Seeing this, Chiba had no choice but to simplify his explanation further.
...
After a while, Dai finally showed a look of realization and clapped his hands enthusiastically.
"I see! If that's the case, Chiba, couldn't you activate the Eight Inner Gates and then enter Sage Mode? That way, your strength would be even greater!"
"Actually, Sage Mode cannot be used after activating the Eight Gates," Chiba explained. "Sage Mode requires precise chakra control, but as you know, Brother Dai, once the Eight Gates are activated, our chakra surges wildly."
He continued, "If natural energy isn't properly balanced with chakra to form Sage Chakra, the user risks turning to stone, or worse, becoming a stone statue entirely."
Hearing this, Dai couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. If his idea had been possible, Chiba's strength would have reached an astonishing level.
After chatting for a while longer, Dai eventually left.
With his training session interrupted, Chiba lost interest in continuing and decided to leave as well.
As he walked through the bustling streets of Konoha, the lively crowd around him reminded him of something Tsunade had mentioned to him on the first day of the Chūnin Exams.
Recalling that, he abandoned his plan to return home and instead made his way toward the hospital.
Konoha Hospital
Upon arriving, Chiba noticed that the hospital seemed even busier than usual. Nurses and doctors hurried through the corridors, tending to patients and handling emergencies.
Curious but unwilling to disturb the medical staff, he continued toward Tsunade's office.
Upon reaching the door, he pushed it open without knocking.
Inside, Tsunade was still engrossed in her paperwork. Upon hearing the door open, she slowly raised her head. Her expression brightened momentarily when she saw Chiba, but then, as if realizing something, she quickly masked her emotions with an indifferent look.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her attention returning to the documents before her.
Chiba smirked. Tsk tsk, women... they change moods faster than a performer in a Sichuan opera.
"Hey, I just came to see you, Sister Tsunade."
"Hmph, who asked you to visit?" Tsunade huffed, though the slight upturn at the corner of her lips betrayed her.
Chiba sighed dramatically. "I recall someone complaining just two days ago that I hadn't come to see her." He leaned against the desk with a mischievous grin. "She even dragged me into a dark room for... well, let's just say, 'unspeakable things.'"
Tsunade, who had been pretending to focus on her documents, stiffened slightly, a hint of pink creeping up her cheeks. Memories of that day flashed in her mind—Jiraiya had even questioned why she looked so flustered afterward. She had barely managed to come up with an excuse to cover it up.
Still, she remained silent.
Seeing no response, Chiba feigned sadness. "Ah well, I thought I should visit since it's been a while, but since Tsunade doesn't welcome me, I'll just leave."
With that, he turned dramatically toward the door.
"Wait." Tsunade's voice called him back, just as he had anticipated. A victorious smile flickered across his face, though he quickly wiped it away before turning back.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Sister Tsunade? Do you need something?" he asked innocently.
"Hmph, don't pretend you don't know!"
"Eh? Should I?"
Tsunade struggled to keep a straight face but ultimately gave in with a smirk. "Just come here and stop being annoying."
As soon as he approached, Tsunade turned to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a thick stack of paperwork, dropping it on the desk in front of him with a smirk.
"Since you're free, help me process these documents."
Chiba blinked in disbelief. "Wait, I came here to visit you, and you're putting me to work?!"
"Hmph, consider this your punishment," Tsunade declared. "So, are you going to do it or not?"
Chiba sighed in defeat. He wanted to refuse, but seeing Tsunade's sharp gaze, he ultimately chose to comply. "Fine, fine, I'll do it..."
He regretted speaking up in the first place. If he had known this would happen, he would have just kept quiet and left immediately. Now, here he was, stuck as Tsunade's assistant once again.
An Hour Later
Chiba let out a long sigh of relief as he finished processing the final document.
"Finally done! Seriously, paperwork is more exhausting than fighting an enemy."
If it had been anyone other than Tsunade asking for help, he would have walked out immediately.
"Sister Tsunade, I helped you out. Do I get a reward?"
"Oh? What kind of reward are you expecting?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Come on, Tsunade-sama, you know exactly what I mean."
"Nope, no rewards. But I can offer you a punch instead—interested?" Tsunade teased, flexing her fist.
Chiba pouted in frustration. She wants to get free labor out of me? No way. I usually freeload off others, not the other way around.
Since she wasn't giving him anything, he would just take it himself.
Taking advantage of the moment, he teleported directly behind Tsunade and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"What are you doing?!" Tsunade's voice carried a hint of panic. She hadn't expected him to be this bold—especially in a hospital office.
"Sister Tsunade, stop pretending you don't know," he whispered, leaning closer.
Before she could react, he spun her around and pressed his lips to hers.
...
Leaving Tsunade's office, Chiba wore a satisfied expression—though he quickly composed himself upon stepping into the hallway.
The memory of his hands wandering to those two peaks was still fresh in his mind, making him grin unconsciously.
"Heh..." he chuckled to himself, lost in thought.
"Chiba, what are you doing at the hospital?"
A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Chiba turned to see Uchiha Genka standing at the door of her office, looking at him with mild suspicion.
Panic flickered across his face for a brief moment—had she seen his expression just now?