The next day, just as the sky began to lighten with the pale grey of dawn, Saiki was already up.
Leaving a quick note for Genhai, Saiki headed to his designated "private kitchen" area, unsealed his cooking gear, and began prepping breakfast.
He now had two very demanding women—Tsunade and Tsume—to manage. He couldn't afford to neglect either of them. For a moment, Saiki seriously contemplated dedicating himself to mastering the art of "time management."
Technically, it wouldn't be difficult for him. The Flower Clones generated by the Flower-Flower Fruit shared his senses and consciousness perfectly. Except for actual physical intimacy in bed, his clones could easily handle the logistics of dating.
Of course, managing multiple distinct personas and conversations simultaneously was incredibly mentally taxing. He was essentially running multiple operating systems on a single brain; it was easy to lag.
Tsunade's absolute favorite things were spicy food and alcohol. Tsume Inuzuka, on the other hand, loved high-quality cuts of beef, particularly tenderloin. Both were pure carnivores, which made catering to them a bit tricky, especially since heavy meat and spice weren't traditional breakfast foods.
However, this wasn't a problem for Saiki. Having lived with Tsunade for years, and having spent considerable alone time with Tsume, he knew exactly how to tweak their preferences for a morning meal.
Ultimately, he prepared soup-filled meat buns paired with a specially blended, mildly spicy dipping sauce for Tsunade. For Tsume, he prepared a massive bowl of hearty noodle soup topped with thick slices of seared steak.
He started the fire and began kneading the dough. In his past life, his cooking skills had been average at best. But in the Shinobi World, thanks to his monstrous physical control, elite knife skills, and even using the Rasengan to perfectly aerate and mix the dough, the food he produced was genuinely Michelin-star quality.
If anyone had been watching Saiki right now, he would have looked entirely out of place. Every other ninja on the front line woke up carrying the heavy burden of war; any free time was spent training or resting. Breakfast was usually a tasteless bowl of gruel from the mess tent, or choking down dry rations and a soldier pill.
But Saiki? His ninja pouches weren't filled with kunai or explosive tags—he had already burned through his meager supply of those. His pouches were stuffed with top-tier sealing scrolls loaded with groceries, spices, and luxury camping gear, ensuring his standard of living never dropped a single notch, even in a war zone.
After a flurry of activity, as the sun fully crested the horizon, Saiki's breakfast spread was ready.
"Morning, Boss! You're up early!" Genhai was the first to arrive. Through his sensory net, Saiki could feel Kurenai, Rin, and Shizune also heading toward his location; he had invited the girls for breakfast last night.
"Yeah, just got up. Have a seat and eat up. We've got training later," Saiki replied casually.
He handed Genhai a massive bowl of meat noodles. Genhai didn't stand on ceremony; he sat down at the table Saiki had conjured with Earth Style and began inhaling the food.
With a swirl of petals, Saiki generated a Flower Clone to take over serving duties. The real Saiki then picked up two carefully prepared breakfast boxes and, under Genhai's confused stare, vanished with a Body Flicker.
"Boss? Where are you going?"
The Flower Clone serving the food smacked him lightly on the head. "Just eat your food. Stop asking so many questions."
"Oh!" Genhai grunted, burying his face back in his bowl.
Soon, Shizune, Kurenai, and Rin arrived, and the group began their breakfast. As for Kakashi and Obito? Saiki hadn't bothered to invite them.
After leaving the group, Saiki made sure to avoid Shizune's path. He then generated a second Flower Clone, handing it Tsume's breakfast to deliver to her quarters, while the main body headed directly for the female barracks.
Sneaking in at night might be suspicious and dangerous, but in broad daylight, Saiki was just a polite kid delivering breakfast. None of the guards batted an eye as he strolled into the female compound.
The female barracks were located adjacent to the Medical Camp and were heavily guarded. Anyone trying to cause trouble here was signing their own death warrant.
Shizune had already left for breakfast, but Tsunade was still asleep. Having tossed and turned all night, she had only finally managed to fall asleep after exhausting herself "handling her own needs" in the early hours of the morning.
Tracking her chakra signature, Saiki found the small tent shared by Tsunade and Shizune. He lifted the flap and walked right in.
On the narrow military cot, Tsunade's sleeping posture was an absolute disaster. One pale, slender arm dangled off the edge of the bed, while the other was flung haphazardly above her head.
She had kicked the quilt entirely off her upper body, leaving it crumpled around her ankles; only a small corner remained draped over her lower stomach.
Her chaotic thrashing had caused her sleepwear to ride up and twist, leaving her collar wide open and exposing a massive, breathtaking expanse of her snowy, voluminous breasts.
Her terrible sleeping habits weren't due to the small cot. Even on a king-sized bed, she was a menace; she would go to sleep with her head at the top and wake up with her feet resting on the pillows.
Of course, despite looking dead to the world, Tsunade was a Sannin. The moment an unfamiliar or hostile presence entered her radius, she would snap awake instantly.
The reason she hadn't woken up when Saiki entered was two-fold: Saiki's concealment skills were flawless, and more importantly, they were so intimately familiar with each other now that Tsunade's subconscious mind recognized his presence as "safe."
Having witnessed her majestic, awe-inspiring presence on the battlefield, an ordinary person would find it impossible to believe she slept like a messy, undisciplined teenager. Saiki, however, was used to it and simply smiled affectionately.
He didn't wake her immediately. He set the breakfast box down on a small table, fetched a basin, and poured some hot water to prepare a face towel for her.
He didn't try to mask the noise of his movements. Hearing the clatter, Tsunade groggily opened her eyes.
"Shizune... why are you being so loud?" she grumbled, her voice thick with sleep and obvious morning crankiness.
She turned her head and saw Saiki. Her sleep-addled brain took a second to process the information, realizing the figure standing there was far too tall and dressed differently than Shizune. Her mind instantly snapped to full alertness.
Seeing him clearly, she jumped. "What are you doing here?!"
She barked the question, then suddenly realized the cool air on her chest. She looked down, saw her collar gaping open to expose her massive cleavage, and let out a startled gasp. She frantically yanked her collar shut and scrambled into a sitting position, her face burning.
Seeing her act like a startled deer, Saiki felt a headache coming on. This conquest is going to be an uphill battle. But he maintained a bright, innocent smile. "Morning, Sister Tsunade!"
Faced with his cheerful greeting, Tsunade remained highly suspicious. She scanned the tent, then demanded, "Where's Shizune? Why are you in my room?"
"Shizune went to grab breakfast with the others. I was worried you'd be hungry, so I brought you something to eat," Saiki replied, still smiling.
Hearing this, Tsunade noticed the food box resting on the table.
Even though Saiki used to clean her room and cook for her in the past, Tsunade truly didn't know how to handle him now. Having him in her bedroom made her feel incredibly anxious.
Furthermore, faced with his blatant "simping" and attentive service, she didn't know whether to reject him or accept it.
Seeing Tsunade at a loss for words, Saiki continued smoothly, "Sister Tsunade, where's your face towel? Let's get you washed up first."
Faced with Saiki's overwhelming attentiveness, Tsunade ultimately chose to reject it. She frowned and said, "No need. I can do it myself."
"Come on, Sister Tsunade, it's just a towel. It's no trouble," Saiki insisted, stepping forward.
Having been the pampered Princess of the Senju clan her entire life, Tsunade had seen countless men try to curry favor with her. Saiki showing up bright and early with breakfast, acting like he was ready to wash her feet, made his intentions glaringly obvious.
Her beautiful brows knit together, her red lips parting as she spoke with clear displeasure. "I said no. I'm not your mother, and I'm perfectly capable of washing my own face. I don't need you waiting on me."
Being a simp was out of the question, but playing the attentive caretaker was the easiest way to bridge the gap between them. So, Saiki cheekily fired back, "Uh, well... if you want to be my mommy, I wouldn't mind that either."
Saiki's shamelessness had the exact opposite effect he intended. It genuinely infuriated her.
"Who the hell wants to be your mother?! Get the hell out of my room!"
Although she was furious, Tsunade was terrified of someone hearing them, so she kept her voice to a harsh, venomous whisper, glaring daggers at him.
Saiki feigned helplessness. "Geez, Sister Tsunade, what's wrong? Why are you so angry?"
Being stared at by Saiki's innocent, puppy-dog eyes, the inexplicable fire in Tsunade's chest cooled slightly, but she still frowned and ordered, "Get out. I need to change my clothes."
This time, Saiki didn't push his luck. He obediently turned and left the tent.
Looking up at the clear morning sky, Saiki couldn't help but sigh. Dealing with Tsunade required a massive amount of mental energy, and he still had to manage his clones entertaining Genhai and tracking down Tsume.
"Time management... is truly an exhausting art!"