The day after becoming a ninja, Genbu Akimichi embarked on his first official missions.
When he encountered Shimizu Nara and Yu Yamanaka, he made a subtle hand gesture while carrying Tsunade on his back. The two immediately recognized it as a Shadow Clone. They couldn't help but marvel at Genbu's audacity—using a clone on the very first day of missions! If Tsunade ever found out, she would tear him to pieces.
But their amusement quickly faded when they saw the mission assigned to Tsunade. Help an old lady harvest wheat? Who were they—legendary Ino-Shika-Cho?
Graduates of the 24th class, elite even by Konoha standards (after all, a fifteen-year-old had been defeated by a twelve-year-old, and it wasn't a gentle loss), and yet they were tasked with reaping wheat? Their uncles might have tolerated it, but their aunts certainly wouldn't. Even the normally honest Dan Zhongyu could not stay silent.
Yet when the two men confronted Tsunade demanding an explanation, she silenced them with a single glance.
"Any objections?" she asked.
"No! We will complete the mission flawlessly and will never bring shame to Lord Tsunade!" The two immediately bowed ninety degrees, intimidated by her presence.
"Good. Then do your best, children. Let's go."
Tsunade covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
She was extremely satisfied with the three, especially Genbu, who remained honest and pure-hearted from start to finish—a handsome and obedient disciple. In truth, it was partly because the one present was a Shadow Clone; Genbu feared being discovered and thus minimized his presence.
For the next three days, the trio undertook a variety of D-rank missions—helping elderly women find cats, escorting dogs for mating, assisting farmers in the fields, and so on.
By the third day, Shimizu Nara had reached his limit. Following Genbu's lead, he began sending his own Shadow Clone to complete missions.
Although his chakra reserves weren't as vast as Genbu's, he didn't need dozens of clones. Using only half of his chakra, he could handle D-rank tasks with ease.
By the fifth day, Dan Zhongyu could no longer endure. Seeing the other two using clones—and secretly fed up with the endless D-rank assignments—he also dispatched a Shadow Clone.
And so, the four-member Tsunade squad no longer had a single real member. Their clones roamed Konoha freely, performing their tasks.
Some might ask, "What about Tsunade?" She isn't human, after all.
A joke! As the third-generation disciple, princess of the Senju clan, and a Jonin of Konoha, her plate was overflowing. Who had time to babysit four children running D-rank missions? From day one, she too had been represented by a Shadow Clone. Where her real self was? That was anyone's guess—perhaps at a tavern or a casino.
This continued until the tenth day, when Genbu suddenly had a flash of intuition. His sixth sense warned him that today, he must go out in his true body—or face something terrible.
He informed Shimizu and Yamanaka of the plan. Nara, dulled by days of laziness, and Yu, absorbed in secret techniques and specialized training, paid little mind. No amount of persuasion could sway these stubborn spirits. Genbu resolved that he would rather risk his own life than the lives of his companions, so he set out alone to assemble everyone.
And as always, his sixth sense—honed through countless beatings—did not deceive him.
Once the group gathered, Tsunade did not dispatch a clone. Today, she appeared in her true body and led the students to Training Ground Five.
The Shadow Clones of Shimizu and Yamanaka panicked. Wait—weren't they supposed to do D-rank missions today? Why a training session instead? Was there still time to notify their originals?
Both clones desperately looked at Genbu, who merely shrugged helplessly. He had done all he could. Their originals did not appear, and he was powerless.
Tsunade addressed them:
"You've been performing well recently, and I am satisfied. Today, I will teach you something new."
"You are all clan ninjas, skilled at climbing trees, walking on water, and other basic techniques. But I, though powerful in combat, am primarily a medical ninja. So your first lesson will be medical ninjutsu. No gambling tricks included."
She continued:
"I will teach you Shōsenjutsu, a technique that converts your chakra into Yang-nature and channels it through your palms to heal injuries. Watch carefully."
Tsunade unfurled a scroll, and a table appeared before them. On it lay a wounded fish.
"First, I will explain the chakra circulation and Yang-nature transformation… then demonstrate."
Her instruction was thorough, her demonstration flawless. Yet her thick-skinned nature had overlooked a critical fact—Shimizu and Yu specialized in Yin-nature techniques and rarely touched Yang chakra.
They were bewildered by the unfamiliar chakra transformations and flow. Despite Tsunade's long explanations, only Genbu, familiar with Yang chakra, fully understood.
Once she finished, Tsunade instructed:
"Now, you may practice. I will guide you."
The three began their fish-rescue exercises.
Genbu, relaxed and confident, activated his Sharingan. He replicated the technique perfectly, manipulating Yang chakra with ease. Within moments, the fish was restored to life.
Tsunade was ecstatic. She had intended today to test their medical ninjutsu aptitude, and it seemed she had finally found a worthy heir.
"Genbu, I have high hopes for you," she said, touching his cheek. His face flushed bright red. "This beautiful girl is teasing me again," he muttered.
"Oh, little Genbu, such a shy boy," she laughed.
She continued:
"According to Shigero, you carried me home that night after I drank too much. You truly are a good boy. Thank you, Genbu."
Embarrassed, he replied, "No thanks necessary. I only did what I should."
Tsunade then stroked his smooth hair, turned to the other two, and said, "You two must work hard too."
Her gaze grew sharp and dangerous—if Shimizu and Yu failed their practice, there would be consequences.
"We'll do our best!" they promised, instantly applying 200% effort under her stern supervision.
Even without the Sharingan, Shimizu's incredible intellect allowed him to memorize all of Tsunade's instructions. Despite never using Yang chakra before, he managed to execute Shōsenjutsu.
It was a near-miracle, yet the fish eventually died—the technique wasn't quite refined.
Tsunade patted Shimizu's shoulder. "Keep practicing." Then she moved on to Yu Yamanaka.
Shimizu exhaled sharply, thinking, "That was a close call."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Read advanced chapters on my Patreon.
Here's my Patreon: https://patreon.com/Hussain678"