"See you tomorrow!"
Naruto Uzumaki bid farewell to Shinho Aburame and the others, happily bouncing his way home.
Ever since enrolling in the academy, he felt his life had become much happier because he now had many friends who didn't dislike him.
Even Sasuke Uchiha, though not particularly friendly, didn't show him any hostility—he just didn't want to engage with him.
Naruto opened his door.
Inside, the room was a bit messy.
Instant noodle cups, milk cartons, and various miscellaneous items were scattered around.
He recalled Shinho mentioning that expired milk could cause issues.
Opening the refrigerator, he checked everything and found that half of the items were past their expiration dates.
Naruto scratched his head, feeling a bit distressed because it was a waste of money.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
A smile immediately appeared on Naruto's face.
The only person who would visit him was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Grandpa Third!"
Naruto opened the door, happily greeting him.
"Looks like the grilled fish was tasty," Hiruzen said with a smile.
Naruto didn't realize how he knew about the grilled fish.
Showing a bright grin, he said, "Of course! It was full of youthful flavor!"
Hiruzen almost couldn't keep a straight face.
With that green jumpsuit and familiar smile, Naruto looked as if he'd been possessed by Might Guy.
"Seems I've let things go awry," Hiruzen thought, regretting his previous decision a little.
He glanced around and suddenly noticed something on the table.
He walked over and picked up the cookbook.
Upon seeing Minato Namikaze's name on it, his expression darkened.
"Who gave this to you?" Hiruzen asked, turning to Naruto with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Shinho gave it to me," Naruto replied cheerfully. "He also said he'd teach me how to cook!"
"Shinho, huh?"
Hiruzen thought for a moment.
Shinho wouldn't have Minato's cookbook, but his teacher Tsunade might.
That settled his concerns.
He was worried that Danzo Shimura was still scheming about the jinchūriki.
"Grandpa Third, have you eaten food made by the Fourth Hokage?" Naruto suddenly asked.
"Why do you ask?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone becoming more serious.
"I want to make dishes even better than the Fourth Hokage's!" Naruto declared, clenching his fists.
"I see," Hiruzen couldn't help but smile.
After all, he's just a child who wants to excel in everything.
"Minato was an excellent cook. You'll have to work hard," Hiruzen said, reaching out to pat Naruto's blond hair.
For a moment, he seemed to see Minato's image overlapping with Naruto's.
Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
The Fourth Hokage should have been chosen from among Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
That Minato stood out was a testament to his exceptional qualities.
Moreover, his Will of Fire was exemplary.
Choosing him over Orochimaru back then was precisely for this reason.
Sadly, fate was cruel.
"I'll work hard!" Naruto said enthusiastically.
"That's good," Hiruzen knew of Naruto's diligence and perseverance.
He had thought that Naruto might not endure Might Guy's rigorous training, but he was proven wrong spectacularly.
"Grandpa Third," Naruto asked curiously, "Can you tell me stories about the Fourth Hokage?"
Hiruzen fell silent.
After a few seconds, he slowly nodded.
At the Senju residence, Shinho pushed open the door.
The expected "welcome home" didn't come.
He took off his shoes and walked into the living room.
Tsunade was lying on the sofa in a relaxed manner.
Her head rested on the armrest, and her body naturally sank into the cushions.
Her legs were slightly apart, and her feet occasionally swayed.
"Where's Shizune?" Shinho approached and stood opposite her.
"She went to the Konoha Hospital to perform some surgery," Tsunade replied casually.
"She spends all day with me without much to do; it's better for her to improve her medical ninjutsu this way than to sit around all day."
That made sense.
Looking at her, Shinho asked, "Sensei, are you tired?"
"Just mentally exhausted," Tsunade yawned.
"Did you lose again?" Shinho guessed.
"What do you mean 'lose again'?" Tsunade opened her eyes and gave him a dissatisfied look. "Watch how you talk to your teacher!"
"I'm going to practice," Shinho said calmly.
"You little brat!"
Tsunade huffed, "Wait!"
"Yes?" Shinho stopped.
"Since you know your teacher is tired, shouldn't you be doing something about it?" Tsunade said thoughtfully.
Whenever she saw Shinho's overly composed demeanor, she had the urge to tease him a bit.
"Do something?" Shinho was momentarily puzzled and blurted out, "A massage?"
"Not a bad idea," Tsunade smiled slightly, patting her leg. "Go ahead."
"Isn't this child labor?" Shinho glanced down at her feet.
"Look here; will you do it or not?" Tsunade gave him a dangerous look and, at the same time clenched her fist lightly.
"I'll do it," Shinho agreed promptly.
He stepped forward and placed his hands on her calves.
Her muscles felt firm and toned.
As a ninja who trains regularly, she didn't have any excess fat.
"Not bad," Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.
In her view, Shinho was naturally strong and had good control over his own strength, making him suitable for doing massages—or rather, for learning her chakra-enhanced strength technique.
Tsunade's body relaxed as a comfortable sensation spread.
Shinho glanced at her, then continued his massage, adjusting his technique based on her reactions.
After a few minutes, Shinho shifted his focus.
He held Tsunade's feet, pressing on various pressure points.
"Mmm," Tsunade made a contented sound.
A tingling sensation spread throughout her body.
"Did you take a bath?" Shinho suddenly asked.
"Of course," Tsunade answered instinctively but quickly realized something.
She opened her eyes and lightly placed a foot against his chest, not applying any force.
"What do you mean?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"I noticed a scent of shower gel," Shinho replied earnestly.
Tsunade was momentarily stunned, realizing she had misunderstood.
She cleared her throat. "You may should go practice your medical ninjutsu."
Shinho nodded and got up to head to the kitchen.
[Achievement Unlocked: 'Proper Etiquette'; Reward: Wine Gu.]
[Wine Gu: A Rank One Gu insect that helps refine bronze-level true essence, advancing the user to the next minor realm.]
Shinho never imagined he would obtain the Wine Gu in such a manner.
'System, there's something wrong with you,' he thought.
Bonus chapter(‾◡◝)
there will be one more regular update today.
and like last week, there'll be 2 bonus chapters for every 100 powerstones.
Oh, and join my pateron for advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL