"Meow?" Takeshi tilted his head, eyeing Tsunade with suspicion. 'What was she doing here at the orphanage? This didn't add up.'
"Greetings, Tsunade-sama." Kabuto bowed deeply, his expression neutral but wary.
"No need for formalities," Tsunade replied, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't look at me like that. I still have a position in the Medical Corps, you know. Checking a child's records isn't exactly difficult."
She gestured for Kabuto to take a seat in the yard, then casually pulled up a stool for herself. Takeshi remained off to the side, watching.
From the looks of it, Tsunade had probably just left the casino-where she had undoubtedly lost yet another fortune. Unable to track Takeshi down immediately, she had apparently decided to do something productive and turned her attention to Kabuto instead.
In canon, few had noticed Kabuto's medical talent so early. But thanks to Takeshi's interference, things had shifted. Kabuto had accompanied Nono to the Capital and, of all things, ended up running a pet massage parlor. The business had thrived among the aristocracy, bringing in substantial funds for the orphanage. Unfortunately, it had also drawn attention to his budding medical skills much sooner than expected.
Mastering basic Iryo-ninjutsu at the age of four and applying it seamlessly to massage? That wasn't just talent-that was prodigious.
"Relax," Tsunade said, noticing Kabuto's guarded posture. "When Nono was in the Medical Corps, she and I worked together for a while. Later, she moved to another department, but I remember her well."
Tsunade saw the hidden vigilance in Kabuto and couldn't help but smile.
In her opinion, this scene was a bit like a puppy baring its teeth at a tiger, not enough to make the tiger angry, but rather a bit cute.
Kabuto considered her words carefully, then smiled. "Are you here to see the headmaster?"
"No. I came to see you," she said bluntly. "I've reviewed your records. You have serious potential."
"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm just doing what I can," Kabuto responded with practiced humility.
Unlike Sai's forced expressions, Kabuto's smile was smooth-disarmingly natural. A perfect mask. This kind of person was born to disguise themselves.
Looking at him Danzo's words echoed in Takeshi's head, "Kabuto was born to be a spy."
Tsunade, however, saw something entirely different-a once-in-a-generation medical genius. Someone who shouldn't be wasted on Danzo's machinations or Orochimaru's twisted experiments.
That's why she had come.
The conversation quickly turned technical. At first, Takeshi followed along, but once they delved into human anatomy, chakra pathways, and the precision required for medical ninjutsu, his interest waned. He wasn't here to become a medic, after all.
Instead, he turned his attention elsewhere, mentally opening the system to check his points. 'Huh? It increased by 2,000 points again?'
Takeshi blinked. That was a significant jump.
After a moment's thought, he smirked. It had to be because of his promotion to Jonin. The two elders and Danzo had likely objected, only to be overruled by the Third Hokage.
'Danzo is such a good guy, huh?'
A mischievous thought struck him.
If Danzo ever found out that Takeshi had been stirring things up with Kabuto in the Capital, his reaction would be priceless. Maybe Takeshi should keep pushing-nudging Danzo's paranoia just enough to keep racking up these free points.
And if Danzo ever made a move against him...
Well.
Takeshi would be more than happy to 'play' with him.
Perhaps this old ghost had accomplishments in the past, but now? Now he was nothing but a manipulative schemer, steering everything in the worst possible direction. If not for his final words before death, one might have doubted whether he ever had any noble intentions at all.
Takeshi licked his paw absentmindedly, mulling over ways to make Danzo's life miserable.
That old war hawk was like a turtle, always holed up in Root, rarely exposing himself. The best opportunity would be when he colluded with Hanzo the Salamander to eliminate Yahiko and the Akatsuki...
A few ideas stirred in Takeshi's mind, still unpolished. Whether he would act on them depended entirely on Danzo's next move.
If Danzo was intent on targeting him, then Takeshi wouldn't hesitate to return the favor-tenfold.
While Takeshi was lost in his thoughts, Tsunade had finished her conversation with Kabuto.
"Alright, you're a sharp kid," she said, stretching. "Since Takeshi seems to trust you, and you've got a good head on your shoulders, I suppose I don't have to worry about you falling for Danzo's tricks."
She had initially feared Kabuto was too naive, an easy target for Danzo's manipulations. But after speaking with him, she realized he had his own sense of caution, however subtle. He was still young, but there was potential there. If nurtured properly, he could become a valuable asset to the medical corps.
"Let's go," she said, shooting a glare at the black cat, who had been lounging idly nearby.
Takeshi twitched his ears but otherwise remained unmoved. He knew exactly why Tsunade was annoyed-he had deliberately avoided her after his meeting with the Third Hokage. He wasn't about to let her drag him into whatever she was planning, especially if it involved spending his money.
Tsunade still had her pride, after all.
If it had been Jiraiya, he would have shamelessly asked Takeshi for money
without a second thought. Status and dignity be damned.
"Tsunade-sama, please wait a moment," Kabuto suddenly interjected. "I have something for Takeshi."
"Meow?" Takeshi perked up, intrigued. He padded after Kabuto as the boy led him inside.
Kabuto retrieved a few Chakra Papers and handed them over. Takeshi swiftly tucked them into his inventory. But then Kabuto hesitated for a moment before pulling out a small wooden box from beneath a shelf.
"What's this?" Tsunade asked, her curiosity piqued. She stepped forward despite herself, watching closely as Kabuto opened the box.
Inside were small, carefully crafted pills.
"These are military ration pills," Kabuto explained, scratching his head. "But I made these specifically for ninja cats. I wanted Takeshi to try them."
"Military ration pills for ninja cats?" Tsunade mused. "Not a bad idea. But aren't summon animals already capable of consuming regular ones?"
"They are," Kabuto confirmed, "but I adjusted the formula to include ingredients that are more beneficial for cats."
Tsunade picked one up, inspecting it closely before popping it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully before nodding. "Hmm. It does have a different composition from the standard ones. Not bad."
Takeshi eyed the pills with suspicion. He had a sinking feeling Kabuto was subtly enacting revenge. Anyone who had ever tasted Konoha's standard military ration pills knew the horror of their flavor.
Bracing himself, he took a bite.
'...Oh?'
It wasn't bad. In fact, it was much better than the usual military ration pills. The taste wasn't quite on par with the cat food produced by his system, but it was far more palatable than he had anticipated. And while the effects weren't as potent as his specialized food, these had one key advantage-they didn't require Points.
He felt that this thing could be done, and he could even have Kabuto study his cat food later. If he could research it, it could reduce a lot of Points spent on special cat food and ninja cat cat food every month.
The black cat thought the plan was wonderful.
"Not bad, meow," Takeshi admitted. "But I wouldn't recommend selling these to the noble ladies in the Capital. If their cats consume too much, they might end up with chakra reserves."
Kabuto blinked. "Ordinary cats can eat these too?"
Takeshi nodded. "You didn't include anything harmful to non-ninja animals. But if regular cats eat them, they'll be hyperactive-probably bouncing off the walls with all that extra energy. So unless you want a bunch of nobles complaining about their pets wreaking havoc, I'd keep these away from them."
Kabuto pondered for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Then maybe I can tweak the formula to make a healthier type of cat food instead. That way, the nobles will still buy it, and it'll be safe for their pets."
Tsunade observed the exchange in silence, a strange expression crossing her face.
She had come here to recruit a promising young medical-nin...
And instead, she had just witnessed the birth of an aspiring pet food tycoon.
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