Chapter 11: Straying Further from the Path of Elegance

Because today was the day of the Chūnin Exams, Tsunade woke up at the break of dawn.

She didn't do much—just sat quietly in the hallway, watching the energetic husky darting around the yard, gleefully chasing butterflies.

Honestly, why would a dog be so interested in chasing butterflies?

Especially a male dog.

Tsunade couldn't quite figure out what exactly this husky was supposed to be.

A summon beast created by the system?

Regardless, on the outside, it looked like a dumb-faced husky with a perpetual goofy expression. And yet it kept insisting that its sole interest in life was "mating."

Back to the matter at hand—although today was the Chūnin Exams, Tsunade didn't wear her usual combat-ready Shinigami outfit. Instead, she donned her cumbersome kimono again, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, looking every bit the noble lady from a prestigious clan.

The reason she endured the inconvenience of wearing this restrictive kimono again was, indeed, the Chūnin Exams. Or rather, it was because of a task—one that just happened to be tied to the exams.

[Mission: An Elegant Victory]

[Mission Summary: As the princess of the Senju Clan, you must maintain elegant behavior and bearing at all times—even in battle.]

[Mission Objective: Achieve final victory in the Chūnin Exams in the most elegant manner possible.]

[Mission Reward: 2 Gold Coins]

[Failure Penalty: Invite Jiraiya to bathe together]

[Mission Deadline: Until the Chūnin Exams end]

Tsunade initially rejected the mission. As a female protagonist, she felt she couldn't toss aside her dignity just because the system issued a mission. After all, if she failed, she'd have to give Jiraiya some serious fan service. The readers definitely wouldn't be happy about that.

But then Tsunade reconsidered. According to Lord Hiruzen, this year's Chūnin Exams weren't just a regular exam—they carried a strong political undertone, a show of force. If she could beat her way to the final boss and come out victorious, promotion to Chūnin was practically guaranteed. After all, it was a matter of Konoha's reputation.

As for defeating the enemy, Tsunade had full faith in the system's strength, and full confidence in Orochimaru's power. The only variable she had to worry about was Jiraiya. But she was confident she could drag that dead weight through the first and second rounds of the exams. As for the third round—that was an individual competition. She couldn't care less whether Jiraiya lived or died at that point.

Besides, soaking in a hot spring together counted as bathing together, right?

So after a long internal struggle, Tsunade accepted the mission.

But now, a problem had arisen—Jiraiya was still MIA. And the team composition of Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya had been set in stone for a while. Every participating village had a copy of the official exam roster. There was no way to change it.

The only other option was to forfeit.

In that case, Tsunade couldn't even pass the first written exam...

The thought of failing to become a Chūnin and having to bathe with Jiraiya sent her mood plummeting. Yet, the worse her mood got, the more surprisingly calm she felt. Her mind began racing.

Tsunade figured this was probably the so-called protagonist's halo.

"Husky, do you have any specific preferences when it comes to mating?"

Watching the butterfly-chasing mutt, Tsunade suddenly called out.

"Hm?"

The husky looked at her in confusion. "Boss, are you in heat?"

"..."

Tsunade seriously doubted she and this mutt existed on the same dimensional plane and gave up trying to reason with him. But she had already made up her mind: if she did end up bathing with Jiraiya, it was going to be in a hot spring. And if he dared touch her, she would stage a new movie—Naruto the Movie: Jiraiya's **** Demise.

Although… she did feel a little bad for the husky.

The husky clearly had no idea what was coming. Still wearing that confused little expression, he stared at the silent Tsunade, as if making some grand internal decision. Then, with a tone full of self-sacrifice, he declared:

"Mother always said interspecies love is forbidden… but if it's you, Boss, I'm willing to become your cream puff puppy!"

"..."

Tsunade had always thought she had a decent talent for snark, but now she didn't even know where to begin—especially when staring at that dog's overly serious, anxious face.

A long pause.

"…Honestly, I'm not into males."

The husky let out a huge sigh of relief. Then, still filled with sincerity, he said, "Then I'll give you that little female pup from the Inuzuka Clan. She's got refined features, silky fur, and is a rare breed. Plus, I've already taught her several techniques. I'm sure she can satisfy your needs, Boss."

"..."

Tsunade never thought of herself as a cruel person, but now she couldn't help wishing that the world of Naruto celebrated a Dog Meat Festival.

Also—just what the hell did you do to that Inuzuka Clan pup?!

Tsunade began to worry the Inuzuka family might come knocking any moment.

But she quickly shoved these chaotic thoughts aside.

The Chūnin Exams hadn't even started yet. How could she give up so easily?

She soon made up her mind: she would have the husky transform and take Jiraiya's place for the first two rounds of the exam.

Yes, the Transformation Jutsu, after being layered who knows how many times by the system, was no longer restricted to just the user's body. Tsunade was confident that this absurdly advanced transformation could easily fool even a Special Jōnin's visual inspection—maybe even a full Jōnin.

At the very least, people who weren't extremely familiar with Jiraiya wouldn't notice. And those who were—well, there were only three: Orochimaru, Hiruzen-sensei, and herself.

Tsunade trusted that Hiruzen, for the sake of the mission, wouldn't expose her plan—in fact, he might even help cover it up. As for Orochimaru… he never cared about this sort of thing. Or rather, he had zero interest. He'd probably just give one of his classic "How boring" lines and silently go along with it.

Besides, the first two stages of the Chūnin Exams weren't supposed to feature any major threats. And even though the third stage elimination matches would attract powerful spectators, at that point, whether "Jiraiya" showed up or not didn't matter. He could just conveniently forfeit.

Perfect. The script was set!

Now, the only remaining issue was: how to win the mission.

According to Tsunade's analysis, "An Elegant Victory" required both elegance and victory. Since her Chūnin promotion was practically guaranteed, the focus should be on being elegant.

So what exactly was elegance?

The mission summary already hinted at it: maintain elegant words and actions at all times.

In short, she needed to secure final victory in the Chūnin Exams while maintaining elegance in everything she did.

Hence, today Tsunade wore her rarely-used kimono, intending to present herself in a style far more refined than anyone else's—to showcase the ultimate form of elegance. Wearing a kimono, which was inconvenient in every way, meant she had to consciously maintain grace at all times.

"Boss, Lord Orochimaru is here."

A servant girl's voice called out. Tsunade opened her half-lidded eyes, gaze sharp.

"I know."

After replying, she turned to the husky. "Husky, come here a sec."

"Hm?"

Although confused, the self-proclaimed "loyal dog" trotted over eagerly.

Knowing full well the husky's limited intelligence, Tsunade didn't bother explaining. She simply formed the Tiger Seal and placed a hand on the husky's head. In the next moment, a living, breathing "Jiraiya" stood before her.

Tsunade fell silent when she noticed the tail still sticking out of "Jiraiya's" backside.

So stubborn, these species traits.

Then again, this world wasn't short on people with… unique fetishes. Stuffing things into one's body was hardly a dealbreaker. Surely Jiraiya would be accepted someday, tail and all, bravely living on with his quirk.

No problem! The plan is flawless!

"Husky, from this moment on, you are 'Jiraiya.' Don't talk. Follow my commands."

"Eh? Why?"

"If you don't want me to slaughter every female pup in Konoha."

"..."

For the first time, the husky glimpsed a hidden side of Tsunade—the ruthless side.

(End of Chapter)

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