a little closer and closed her eyes.

There was no conversation that night, and the next morning, as usual, Tsunade returned to her parents' house on time.

"Why isn't Jiraiya here yet? Just as late as he was when we were kids."

Watching Mito and Orochimaru busy at work, Tsunade couldn't help but complain. She had completely forgotten that she could only be an observer and couldn't contribute in any way.

"Brother Jiraiya is never late," Nawaki immediately retorted. Given the magazines he had read over the years, his comment was fair.

Orochimaru, engrossed in reading a scroll, ignored the siblings entirely. Only Mito glanced at them with a faint smile.

As they spoke a little longer, the rhythmic clack of wooden sandals echoed through the room, announcing the person's arrival before they even appeared.

"Sorry, I'm a little late."

Since he was in the presence of elders, it was rare for Jiraiya to show up late. Tsunade had only been making small talk, so no one paid it much mind.

"No problem," Mito responded with a gentle smile. At this stage, a slight delay wasn't an issue.

"How was last night?"

Orochimaru finally set down his scroll and looked at Jiraiya. It turned out he wasn't ignoring the siblings out of spite—he simply didn't care about people who couldn't contribute. To him, anyone who was useless had no value.

"There's some good news."

Jiraiya paused for a moment before sitting down beside Mito.

"After I got home last night, I went to Mount Myōboku. I heard some secrets from the Great Toad Sage, and they were very enlightening."

Jiraiya's tardiness was explained—he had only just returned. The Toad Sage might have looked like he was about to croak at any moment, but in reality, he was an ancient being who had lived for a thousand years. It was only natural that Jiraiya would obtain valuable information from him.

"Oh?"

"Tell me."

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes gleamed at the mention of Gamamaru, a name he had once heard from the White Snake Sage. That old being was indeed remarkable.

"You've worked hard."

Mito didn't show much emotion, merely watching Jiraiya calmly.

As for Tsunade and Nawaki, they were practically holding their breath in anticipation. Whether they understood the details or not didn't matter—what mattered was having the right attitude.

"The Sage said that although the Tailed Beasts were given life by the Rikudō Sennin, they are not life as we normally perceive it. It may be more accurate to say that they are a combination of chakra and consciousness."

"Creating life is difficult for us, so it is relatively simple to split the Tailed Beasts. We have completely researched the technique of the 'Dead Demon Consuming Seal.' It can be used on all living things with a soul, but according to the Sage, it does not work on the Tailed Beasts."

If Kawakaze had heard Jiraiya's words, he would have been shocked. In the original story, Minato had successfully used it on the Nine-Tails.

"So we've been working in the wrong direction?"

Orochimaru frowned. Their entire research had been based on the premise of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Now, with the March deadline approaching, if they had started from the wrong source, there simply wasn't enough time to begin again.

"It's our fault for taking things for granted. It seems Kushina will have to suffer a little longer."

Mito sighed, forced to accept this reality. She had no intention of questioning the words of a thousand-year-old Sage.

"No, no, you've misunderstood."

Jiraiya suddenly smiled smugly. Tsunade and Nawaki, who had been disappointed just moments before, perked up with curiosity.

"Our research direction is correct. What the Sage meant was that the Dead Demon Consuming Seal cannot completely seal a Tailed Beast or eliminate it entirely. That doesn't mean this technique has no reference value for splitting a Tailed Beast."

Jiraiya explained, but he didn't get straight to the point.

"What does that mean?"

After all, Orochimaru had only been researching Tailed Beast cells—his understanding of the overall concept was still incomplete.

"In other words, even if you use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal on a Tailed Beast, you can't seal it completely. The Shinigami can only harvest the spiritual energy of the Tailed Beast, which we can understand as its Yin chakra. Until the Fūinjutsu is complete, the Tailed Beast can continue to exist through its remaining chakra."

Jiraiya stopped there. The conclusion was already clear.

"I see... No wonder he's a thousand-year-old Sage from Mount Myōboku."

Mito had pieced it all together. Her train of thought was now completely unblocked. They simply needed to shift their perspective, and all their problems would be solved. There was a fundamental difference between extracting chakra and extracting a soul.

"Your trip was not in vain."

Orochimaru smirked. A brilliant mind was, after all, brilliant. As the saying goes, those closest to the problem are often the most blind. The Great Toad Sage was simply operating on an entirely different level than them.

Meanwhile, Tsunade and Nawaki—both intelligent in their own right—looked at each other, eyes full of confusion.