"Let's go over the key points again. First is the pendant's illusionary distortion. Second, the infusion of chakra while speaking to create a mystical, ethereal effect. Third, the snapping of fingers. The sound produced by a snap is unique, and by using chakra, we can sharpen it—making it so piercing that it can cut through noise and instantly draw attention even in a chaotic environment. And fourth, the perfect timing of these three elements; one misstep, and the whole sequence collapses..."
Tsunade spoke endlessly. As a top-tier medical ninja who only needed two hours of sleep to fully recover her energy, she was perpetually energetic.
But right now, Haruto Saito had no interest in listening to her lecture.
"Hold on, I have something urgent to take care of. I need to step out for a moment." Haruto suddenly interrupted her.
Tsunade stopped speaking, her expression turning to one of mild annoyance. However, she didn't ask where he was going. Instead, she waved her hand dismissively. "Lazy people always have excuses. Hurry back!"
She assumed Haruto was stepping out to relieve himself. And that was exactly the impression he wanted to give.
Of course, that was a lie.
Haruto quickly got up and ran outside.
Outside the cave, the rain was still pouring heavily. Haruto didn't go far. He found a massive tree in the forest—its canopy was so thick that, while the rain continued to pour outside, only a light drizzle made it through the branches.
Perching himself on a sturdy branch, Haruto pulled out a thick stack of cards!
Unknown Card Fragments. One hundred and two of them!
He set aside two and kept a hundred. Then, he initiated the fusion.
The hundred cards vanished all at once!
"Ding! Fusion successful. The host has obtained one S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu: Magic Hypnosis Card."
"Holy crap!"
Haruto's heart nearly jumped out of his chest. An S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu! A technique that didn't originally require chakra to activate, yet when infused with chakra, it had been elevated to an S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu!
With a flick of his wrist, Haruto retrieved the newly synthesized card.
This card was unique—not because of its color or design, but because, on its back, a single character was written: "Creation." The meaning was obvious. This technique was Haruto's own creation!
Of course, Tsunade had played a role in its development. But Haruto had contributed the most, so the system recognized him as its creator. After all, the foundation of this technique—the core hypnosis method—had been provided by Haruto himself.
That foundation was the key to everything!
"An S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu! An S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu! Wait a minute!" Haruto was overwhelmed with excitement but quickly realized something. "System, since this is a forbidden jutsu, does it have any side effects?"
All forbidden jutsu came with drawbacks—whether excessive chakra consumption, the need for sacrificial offerings, or even harming the user directly. That was why they were classified as forbidden.
The Magic Hypnosis Card's description only detailed the effects of hypnosis. It didn't mention any side effects or weaknesses.
"This Forbidden Jutsu Card has been automatically generated by the system. Since the technique has just been created, there are no existing records regarding its drawbacks. The host must use the card and experience them firsthand," the system replied.
"Well, alright then! S-Rank Jutsu, huh? Heh!" Haruto chuckled, unable to contain his excitement, and placed the card into his mouth.
Crunch!
The moment he bit down and shattered the card, an immense surge of energy exploded within him, flooding into his body.
A vast amount of complex information poured into Haruto's mind.
These were the same details he and Tsunade had been discussing. However, some parts had been corrected—errors were refined, disorganized elements were structured properly.
Haruto closed his eyes and absorbed the information.
Previously, when using cards, he had always acquired abilities instantly, the transfer of knowledge happening in a flash. But this time, the process was much slower—likely because the technique had just been created.
It took a full minute before Haruto finally opened his eyes.
...
Back inside the cave, after Haruto left, Tsunade grew bored and started eating wild fruits. She wasn't hungry—she had just eaten a lot—but she had nothing better to do. The fruits tasted good, at least.
"I wonder how long this storm will last. If it gets dark, traveling will be even harder," Jiraiya said worriedly as he stood at the cave entrance.
"Orochimaru has a lot of people with him," Tsunade replied, understanding Jiraiya's concerns. "But we shouldn't be worrying about him. We should be worrying about ourselves. Who knows how many people Sensei has sent to find us? Aside from Orochimaru's group, who else is out there?"
Jiraiya fell silent. For the past two days, his mood had been grim. Unless something distracted him, his thoughts would always drift to the fallen Inuzuka Kei.
A heavy sense of guilt weighed on him.
Inuzuka Kei had come searching for him alongside Orochimaru, only to die in battle within the borders of the Rain Country. If not for that, Kei would never have left the Hidden Leaf Village so easily—let alone ended up here.
Whoosh!
A shadow suddenly dashed toward the cave from outside.
Haruto burst through the rain and into the cave, immediately asking, "Are we moving out?" He had no interest in continuing the discussion with Tsunade—because he had already mastered Magic Hypnosis!
"Let's wait a bit longer," Jiraiya responded.
"Come here, kid!" Tsunade gestured for Haruto to approach. "Let's continue. I just had another idea."
"Another idea? No need for that." Haruto walked deeper into the cave. "I had a sudden realization while I was outside. I think I've already mastered how to use chakra to hypnotize people."
"You've mastered it?" Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief.
They had been discussing this together, and Haruto had constantly asked her questions. Tsunade believed she had a deeper understanding of the concept than he did. While Haruto was proficient in hypnosis, integrating chakra into it? There was no way he had figured it out already.
Even Tsunade herself had only just started grasping the correct approach.
"You don't believe me?" Haruto raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not," Tsunade responded.
"How about a bet, then—"
"No, absolutely not! I will never bet with you again!"
Haruto hadn't even finished his sentence when Tsunade interrupted him. She had learned her lesson. Three times she had bet against Haruto, and three times she had lost—each loss more ridiculous than the last. She had already vowed to herself that she would never gamble with him again.
"Alright then," Haruto said with a shrug. "If you don't believe me and won't bet, then forget I said anything. But… I really have mastered it."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Haruto.
Haruto casually picked up a wild fruit, wiped it with a cloth, and took a bite while looking at her. "Are you really not going to bet?" He was confident. He knew Tsunade's gambling addiction too well.
Tsunade was silent, staring at Haruto for a long moment before finally speaking. "Fine! I'll bet! But this time, we're not betting anything big."
"What's the wager?" Haruto asked.
"Simple. If you win, I'll let you hit me. If I win, I'll beat you up. How about that?"
Pfft—! Haruto choked on his fruit and coughed violently.
That wager! Tsunade was full of malice!