Hearing Guts's words, Tsunade paused and looked at him, half-amused and half-suspicious.
I really thought this brat had turned over a new leaf, she thought, but he's still running his mouth…
Guts crossed his arms and continued casually,
"By the way, you're not seriously considering that Kato Dan guy, are you?"
"I get that the men around you are a disaster, but surely your standards haven't dropped that low. The guy's weak."
There was clear contempt in his voice.
To be honest, Guts didn't really care who Tsunade liked. It wasn't that he had some grand plan to ruin her love life.
Right now, he was only sticking close to her for one thing—learning some hand-to-hand combat.
But, being honest with himself, his soul age wasn't far off from Tsunade's. He did have… certain thoughts.
That said, Tsunade was undeniably out of Kato Dan's league.
She wasn't just a beauty with curves that could make a monk sin—she was a Kage-level kunoichi who could shatter towns with her fists.
That alone deserved more than some no-name ninja dreaming of Hokage.
Guts still remembered watching the Infinite Tsukuyomi scene in the original anime—Tsunade imagining Dan as Hokage.
He had laughed until his sides hurt.
Kato Dan? Hokage? Man, if that's the future, the ninja world is over before kawaki comes.
In Guts's eyes, Kato Dan was on the same level as Kiba Inuzuka—always barking about becoming Hokage with zero substance to back it up.
Big dreams, small fists.
"You little punk," Tsunade said, a flicker of a grin playing at her lips.
"Are you here to give me love advice or just start trouble?"
"Both," Guts replied with a smirk.
Tsunade chuckled, then raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, genius. What kind of man should I be with, then?"
"Obviously, someone like me." Guts shot a thumb at himself without hesitation.
"Tch. Do you even have hair down there yet?" she teased, mockingly pointing at his lower half.
Did… did she really just say that? She violated me with words alone…
Still, Tsunade didn't realize it, but she was no longer treating him like a brat.
His confidence, composure, and the way he talked—it all made her forget his actual age.
"I'm being serious," Guts said, ignoring the jab.
"You'd be miserable with someone like Dan. He could die in battle any time. Then what? You'd be left picking up the pieces alone."
"And let's be honest," he added, narrowing his eyes.
"How long until a guy like him starts resenting you for being stronger than him? That insecurity will rot him from the inside."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow but didn't answer right away.
Instead, she ruffled his curls again, laughing softly.
"You're such a poisonous brat. I swear. Still, we're all Konoha shinobi. Maybe don't tear down your future comrades too much."
Her fingers lingered in his hair a moment longer than she realized.
She didn't take his warning seriously—not really. She assumed it was just another of Guts's childish rants. But somewhere deep down, the seed was planted.
If she thought about it… Kato Dan's strength really was worlds apart from hers.
"I'm heading out," she said, brushing imaginary dust from her robes. "We deploy to the front line the day after tomorrow."
Guts nodded. Then, after a pause, he added,
"Also… tell your brother to be careful."
Tsunade blinked. "Nawaki?"
Guts hesitated, then shrugged. "Yeah. Just… watch out for him."
He didn't say what he really wanted to: Don't let him go to war. He'll die.
Because he knew if he said that, Tsunade—who absolutely adored her brother—might beat him half to death on the spot for daring to jinx him.
Worse, if she pressed for an explanation, he had none to give.
He couldn't just say, "Oh, I know because I watched it in an anime from another life."
Tsunade waved it off. "Don't worry. Nawaki's not weak. He's just doing logistics. Safest job there is."
She ruffled his hair again, then walked off, her steps light, confident—and just a bit sultry.
"I hope you're right…" Guts muttered, watching her disappear around the corner.
He turned and walked toward the training field on the outskirts of the village.
There was nothing more he could do now.
Two days later, just as expected, the Konoha reinforcement squad, led by Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, departed for the frontlines of the Second Great Ninja War.
Their battlefield—Amegakure.
Their opponent—Hanzō of the Salamander, a man said to rival even the Third Hokage.
For Tsunade, Guts had done all he could.
The rest was out of his hands.
He could only do one thing now—grow stronger.
Not because he wanted to change the world like Madara or achieve peace like Hashirama.
Guts simply liked strength.
He pursued it not out of duty, not for a cause—but for the thrill. For the clarity it gave him.
Power was survival, freedom, and meaning all wrapped in one.
Back in Konoha, despite the looming war, life hadn't changed much for most civilians and low-ranking shinobi. The chaos hadn't touched them yet.
And just like that, a month slipped by.
It was time for the entrance exam.
Might Guy, who had failed once before, was taking the makeup test. He was rough, loud, and slightly awkward—but also one of Guts's few friends.
His father, Might Duy, had promised to teach Guts the Eight Inner Gates someday. That alone was reason enough to go support the guy.
During the exam, the instructor called out the scores:
"Might Guy. Ninjutsu: 5. Shuriken: 4. Taijutsu: 8."
It was just enough to pass.
And with that, Guy was officially enrolled.
Guts smiled slightly from the sidelines.
Not bad, bushy brows.
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