"Even Hiruzen Sarutobi managed to have a child in his old age. You're still young, so why can't you?"
As Tsunade spoke, she raised her hand and smacked Arisu hard on the butt, the sound crisp and sharp.
"Oh..."
Arisu curled his lips helplessly, his eyes full of indulgence.
Tsunade glared at him unhappily and ordered in an extremely commanding tone, "From now on, you're not allowed to wear even half a piece of that thing anymore!"
"Alright, alright. I'll do whatever you say."
Arisu nodded helplessly.
Only then was Tsunade satisfied. She wrapped her arm around his and gave it a shake.
"Come on, let's take a look around the Ninja Academy too and relive some old memories."
"Sure."
Arisu agreed.
By the rules, outsiders weren't allowed to enter the Ninja Academy freely, but with the status he and Tsunade had now, that little privilege was nothing.
The two walked side by side through the familiar hallway. Graduation photos from every class of Ninja Academy students hung neatly along both walls.
The yellowed photographs carried the marks of time.
"Oh, isn't this the class with old man Sarutobi and Danzo?"
"Who would've thought those two actually looked pretty decent when they were young? Much better than now, with one being an old fox and the other an old scheming ghost."
Tsunade pointed at one of the oldest photos and laughed.
"Time really flies..."
Arisu nodded lightly, his gaze following her finger across the photograph.
Soon, the two stopped in front of the graduation photo from Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru's class.
But Tsunade's smiling face suddenly darkened, and her brows knitted tightly together.
"Something's not right, Arisu!"
She pointed at the empty spot beside her in the photo, her face full of confusion.
"Why aren't you in this picture? I clearly remember you standing next to me on graduation photo day..."
"Oh?"
Arisu's heart paused slightly.
His genjutsu could alter everyone's memories and weave a flawless past, but it couldn't change physical reality that had already been fixed.
Just like this old photograph. No matter how many people he implanted with memories that he had once been a student in this class, the place that should have belonged to him would always remain empty.
However, nothing showed on his face. His tone remained completely natural, as though it were a trivial matter.
"The school probably mixed up the photos while organizing them."
"What a lousy academy!"
Tsunade snorted unhappily and patted his arm.
"They actually managed to lose my husband's photo!"
Arisu smiled without replying. He wrapped an arm around her waist and gently pulled her back.
"Alright, stop looking. Let's go home."
Arisu knew very well that if they kept going, even more impossible-to-explain flaws would probably appear.
"Why are you in such a hurry? I haven't finished looking yet!"
Tsunade was unwilling and grabbed him, trying to pull him forward.
Arisu quickly stepped in front of her, lowered his head to look at her, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Tsunade, I want you."
Tsunade froze for a moment. Then her face instantly turned red, though a sly smile flashed through her eyes.
She lightly pinched his waist and leaned close to his ear, her breath brushing against him.
"So that's why you're in such a hurry to get home? You could've just said so!"
"But..."
She deliberately stretched out the word and glanced around the empty hallway with an ambiguous look.
"If you don't mind, we could try it right here in the academy..."
"Forget it."
Arisu immediately shook his head. He pinched her reddened cheek.
"Stop messing around. The academy has surveillance cameras everywhere now. What would it look like if someone saw us?"
As he spoke, he pulled her away from the photo corridor without giving her any chance to object.
Just as they reached the academy gate, they ran into a worried-looking Umino Ikaku.
The man who would later become Iruka's father.
"Greetings, seniors!"
As soon as Umino Ikaku saw them, he immediately bowed respectfully.
Tsunade absentmindedly nodded. Her mind was entirely occupied with how she was going to deal with Arisu once they got home. She had no interest in paying attention to anyone else.
Arisu noticed the anxious look on his face and asked, "Ikaku, what happened? Why are you so flustered?"
"Senior!"
Umino Ikaku said with a bitter expression, "Today is my first day as a homeroom teacher, but one student still hasn't shown up for class. I can't reach him no matter what I do..."
"Oh? What's his name?"
"His name is... Uchiha Obito!"
Umino Ikaku flipped through the file folder in his hands before answering firmly.
Arisu nodded slightly. After a moment of thought, he said, "I know this child. I'll help you."
Umino Ikaku was instantly overjoyed.
"Really? Then I'd be troubling you, Senior!"
"It's nothing. Just a small favor."
Arisu waved his hand.
After that, he left the academy with Tsunade.
As soon as they stepped outside, they saw a little boy wearing goggles running frantically toward the academy.
It was Uchiha Obito.
"I'm doomed, I'm doomed! Late on the very first day!"
"My ninja school life is over before it even starts!"
Obito had a strawberry lollipop in his mouth as he ran and wailed. His short legs moved as fast as they could, and sweat covered his forehead.
Seeing this, Arisu casually stretched out a hand and stopped the charging little Obito.
"Ow! What are you doing!?"
"You..."
Obito stumbled from the sudden stop, and his lollipop nearly flew out of his mouth. Rubbing his aching forehead, he looked up.
The moment he recognized them, he froze in place. His eyes widened like bells.
"L-Lady Tsunade of the Konoha Sannin... and Lord Arisu, one of Konoha's Two Lights!"
Uchiha Obito hurriedly pulled the lollipop from his mouth, clenched it in his hand, and bowed a full ninety degrees in panic.
Tsunade crossed her arms and looked him up and down before letting out a mocking laugh.
"Not bad, kid. Late on your very first day at the Ninja Academy."
"Back then, no matter how unreliable Jiraiya was, he never dared disappear on the first day. You're even more hopeless than he was."
"I-I didn't do it on purpose!"
Obito's face turned bright red. He scratched his head anxiously and hurriedly explained,
"I saw an old grandma carrying something too heavy on the way, so I helped take it home..."
The more Obito spoke, the quieter his voice became. His head drooped lower and lower. Clearly, he knew that excuse wasn't very convincing when it came to being late.
Before he could finish explaining, Arisu took out the enrollment documents he had already collected for him and handed them over.
"I picked up your paperwork for you. Leave earlier next time and don't be late again."
"Huh?!"
Obito suddenly looked up.
The embarrassment on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by overwhelming disbelief and joy.
He had never imagined that Senior Arisu, a legendary figure standing at the very top of Konoha, would help an unknown latecomer like him collect his documents.
"Senior Arisu! Thank you so much! You're my great benefactor!"
Obito excitedly bowed deeply again, bending even lower than before.
Arisu nodded lightly and patted his head.
"Study hard."
"Alright, alright. Why are you wasting time talking to a kid?"
"I can't wait any longer!"
Tsunade had already run out of patience. Before Arisu could say another word, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him toward home at a rapid pace.
Holding the documents, Obito watched their figures gradually disappear into the distance and scratched his head.
"It's broad daylight. Why are they in such a hurry to get home..."
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