"Is that so?"
Mikami Yuu raised an eyebrow and smiled. "No problem. I'd also like to see Shinku-senpai's swordsmanship again. Our spar in the Forest of Death was far too short. I didn't get to enjoy it properly."
[Hatake Swordsmanship: Indeed.]
With Hatake Swordsmanship chiming in, the galgame system's text box quietly began to change:
[Ding! Special event keyword detected. Limited-time mission triggered.]
[Hatake Swordsmanship longs to prove itself as the finest sword art under heaven. The method of proof is to defeat eight elite sword users from different swordsmanship schools, break through its own limits in battle, and declare its glory through victory. Please decide whether to help her fulfill this wish: Yes/No.]
"Good grief…"
Yuu couldn't help muttering.
Ever since completing Phoenix Sage Fire's special event, it had been a while since he had triggered a new one. He had even been wondering whether he should find a way to trigger one on purpose, only for one to appear now—and from Hatake Swordsmanship, no less.
Only…
the mission requirement seemed a little high.
Defeat eight swordsmanship schools… did the ninja world even have that many?
Mm… thinking carefully, it actually did.
After all, Konoha alone had Uchiha-style swordsmanship, Konoha-style swordsmanship, and the Hayate clan's secret sword techniques. Add to that Kirigakure with its Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the Land of Iron that focused on training samurai, and Kumogakure where an "Eight-Sword Style" could appear—the various swordsmanship systems, large and small, should be enough to make eight if he went through them all.
But doing it definitely wouldn't be easy.
After all, communication in the ninja world was still rather backward, and transportation depended entirely on running. Before the Five Great Nations entered unrestricted all-out war, gathering experts from different ninja villages and fighting them one by one was not simple.
So…
he could only take things one step at a time. First, he would clear out Konoha's swordsmanship schools.
For now,
Yuu gathered his thoughts, chatted a little more with Kurenai, then saw her off at the door and watched as she turned around and vanished lightly at the end of the street.
After that, Yuu turned and went back inside. He saw his mother, Mikami Aoi, poking her head out of the kitchen, still holding a dishcloth and looking curious.
"Yuu, who came just now? I thought I heard a girl's voice. Was it Rin?"
"No, it was Yūhi Kurenai. She came to give me something."
Yuu replied.
"Yūhi Kurenai? The daughter of that Jōnin Shinku?"
Mikami Aoi thought for a moment and remembered who she was. Then she smiled teasingly.
"That child is very nice too. Just like little Rin, she's a good girl. Pretty, gentle, understanding.
"Our little Yuu really is popular with girls. If you end up with one of them in the future, your father and I would be very happy to see it…"
"…"
Wait, did the ninja world start pressuring people to marry this early?
How old was he? And they were already thinking about marriage?
Yuu was speechless for a moment. He could only answer vaguely a few times, then quickly slipped into his room, shutting Mikami Aoi's smiling gaze outside the door.
After that, he first took out the wrist guards Kurenai had given him and tried them on. After confirming the size and feel were suitable, he took them off and placed them in his ninja pouch. Then he opened the door again, told his mother, and started heading toward the Senju compound to attend his appointment with Tsunade.
It was already rather late.
The sun had sunk below the horizon, and moonlight spilled down like liquid silver. Specks of lamplight had lit up along both sides of Konoha's streets.
Several children laughed and chased each other past the roadside. A stray cat lay atop a nearby wall. Everything carried a quiet atmosphere.
Yuu crossed the long street and, familiar with the route, arrived at the Senju compound. He passed by the small courtyards of Uzumaki Kana and Uzumaki Naoto, which he had just helped clean up that afternoon, and came to Tsunade's residence. He knocked on the door.
Knock, knock—
No one answered.
After waiting half a minute, Yuu knocked again. Only then did Tsunade's voice come from inside, carrying a lazy, damp softness.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Mikami Yuu."
A brief silence.
"…Come in."
Creak—
Amid the sound of the door turning, Yuu stepped into the courtyard. Immediately, a wave of air mixed with herbal fragrance and warm moisture rushed toward him. When he raised his head, the sight before him made his breath pause slightly.
A small lamp hung from a wooden beam above the corridor, illuminating the scene beneath it.
Tsunade had clearly just finished bathing. She was sitting beside a low table, using a large towel to wipe her wet golden hair.
She wore a rather loose, plain-colored yukata. The collar was slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbone and an earth-shakingly full curve below.
The yukata's material was somewhat thin. Under the lamplight, it faintly outlined her rich, undulating body curves. Her fair skin carried moisture and a healthy flush. Her slender waist, even beneath the loose garment, still hinted at astonishing flexibility. Add to that the pale bare feet casually resting at the edge of the corridor…
Her entire body exuded a mature woman's unique laziness and allure.
Yuu's gaze was unconsciously drawn to the fullness wrapped beneath the yukata. He lingered there for two seconds. His throat moved once, and only then did he quickly shift his gaze away, forcing his attention onto Tsunade's face.
"Lady Tsunade."
"You really know how to pick your timing, brat."
Tsunade did not seem to notice Yuu's lapse. She just wiped her hair and said irritably, "When I told you to come later, I meant soon after, not this late. It's almost eight already. Are you planning to sleep here?"
"…I was afraid coming too early would be inconvenient."
Yuu coughed lightly and explained.
"And now it's convenient?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes, then pointed at the spot across the low table.
"Come over. Sit here."
"Alright."
Yuu walked over as told and honestly sat cross-legged. With some difficulty, he moved his gaze away from the striking Twin Peaks opposite him and down toward the tabletop.
He had noticed earlier that many books and scrolls were placed on this low table. They seemed to have been specially prepared by Tsunade.
Now that he was close, he could clearly see their covers. Most were slightly yellowed and curled at the edges, clearly quite old, but the writing on them remained legible:
Detailed Explanation of Human Meridians (Annotated by Senju Tobirama), Essentials of Chakra Scalpel (Draft), Toxicology and Emergency Treatment, Initial Study of Cellular Activation… Each one was heavy. Just their titles carried the weight of knowledge.
"This is…"
"These are things I collected and wrote in my early years. You can consider them part of the Senju clan's secret inheritance."
Tsunade put down the towel and let her half-dry golden hair spill over her shoulders. Because of that, the collar of her yukata slipped down just a tiny bit more.
"Since you want to become my student, don't think you can slack off. The most important thing for a medical ninja is a reserve of knowledge. Only after you digest these are you qualified to learn more."
"…"
Yuu looked at the stack of books, which together was almost half a meter high, and his expression darkened a little.
Wait, how long would it take to finish all this?
[Ding! Giftable special item detected — Healing Technique: Senju Clan Medical Inheritance, Basic Volume!]
Huh?
So this counted as a gift too? Then that was fine.
He could first copy a few books later and give them to Healing Technique, then have Healing Technique teach him. That should be much faster than burying his head in them alone.
Yuu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Across from him,
Tsunade did not know Yuu had found a way to cheat. She continued looking at him playfully, leaning forward slightly. With this motion, the collar of her yukata opened a little more. That snow-white skin and deep valley looked even more dazzling beneath the lamplight.
"What? Do you think it's too much? Scared?"
"Not really… I just feel the task is rather difficult. I don't know how long it'll take to finish."
"Hmph. Good that you know."
Tsunade sat upright again and said leisurely, "How about this? I'll set a small goal for you. Within two months, understand all these books thoroughly and master the core points inside. If you can do that… then I can teach you some of my most carefully guarded techniques as a reward."
"A reward…"
Could he propose the reward himself?
Yuu glanced at Tsunade's face, which was right in front of him and radiant after her bath, then at her fair, slender neck and the curves rising and falling beneath the yukata… A bold thought uncontrollably flashed through his mind before he forcefully extinguished it.
"I understand."
After a pause, Yuu asked, "By the way, can I let someone else read these books?"
"'Someone else'? You mean Nohara Rin, right?"
Tsunade hit the nail on the head.
Yuu nodded, with no intention of hiding it.
"Yes. Rin also has quite a bit of talent in medical ninjutsu, and her foundation is solid. If we study together, the efficiency should be higher."
"Fine. I know you two have a good relationship. Even if I didn't agree, you'd secretly teach her anyway, right? Let me make this clear first. Don't lose or damage them while reading. Two months later, I will personally examine both of you. If you don't pass… don't blame me for teaching you what it means to respect your master."
Tsunade squeezed her fist. Her knuckles cracked crisply, and the threat was obvious.
"Yes! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Yuu answered with his head held high.
"Alright, take these and hurry back. It's already dark."
Tsunade gave the order to leave, then picked up the towel again and wiped the drops of water from her hair, her posture lazy and casual.
Given that it really was late,
and given Tsunade's current outfit, staying any longer really would be inappropriate. If he wasn't careful, something might happen.
So Yuu picked up the books, stood, said goodbye to Tsunade, and turned to leave. Only after walking out of the courtyard and feeling the night wind did he let out a long breath, feeling the heat on his face gradually fade.
Sure enough, compared with Rin and Kurenai, who were still in their girlhood phase, Tsunade's mature feminine aura was far more tempting. Especially right after bathing, while wearing something loose—it was hard not to let one's imagination wander into unsuitable images.
"Let's go home first. Tomorrow I need to teach Rin ninjutsu, and there's also the duel with Yūhi Shinku…"
Yuu shook his head, pressed down his stray thoughts, and quickly returned home.
…
Nothing happened overnight.
The next morning, after breakfast at home, Yuu went out and met up with Rin. Together, they arrived at the training ground on the western side of the village. As agreed yesterday, he would teach Rin new Water Release ninjutsu.
The teaching process was not complicated.
Yuu's proficiency in Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet was already quite high, more than enough to instruct Rin. After several demonstrations and explanations, Rin stood by the stream and practiced repeatedly, while Yuu went to the other side of the field and began practicing swordsmanship.
The morning quietly passed amid the roar of water and the sound of blades cutting through the air.
When noon approached, the two stopped one after another and found a shady spot to sit down and rest, preparing to eat.
Rin naturally took two lunch boxes from her ninja pouch and handed one to Yuu.
"Um, Yuu-kun, I specially prepared this bento this morning. Think of it as my lesson fee. Thank you for taking the time to teach me ninjutsu."
"And… this too."
Rin then took out a small, bulging pouch and offered it with both hands. This time, her voice carried a bit more nervousness.
"A few days ago, you went out of the village with Minato-sensei on a mission, so I never found a chance to congratulate you on being promoted to special jōnin. This is a medical kit I made myself. Aside from regular hemostatic bandages, disinfectant, antidotes, it also has some special wound medicine and soldier pills. I hope it can be useful to you!"
"Hm?"
Yuu felt this scene was somewhat familiar.
In the original story, Rin had also prepared a medical kit as a gift for Kakashi's promotion to jōnin. So… now she had prepared it for him instead?
Although Yuu felt that being promoted to special jōnin wasn't much and did not need any special congratulations, since this was Rin's sincere intention, he solemnly thanked her, accepted the medical kit, and promised he would make good use of it.
Seeing this, Rin's face bloomed into a bright smile, as if the sunlight had grown even brighter.
"Mm! As long as I can help Yuu-kun!"
"Let's eat first."
Yuu opened the lunch box and began eating with Rin.
As they ate, a hurried burst of footsteps approached from afar, followed by a loud and noisy voice that broke the quiet of the training ground.
"Hey—! Yuu! Rin! You two really did hide here to train in secret! That's too much! You didn't even call me!"
It was Obito charging into the training ground like a whirlwind, his goggles crooked on his forehead and his face full of dissatisfaction.
"What do you mean, train in secret?"
Yuu glanced at him and continued chewing the rice ball in his mouth.
"Isn't this the training ground we usually use? It's not labeled to forbid you from entering. Besides, didn't you find your way here on your own?"
"That's different!"
Obito put his hands on his hips, perfectly self-righteous.
"You should have told me in advance! I'm the man who will become Hokage! How can I fall behind? Yuu, spar with me after you finish eating. My Fire Release has improved a lot these past few days. This time, I'll definitely surprise you!"
~~~
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