Naruto Card King

Tsunade laughed arrogantly.

Haruto Saito, who had been kicked into the lake, did not get up. Instead, his head remained submerged, with only his back floating above the water, resembling a lifeless corpse.

"Huh?" Tsunade sensed something was off and blinked. "He didn't actually drown, did he?" She took a step forward, about to pull him up, but suddenly froze in place, her eyes widening in shock.

Haruto's body in the water had already started to dissolve, rapidly turning into liquid and merging with the lake.

"Water Clone! You—when did you—? Impossible!" Tsunade gasped in disbelief, swiftly turning to scan the surroundings. With her level of skill, she had failed to detect anything unusual.

"I've told you a hundred times, I can smell your scent from eight hundred meters away." The real Haruto Saito emerged from behind the wooden house, rubbing his nose as he spoke. "Can't you change your perfume? How do you expect to complete missions like this? The moment you get near another village to steal intelligence, they'd notice you right at the gate."

Haruto was simply teasing her. Just because he was sensitive to smells didn't mean everyone else was.

"How can your Water Clone be so perfect?" Tsunade asked, a bit disgruntled.

How embarrassing!

She had planned to pull a prank on him, yet she had been the one tricked instead.

"Because I'm a genius!" Haruto spread his hands, as if it were obvious. Of course, that was just nonsense. The truth was that his jutsu came from ability cards. The techniques granted by the cards might not be the strongest or most refined, but their fundamental structure was undoubtedly perfect.

"You're pretty cocky, huh, kid? Believe it or not, I'll beat you up!" Tsunade cracked her knuckles threateningly. Despite knowing each other for only a short time, the two had become quite familiar with one another.

"Enough nonsense, my dear Tsunade-sama. Do you remember yesterday's bet? Now, teach me the Mystical Palm Technique." Haruto walked up beside her.

"You should be teaching me hypnosis first, right? C'mon, c'mon, teach me, teach me!"

"Why should I teach you first?"

"Enough talking!" Tsunade suddenly hooked an arm around Haruto's neck and tightened it like a noose. "If you don't teach me first, I'll suffocate you with my scent!" She squeezed harder, practically shoving his head into her chest.

Perhaps because Haruto was still a kid, Tsunade didn't think much of such an action.

"Mmm… I-I'll teach you… Let go…" Haruto struggled, his voice muffled.

"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted, flashing a victorious smile as she released him.

"Sigh!" Haruto exhaled, waved his hand, and said, "Follow me."

Inside the house, Haruto closed the curtains, moved the furniture to the corners, and dimmed the lighting in the already dark room. The corners of the room became shrouded in even deeper shadows.

The two sat facing each other. Haruto raised his hand, and a green pendant, attached to a black silk thread, dangled from his palm.

That pendant again!

Tsunade instinctively patted herself down, realizing that, once again, it had been taken from her. This time, though, she didn't bother asking when he had done it. Instead, she just muttered, "Thief!"

"Look here!" Haruto adopted the demeanor of a teacher, speaking seriously. "I've told you before, hypnosis is essentially a form of mental guidance. To explain further, the human mind is quite easy to influence. For example, when people listen to sad music, they feel sorrowful. When they hear grand and heroic tunes, they feel inspired and excited."

"By mastering this guidance to an extreme degree, it is possible to make someone fall asleep or even compel them to answer questions truthfully…"

"Though it sounds simple, actually learning this kind of hypnosis is extremely difficult. The initial stages of hypnosis are heavily dependent on environmental factors such as space, lighting, temperature, and even scent. The target being hypnotized also plays a crucial role…"

For the entire day, Haruto did nothing else except teach Tsunade the basics of hypnosis.

He was genuinely teaching her, and he didn't mind. Hypnosis had too many restrictions. Even though he had mastered the highest level of it, he could never guarantee a 100% success rate. Unlike techniques like the Uchiha clan's Sharingan or other illusion-based hypnosis techniques, which were far more effective and easier to use.

In fact, even the Mystical Palm Technique had anesthetic effects that could induce unconsciousness far more efficiently than hypnosis!

However, hypnosis had one unique advantage—anyone could learn it. Once someone grasped the technique, they could use it without needing chakra.

Unfortunately, most of the time, that advantage was practically useless.

The entire day was spent discussing theory. Tsunade was thoroughly engaged, never getting bored, nor did she insist on practicing right away.

As the sun set, twilight painted the sky with streaks of crimson.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Hey!" Haruto slammed his hand on the table, loudly protesting, "A whole day! It's been an entire day! I'm starving! I'm going to die of hunger!" This was already the fifth time he had complained that day.

Yes, he hadn't eaten all day.

Not only that, but he hadn't eaten yesterday either.

For someone who had undergone brutal training in Amegakure, going a day without food wasn't a big deal. But this was two days now.

"Alright, alright, let's eat. My treat!" Tsunade said cheerfully, stretching her arms overhead. The motion caused a certain prominent feature to become even more noticeable, and Haruto's eyes froze for a moment.

Before long.

Walking through the forest, Haruto and Tsunade strolled side by side.

"You seem pretty idle. Don't you have work to do?" Haruto asked.

"I just finished my last mission not too long ago. I probably won't get another one for at least ten days." Tsunade replied.

Marketplace district.

As dusk settled, Konoha was at its liveliest. The streets bustled with people as Tsunade led Haruto toward her favorite restaurant.

"Tsunade-sama!"

"Tsunade-sama!"

"Tsunade-sama!"

As they walked, many people greeted Tsunade. At least half of them were jonin. The lower-ranking ninja, though they recognized her, didn't even dare to speak and instead moved aside to avoid her.

Curious gazes landed on Haruto.

Everyone wondered—who was this kid? He wasn't Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, nor was he her close friend Uzumaki Kushina. Who else in his age group could be so friendly with Tsunade?

No one recognized him.

Because he was wearing sunglasses, and fortunately, they hadn't run into anyone familiar.

"Why the shades? Is it fun?" Tsunade suddenly reached out and snatched Haruto's sunglasses, putting them on herself.

"Hey!" Haruto tried to stop her, but it was too late.

"Two-colored eyes!"

"That's Haruto Saito!"

The surrounding shinobi gasped, and soon, the streets erupted into an uproar.