"But since we're on the subject, how did you know that I've recently been interested in becoming a medical ninja?"
Tōshirō asked, surprised, as he didn't think he'd ever mentioned this to her before.
"Do you remember the Jonin Biwako who gave you a lesson last time?"
"I have some memories of her, why do you ask?"
"I'll tell you something. She's actually a friend of our teacher Sarutobi. Last time, while they were talking together, you were mentioned in their conversation, and we were there."
"Friend?"
"Yes, she's a friend of our teacher Sarutobi, but they might get married soon."
"Get married?"
Tōshirō recalled that in the original story, Sarutobi Hiruzen already had a wife, but her appearance was limited to a brief scene.
Since she was a minor character, Tōshirō didn't remember many details, and thus didn't clearly recall the names of the people involved.
But how did Sarutobi Hiruzen mention him? There hadn't been any interaction between them, except for his good relationship with his three disciples.
Even though Sarutobi hadn't yet become Hokage, being the student of the Second Hokage, he was a person of high status in the village. Why would he pay attention to someone ordinary like me?
Could it be because I'm from the Uchiha clan, so he doesn't ignore even the little kids?
Impossible, that seems like excessive caution. We Uchiha haven't disturbed the graves of your ancestors.
Tōshirō thought about this and started to feel anxious, as he didn't expect to be under such surveillance despite his attempts to avoid attention.
If Tōshirō were an adult, he might have understood this caution, but the problem was that he was still a child, so should he be treated so harshly?
"Um... what was your teacher talking about me?"
Luckily, Tōshirō had his sources to gather information from within Sarutobi's circle.
"What else could it be? Of course, it was about your interest in becoming a medical ninja. Since not everyone wants to become a medical ninja, it was natural for him to pay attention to someone as kind-hearted as you."
"What do you mean by kind-hearted? You could explain a bit more clearly."
These days, being a medical ninja wasn't considered something appealing, even Tsunade, who would become the representative of medical ninja in the future, wasn't interested in it.
"Why did you decide to become a medical ninja?"
Orochimaru had previously analyzed Tōshirō's motives, but he wanted to hear his personal explanation.
"I told you before, because I'm afraid of death. Becoming a medical ninja was a choice because I wouldn't have to fight on the front lines, which increases my chances of survival. In truth, I don't even want to be a medical ninja, my dream is to make money and live a good life."
"If I weren't talented in the ninja field, perhaps the elders of the family wouldn't have forced me down this path. And since I realize I'll end up becoming a ninja anyway, I decided to choose the safest path, which is to become a medical ninja. I'll work in the background, taking care of others without worrying about my safety. It's the perfect plan."
Tsunade's eye twitched slightly: "You're truly the craftiest Uchiha I've ever seen."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Tōshirō replied nonchalantly.
"What do you mean by the word 'treatment' that you mentioned?"
Tsunade had heard an unfamiliar word, and based on the context, it seemed to mean healing, but she didn't understand what this word had to do with the situation.
"It doesn't mean anything, it's just a term for healing."
"Healing?"
Tsunade furrowed her brows: "Does this word mean 'milk'?"
"Yes."
"I don't understand, what does it have to do with healing?"
Tōshirō took a deep breath: "It's a bit complicated, I'll need some time to explain..."
This phrase was taken from a joke in his previous life, but in this world, such jokes didn't exist.
How can I explain this now?
Tsunade insisted on knowing more: "Does the word 'milk' have a special meaning? Why don't I know about it?"
Tōshirō: ...
After a long pause, he opened his mouth and said: "This is called a metaphor, a type of rhetorical device. Because of widespread use, the original meaning of the word starts to shift away from its original meaning to become something else."
"I don't get it."
"Milk contains high protein, very nutritious and easily absorbed. Usually, after recovering from a serious illness, it's necessary to eat some nutritious things to recover better. In this case, milk, with its high protein and easy absorption, is the perfect choice."
"I don't get it."
It was natural that Tsunade didn't understand, because even Kizaru didn't know what to say.
But this answer bought Kizaru enough time to think. He shook his head, pretending to be profound, like a teacher expressing regret that his student didn't understand: "You're really slow to understand. Fine, I'll be kind to you till the end."
He then put his hand on his chest and held his chin, thinking aloud: "How do I explain this to you in a way you'll understand... Oh, I have an idea. I'll give you a real-life example to help you understand the meaning of 'metaphor.'"
Tsunade was surprised: "A real-life example?"
"For example: 'Pleasant scent.'"
"Pleasant scent?"
Tōshirō smiled slightly, hinting at something specific: "Don't you remember who bravely declared that they wouldn't eat stinky tofu, but ended up eating more than anyone else and said: 'Pleasant scent.'"
Tsunade: ...
It was clear that Tōshirō was teasing her.
Jiraiya was quietly laughing, and even Orochimaru couldn't stop himself from chuckling.
Recalling the incident, Tsunade's face turned as red as a freshly cooked lobster. She wanted to disappear instantly.
It was her mistake when she first smelled stinky tofu, it smelled like feces, but after trying it, she found it delicious. She couldn't stop herself from saying that phrase, and ever since, Kizaru hadn't stopped teasing her.
"Originally, 'pleasant scent' referred to a delicious smell, but in certain specific situations, the meaning of the word changes. For example, 'pleasant scent' could mean rejecting something strongly at first, but then accepting it despite yourself. Do you understand now, Tsunade?"
Tsunade's face turned even redder as she said angrily: "I get it, don't mention 'pleasant scent' again."
She didn't know why, but she felt that this phrase might follow her for the rest of her life.
Tōshirō stopped joking and returned to the main topic: "Using the example of 'pleasant scent,' we can say that the word 'milk' has evolved in a certain context to mean 'healing.' If I say 'Tsunade, give me some milk,' the apparent meaning is as it seems, but the hidden meaning becomes 'Tsunade, heal me.' Isn't that interesting? And 'milk' can be used in other phrases like 'wet nurse' or 'foster father' to refer to the person providing the healing."
Tsunade spat angrily: "Who wants to heal you? I'm not a medical ninja."
Orochimaru, seriously: "What you said was quite impressive, it made things very clear. If you decide to become a novelist in the future, I think you'll be a successful writer."
Tōshirō: ...
Reminded by Orochimaru, Tōshirō touched his chin and started to seriously consider this.
It seems that Jiraiya made a lot of money from writing, so maybe Tōshirō could do the same.
Tōshirō didn't know how to write novels, but he knew how to copy them! Hmm... Can it be called plagiarism when you're from another world? Of course not! It's just a tribute!
It's just inspiration!
With a little memory, he could easily write novels like "The Lord of the Rings" and become very wealthy.
Many things, like dwarves, elves, demons, and dragons, had never been heard of in this world. When he publishes these novels, the money will flow in.
Especially the elves, they would surely become an obsession among refined men. Those golden-haired beings, who looked young and beautiful despite their age, resembled... Hmm... someone in particular?
Tōshirō thought about it and looked at Tsunade in a particular way, wishing she had pointed ears.
Tsunade was puzzled: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing, you're amazing, Tsunade!"
Tsunade: ???
"That look on your face makes me feel like you're planning something evil."
Tōshirō coughed twice and returned to seriousness: "Tsunade, have you ever thought about becoming a medical ninja?"
"I have no interest unless I've lost my mind."
Tsunade confirmed that no sane person would want to become a medical ninja.
(End of Chapter)
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