77. Tsunade’s Fitness Coach

“Hmph.” Tsunade let out a soft snort, neither confirming nor denying Kisame’s words. Instead, she turned to Shizune and asked, “Am I really that hot-tempered?”

“Uh, well, maybe… a little…” Shizune shrank her neck and spoke cautiously, bringing her thumb and forefinger together to demonstrate just how little.

Tsunade’s face immediately darkened, but she managed to restrain her anger—losing her temper now would only confirm Kisame’s assessment.

“So, what do you think? Interested? I could be your fitness coach for free—no charge at all.” Kisame offered again, his expression entirely serious.

He was genuinely fascinated by Tsunade’s physique.

More precisely, he was intrigued by the unique constitution of the last living member of the Senju clan.

Kisame hoped for the opportunity to study the source of Tsunade’s extraordinary physical strength. Such insight might inspire new ideas in his own physical training.

Tsunade fixed Kisame with a steady gaze.

Though she was loath to admit it, over the past three months of acquaintance, she’d come to realize something: setting aside his cunning, unscrupulous nature, Kisame was a man of unparalleled discipline and unyielding will.

He neither smoked, drank, gambled, nor indulged in women; there was no hint of vice in his life. From dawn till dusk, he seized every moment for training, oblivious to the world around him.

What was even more astonishing was the strength of his mind.

Tsunade had never seen confusion, disappointment, or suffering on his face. Most of the time, it was marked only by a profound serenity.

That was a state attainable only by one who had mastered their own heart.

In truth—

This boy was only thirteen, yet both his body and spirit had been cultivated to such an impressive degree. It was truly terrifying.

Unlike herself.

All these years, her outward beauty had masked an interior riddled with wounds.

That thought stirred something within Tsunade. At last, she replied to Kisame in a calm tone, “Very well, let’s do it.”

She was genuinely curious whether Kisame’s much-vaunted “fitness training” was as miraculous as he claimed.

But more importantly—

She wanted to change.

She no longer wished to keep running away. Drowning herself in alcohol and gambling had never truly soothed her broken heart.

“Good, then let’s go to my place,” Kisame said.

***

An hour later.

In the courtyard of a seaside villa, Tsunade had slipped off her high heels and stood barefoot on a mat, waiting for Kisame to begin her fitness lesson.

Kisame circled her a few times, gauging her measurements with a critical eye, unable to help but marvel aloud, “All the fat is exactly where it should be. Incredible—completely at odds with everything physiology teaches us.”

“Had enough? This is just how perfect I am.” Tsunade tossed her golden hair with confidence.

But Kisame shook his head.

“Lady Tsunade, you must be using a special technique to store a massive amount of chakra in your chest. There’s quite a bit in your hips and thighs too, isn’t there?”

With a single sentence, he exposed the secret behind Tsunade’s perfect figure.

Tsunade’s face stiffened.

He’d guessed correctly.

In her youth, Tsunade had been as flat-chested as a board. Even adolescence couldn’t have produced such a remarkable transformation.

The secret lay in the purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead—the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

This S-rank auxiliary jutsu allowed her to store excess chakra over time, amassing an enormous reserve.

It was well known that chakra was the outward manifestation of both physical and spiritual energy.

Conversely, chakra could in turn influence both mind and body.

Through this seal, Tsunade had consciously manipulated her vast chakra reserves to shape her form and appearance, granting herself a stunning figure and eternal youth.

It was an unconventional approach to fitness.

But at its core, it all stemmed from the formidable inheritance of the Senju bloodline.

Still, since Tsunade’s body was already nearly perfect, Kisame decided to teach her something else—

Something more attuned to cultivating both body and mind.

With that in mind, he stepped onto the adjacent mat and instructed, “Let’s start with a warm-up. Follow me.”

He began stretching, loosening his joints and muscles.

Tsunade had expected weightlifting or squats, but quickly realized this was not the case. To her surprise, Kisame performed difficult stretches, splits, and backbends with ease.

For such a muscular man, his body was anything but rigid; he was in fact more supple and flexible than most women.

“What exactly are you planning to teach me?” Tsunade asked, curiosity piqued.

“I’ll teach you many movements, but they all share a single name—yoga.”

He uttered a word that sounded mysterious and unfamiliar to Tsunade.

“Yoga? And what is that?”

“It’s a relatively gentle form of exercise. Daily practice will help you calm your mind and forget pain and sorrow,” Kisame explained, then suggested, “Let’s get started. I’ll demonstrate and explain as we go along—it’s the fastest way to learn.”

Five minutes later.

“Is… is this correct?” Tsunade knelt on the mat in a crawling position, hands and knees on the ground. She arched her back, lifted her face to peer up at Kisame, suspicion written all over her features.

The somewhat embarrassing posture made her wonder if Kisame was playing a prank.

“Excellent—very standard. This is called the Cat-Cow Pose, a basic entry practice for yoga beginners,” Kisame said, checking her form before continuing, “Remember—inhaling, lifting your head, and arching your back is the cow; exhaling, tucking your chin, and curling your tailbone is the cat. Now, let’s repeat this for eight sets.”

He moved to his own mat and demonstrated the poses seriously.

Seeing his earnestness, Tsunade fell silent and completed the exercise with him.

“All right, next pose,” Kisame continued.

He then taught her a series of classic yoga postures: bridge pose, plow pose, wide-legged stance, downward dog, cobra, butterfly, happy baby, and more.

During the session, Shizune and the Snow Maiden were drawn over by curiosity and watched from the sidelines.

Several poses left them both blushing deeply.

But when Kisame explained that yoga could melt away excess fat, tighten the skin, and help sculpt the perfect figure, they were sorely tempted.

All women desire beauty.

“I’m exhausted!” Tsunade exclaimed, collapsing ungracefully onto the mat after the final pose. Her chest heaved, and she was drenched in fragrant sweat.