"Hiss~ hiss~ hic~"
On the messy grass, Tenko and Sento kept tugging at their tattered clothes, trying to cover their bodies. They kept sniffling as if trying to stop their sobs, and when they tried too hard, they'd even hiccup.
Not far away, Tatsuma and Minato walked over, each holding a water bottle. Tatsuma walked up to the two of them, tossed a water bottle over, and said coldly, "Wash yourselves."
Minato also set down a water bottle. Tenko and Sento, in perfect sync, pressed their upper arms against their sides and grabbed the spot where their shirts met their pants, as if afraid their clothes might fall off.
The last hand awkwardly moved to reach the large water bottle. After fidgeting for a while, they finally got hold of it.
Opening the water bottle, they washed away the bloodstains on their body. When the partially dried or scabbed blood was rinsed off, there were no injuries underneath.
After cleaning the blood off, their clothes were almost soaked through. Tatsuma looked down at them and asked, "Don't you have spare clothes?"
"We brought some."
"Then why don't you change?"
Tatsuma tilted his head slightly in confusion as he looked at them. Tenko extended a finger and flicked it toward the distance, saying, "Move further away."
"Can't you change your clothes with someone watching? I thought it was already outrageous that you Uchiha wouldn't urinate in public."
"Hmm?! How do you know... cough... hurry up."
Seeing Tenko's signs of embarrassment and anger, Tatsuma stopped teasing and turned to walk away. It's understandable for boys of their age to be shy about others seeing their bodies.
Since the body is constantly developing and changing to the point of being hard to understand, it's quite normal to be afraid of others finding out.
However, that white-eyed kid next to you, Tenko, can see you clearly even when you're back-to-back!
After a while, Tenko finally said, "Alright."
Tatsuma and Minato turned around. By then, Tenko and Sento had already changed into the same clothes they had been told to bring. Tenko was adjusting his collar and belt, while Sento was combing his hair.
Other Hyuga clan members usually styled their hair in black, long, straight backs or center parts, but Sento had a melon-shaped head.
The messy melon-shaped head actually looked less ridiculous and quite fitting for Sento, giving off a sense of both conservativeness and rebellion. However, Sento had smoothed it back down.
Especially since his hair quality was excellent, each strand had a healthy luster, and from a distance, it looked like half a preserved egg.
"Are there any more injuries?"
After examining the two, Tatsuma saw that, aside from looking a bit weak, they seemed fine, but he still responsibly asked.
Tenko shook his head and said, "It's just that I'm hungry. We should have had the picnic later or prepared some Military Rations Pills for next time."
Sento nodded in agreement.
Seeing that the two hadn't left any shadows or lingering issues, Tatsuma was somewhat surprised. After all, he had to summon Shokuyu to quickly treat their injuries.
This was his first collaboration with Shokuyu. Shokuyu had also recommended that he go to Shikkotsu Forest for further training, but Tatsuma had repeatedly declined before Shokuyu reluctantly went back.
Despite it being their first collaboration, Shokuyu was clearly a well-mannered slug with excellent qualities from Shikkotsu Forest. She was very cooperative and gentle, causing no additional harm to Tenko and Sento.
However, even with Tatsuma and Shokuyu working together, Tenko and Sento couldn't be considered fully healed. After all, injuries to bones and muscles take a long time to fully recover. At least for now, they were not fit for combat or intense training.
Minato looked up at the sky and said, "It's been almost two hours. We should head back. Although the back mountain is usually deserted, we still need to be cautious."
"Okay."
Sento nodded and then obediently closed his eyes. Experiencing the pain once was enough; there was no need to make things worse, especially while still feeling so weak.
During their rest period, Tatsuma took care of their treatment while Minato cleaned up the scene. Apart from the dirty clothes they had just changed out of, there were no traces left.
Tatsuma used Fire Release to burn their discarded clothes, and the four of them returned to Konoha.
This time, without using their eyes to check, Tenko and Sento only opened their eyes once their brains had calmed down, so they felt no discomfort.
Back at the rear mountain, Tatsuma was responsible for sensing the surroundings, while Minato checked the various traces left before their departure. Apart from a few minor disruptions caused by small animals, there were no signs of human activity.
"Let's go to my house. I'll have someone prepare some afternoon tea, and we can chat," Sento suggested. The others had no objections; after all, there was much to discuss post-battle, and being hungry wasn't ideal.
The most crucial thing is, who doesn't like a lavish meal?
Tatsuma really dislikes the atmosphere within the Hyuga clan area; it feels lifeless. Especially when he's with Sento, almost all of the Hyuga clan members will lower their heads and avoid looking at them.
However, as a Sensing Ninja, Tatsuma can sense the feeling of being watched in secret, which is not a unique ability of Sensing Ninjas. Even ordinary people can feel a sense of being watched, even if they can't see anyone in their line of sight. Sensing Ninjas simply have a heightened sensitivity, amplifying this perception.
"Fuyuki, go prepare some snacks and bring them to the tea room."
Upon arriving at Sento's home, Sento instructed a servant from the branch family. The servant respectfully agreed and left. Sento then led the group to the tea room and began preparing tea.
Compared to the tea set Tatsuma gave Tenko yesterday and the tea leaves Minato provided, the tea set and tea leaves at Sento's home are clearly on a much higher level. Even a tea canister looks more expensive than the tea set and leaves Tenko received. This is the main family of the Hyuga, supported by countless branch families.
What caught Tatsuma and Minato's attention was still the anthropomorphic frog figurine and the small toy deer on the table, which were the gifts they had given Sento yesterday.
The frog figurine, sent by Minato, was quite cute but didn't quite fit the serious and somewhat cold atmosphere of the Hyuga tea room. Nevertheless, Sento had placed it on display.
As for the small toy deer, it was also a tabletop piece and considered a quirky decoration. Outside in Sento's garden, right outside the tea room, there was a proper set of toy deer, but he had also put this somewhat rough piece on the tea table.
While making tea, Sento would occasionally pour water into the toy deer, causing the two bamboo poles to move and produce a sound similar to the flowing water deer outside.
This made Tatsuma and Minato unconsciously smile. How much a friend values their gift isn't something to be told but rather seen in how they treat it. Clearly, Sento placed these two items, which seemed out of place and cheap compared to his other home decor, in a prominent position, showing that he highly valued his friends' gifts.
Although Sento felt somewhat out of place compared to other Hyuga clan members, he had still learned various etiquettes and old money skills over time.
The process of brewing tea wasn't particularly visually pleasing but was very elegant. Although it was so tedious that Tenko could hardly sit still, he still maintained the demeanor expected of someone from a prominent family.
When the tea was served to them, Fuyuki, the branch family member, also brought out plates of exquisitely crafted afternoon tea snacks. These items were clearly defined by their delicacy, taste, and expense, but they left one feeling unsatisfied, even lacking the satisfying crunch of potato chips or fries.
As a guest, Tatsuma didn't complain and generously offered his praise. Sento, hearing his friend's successful praise, smiled in satisfaction and looked at Fuyuki, who was waiting to serve, and said:
"Fuyuki, you can leave for now. We need to discuss some matters."
"Understood."
Fuyuki lowered her head and stepped out of the tea room. Since the door had not been closed when she arrived, her hand lingered on the door for a second, but she chose not to close it, knowing that Sento-sama didn't like to have doors or windows shut.
Except in windy or rainy weather, Sento-sama even preferred to leave the room doors and windows open.
After Fuyuki left, she deliberately stayed far away. After all, her role was to serve, not to protect Sento-sama, and the protector assigned to him had already been dismissed by Sento-sama.
If it weren't for Fuyuki's parents having died on the battlefield, leaving her without a family, Sento wouldn't have been willing to have her serve him or take her in.
Once they had eaten most of the snacks and started drinking tea to cleanse their palates, Sento finally asked, "Tatsuma, according to your estimate, will Tsuyui really be stronger than both you and Minato?"
Before today's simulated battle, Sento was inclined to believe Tatsuma's statement. After all, he thought that even if Tatsuma and Minato were stronger than him, it wouldn't be the kind of drastic contrast one would expect between an adult and a baby.
Sento knew his talent was quite good. Over the years, with Tatsuma and Minato as goals to chase, Tenko as a sparring partner, and guidance in Taijutsu, his strength had surpassed most of his peers.
Recently, after finally becoming proficient in Revolving Heaven, the clan was preparing to give him another round of training and assessment. Once he passed the assessment, he would be recommended by the family and included in the village's Jonin selection list.
Tatsuma and Minato, on the other hand, do not need to go through the selection process to be promoted to Jonin. As long as their past battle achievements and mission completions are documented and included in their personal records, they can be directly promoted.
But Sento, being a typical ninja from the Hyuga clan, which is conservative and traditional, does not have impressive battle records and has not been assigned to a team for missions. Therefore, he needs to go through a selection process to be promoted to Jonin.
However, he is about to receive this opportunity, which means that at least within the Hyuga clan, those "decayed individuals" already believe he has the capability.
As for the training, it is mostly theoretical. Since Sento has not personally experienced frontline ninja life, he lacks knowledge of many unspoken rules, tricks, and intelligence, and needs to supplement his learning.
The assessment is similar. Due to a lack of practical experience, he needs to go through a series of tests within the clan first.
Sento also knows that Tenko's situation is quite similar to his own. Tenko's reputation within the Uchiha clan is not very good, with many people saying he only earned his Chunin rank through battlefield achievements and by benefiting from the police force's influence.
But as one of the few people who know Tenko's secret, Sento is aware that Tenko's mastery of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, his Chakra amount, and even his Uchiha clan's Sharingan have already surpassed most Uchiha.
In other words, if Tenko were willing to fully reveal his strength, he would be qualified to participate in the Jonin selection.
However, the two of them were completely outclassed by Tatsuma and Minato. In this situation, Tatsuma claims that their enemy, a guy named Tsuyui, will be even stronger.
This was hard for them to accept. After all, Tatsuma and Minato had already made them unsure of how to catch up, let alone someone stronger than them.
Tenko also agreed, saying, "Yeah, Tatsuma, you've fought with the Third Raikage. Are you perhaps overestimating Tsuyui's strength?"
Tatsuma shook his head and said, "Fighting with the Third Raikage? That's completely nonsense, just false rumors from the Hidden Cloud Village. The only ones truly capable of fighting A are people at the level of Sakumo-sama and the Third Hokage.
Even my and Minato's sensei, the Konoha Sannin, might not have that capability. If Minato and I used all our methods, in today's ninja world, we might be considered mid-level Jonin at best."
"But compared to the elite Jonin, we are still not qualified. Since Tsuyui is a candidate for the Hokage, we should at least consider him among these few elite ranks.
I can give you some reference points, such as our sensei—though that's from four or five years ago—, and also your Clan Head, Shinku Yuhi-san, Umino Ikkaku-san, Kunugi Mokume-san, and others.
These are truly the elite among Jonin, and our opponent is on par with this level. Do you think I'm really overestimating it?"
After hearing this, Sento and Tenko fell silent, especially Tenko. He had thought that discovering Tsuyui brought him a step closer to revenge, but Tatsuma's analysis made it feel further away.
After a while, Sento looked at Tenko and said, "I don't know what you're thinking or if you have any means, but I won't give up. I also have ways to improve further, but they're not suitable for you."
Hearing this, not only Tenko but even Minato and Tatsuma were curious. Sento didn't hide anything, considering Tenko was willing to share the secret of his Sharingan and Tatsuma and Minato were willing to keep so many things hidden from the village for them.
If he continued to hide things, it would be somewhat dismissive of these bonds.
He took a deep breath and said:
"Brother Duy has a forbidden Taijutsu technique that he shared with Nawaki and me. At the time, he told us to think it over carefully. I think... I have already thought it through."
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