As the massive bed collapsed under the strain of their hour-and-a-half-long "sparring session," Charles and Tsunade were forced to pause their intense exchange.
Tsunade glanced at Charles, with a wry expression on her face, "Aren't you going to use your magic to fix it?"
Charles smirked and waved his hand, "Restore to its original state!"
With a flash of magic, the broken bed was instantly restored.
After another hour of intense exchange, Charles held Tsunade in his arms and pondered, "Looks like we need a bed made of Adamantium."
Tsunade chuckled, "Why not go all the way and use Vibranium instead?"
Charles seriously pondered for a moment and replied, "You're not wrong. Once I deal with that one, I could consider it. But for now, Vibranium is a bit too extravagant."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow with her curiosity piqued, "Who's that one?"
"A deity who watches over some place," Charles replied mysteriously.
Seeing Tsunade's intrigued expression with her face still rosy from their lovemaking, Charles smiled and added, "Don't worry about it for now. Let's focus on you."
After tossing around with Tsunade for a while more, Charles continued, "Your strength does need an upgrade. At this point, not only Orochimaru but even Sasuke and Naruto have surpassed you."
Hearing this, Tsunade nodded, acknowledging the truth.
Charles's consciousness then delved into the system interface, where he unequipped Tsunade's card from the active lineup.
"Identical character cards detected. Proceed with fusion?"
Fusion Confirmed!
The process began, using Konoha's Legendary Sannin Tsunade as the base card.
Two cards floated into the air, spinning rapidly before merging in a burst of golden light. The result:
Tsunade (Fused)
Tsunade's card pool wasn't extensive, with this being only her third fusion. However, the quality of the cards was undeniable.
Excluding her younger version, both Legendary Sannin Tsunade and Adult Tsunade were Kage-level powerhouses, and her strength would only grow with further upgrades.
Charles mused over her remaining cards: Byakugō Tsunade and Summer Swimsuit Tsunade.
The thought of the swimsuit card amused him. While he couldn't summon the card yet, he could certainly encourage Tsunade to try out the look.
With this fusion, Tsunade's Senju bloodline and healing capabilities had been further enhanced.
Charles speculated whether she could eventually achieve a Sage Body akin to Hashirama's once all her cards were fused.
Charles equipped the newly fused card into the active lineup and selected a manifestation radius of three meters around him.
In the room, Tsunade reappeared, her form subtly altered. While her appearance remained largely the same, her aura was significantly more powerful.
Her chakra reserves had more than doubled, and the Yin Seal had now materialized on her forehead.
However, she likely couldn't yet activate the Byakugō Technique without the corresponding card.
Despite the limitations of individual cards, the fusion process had exponentially boosted her overall strength.
Each fusion enhanced her physical constitution and chakra reserves, allowing her to eventually surpass her original storyline counterpart.
Tsunade closed her eyes as countless memories flooded her mind, playing like a movie reel.
Since Legendary Sannin Tsunade was the base card, the events of her future life unfolded before her. She witnessed the path she would have taken had she not come to this world.
Understanding this alternate timeline brought a mix of emotions, but more importantly, a renewed sense of determination to grow stronger in this new world.
As Tsunade immersed herself in the memories, she witnessed key moments from her life in the original timeline.
She saw herself, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya become known as the Legendary Sannin after their heroic efforts during the Second Shinobi World War.
The three encountered the war orphans Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato from Amegakure. While Orochimaru proposed killing the children, Jiraiya's compassion saved them, leading him to teach them ninjutsu.
The memories shifted to the tragedy that followed. Jiraiya received a scroll from a toad, revealing the deaths of Yahiko and the others.
Guilt weighed heavily on him, realizing the flaws in his earlier decisions—a grim reality that Orochimaru had anticipated, knowing war's harsh truths.
The vision then turned to Tsunade gifting her grandfather's necklace to her younger brother, Nawaki.
Shortly after, Nawaki tragically died in an explosion caused by a trap.
As Tsunade watched Nawaki's demise, even in the present, a tear rolled down her cheek as she lay in bed.
The memories continued—her proposal for integrating medical ninjas into combat squads, her romance with Dan, and the heartbreak of losing him in battle.
These tragedies led Tsunade to develop hemophobia and leave Konoha after the Third Shinobi World War. With Dan's niece, Shizune, she traveled aimlessly, teaching Shizune medical ninjutsu while indulging in gambling to distract herself.
Her infamous losing streak earned her the nickname "Legendary Sucker" in the gambling world.
The memory advanced to the day Orochimaru and Jiraiya visited her. Tsunade learned of Hiruzen Sarutobi's death at Orochimaru's hands.
The ensuing Sannin Battle tested her resolve. Inspired by Naruto's unwavering determination to become Hokage, she overcame her fear of blood, defeated Orochimaru, and decided to return to Konoha as the Fifth Hokage.
She entrusted her grandfather's necklace to Naruto, placing her hopes in him to achieve the dream she had abandoned.
While many of these events were already familiar to her due to the accounts of other ninjas who had arrived in this world, reliving the memories brought renewed clarity to the details.
Tsunade processed these experiences as part of a parallel version of herself, separate from the life she was now building in this new world.
However, her thoughts lingered on Nawaki. She hoped that, like others, Nawaki and the Senju clan members might one day be brought to this world to live anew.
Charles noticed the tear on Tsunade's face and gently wiped it away.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
Tsunade opened her eyes, her gaze filled with longing.
"I miss Nawaki," she whispered.
Moved by her emotions, Tsunade leaned in and kissed Charles, seeking solace in his embrace. The two shared another tender moment, finding comfort in each other once more.