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By the time the four of them left the casino, it was already past eight in the evening.
Tsunade was completely drunk, slumped over Genbu's back. Luckily, Genbu had grown quickly; by the age of 163.1, he had already reached 165 cm. Otherwise, there was no way he could carry Tsunade, who barely weighed under 100 pounds but had developed fully.
Genbu walked in the middle of the group, Tsunade swaying heavily on his back. Kiyomizu, somehow having grabbed a blade of grass, hummed a little tune as he walked on the right, hands clasped behind his head. Clearly, he was in high spirits. "Tsunade-sensei does have some redeeming qualities. At least she helps us achieve financial freedom—we won't need to grind missions anymore."
But Zhongyu was having none of it. "Kiyomizu, are you slacking off again? Missions aren't just about money—they're about improving ourselves. And winnings from gambling aren't earned honestly, so don't get too dependent."
Kiyomizu just chuckled, "Hehe… I don't know who's happier—Genbu winning all that money or me seeing him so excited. He's thrilled! If Tsunade-sensei weren't so drunk, I bet you wouldn't enjoy it, huh, Genbu?"
Zhongyu's face flushed bright red, unable to speak. Could you blame him? He'd just won ten ryo—roughly four yuan in modern currency—and had never seen so much money in his life. Who wouldn't be excited?
Genbu's lips curled into a mischievous, unfriendly grin. But seeing Zhongyu's red face and murderous glare, he quickly clarified, "Of course, we still have missions to complete, but if there's nothing pressing, playing a few games with Tsunade-sensei isn't harmful. Free money is better than no money."
Suddenly, Tsunade, still draped over Genbu's back, muttered groggily, "Bring me some alcohol… I still want to drink!"
And with that, she fell asleep again.
The three students exchanged shocked glances. Their teacher… was a little cunning, to say the least.
As they continued walking, they encountered their parents searching for them: Kiyomizu's father, Kiyomizu Seiji; Yuu's father, Yamanaka Tsukishiro; and Genbu's cousin, Akimichi Tofu, the current head of the Akimichi clan.
Kiyomizu and Yuu were taken home, leaving Genbu to carry Tsunade alone. He sent Tofu ahead first to make sure the path was safe. Being in Konoha, there was no danger, and soon the road cleared, leaving only Tsunade and Genbu.
He weighed the woman on his back. She was surprisingly light. She had matured well, but her weight remained under 100 pounds. She had grown quickly, indeed.
About an hour later, Genbu arrived at the Senju clan's base in the northeast corner of Konoha. The once-mighty clan was now unusually quiet, its former glory a distant memory.
When Konoha was founded, the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, made a decisive move: he married off members of the Senju clan strategically to spread their bloodline throughout the village.
Over time, the male members married outside the clan, diluting the bloodline, while female ninjas married civilians, reducing population. If this trend continued, the Senju bloodline would survive, but the clan would inevitably weaken.
After Hashirama's death, without the "God of Shinobi" to command respect, unrest spread among nations, ultimately leading to the First Ninja World War. The Senju clan followed the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to the frontlines, with over 90% of their male ninjas perishing—including Tobirama himself—causing a devastating decline.
Continuous intermarriage further reduced talent. By now, the only pure-blooded members left were Tsunade and Shigemaru.
Passing the base's guard, Genbu inquired about Tsunade's residence. Entering the compound, he noticed that out of ten buildings, nine were empty.
He wondered: if the First and Second Hokage could see the current state of the clan, would they regret their choices?
In some ways, Hashirama's plan had worked. Decades of intermarriage had spread Senju blood across nearly every family in Konoha, except for the Uchiha clan. This significantly boosted the chakra levels and physical strength of Konoha's ninjas, surpassing other villages.
Many civilian ninjas displayed genius-level talent—a testament to the Senju legacy.
But the price was the gradual disappearance of the Senju clan.
Today, the Uchiha were the strongest family in Konoha, while the Senju, once heralded as one of the two greatest clans of the Warring States Era, had lost their former glory. Only a handful of members remained, barely visible among the village populace.
There was a certain sadness in this. Hashirama had built Konoha, yet his own clan was fading.
Arriving at Tsunade's residence, Genbu knocked on the door. An elderly steward opened it and, after hearing the situation, led Genbu through screens and courtyards to the inner residence.
Tsunade's home reminded Genbu slightly of the siheyuan courtyards from his previous life. The main hall faced the inner gate, with wings stretching east and west. Though the estate had many rooms, only the main hall had lights on—still before ten o'clock. In the courtyard, an eight- or nine-year-old boy trained with weights.
Genbu immediately recognized him as the future Shigemaru, who would perish in the Second Ninja World War. He hurried forward to greet him: "Hello, I'm Genbu Akimichi, Tsunade-sensei's disciple. She's drunk, so I'm carrying her home."
Seeing Tsunade sprawled across Genbu's back, Shigemaru smiled wryly. "Sorry for troubling you with this drunkard."
He then addressed the steward: "Uncle Sato, I'll take her to her room. You can head home and rest."
The steward bowed and left.
Under Shigemaru's guidance, Genbu carried Tsunade to the west wing, to her chamber.
The room was large but modestly decorated, impeccably clean, unlike the messy depictions in previous stories. A faint fragrance lingered in the air, matching Tsunade's own scent—soft, calming, and comforting.
Gently placing her on the bed, Genbu tucked her in and prepared to leave, leaving the rest in Shigemaru's capable hands.
As he reached the courtyard gate, a woman stopped him.
Turning, he saw a striking elderly woman with deep red hair in twin buns, loose strands resting on her shoulders, and a purple diamond mark on her forehead.
Instantly, Genbu recognized her: the first wife of Senju Hashirama, the divine ninja, and the first jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails—Mito Uzumaki. Feeling her chakra, vast and fluid like a raging river, Genbu instinctively activated his Sharingan.
Mito Uzumaki said softly, "You must be the child the Monkey told me about… thank you for bringing Tsunade back safely."