In the courtyard, Karin took a deep breath.
Under Shinho Aburame's watchful eyes, she performed the Body Substitution Technique.
With a puff of smoke, she quickly switched places with a wooden log.
"How did I do?" Karin asked excitedly, running up to him, her face full of anticipation.
"Pretty good," Shinho nodded slightly.
Karin, upon hearing this, jumped up in excitement.
Chisori sighed in relief.
"Your turn now, Aunt Chisori," Shinho said, turning his gaze to her.
Chisori's expression stiffened, revealing a bit of anxiety and unease.
"You've been learning Konoha-style Taijutsu," Shinho recalled. "Let's spar."
Chisori nodded automatically, though still clearly nervous.
"Come at me," Shinho said, standing calmly in place.
"Be careful," Chisori cautioned, unable to help herself. She knew Shinho was stronger, but he was still just a child.
After a moment's hesitation, Chisori moved forward, throwing a punch.
Shinho raised a hand and effortlessly blocked her fist with his palm.
Chisori's eyes widened. She felt as though she couldn't push through his defense at all—his strength was astounding for someone so young.
She retreated and spun around, aiming a kick at him.
Karin, who was watching, instinctively covered her mouth in worry.
With a loud bang, Shinho countered with a spinning kick of his own.
Their legs collided.
Shinho remained firmly in place, while Chisori staggered backward several steps.
Realizing the vast gap in their abilities, Chisori stopped in her tracks.
How terrifying, she thought. He's only six years old!
Chisori attacked again, but this time with more confidence. Knowing she couldn't hurt him, she didn't hold back and went all out, showing everything she had learned of Konoha-style Taijutsu. Once she had displayed her full set of skills, she finally stopped.
"You've made significant progress," Shinho commented. "Once you master the Three Basic Jutsu, you'll be ready to be a genin."
"Thank you," Chisori said, relieved at the praise.
With both mother and daughter receiving positive feedback, she no longer felt as worried.
"Shinho, have you eaten?" Chisori asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"I have. No need to trouble yourself," Shinho shook his head. "Have you two eaten? If so, let's continue training."
"I've already eaten," Chisori replied, bending down to pick up the lilies and tulips. "Just give me a moment."
She walked back inside her room. After some thought, she placed the flowers in a vase on the table.
Chisori stared at the bouquet in a daze. Back in Grass Village, such beautiful flowers were hard to come by. Being able to see trees through a window had once been her greatest freedom.
After a moment of quiet reflection, Chisori returned to the courtyard.
Shinho was now instructing Karin on the Transformation Technique. Chisori didn't interrupt, instead walking to a large tree nearby.
Channeling chakra to her feet, she slowly walked up the tree.
Chisori exhaled a breath of relief—this time, she hadn't made any mistakes.
She began to descend when she suddenly heard the sound of wind whistling behind her.
Startled, she turned to see a wooden kunai flying toward her. With no time to react, she lost her balance and fell.
But instead of hitting the ground, she found herself caught in Shinho's arms.
Feeling embarrassed, Chisori quickly stood up and said, "Thank you."
"Aunt Chisori, you should eat more," Shinho commented casually.
Chisori just blinked in confusion.
"Sealing techniques, unlike other ninjutsu, require precise chakra control," Shinho explained seriously. "While you're climbing the tree, I'll be adding some distractions."
"I understand," Chisori replied, her expression growing serious.
Adding distractions would make the training significantly harder, but Shinho had a point—there would be more distractions in real battles. A wooden kunai was nothing in comparison.
Although she agreed, for a beginner like Chisori, it was still quite difficult.
By the end of the afternoon, Shinho had caught her from falling at least twenty times.
Later, inside the living room, Shinho sipped a glass of water. Chisori and Karin had gone to the bathroom to shower after training all afternoon—they were drenched in sweat. Shinho, on the other hand, was as composed as ever, not even breaking a sweat.
Catching Chisori wasn't much of a burden for him either, although his small physical frame made it a slight challenge.
As Shinho relaxed, his thoughts drifted to Tsunade and Shizune. They had gone straight to the Hokage's office after returning to the village. By now, they were probably back home.
"Sorry for the wait, Shinho."
Chisori walked out of the bathroom, her freshly washed hair a striking contrast to her usual appearance.
After washing, her once dark hair had returned to its natural reddish hue, the wet strands sticking to her forehead. Paired with her gentle demeanor, she exuded a quiet elegance that was hard to ignore.
Shinho found himself suddenly understanding why certain historical figures were captivated by such beauty.
Meanwhile, Karin ran over to him, her hair still damp. "Shinho-nii, help me dry my hair!" she said excitedly.
"Karin," Chisori said softly, "Let me do it."
"No!" Karin protested, looking at her mother. "I want Shinho-nii to do it!"
"Alright, hand me the hair dryer," Shinho said, holding out his hand.
Chisori sighed helplessly, wondering when Karin had become so willful.
Taking the hairdryer, Shinho gently lifted Karin's hair and began drying it. Before long, her hair was dry and neat.
"Thank you, Shinho-nii!" Karin said happily.
"Your turn, Aunt Chisori," Shinho said, standing up and addressing Chisori.
"Oh, no, I can do it myself," Chisori said quickly, shaking her head.
"Sit," Shinho ordered firmly.
Startled by his tone, Chisori found herself obediently sitting on the couch. Her long legs crossed as she made room for him, looking unusually compliant.
Shinho raised an eyebrow, finding her demeanor unexpectedly docile, as if she wouldn't refuse any request.
Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, he focused on drying her hair.
Once finished, Shinho turned off the hairdryer and set it down.
"I should head home now. I've got school tomorrow," he said.
"You're not staying for dinner, Shinho-nii?" Karin asked, clearly disappointed.
Chisori didn't say anything, but her eyes reflected the same sentiment.
"Tomorrow," Shinho said with a smile. "Don't worry, I won't be leaving the village for a while, so there'll be plenty of chances."
At the Senju residence, just as he expected, Tsunade and Shizune had already returned.
Shinho noticed the two pairs of shoes by the door and took off his own shoes before entering the house.
Tsunade was lounging as usual, leaning against the sofa. Her long, pale legs were stretched out on the coffee table, her feet bare slightly swaying. The red nail polish on her toes stood out vividly.
"Where were you all this time?" Tsunade glanced at Shinho Aburame, a teasing smirk playing on her alabaster face. "Who did you meet? Ino? Hinata?"
Shinho ignored her question. "What did the Hokage say?"
"What do you think?" Tsunade shrugged nonchalantly.
"Figured," Shinho nodded.
"Wait a second," Tsunade sat up, crossing her arms over her chest. "You still haven't answered my question."
"I brought some sake," Shinho replied, pulling out a bottle of honey wine.
In the next instant, Tsunade appeared in front of him with a swift movement, grabbed the bottle, and took a large gulp.
"Ahhh!" she exclaimed, stretching lazily. "I'm alive again."
Shinho's eyes twitched slightly, and he asked, "Are you coming to the academy tomorrow for the opening ceremony?"
"Opening ceremony?" Tsunade blinked in confusion.
"Don't tell me you don't even know when school starts," Shinho said with a hint of disbelief.
"Of course I know!" Tsunade replied, though a trace of awkwardness crossed her face.
After all, she had always let Shinho take care of himself without much oversight. She preferred a hands-off approach.
"Your teacher will be there tomorrow," she declared, rubbing his head with a grin. "I won't break my promise!"
Even if it was for no other reason than the million ryo debt she owed him, she had to go.
What she didn't know, however, was that most of the money she had lost gambling had been won back by Shizune and quietly returned to Shinho. In short, Tsunade had been completely taken advantage of.
Shinho stepped back to escape her sneaky hand, smoothing his hair. "Where's Shizune?" he asked.
"Studying," Tsunade replied, reclining back on the couch with a smile.
Ever since Shizune witnessed Shinho's extraordinary talent firsthand, she'd been determined to preserve her dignity as the senior apprentice. Now, she spent all her spare time studying.
Shinho nodded. He, too, should get back to his training.
Tsunade continued downing her sake. At her level, she'd reached a plateau in her strength, so there wasn't much urgency to train. Besides, drinking was more important.
As the night deepened, Tsunade became slightly tipsy. After dinner, she retreated to her room, throwing herself onto the bed.
Her body bounced slightly with the movement, the heavy fullness of her figure curving into the mattress. Tsunade didn't care; she snuggled under the blankets.
Some time later, she suddenly awoke, startled. She had sensed a powerful and ominous presence—one that felt disturbingly familiar, heavy, and evil.
Tsunade frowned.
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune's voice came from outside the door.
"You sensed it too?" Tsunade asked, opening the door.
"Yes," Shizune nodded, her face pale with fear. "What's going on?"
That mysterious presence had made it hard for her to breathe, filling her with a deep sense of dread.
"I'm heading to the Hokage Tower," Tsunade said after a moment's thought. "Stay here and protect Shinho."
Though she had no desire to get involved in Konoha's affairs, the presence was unsettling enough that she felt compelled to investigate.
With swift movements, Tsunade left the house and dashed through the quiet night streets of Konoha. The village slept peacefully, oblivious to the ominous energy.
Based on her judgment, the source was quite far from Konoha—but for it to be felt at such a distance? Its strength was terrifying.
When she arrived at the Hokage Tower, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. As she expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others had already sensed the disturbance.
"What's going on?" Tsunade asked, kicking the door open.
"Tsunade, you're as reckless as ever," an elderly woman with narrowed eyes commented dryly.
It was Koharu Utatane, one of the Hokage's advisors. Beside her stood Homura Mitokado, another advisor.
Both held high positions in Konoha, second only to the Hokage himself. In their youth, they had served as guards to the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
"You two old geezers are here too, huh?" Tsunade said without a care. "This must be serious."
"Tsunade!" Koharu snapped. "Youngsters like you should show some respect for your elders."
"Alright, alright, no fighting here," Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted, rubbing his temples in frustration.
"So, what's the issue?" Tsunade asked impatiently, her distaste for the village's bureaucrats clear.
"We're waiting for Danzo," Hiruzen replied after taking a puff from his pipe.
"Danzo?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise. "So even he's involved? What's so serious that all of Konoha's top brass have to gather?"
Could it be something with the Uchiha? Tsunade fell silent, contemplating the situation.
Though she wasn't directly involved in Konoha's politics, she was aware of the growing tensions between the Uchiha and the village, especially after the Nine-Tails incident had nearly shattered any remaining trust in the clan.
"Shisui recently returned to the village after completing his mission," Hiruzen explained slowly. "He informed us that he's awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Mangekyō?" Tsunade's expression tightened. As one of Konoha's leaders, she knew full well the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan—especially after the extensive research left behind by her uncle, Tobirama Senju.
"The last person to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan was that man," Koharu said grimly.
"Uchiha Madara," Homura concluded the thought.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
As individuals who had been close to both Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, they had heard firsthand from Mito Uzumaki about the battle between Hashirama and Madara at the Valley of the End.
Although Hashirama had ultimately triumphed, the sheer scale of the battle and Madara's power had left an indelible mark on history.
"Why did Shisui tell you about this?" Tsunade asked.
"He wants to use his Mangekyō Sharingan to stop the Uchiha," Hiruzen answered gravely.
"Stop them? More like he's threatening them," Koharu suddenly raised her voice. "For once, I agree with Danzo."
"So do I," Homura added, his face filled with concern. "The Mangekyō Sharingan is far too dangerous. We can't allow Shisui to act as freely."
"You're talking in circles. What are you trying to say?" Tsunade asked, her patience running thin.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan comes with unique abilities," Hiruzen explained. "Shisui's Mangekyō possesses a power called Kotoamatsukami. It allows him to enter a person's mind without detection and completely alter their will, permanently."
Tsunade was stunned. A jutsu with such incredible power?
"Shisui could just as easily use it to control us as he could to stop the Uchiha," Koharu pointed out, her tone filled with suspicion. "Any one of us could be his target—even you, Hiruzen."
Hiruzen opened his mouth to speak but had no rebuttal.
"So you're considering taking action against Shisui because of that risk factor?" Tsunade finally understood. The ominous presence she had sensed earlier must have been from a conflict between Danzo and Shisui.
"We haven't taken any action yet," Hiruzen clarified. "Danzo was just sent to monitor him."
"Don't try to fool me, old man," Tsunade shot back, disappointment evident in her voice as she spoke. "You should know Danzo better than that."
"Tsunade!" Koharu shouted angrily. "Watch your tone! Show some respect!"
"Do you really think you're in a position to lecture me?" Tsunade asked coldly, clenching her fists.
Koharu paled, taking a step back in fear.
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