"Hmph! I really can't tell whose disciple he is anymore. He learns from Jiraiya, he learns from Grandma, he learns from you, and now he's even learning from the Uchiha. Everyone but me!"
By a small stream in the Land of Fire, Tsunade watched Tatsuma, who was currently mingling with the Uchiha squad. Her voice was laced with resentment. Beside her, Orochimaru folded his map and spoke calmly.
"Tatsuma is a very clear-headed individual. He always knows exactly what he needs to learn. Once he grows up and possesses a formidable physique and a massive chakra pool, he'll seek you out. However... he might not share your natural talent for that style. I suggest you dig up those Water and Earth Style scrolls compiled by the Second Lord; as his teacher, that would be the most beneficial thing you could do for him."
"And you have the nerve to tell me how to be a good teacher? My disciple went to the front lines and killed a Jonin! What about yours? He's eleven and still stuck in the Academy!"
Tsunade stood with her hands on her hips, sounding entirely unreasonable yet utterly confident. Orochimaru was momentarily speechless. He replied flatly, "Nawaki is your brother, too."
"So what? He's not as good as my disciple!"
Seeing her like this, Orochimaru decided to drop the subject. He looked over at Tatsuma, who was currently consulting Uchiha Fugaku on the finer points of Fire Style, and offered a silent prayer that the boy could survive the "adverse influence" of his teacher.
After a short rest, the group set off again. Tatsuma and Minato were beaming with the joy of a successful harvest. Although they already had Fire Style notes from Jiraiya and Orochimaru, "there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes." Different ninja have different interpretations of the same element. Just as the Uchiha were world-famous for their fire, the Sarutobi clan had their own unique legacy.
The Uchiha's specialized understanding of Fire Style was immensely helpful, but Tatsuma learned more than just Ninjutsu. He also delved into the principles and production of Explosive Tags.
It was another classic case of combining Nature Transformation with Sealing Arts—recording a Ninjutsu into a sealing formula so that, upon the infusion of chakra, the formula would manifest as Fire Style. It was an invention that was simple in concept but sophisticated in execution. While the basic design had been improved upon over the years with timers or proximity triggers, the core remained the same.
This knowledge wasn't particularly rare; Tatsuma just hadn't thought to learn it until Orochimaru inspired him with the possibilities of merging elements and seals.
As a "thank you" to the Uchiha for their guidance, Tatsuma offered a creative spark of his own: what if they added a second sealing layer beneath the Explosive Tag? They could seal failed weapon forgings or rusted, scrap metal inside. Then, they could use a synchronized trigger to activate both the explosion and the unsealing at once, creating a Fragmentation Tag.
The difficulty lay in the synchronized trigger. Fugaku admitted it was a challenge and promised to research it back at the village.
Tatsuma was genuinely excited about the R&D potential. If it worked... the possibilities for that bottom layer were endless. They could add oil for high-incendiary tags, active metals for flash-bang effects, or even stack different elemental formulas for a composite Ninjutsu effect.
Since they were on an urgent mission to debrief, the group didn't rest for long. With their small numbers, they maintained a high-speed trek that pushed Tatsuma and Minato right to their physical limits. In less than two days, the group arrived at the outskirts of Konoha just as the sun was rising.
While Orochimaru and Tsunade handled the paperwork with the gate guards, Tatsuma looked up at the village. After being away for over three months, he was finally back.
It was his first time away for so long, and a wave of nostalgia washed over him—followed quickly by a wave of anxiety. Thoughts began to race through his mind: Did I lock the door? Is the power off? If it is, did I clean out the fridge first? Are the windows shut? If not, has a stray cat turned my apartment into its den?
What if it's not a den... but a delivery room? Or a litter box?
Tatsuma shuddered at the thought. Uchiha Fugaku came up behind him and ruffled his hair. "You'll get used to it," he said.
In Fugaku's eyes, the kids were just a bit homesick after their long deployment. But for a ninja, "home" was a luxury they rarely got to enjoy. Unless they inherited the clan headship... Fugaku's face turned somber. He still lacked confidence in his ability to bridge the gap between the village and the clan.
"Let's go! Time for the debrief!"
Tsunade's loud shout broke the melancholy. The group followed the Sannin through the quiet, early-morning streets toward the Hokage Building.
The building was nearly deserted at this hour. After a short wait, an Anbu informed Orochimaru and Tsunade to head in. Fugaku led the other Uchiha to hand over their archives to the administrative department.
Tatsuma and Minato were left waiting. Fugaku and the others finished their business and left, but the boys waited for over two hours. By the time they were called, the sun was high and the summer heat was starting to roll in.
"You two, get in here."
Tsunade waved them over from the doorway. They scurried into the office and were greeted by a smiling Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Lord Hokage," they chorused.
After the greeting, Tatsuma took a quick look at Hiruzen and then made a slightly exaggerated motion of wiping the corner of his eye. Hiruzen looked confused, but then mimicked the action.
The grainy sensation on his fingertip told him exactly what was there—eye crust. His expression hardened as he shot a glare at his two disciples. Such an undignified oversight, and they hadn't even warned him!
Tsunade was stifling a laugh, while Orochimaru acted as if he hadn't seen a thing.
Lamenting his poor taste in students, Hiruzen forced a smile back onto his face and looked at the two boys. "Tatsuma, Minato. Your performance on the front lines was exemplary. Not only did you complete every mission assigned to you with distinction, but you also showed the world the spirit of Konoha's youth. Your diligence and caution have been a massive boon to the village."
Minato blushed at the praise. He felt he had only done his duty and wasn't nearly as exceptional as the Hokage claimed. However, his eyes were burning with fervor, and he silently vowed to one day truly deserve such words.
Tatsuma was far more composed. His past life taught him that meaningless platitudes were cheap; the only thing that mattered was the "bonus" at the end of the day.
Looking at the two children—one burning with the Will of Fire and the other displaying a maturity far beyond his years—Hiruzen's smile grew warmer.
"Since you have been so outstanding, the village must reward you. Unfortunately, our current finances and the Daimyo's funding are entirely tied up in the war against Suna..."
Hiruzen's smile faded into a look of bureaucratic struggle and "difficulty." Seeing this, Minato opened his mouth to decline any reward, not wanting to burden the village.
Tatsuma was faster. "Lord Hokage, the village has already given us a rare opportunity to hone our skills on the battlefield. That is favor enough. We have no need for... material rewards."
Minato nodded in agreement, though if he had said it, he probably wouldn't have used the word "material."
Orochimaru let out a microscopic smile. Compared to others his age, Tatsuma was far too savvy. He knew exactly which battles weren't worth fighting and which ones were.
Hiruzen noticed the smile and wondered if his disciple had coached the boy to squeeze him for favors, but he wasn't annoyed. Tatsuma and Minato were "family"—one was Tsunade's student, the other was Jiraiya's. Giving them a little something was only right.
"Haha, I'm glad you understand. But giving no reward at all would be improper. How about this: you may each choose one Ninjutsu from the archives as a show of the village's support for your training."
Tatsuma marveled at the Hokage's wordplay. He'd turned a hard-earned reward into a "show of support." Still, he didn't waste time and began to think about what to ask for. What he wanted most was Flying Raijin, but Hiruzen would never give that—the values didn't match.
The Forbidden Jutsu like Reanimation or Reaper Death Seal were also out of the question. Tatsuma figured an A-rank Ninjutsu was the ceiling, and even then, not all of them were on the table.
He thought about what would suit him and Minato best. "Lord Hokage," he said tentatively, "I once heard Jiraiya-sensei mention that you developed a technique called Shuriken Shadow Clone. If we could learn that, it would be a huge help. Also, the First Lord's Bringer-of-Darkness Technique... I believe it would go a long way in covering our weaknesses in Genjutsu."
Both were A-rank, but they weren't particularly "dangerous" or restrictive. If he'd asked for Multi-Explosive Tags, Hiruzen would have rejected it on safety grounds. As for the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, it was useless for them right now; they didn't have the chakra pools to make it effective.
Hiruzen considered the request for a moment and then nodded. "Very well. Those two techniques it is. When I have time in the coming days, I will personally instruct you both."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!"
Tatsuma bowed respectfully and gave Minato a look; his friend quickly followed suit.
With the debriefing preliminary over, the boys were free. The Iwa situation would have to wait until the village verified Orochimaru's data. They were finally on a short break.
Since the Academy was currently on vacation, Orochimaru decided to accompany Tsunade to the Senju compound to check on his own student, Nawaki. Tatsuma and Minato were dragged along.
"Sister!"
As they entered the compound, a boy in a green jumpsuit and a bowl cut came charging toward them.
POW!
Tsunade's fist lashed out by pure reflex. "What the hell is that monster?!" she roared.
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