Chapter 26: The World Begins to Change

"Alright then, if I lose, I'll cover for you so Grandma Mito doesn't punish you."

As soon as she heard that, Tsunade started nodding even faster.

"But if you lose, I get to eat all your snacks. How about it—deal?"

Right now, Tsunade's mind was entirely occupied with what Uchiha Hikaru had just said about covering for her. She didn't even register the second half of the sentence.

She quickly grabbed the dice and shouted with enthusiasm,

"No problem, let's start!"

......

Soon, it was lunchtime. Chinatsu searched around the courtyard but didn't see the two kids, so she headed to their room.

When she arrived, she found Tsunade sprawled on the floor, her expression utterly bleak.

This gave Chinatsu quite the shock. She rushed forward to help Tsunade up and ask what had happened.

But no matter how much Chinatsu asked, Tsunade refused to say a word.

Uchiha Hikaru knew Chinatsu had come to call them for lunch and didn't want to waste time, so he casually delivered the finishing blow from the side.

"It's nothing major. She just lost all her snacks for the month to me."

Tsunade instantly looked even more devastated. Chinatsu, standing nearby, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"It's alright, Lady Tsunade. If you want something to eat, just tell me. I'll make it for you."

Tsunade was deeply moved. She ran forward and hugged Chinatsu tightly, then stuck her tongue out at Uchiha Hikaru.

Watching the whole scene unfold, Uchiha Hikaru gave a light cough, reminding them that it was time to eat.

With the reminder, Chinatsu let go of Tsunade, then led the two of them to the dining room before leaving.

At that moment in the dining room, two adults—a man and a woman—were already seated, waiting for them.

When Tsunade saw them, she ran over excitedly and leapt straight into the man's arms.

"Dad! You're back! Weren't you supposed to be heading to the frontlines?"

Senju Yosuke hugged Tsunade and replied cheerfully,

"Well, you should thank Hikaru. It's because of him that I was able to come back."

Beside him, Senju Seiyuki added with a smile,

"That's right. We were all ready to depart when Mom suddenly told us to hold off."

"Later we found out she was adopting a child and needed the whole family present to witness it."

"Thanks to him, we didn't have to return to the war."

Watching Tsunade's reaction, Uchiha Hikaru had already guessed—they must be her parents. Their words confirmed his suspicion.

What caught his attention more was the implication behind their words. In the original storyline, Tsunade's parents were never mentioned.

If he had to guess, without his interference, the war would have likely left Tsunade's parents severely injured… or worse, dead.

'Looks like I've already begun flapping my wings, changing more things than I thought.'

Thinking of this, Uchiha Hikaru suddenly felt a bit cheated. If he'd known this would happen, he wouldn't have gone soft and agreed to cancel a few months of snack debt.

After listening to her parents' explanation, Tsunade slipped out of Senju Yosuke's arms and approached Uchiha Hikaru.

Perhaps because of all the people present, she seemed a bit shy. Her cheeks flushed as she muttered softly,

"Thank you…"

Hearing that, Uchiha Hikaru immediately responded,

"If you're really grateful, how about we cancel the cancellation of the snack debt?"

Tsunade's face flushed darker with embarrassment and irritation. She gave him a weak punch.

"No way! You promised me, and a promise is a promise!"

The two adults watched the scene with warm smiles. After a while, they reminded the kids that lunch was ready.

After eating, the adults stopped Uchiha Hikaru just as he was about to leave.

Seeing that it didn't concern her, Tsunade returned to her room, determined to make up for the time she had wasted that afternoon.

Otherwise, Mito Uzumaki might just tie her up and make her study sealing techniques—she wouldn't be let down until she finished.

Just picturing that, Tsunade quickened her pace.

Senju Yosuke didn't mind her slipping away. He pulled out a scroll from behind him and handed it to Uchiha Hikaru.

"Hikaru-kun, Lady Mito asked me to give this to you. Please accept it."

Uchiha Hikaru recognized this kind of scroll—it was used for sealing items. He already had one himself.

Taking the scroll, he asked,

"What's sealed inside?"

"The Senju clan's entire jutsu archive."

Uchiha Hikaru's pupils shrank. He hadn't expected something like this.

Although he was confident he wouldn't lack for jutsu after being adopted, he didn't think Mito Uzumaki would actually hand over their full collection.

But thinking back to their conversation that morning, it didn't seem that surprising after all.

Still, something felt off. Hikaru hadn't asked Mito for jutsu. So why would she suddenly entrust this to him?

With that thought, he asked,

"Can I ask… why give it to me?"

Senju Yosuke looked at him and sighed,

"Lady Mito said you're a once-in-a-millennium genius. She doesn't know how to teach you."

"So she told me to give you all our jutsu. From here, you'll decide your own path."

"Of course, if there's anything you don't understand, you can come ask us."

After seeing the level of strength Uchiha Hikaru already had, Mito Uzumaki realized she no longer had the qualifications to guide him.

This wasn't the Warring States era anymore—back then, one had to fight endlessly just to survive.

That pressure taught shinobi everything they needed to know.

After considering it, Mito Uzumaki decided to let Uchiha Hikaru choose his own path. That's why the scroll had ended up in his hands.

Holding it, Hikaru realized she wasn't joking around. She'd given him everything—their entire foundation.

Sensing his reaction, Senju Yosuke patted his shoulder and said,

"Don't let it get to you. Every one of us has read that scroll, but whether you can master it all depends on yourself."

Even so, Uchiha Hikaru was genuinely moved.

When someone opens their heart to you like that, and you feel nothing in return—doesn't that make you no different from a stone?

At this point, Mito Uzumaki didn't want anything for herself. She just wanted to see the village grow in peace and her loved ones stay safe.

With no desires, there's nothing to ask for. In that state, Uchiha Hikaru found himself at a loss as to how he could repay her.

Then he thought of Tsunade—and of Mito Uzumaki's headache dealing with her earlier.

Tsunade's personality clearly showed who she took after. But right now, she really was a bit of a handful.

As Mito Uzumaki's descendant, there's no reason she shouldn't be able to learn the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

That jutsu, while exclusive to the Uzumaki clan by blood, was still a sealing technique that could be learned.

Tsunade had the perfect conditions to inherit it—a true heir of the Uzumaki.