"There's no need to be born earlier, nor later. A woman being three years older is like hitting the jackpot."
"If she's older by twelve years, that's like winning the lottery four times over."
Tanaka counted on his fingers, seriously calculating.
Wasn't it just an age gap of more than twelve years?
Which Naruto fan wouldn't want the strongest and most beautiful kunoichi in the shinobi world—one who never aged until death?
Moreover, she could freely adjust her age.
From a young girl to a mature lady, to an elegant aunt, and then to a beautiful woman—she could perfectly embody every stage of beauty, all while possessing the unique Bloodline Limit of the Senju clan.
S-rank Milk Release. Enough joking.
"Kid, that's not how you do the math."
"You're only eight years old. By the time you grow up and can marry, Tsunade will already be forty."
"Even if she agrees to take your surname, are you really planning to bring a forty-year-old woman home as your wife?" Jiraiya explained.
He wasn't afraid of Tanaka having improper thoughts about Tsunade—after all, a young colt pulling a heavy cart still needs to grow up first. What he feared was Tsunade giving up on hard work and simply wealth by choosing Tanaka.
If she took him in, she could stick it to the Third Hokage, solve the financial problems needed to train medical-nin, and even secure a comfortable married and retired life in the future.
Thinking about this, he felt panicked and became even more determined to shatter Tanaka's illusions about Tsunade.
Crack.
Tsunade didn't say a word, but the sound of her clenched fist cracking her knuckles filled the air.
However, for some reason—perhaps out of curiosity—she didn't send Jiraiya flying with a single punch. Instead, she glanced at Tanaka, curious about how he would respond.
"It doesn't matter."
Tanaka smiled faintly and shook his head.
"W-why?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened, his tongue almost tied in a knot.
"To be honest, Jiraiya-sama, I prefer more mature women."
The moment Tanaka said this, all the clan leaders present smirked knowingly.
A young boy's admiration for older women... They had all been his age once, so they understood that many boys at this stage often liked mature women.
Especially someone like Tsunade, who could captivate men of any age.
An S-rank kunoichi—who wouldn't want her?
"Take notes, Jiraiya. If you don't know how to talk, then just don't."
Tsunade arched her eyebrows with a smile, unable to resist pulling Tanaka into her embrace.
The more she looked at him, the more pleasing he seemed to her eyes.
Just moments ago, she had been furious and had jokingly said she'd change her surname to "Hyūga Tsunade" just to annoy Hiruzen.
But now, that thought surfaced in her mind again.
If he was willing to pour half of the Hyūga clan's fortune into her hands, and nothing significant came of it, then maybe she really should consider adding a new surname to her name.
Hyūga Tsunade.
It had a nice ring to it.
"Kid, Tsunade will age!"
"If you walk around the streets of Konoha and take a good look at any forty-year-old woman, you'll understand how much Tsunade will have changed by the time you grow up!"
"By then, will you still say you like mature women?"
The word "danger" flashed in Jiraiya's mind.
Aside from Nawaki, her younger brother, this was the first time he had ever seen Tsunade act so close to a man.
Even if that man was just a kid, so not even a man yet.
"..."
Tsunade frowned slightly but, unusually, didn't get angry.
Although Jiraiya's words were harsh, they were undeniable facts.
No matter how breathtakingly beautiful a woman is in her youth, time will eventually take its toll.
For the strongest and most beautiful kunoichi in the shinobi world, watching herself age little by little would be far more painful than a man watching his own body weaken and deteriorate over time.
Tsunade at forty?
Tanaka, hearing this, decided to be even bolder and imagined Tsunade at fifty in his mind.
Alright!
She was still as stunning as ever.
Her figure and beauty still outshone all others, reigning supreme in the ninja world.
"Now do you understand?"
"You should be focusing on girls your age, growing up together, getting married, and having children—that is the right path."
Seeing Tanaka suddenly fall silent, Jiraiya thought he had finally shattered the boy's idealized image of Tsunade.
"It's fine."
Tanaka's sudden response caught the attention of every male ninja present, including Hiruzen, who had just been tricked by the boy.
After all, the Third Hokage was still a man—and a man who frequently used his telescope jutsu to peep on Konoha's women.
Men do like mature women, but maturity needs to be paired with beauty or youthfulness.
He was no exception.
So, he was curious to hear what astonishing words Tanaka would say next.
As for Tsunade, she was staring at Tanaka with burning curiosity.
"What do you mean it's fine?"
Why was this Hyūga brat so stubborn?
He came from the Hyūga clan, a family known for producing beautiful women. He could have any kind of Hyūga beauty he wanted with just a word—so why was he fixated on Tsunade?
How was Jiraiya supposed to compete with that?!
"If Lady Tsunade is truly willing to take the Hyūga name, I will dedicate my entire life to developing a jutsu that can preserve youth, retain beauty, and ensure eternal radiance."
Faced with the stares from all directions, Tanaka responded with a faint smile.
If anyone else had said this, they would have been laughed at and mocked on the spot.
But because these words came from him, not a single clan leader present—nor even Hiruzen—dared to dismiss them.
Because Tanaka's achievements were simply too dazzling.
Especially his recent "battle" with Orochimaru over the sword—everyone had witnessed firsthand the space-time ninjutsu he had developed.
A kid could already create a space-time jutsu more advanced than the Flying Thunder God…
If he claimed he could develop a technique to halt aging and preserve beauty, it wasn't entirely impossible.
After all, in the ninja world, achieving immortality might be difficult, but stopping the aging process was much easier.
"Preserve youth."
"Retain beauty."
"Eternal radiance."
Tsunade stared at Tanaka.
Which woman in the world could resist such words?
If he were just making empty promises, it wouldn't matter much.
But the problem was—neither Tsunade nor any of the clan leaders, not even Orochimaru, Minato, or Hiruzen, doubted his ability to make it a reality.
And besides, a young man's passion was always the most captivating.
At this time, Tsunade had not yet improved her Yin Seal into an S-rank medical sealing jutsu that could maintain her youthful appearance.
So, as a woman, she was not immune to the temptation.
Especially when these words were spoken directly to her.
And not just anywhere, but in front of the clan leaders, jonin captains, the Sannin, and even the Hokage himself.
The weight of these words was immense!
I… I lost.
The great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku actually lost to a brat!
Jiraiya stumbled back a few steps, leaning against the already cracked wall that Tsunade had previously shattered.
Looking at her gaze as she stared at Tanaka, Jiraiya suddenly felt like his heart was just like the wall behind him.
Shattered into pieces.
Utterly broken.