I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

"The Yin Seal is a technique passed down from my grandmother. Initially, it was just for storing chakra, but then I thought of combining it with the Katsuyu Summoning Technique. Recently, I had another idea..."

Creation Rebirth!

The moment Kyoichi saw this concept, he immediately thought of Tsunade's signature technique—one that could mimic Hashirama Senju’s seal-less regeneration.

Although it shortened one’s lifespan, its power was undeniable.

This letter from Tsunade was probably sent after she learned about Kurenai Yūhi’s situation. She was seeking his opinion. From her wording, it was clear that Creation Rebirth was still in its early conceptual stage.

The details were vague, with only a rough outline.

Kyoichi put the letter away.

Back home, he immediately picked up a brush to reply.

If this were before, writing this letter would have been tricky. He only knew about Creation Rebirth in terms of its effects, not its principles. But now, after studying a significant number of medical texts, he had a lot more to say.

---

Meanwhile, in the Land of Waterfalls…

Tsunade sat on a rooftop, gazing at the serene village below. Her expression was a mix of confusion and determination.

At that moment—

Shizune climbed up beside her.

"Lady Tsunade, is something on your mind?"

"A child shouldn’t pry into adult affairs. Besides, I don’t owe you any money now!"

Tsunade snorted coldly.

She used to gamble herself into financial ruin, often losing her entire allowance and having to listen to Shizune’s nagging.

But now—

Hah!

She still gambled, but she no longer suffered losses!

Whenever she lost, she would simply catch the cheaters and reclaim her money.

Tsunade had her pride. Back when she visited gambling dens, she never used her ninja abilities to cheat. She didn’t even consider the possibility of others doing so.

But now?

She gambled without using sensory abilities.

And caught cheaters using sensory abilities!

She had already busted quite a few fraudsters!

Thanks to this, Tsunade had managed to clear many of her debts.

Some casinos even wanted to hire her to root out cheating on a permanent basis—

She refused, of course.

Gambling was a hobby.

Catching cheaters was a necessity for survival and the occasional moral crusade.

She wouldn’t let herself be tied down to one thing!

However—

Lately, Tsunade had been feeling uneasy.

"Is it because of what’s happening in the Land of Earth?"

Shizune pouted.

She wasn’t clueless.

Every time Tsunade was in a bad mood, there was usually a reason—

And lately, that reason seemed to be that guy who resembled the Second Hokage, Kyoichi Kanda.

And she could guess why.

Iwagakure was growing stronger.

Lately, Ōnoki had been making moves that hinted at war. Many of the smaller ninja villages had already caught wind of this and begun withdrawing their forces from the Land of Earth.

Even though Tsunade had left Konoha, she still cared about the village.

"Uh…"@@novelbin@@

Tsunade stared at her own hands, letting out a quiet sigh. She didn’t answer.

Back then, she had genuinely not cared about Konoha’s affairs. She had no close connections left in the village. Even her old man… well, if he died, she’d be sad, but not devastated.

However—

Ever since she learned that Iwagakure might start a war, she kept having nightmares of Kyoichi covered in blood.

Every time, she woke up in a cold sweat.

And yet…

Her hemophobia still haunted her.

Just then—

A wave of chakra pulsed beside her.

A Katsuyu Clone appeared.

It carried a letter.

Tsunade immediately took it and tore it open.

Shizune, full of curiosity, peeked over cautiously.

Tsunade didn’t mind. She expected Shizune to be nosy and began reading.

She had told Kyoichi about her thoughts on the Yin Seal and Creation Rebirth, hoping he might experiment with them. If he could learn these techniques, it would be a lifesaving advantage on the battlefield.

As for seal-less regeneration…

That was just something she had casually mentioned. She hadn’t really expected any useful feedback.

However—

Kyoichi’s reply actually addressed this topic in great detail.

“Tsunade-nee, you plan to use the Yin Seal to achieve seal-less regeneration, but you're missing a crucial step—you must first disperse the Yin Seal’s stored chakra throughout your entire body. Only then can instant, seal-less regeneration become possible.”

That’s it!

Tsunade stared blankly at the letter, stunned.

In her excitement, she completely overlooked the fact that Kyoichi had called her Tsunade-nee instead of Lady Tsunade.

She had always thought about calling on the Yin Seal’s chakra after getting injured, but that approach would never result in true seal-less regeneration.

At best, it would be a seal-less version of Mitotic Regeneration.

However—

If she could release the Yin Seal’s chakra all at once and distribute it evenly across her entire body, then it would become genuine seal-less regeneration.

Of course—

This meant her chakra control had to be even more precise.

But the benefits were massive.

If she could master this, then Tsunade would be constantly infused with chakra, allowing her to maintain Enhanced Strength at all times.

That’s right!

Kyoichi’s suggestion was essentially the foundation of Byakugō no Jutsu (Strength of a Hundred Technique).

He had noticed that Tsunade was only focusing on the Yin Seal and Creation Rebirth, without realizing the key missing link. So, he had subtly pointed it out.

From Kyoichi’s perspective, Strength of a Hundred Technique was just as important as Creation Rebirth.

Creation Rebirth was powerful, but it was a forbidden technique with a steep cost.

Strength of a Hundred Technique, on the other hand, had no real drawbacks—

It wasn’t impressive on its own, but when combined with the Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred Technique, it became an overwhelming force multiplier.

Tsunade was no fool.

She simply hadn’t thought of it before. But now that she had, it was no longer difficult.

And oftentimes—

The smallest detail made all the difference.

"That little brat…!" Tsunade muttered, not knowing what to say.

She had originally wanted Kyoichi to try learning the Yin Seal, thinking it might be too difficult for him—

But now, she was the one receiving pointers from him!

"Lady Tsunade?"

"It’s nothing…"

Tsunade pursed her lips and stuffed the letter away.

She had been schooled by a brat. Again!

Damn it!

Couldn’t she teach him something for once?

Oh wait—he had asked about the Strength of a Hundred Technique.

…But she strongly suspected that if Strength of a Hundred Technique had a scroll, Kyoichi would have never asked her about it.

It wasn’t just medical ninjutsu—

He also knew swordsmanship!

What kind of monstrous talent was this?!

Tsunade thought of her granduncle, the Second Hokage.

Kyoichi was just like him.

A mix of joy and melancholy filled her heart.

"Shizune, do you want to go back to the village for a bit?"

"…Huh?"

Shizune’s eyes widened.

Tsunade wanted to return to Konoha?!

"That brat is stirring up trouble. Jiraiya’s not around. If no one backs him up, those old geezers will eat him alive."

Tsunade scoffed coldly.

The Hidden Forbidden Jutsu Proposal?

Those old bastards were scheming for sure.

She couldn’t just sit by and do nothing!

"Then I’ll start packing right away!"

Shizune understood immediately.

Tsunade was desperate to return—

She couldn’t bear the thought of Kyoichi getting bullied!

No problem! Let’s go!