Let's skip over Nawaki badmouthing his own sister. Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato smartly changed the topic—after all, if Tsunade heard about this, blood would be spilled today.
For Uchiha Kei, the experiment involving Nawaki's reappearance had concluded. It not only confirmed his system's glitch exploitation success, but also meant this "revival" capability would become highly coveted.
Family, friends, loved ones—
In this tragedy-ridden shinobi world, regrets were everywhere. Just like in the spirit network world, nearly everyone carried regrets and longed to see someone again.
Even Tsunade, after reuniting with her brother, still had others she wanted to see.
Not Kato Dan, although she did wish to see him again. But with Nawaki's return, the hole in her heart had been filled, and even her hemophobia had vanished—her attachment to Dan was far weaker now.
Instead, it was her deceased family that Tsunade most longed to meet.
Everyone was the same. They hoped to reunite with lost loved ones through Uchiha Kei's powers.
But could such a power come without cost or burden?
No one believed it. Everyone assumed it must be incredibly difficult.
So no one made requests—they buried those wishes deep down. Because they understood: if the price was high, asking would only trouble Uchiha Kei.
Truthfully, their worries weren't unfounded. Kei could indeed exploit skill glitches to pull souls from the Pure Land and host them in the shared realm of the spirit network. In theory, he could become an even greater wish granter than Orochimaru.
However, just like he could only host seven living people in the spirit network at most, Kei's capacity for the dead was also limited by his mental strength. As long as he stayed within limits, he was fine. But if he exceeded them, it would take a heavy toll.
To put it plainly, Kei had a mental load limit of 50 points for hosting summoned spirits. Nawaki occupied 1 point—meaning Kei had 49 left to "spend."
The stronger the soul, the greater the mental burden. A terrifying presence like Tobirama Senju might cost 7 to 10 points on his own. If Kei added several like him, there'd be no room left for anyone else.
So if he truly wanted to create a second world that could house the dead, Kei needed to become stronger. But that was only a temporary fix.
To solve the problem at its root, he'd need to construct a dedicated "server" for the spirit network—and that wasn't something he could do yet.
Right now, at Level 3 mastery of the spirit network, he lacked the functions and tech required. He only knew those features would unlock at higher levels.
So while his capacity to host souls was limited, with enough time, Kei could eventually create a shinobi-world version of Valhalla—draining the entire Pure Land the Sage of Six Paths had spent millennia creating. Heck, maybe even rope in the Sage himself to work for him.
Of course, that was just a dream. Whether it could actually happen—who knew?
Not long after, someone else arrived in the spirit network.
It was Uzumaki Kikyo. The girl was surprised to see a new face here. Uchiha Kei greeted her and explained.
Tsunade knew Kikyo, of course. She was a fellow Uzumaki. Tsunade was also aware the girl liked Uchiha Kei.
What she didn't know was how deep that affection ran. But the way Kikyo looked at Kei—soft, tender, overflowing with feeling—made it clear: she was head over heels. Tsunade sighed.
It was the sigh of someone resigned to watching a fellow Uzumaki fall for an Uchiha. After all, the few surviving Uzumaki were expected to revive their clan. With only two Uzumaki women left, they needed to bring in husbands. If Kikyo and Kei ended up together, their children would bear the Uchiha name.
The dream of reviving the Uzumaki... was slipping away. Hence Tsunade's sigh.
But this sigh, born of clan responsibility, was seen by Nawaki. The little guy blinked, then crossed his arms and thought seriously:
"I see. So it's not just me imagining things. Sis really does have feelings for Kei-nii. Otherwise, why would she sigh when she saw he had a girl who likes him?"
"No. As her little brother, it's my duty to make her happy. I must help her fulfill her wish!"
And just like that, Nawaki—unleashing world-shaking brilliance—hardened his resolve. It was as if he'd found his life's true purpose.
Meanwhile, after learning the whole story, Kikyo was stunned but not surprised. She simply accepted yet another outrageous feat by Uchiha Kei.
In her mind—much like Namikaze Minato—Uchiha Kei was her eternal pick. She trusted him unconditionally.
So, Tsunade's hemophobia? Problem solved.
She also promised not to tell anyone about the "illusion world." Judging from everyone's behavior, this was their shared secret. Outsiders weren't privy.
Tsunade understood: her access was thanks to Nawaki and Orochimaru. And with Nawaki now living in this world, she had to protect that secret.
If the illusion world was compromised, her reunion with Nawaki would vanish in an instant.
So after a short gathering in the illusion world, everyone went back to their business.
Kei, Tsunade, Shizune, and Orochimaru left the illusion world to report to Lord Third that Tsunade's condition was cured. Then everyone returned home. Tsunade called Shizune back early.
As for Kei, he didn't need to deal with the aftermath. He went straight home. Tsunade decided to walk him partway, wanting to express her gratitude.
But since Nawaki's existence had to remain secret, their conversation was restrained. Tsunade's attitude—careful, even shy—felt awkward.
To her, it was a sister fearing her slip might put her brother in danger. But to outsiders...
The Uchiha guards thought: why is Lady Tsunade acting so reserved around Lord Kei? Like a blushing maiden in love?
Huh?
What just happened?
How could a simple game session change her demeanor so much? Why did it feel like she and Lord Kei had shared an entire year's worth of bonding?
As expected of Lord Kei—he accomplishes what no one else can!
The Uchiha guards didn't get it, but they were amazed.
And they weren't alone. Other villagers who saw Tsunade walking with Kei—whether they knew Kei or not—had similar thoughts.
Tsunade was just being overly cautious, but it clashed with her usual bold image. The contrast was too striking. Combined with walking alone with Kei, and personally escorting him home, the love-interest "buffs" stacked high.
The result? Her demure demeanor sparked countless rumors.
Not everyone assumed Tsunade had fallen for him. A few sharp observers suspected she was simply worried about something and didn't know Kei well, so she acted carefully.
But they were the minority—and without proof, they said nothing. Most people assumed she was smitten and just quietly watched the gossip unfold.
And so, without realizing it, Tsunade's gesture of appreciation—walking Kei home and chatting kindly—saddled her with a thick layer of romantic rumors.
Worst part? She was completely unaware. In fact, she was being extra cautious. When others passed by, she would stop talking to avoid leaking intel, only resuming once they'd moved on.
This excessive caution? It backfired spectacularly—like shouting your secret from the rooftops. It practically generated gossip on its own.
No doubt about it. After today, word would spread: after all these years, the Princess of the Senju had fallen in love again. And the Senju clan would be drowning in embarrassment—
Because even though Tsunade looked barely in her twenties, she was over thirty, while Uchiha Kei wasn't even twenty. Classic "older woman robbing the cradle"—a bombshell scandal in the shinobi world.
In feudal times, a man in his thirties marrying a younger woman was normal. But a woman in her thirties falling for a teen? That was considered blasphemy—something out of folktales or myth.
As it happened, a Senju elder who ran a restaurant saw Tsunade walking Kei home.
At first, he smiled, ready to greet her. But the moment he saw Tsunade's "shy" expression—and recognized the young man as rising Uchiha star Uchiha Kei—his smile froze.
It was like he'd been struck by lightning. Then came the cold sweat.
He bolted back inside, shut the door, and rushed to inform the other Senju.
Although the Senju had dropped their surname and integrated into the village, the elders still kept in close contact.
Now, their clan intel network would shine—though absurdly applied. The Senju clan would be the first to know this juicy scandal.