At that moment, Tsunade spoke again. "I don't know why you're asking something like this—but I can say with confidence, it doesn't exist in this world."
Her words hit Sora like a bolt of lightning from the heavens, completely stunning him.
If there was no way to permanently break past physical limits, then his attributes would hit a ceiling. Even if he grew stronger, he'd end up like Kakashi—a chakra-deprived ninja.
In the later stages, when monsters ran rampant, even having Kage-level strength wouldn't be enough.
What would he do when Pain attacked? Run away? What about Kushina and Minato?
He'd already altered the course of the original story. Who knew if Naruto's infamous talk-no-jutsu would still work in this timeline?
Besides, Sora had no intention of letting anyone else control his destiny.
Perhaps noticing the distress on his young face, the kind-hearted Shizune gently said, "It's okay, Sora. If something's holding you back, then work harder right where the problem is. You'll definitely find a solution!"
That timid voice struck Sora like thunder in his mind.
"Hahaha!" He burst into wild laughter, instantly appearing right in front of Shizune and throwing his arms around her. "Thank you, Shizune! I've got it now!"
Even Tsunade's eyes flashed with surprise at his speed.
It was incredibly fast—nearly on par with her own. And this was still a six-year-old child. What about in the future?
The thought she had pushed aside earlier now crept back into her mind again.
Shizune, on the other hand, had no idea what just happened. When Sora suddenly hugged her, she let out a startled cry, her face turning bright red as she fled behind Tsunade.
Seeing this, Sora chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
Like Shizune said—solve the problem at its source. If the system limited his strength, then the answer must lie within the system.
If real-life solutions worked, what was the point of the system?
He had been too caught up in his own panic to think straight.
After all, the whole story of Naruto was practically "Black Zetsu's Rescue-the-Mother Chronicles" or "The Ōtsutsuki Family Saga."
Everything in this world screamed one truth—bloodlines reigned supreme.
So if he wanted to surpass his physical limits, he needed to obtain Physique and Bloodline Cards!
As long as he acquired the Ōtsutsuki clan's physique, wouldn't his physical stats naturally break through?
In the original story, aside from the Ōtsutsuki, the strongest were the village Kage. There were no so-called "Super-Kage" tiers.
He was just an ordinary person without any rare bloodline. It made sense that he'd hit a wall.
With that realization, Sora felt a sudden clarity. That's why he got so excited and hugged Shizune.
There was no need to explain the details to Tsunade or Shizune—he would never reveal the secret of the system.
Now that he had a plan, the first person he set his sights on was Tsunade.
Was there any better option than the Senju bloodline? Maybe, but Tsunade was standing right here!
Without hesitation, Sora shamelessly clung to Tsunade's side, hoping to pick up any card drops as soon as they appeared.
…
In the blink of an eye, a month passed, but Sora still hadn't obtained the card he wanted.
Tsunade spent every day gambling and more gambling—there was no fighting, and no one was dumb enough to pick a fight with her.
So the chance of card drops was pathetically low.
That's when Sora decided—it was time to persuade Tsunade to return to Konoha.
Kushina was there, and she had the Uzumaki physique. If Tsunade went back too, then his chances of picking up a suitable card would double!
To achieve that, Sora began spinning tales every day about Konoha's progress.
Even though most of it was just hypothetical, it was all he had to work with.
What he didn't know was that Konoha was developing so rapidly, his stories were already lagging behind reality.
After the propaganda came the dirt—Sora told Tsunade all about how he'd humiliated Hiruzen Sarutobi and set up Danzo Shimura.
He knew those two were the reason Tsunade had left the village in the first place, after they orchestrated the downfall of the Senju clan. So he made sure to emphasize it.
Sure enough, Tsunade's expression softened with every sentence, and even a faint smile appeared on her beautiful face.
But even so, she still refused to return. With no other options, Sora played his final card.
"Tsunade-nee, Kushina-nee is pregnant. She's a Jinchūriki—when she gives birth, the seal will weaken. If anyone interferes, it could be incredibly dangerous. I have to go back!"
With his bags packed, Sora dropped the news on her before turning to leave.
No way Tsunade wouldn't react—she and Kushina were practically sisters.
Sure enough, Tsunade's expression faltered. But after a moment's hesitation, she shook her head and said wearily, "Then go. Sensei will help you."
Sora's heart sank. That wasn't the response he'd expected at all!
He quickly added, "We just cut down his authority! And he's already harmed so many of Konoha's strongest. I don't trust him!"
After a pause, Sora continued, "Right now, it's just Minato holding everything together. There aren't enough capable people."
That struck a nerve with Tsunade. Sarutobi Hiruzen really was that kind of man.
He had manipulated the Senju clan—the very clan that helped build Konoha—into near extinction. And now she was the last one left. Could she really trust him to protect Kushina?
And just like the kid said—they had just stripped Hiruzen of his power. Would he not hold a grudge?
What if Hiruzen and Danzo joined forces? Could Minato handle them?
Even Jiraiya wasn't in the village.
The more she thought, the more conflicted Tsunade became, especially as she recalled her crippling hemophobia.
Watching her inner turmoil, Sora knew she was on the edge. So he chose that moment to excuse himself and leave.
In the original timeline, both Tsunade and Jiraiya had been absent during the Nine-Tails incident. Not because they didn't care, but because they never received the news.
Now, if he brought both of them back… would the Nine-Tails still be able to run wild?
He imagined the beast appearing, only to be immediately surrounded by four or five Kage-level ninja.
What would Kurama think then?
"Wait! I'm coming with you. Shizune, go pack."
Just as Sora was lost in his own thoughts, Tsunade's voice called out from behind.
Hearing that, Sora's smile flashed across his face before he composed himself and stopped in his tracks.
Once Shizune had finished packing, the three of them—and one pig—set off together.
This time there was no need to take detours. Sora estimated it would take only four or five days to return to Konoha.
Far faster than the month it had taken to find Tsunade in the first place.