"Quickly, tell me what's going on? Oh dear~ You've gotten so successful, not even talking to sensei about personal matters anymore."
In Tatsuma's study, Tsunade, who had come in uninvited and was holding the ice cream she had collected from Tatsuma's kitchen, looked at Tatsuma with a teasing expression.
Actually, saying she collected it isn't quite right, since Tsunade had put those ice creams in earlier today. She had purposefully and skillfully gone to get them.
Since there was only one, Tatsuma couldn't be bothered to argue and said, "Sensei, have you misunderstood something?"
"I haven't misunderstood; Kushina clearly..."
"What I mean is, I never discuss personal matters with you. It has nothing to do with my success."
Tatsuma's words left Tsunade momentarily speechless. But upon reflection, she realized that her reliable disciple had indeed never troubled her with personal matters, unlike her inept brother, who would talk for ages about a beetle.
Wait! This brat Tatsuma, despite being her disciple for so many years, had never shared his feelings with her!
Determined, Tsunade furrowed her brows and said, "You'd better explain yourself! Otherwise, I'll spread rumors at the Konoha orphanage and Konoha Hospital tomorrow! And the day after. I'll even go to the cemetery and tell Grandma!"
Hearing this, Tatsuma's mouth twitched. This style really is Tsunade's. He quickly said, "Let's talk this out calmly. Please don't spread rumors or damage anyone's reputation."
"Alright, then let's talk."
Tsunade, excited, walked over to Tatsuma's desk, sat on the edge, holding an ice cream in one hand and bracing herself on the desk with the other. With a look of curiosity, she asked, "When did it start?"
"You really like gossip huh?"
Tatsuma's sarcastic remark drew no sympathy from Tsunade. She slammed her hand on the desk with a loud "bang" and said, "If you don't explain, I'll spread rumors!"
"Hold on."
After organizing his thoughts, Tatsuma said, "Nono was invited by Root. I told her to decline and mentioned that you were interested in taking her as a disciple. To show her gratitude, she treated me to dinner."
"Is that it?"
Tsunade was very disappointed and scrutinized Tatsuma's face, hoping to see signs of deceit.
Unfortunately, Tatsuma maintained his composure and showed no signs of nervousness. Given his training in emotional management, even if he were nervous, Tsunade's keen observation wouldn't pick it up.
Seeing Tatsuma as calm and unflappable as ever, Tsunade left the desk in disappointment, saying, "You're already in your teens, and you missed such a good opportunity."
"It's okay. You're almost thirty yourself."
"Bang!"
Tsunade slammed the desk again, and Tatsuma swallowed the words he had yet to say, reflecting inwardly. Senju Tobirama's desk is really well-made; even after so many years, it can still withstand Tsunade's pounding.
"Hmph, you and Nawaki are both so clueless. How can I explain this to Grandma?"
Tsunade, looking frustrated and disappointed, sighed dramatically as she left Tatsuma's study. Tatsuma sensed that Tsunade went back to the kitchen and, without a doubt, was heading for the ice cream.
"I'll get one for Shizune."
After a while, Tsunade returned, shaking the ice cream in her hand, and she had only taken one.
Tatsuma nodded and said, "Okay, but it's late now. Don't let her eat too much; otherwise, she'll have a stomachache tonight."
"Don't worry, I'll share it with her!"
Tsunade turned and left. Tatsuma blinked a few times, trying to focus on his studies, but after a while, he couldn't help but run to the kitchen.
There was only so much ice cream. Given Tsunade's personality, if Tatsuma ate one less, Tsunade would definitely eat one more. To avoid losing out too much, he needed to eat more himself!
Perfect timing for dinner tonight. To avoid Nono spending money and revealing that he's actually a big eater, Tatsuma didn't eat much, so having some ice cream to replenish his sugar and counteract the energy spent studying was just right.
The idea that sugar is a source of happiness is absolutely true. Eating the ice cream quickly restored his mood, which had been disrupted by various annoyances today, allowing Tatsuma to focus more on his studies.
The next morning, Tatsuma's first thought was to indulge in another ice cream, but he realized he needed to see Orochimaru for a checkup later. Eating ice cream would affect the results, so Tatsuma reluctantly decided to forgo it.
After getting ready and casually fixing his disheveled hair, Tatsuma headed out. He didn't go to Orochimaru's lab but instead went to Orochimaru's home.
After halting the Wood Release experiments, Orochimaru adjusted his schedule to spend more time with his disciple Nawaki. His current routine was both healthy and youthful.
When Tatsuma arrived at Orochimaru's house, he was having breakfast. His breakfast was simple: a cup of skim milk, a boiled egg, and two slices of bread. Due to the lack of fat in the skim milk and boiled egg, and the insufficient sugar in the whole grain bread, Orochimaru also added a small amount of nuts and dried fruit.
In addition, there was a small bowl of salad with just a bit of lemon juice, no dressing, focusing on simplicity without cooking. Even the boiled egg was a soft-boiled egg with a slightly undercooked yolk.
Tatsuma, who had skipped breakfast and given up on ice cream, was initially a bit hungry. However, upon seeing Orochimaru's breakfast, he lost his appetite.
Orochimaru didn't particularly enjoy this type of meal either, but this breakfast setup was easy to clean, with almost no grease or residue left behind; a quick rinse was sufficient. Since only the boiled egg required the stove, and there was minimal steam and splashing, it was very low-maintenance. This way, there were no odors or stains affecting his mood or appearance when he went out.
Orochimaru didn't make any special arrangements for Tatsuma, and Tatsuma didn't feel awkward or unwelcomed, as he now knew Orochimaru well.
After finishing his breakfast and cleaning the plate, Orochimaru came to the living room and asked, "Did you get injured on an outside mission?"
"Yeah, I got delayed with some matters these past few days, so I'm only coming to you for a checkup today."
Tatsuma nodded and then took out a scroll, saying, "By the way, I also have a sample of Boil Release Kekkei Genkai Ninja. If you have time, you might want to study it as well."
"Perfect. Shikotsumyaku is a physical-type Kekkei Genkai. I've been wanting to compare it with samples of elemental-type Kekkei Genkai Ninja."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up. He took the scroll, tucked it away, and, with Tatsuma's envious gaze, said, "Shall we head to the lab now?"
"Sure."
As Tatsuma withdrew his admiring gaze and stood up, Orochimaru seemed to remember something. He raised his hand and said, "Wait a moment."
He walked to his room and returned with three boxes. Handing them to Tatsuma, Orochimaru said:
"Nawaki's beard is getting quite long, and your and Minato's growth is gradually becoming more noticeable. You might not notice it yourselves, Tsunade is careless, and Jiraiya is nowhere to be found, so I took the liberty of buying these for you."
For some reason, Tatsuma felt that Orochimaru's tone was a bit cautious, and indeed it was, as this task was one of his father's responsibilities.
Orochimaru lost his parents at a very young age, and Jiraiya was also an orphan. They both learned to shave from Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was their sensei. However, Orochimaru felt it was somewhat presumptuous to extend such guidance to Nawaki, Tatsuma, and Minato.
But his unreliable teammates wouldn't think of taking on these responsibilities, so Orochimaru had to step in.
At that moment, Tatsuma opened one of the boxes. Inside was a set of shaving products: a shaving brush, a lathering bowl, a razor stand, several razor blades, and a bottle of aftershave.
Tatsuma had never used such old-fashioned shaving products, as he had only recently entered puberty and didn't yet need to shave regularly. In his previous life, such old-school products were not common, as they weren't very profitable.
Noticing Tatsuma's doubts, Orochimaru said, "There's a diagram at the bottom of the box. Just practice a few times, and you'll become proficient. This is considered a necessary skill for men."
Tatsuma looked at Orochimaru's smooth chin and said, "I thought you wouldn't grow a beard."
Tatsuma was a bit surprised to realize that even someone like Orochimaru, who maintained his dignity and elegance, had to shave every day.
The thought of that scene made Tatsuma find it oddly humorous.
Orochimaru forced a strained smile. Was Tatsuma implying that he wasn't a man? Jiraiya must have spread some rumor about him in front of Tatsuma, leading to this misunderstanding.
It was all Jiraiya's fault!
Only Jiraiya would say or dare to say such things about him! Orochimaru's eyes glinted with a hint of murderous intent. When Jiraiya returned to the village, he would definitely have to teach him a lesson!
Orochimaru quickly masked his murderous intent. Tatsuma, who was busy sealing these items with a scroll, didn't notice.
Sealing scrolls were expensive for others, but for Tatsuma, who could draw them, it was merely the cost of blank scrolls, and such blank scrolls were plentiful in the Senju Clan's territory.
After organizing the shaving supplies, Tatsuma and Orochimaru went to the research lab. Orochimaru had already performed this check on Tatsuma many times, and Tatsuma had undergone it many times as well.
Therefore, the entire examination process was smooth and quick. However, when Tatsuma's examination report came out, Orochimaru's expression was extremely serious.
"Orochimaru-sama, is it very serious?"
Seeing Orochimaru's face, Tatsuma felt some concern. After all, since his injuries healed, his four physical ability limits had increased slightly.
This confirmed Tatsuma's suspicion that the continuous increase in his four physical ability limits was related to these unknown cells. However, Tatsuma didn't know how much his ability limits could rise; this required Orochimaru's examination results to assist in the research.
Orochimaru was silent for a moment, his expression still severe, and said, "The unknown cells in your body have proliferated by nearly half compared to the last check before your mission.
I'm not sure if the proliferation is based on quantity or proportion. If it's the latter, then the time we anticipated will be greatly shortened, as the number of unknown cells will increase with the growing base."
"Moreover, the genetic information within the unknown cells has undergone some changes, becoming increasingly..."
Orochimaru put down the report and said solemnly, "It is similar to Hashirama Cells."
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