Naruto Card King

A quiet forest path, Haruto Saito walked ahead with an exasperated expression, looking as if he had just had the worst day of his life.

"An elite Jonin… I couldn't even beat an elite Jonin when I was sixteen, and you did it at twelve? Kid, tell me, how exactly did you manage that?"

"Hey! Kid, have you eaten yet? I haven't. Want to grab a meal together? My treat!"

"Hey! Kid, do you like seafood?"

"What's wrong, kid? Cat got your tongue?"

"Hey, brat! I'm talking to you! Stop right there!"

Haruto suddenly halted in his tracks. He felt like he was being swarmed by a thousand flies. With a blank expression, he turned back to face Tsunade, who had been incessantly chattering the whole way. He sighed and said, "Hey, lady, could you stop following me? I'm going home to take a bath. Do you want to join me?"

"Oh?" Tsunade paused for a moment before flashing a radiant smile. "Sure! Let's bathe together!"

Haruto's shoulders slumped. He had completely given up trying to reason with this shameless woman. He had already made it clear from his expression alone that he found her annoying, yet she acted as if she didn't notice.

"I'm leaving. Do as you please," Haruto turned and trudged forward, head hanging low.

"Hey! Don't look so down," Tsunade quickly caught up and casually draped an arm around his neck. A strong fragrance surrounded Haruto, nearly making him faint. His face twisted in discomfort.

"Huh?" Tsunade was surprised. "Why didn't you sneeze this time?" She had done it on purpose.

"I'm getting used to it," Haruto rolled his eyes at her.

"That amazing?"

"But I'd still recommend you change your perfume. This scent is way too strong. I can smell it from 800 meters away."

"Really?" Tsunade sniffed her sleeve.

"Hey! Could you stop hanging onto me like this? We're not even that close!"

"Brat! You dare talk to me like that?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow and tightened her grip around his neck, smirking. "What can you do about it?"

"Look here!" Haruto said quickly, snapping his fingers.

Tsunade's attention was instantly drawn to the sharp sound, her gaze falling upon Haruto's raised right hand. With a flick of his wrist, a green pendant appeared, hanging from a black silk cord looped around his index finger.

The pendant swayed back and forth like a hypnotist's pendulum.

"You're tired. You need to rest. Close your eyes. Relax completely, let go of all thoughts except my voice. You feel your arms and legs growing heavy. Relax… relax even more… deeper and deeper…"

Tsunade's gaze locked onto the swinging pendant, her body frozen in place.

Haruto's words carried a mesmerizing rhythm, guiding her consciousness, lulling her mind into submission.

The greatest ability of a world-class magician—hypnosis!

Hypnosis was real. However, due to its low success rate, most magicians avoided performing it publicly. A failed attempt would tarnish their reputation, possibly ending their career. Moreover, many skeptics dismissed hypnotized subjects as mere "actors" planted in the audience.

In his past life, Haruto had never publicly performed hypnosis.

It wasn't an issue of skill—his success rate was incredibly high—but the process was exhausting. He had to carefully observe the subject's eye movements, control his tone, adjust his pacing, and modulate his voice to establish a hypnotic resonance. Since every person was different, each individual required a unique approach.

A single misstep in tone or pacing could result in failure.

This meant there was no fixed pattern, and hypnosis required improvisation and adaptability.

In his previous life, every successful hypnosis session left Haruto mentally drained, requiring significant rest to recover. It was an ability that heavily taxed his mind.

"...You see the ocean, vast and tranquil. A gentle breeze brushes your skin. You bask in the warm sunlight, wrapped in its comfort… Sleep… sleep…"

With the final word, Tsunade's eyes slowly shut.

Carefully, Haruto shifted his body, crouching slightly to slip out of her grasp. Bit by bit, he freed himself from any physical contact with her.

Tsunade stood there like a statue, eyes closed, her golden bangs gently swaying in the breeze.

"What an idiot," Haruto muttered, rubbing his temples before glancing at the pendant in his hand.

The pendant wasn't his. He had swiped it from Tsunade just moments before putting her under.

"Is this the cursed pendant?" Haruto suddenly recalled its significance. In the original story, this pendant was a relic of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Tsunade had gifted it to her younger brother, Nawaki, and later to her lover, Dan Katō—both of whom died in war shortly after receiving it.

However, its last owner had survived—none other than the story's protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, the ultimate plot-armored hero.

"Sigh, let's hope she doesn't bother me anymore," Haruto muttered, hanging the pendant on a tree branch before quickly walking away.

Half an hour later.

Uchiha Mikoto, accompanied by two Uchiha Jonin, walked along the same forest path. From a distance, they spotted Tsunade standing motionless in an odd posture.

"Huh? That's Lady Tsunade. What is she doing?" Mikoto blinked in confusion.

"Perhaps it's some unique form of training."

"Lady Tsunade is, after all, the Third Hokage's disciple. She must be incredibly dedicated."

The two Jonin speculated.

"I see. Let's lower our voices so we don't disturb her," Mikoto whispered.

All three carefully tiptoed past Tsunade.

Crack!

Mikoto accidentally stepped on a thick, dry branch, breaking it with a crisp snap. Instantly, Tsunade's eyes snapped open.

"Ah! Lady Tsunade, I'm terribly sorry for disturbing you!" Mikoto quickly bowed in apology.

"What… How… This is strange… Where am I?" Tsunade mumbled, her eyes clouded with confusion as she looked at Mikoto, then at her surroundings.

Then she saw the pendant hanging from the tree.

Like a flood, her memories came rushing back.

"That damn brat! What did he do to me?! This is impossible! I actually…" Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. She snatched the pendant from the tree and disappeared in a blur.

"Lady Tsunade… What just happened?" Mikoto was bewildered.

"Miss, we should hurry and find Haruto Saito. Lady Tsunade won't trouble us," one of the Uchiha Jonin said.

By the lake, inside a wooden cabin's bathroom.

Haruto soaked in a steaming bath, humming an odd tune. Feeling playful, he even stood up in the tub and swayed his hips, dancing in circles.

Just as he completed one spin—

Whoosh!

Tsunade suddenly appeared before the bathtub like a ghost, her eyes ice-cold as she stared at Haruto.

"Brat, what did you do to me?"