"Tsunade, I've come to get you," Shishou said.
"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted and turned away, ignoring them. Although she was surprised Shishou had found her, the thought of him enjoying time with Shizune made her furious. Especially since they had done it in her room...
"Tsunade-sama..." Shizune, understanding Tsunade's temper, said nothing about her and Shishou's relationship being exposed. Instead, she quietly stayed by Tsunade's side, slicing meat and pouring drinks.
Shishou approached Tsunade, smiling. "Still angry?"
"Hmph! You two go ahead and have fun, why bother with me?" Tsunade drank another sip of sake, her tone icy.
"Tsunade-sama..." Shizune blushed, realizing that Tsunade knew about her and Shishou, making her very embarrassed.
Shishou chuckled at Tsunade's resentful tone. "If I didn't come to find you, you'd probably come and beat me up." Without further ado, he left the cabin to explore the Shikkotsu Forest, knowing that staying would only make things worse. Shizune, who understood Tsunade best, would be more effective in calming her down.
Moreover, Shishou's visit to the Shikkotsu Forest wasn't just to fetch Tsunade; he also wanted to leverage the natural environment to further explore senjutsu. Though he could use the Phosphorescent Insects to infuse his body with senjutsu energy temporarily, he knew it wasn't true senjutsu mode.
"Hmph!" Seeing Shishou leave without a word, Tsunade felt a sudden surge of grievance. She glanced at the increasingly mature and alluring Shizune. "Tell me everything that's been happening between you and Shishou."
"I..." Shizune blushed, curling up as if shrinking into herself, looking pitifully at Tsunade.
Seeing Shizune's submissive posture, Tsunade's playful side emerged. Mimicking Shishou, she lifted Shizune's chin and softly said, "What's wrong, Shizune? Don't you want to be with your sister anymore?"
Shizune shivered, her blush spreading to her ears, turning her into a steamy mess.
While Tsunade was teasing Shizune, Shishou ventured deeper into the Shikkotsu Forest.
"Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan!"
With a clap of his hands, a massive tree sprouted from the ground, lifting him ten meters into the air. Creating a few clones as a precaution, Shishou sat in the center of the giant tree, beginning to sense the natural energy around him.
For Shishou, who now possessed vast amounts of chakra, absorbing senjutsu energy posed no threat. The problem, however, was his inability to sense natural energy.
Yes, up until now, Shishou couldn't perceive the natural energy flowing through the shinobi world. This hindered his progress in senjutsu training, making him suspect that his soul's origin from another world might be the cause. Unable to sense the omnipresent senjutsu energy, he had to rely on the Phosphorescent Insects.
"Calm your mind, rid yourself of distractions," a gentle, soothing voice echoed in Shishou's mind.
He didn't need to guess; it was the voice of Katsuyu, the Great Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest.
Without resistance, Shishou followed Katsuyu's guidance, clearing his mind of all thoughts, focusing solely on the smallest changes around him.
"Senjutsu energy permeates the air, earth, and water of the shinobi world. Feel the tiniest changes..."
Under Katsuyu's gentle guidance, Shishou finally entered a state of profound meditation.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually, Shishou sensed a gentle energy in the air. It was like a beacon in the darkness, impossible to ignore, compelling him to reach for it.
Is this senjutsu energy? Shishou thought, then...
He snapped out of his meditative state.
"Failed," Tsunade said, watching Shishou open his eyes with a regretful shake of her head. Beside her, Shizune pursed her lips, also looking at Shishou.
"What are you two doing here?" Shishou asked, surprised to see Tsunade and Shizune together.
"You've been sitting here for five days, and you ask why we're here?" Tsunade shrugged, looking at Shishou as if he were an idiot.
"Five days?" Shishou was stunned, not realizing so much time had passed.
"Shishou, it really has been five days," Shizune affirmed seriously.
Seeing Shishou's astonished expression, Tsunade laughed. "The Great Sage said you are intelligent and perceptive, a true genius for senjutsu training..."
She paused, a smile playing on her lips.
A genius for senjutsu? Shishou raised an eyebrow, sensing the punchline.
Tsunade and Shizune exchanged a glance, stifling their laughter. "The Great Sage said that smart people think too much. The more you think, the harder it is to truly calm your mind and follow your heart," Tsunade explained. "So, overly smart people usually aren't suited for senjutsu training."
"This is why you've been sitting here for five days," Tsunade concluded.
Shishou fell silent. It was that fleeting thought that broke his meditation, causing his senjutsu training to fail.
He recalled the examples of those who had successfully trained in senjutsu: Hashirama, a simpleminded hothead; Jiraiya, a perverted fool; and Naruto, who consistently ranked at the bottom of the class.
Seeing Shishou's silence, Tsunade and Shizune thought he was disheartened and quickly knelt beside him to comfort him.
"The Great Sage said you've already made progress. If you can clear your mind, it won't take long for you to master senjutsu," Tsunade reassured him.
Shishou shifted his gaze from Tsunade's chest. "Clear my mind?"
"You have too many desires, too much ambition," Tsunade and Shizune said in unison, "And too many women!"
Too many women? Shishou raised an eyebrow, then smirked and pounced on Tsunade and Shizune.
"Then I choose to give up senjutsu," he declared.
"Stop it, the Great Sage is watching," Tsunade protested.
"Ah, Shishou, focus on Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed.
**********
This fanfiction is complete on my Patreon. If you want to read it, you can find it at patreon.com/Betek.