"Do you want a gift for your first day back at school?" Tsunade asked as she watched Shinho Aburame change his shoes, recalling last night's events.
She felt a bit ashamed.
As his teacher, not only had she never given Shinho any money or gifts, but she also owed him a hefty sum of 10 million ryo.
She realized she hadn't been paying enough attention to her student.
"No need," Shinho waved his hand dismissively, "I'm not a kid."
"What are you If not a kid, ?" Tsunade stepped forward and held out her hand.
Shinho blinked in surprise. Why is she acting so strange today?
"What's wrong? Are you shy?" Tsunade smirked, a hint of playfulness in her tone.
"No," Shinho denied and took her hand, shaking his head.
"Have you come up with a plan yet?" Tsunade asked unexpectedly.
"I plan to go through some medical books," Shinho replied, somewhat surprised by her question. "Do you know where I can find any?"
"Konoha Hospital has some," Tsunade paused, then added, "but I doubt you'll find any solutions."
She had already combed through all the medical books in Konoha, and none mentioned hemophobia, much less how to treat it.
"There's always a way out of every situation," Shinho said casually.
"Sounds interesting," Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "Who said that?"
"School taught me that," Shinho deflected smoothly.
"Have you ever thought about graduating early?" Tsunade asked, glancing at him.
"No," Shinho shook his head. "I enjoy spending time with my friends."
"I see," Tsunade thought to herself. As she had expected, there was no chance of getting this kid to leave Konoha.
Oh well, she'd stick to their bet.
Tsunade looked up at the distant Hokage Rock. She never imagined her face would one day be carved up there, but she had once dreamed of seeing Nawaki's face join the other Hokage.
"If you graduate, I'll give you a special gift," Tsunade lowered her head slightly, her gaze drifting to the necklace nestled against her pale skin.
"What gift?" Shinho asked, intrigued.
"It's a secret," Tsunade smiled. "But you'll definitely like it."
Shinho gave her a skeptical look.
Could it be the First Hokage's necklace?
Who could survive that? Even Naruto, who had the protagonist's aura, didn't escape unscathed.
If not for his protagonist's aura, bringing him back from the dead, things might have been different.
I need to get the Spring and Autumn Cicada soon, Shinho thought, taking a deep breath.
Tsunade suddenly stopped walking.
Shinho followed her gaze and saw Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke standing ahead.
His eyes narrowed slightly as a prompt appeared in his vision.
[Uchiha Itachi]
[Current Achievement: What Will Save You, My Love]
[Passive Achievement: Unknown]
Shinho mulled over the prompt. The achievement made sense, considering it appeared after Uchiha Shisui's death. But how to resolve the situation was another problem.
The hawks among the Uchiha were too stubborn. If they were persuadable, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi would have already succeeded in preventing the coup.
Then there was the issue of Konoha's leadership…
"Tsunade-sama," Itachi greeted as he approached with Sasuke following suit.
Though the Uchiha clan often acted superior, they still had to respect one of the legendary Sannin.
"Hmm," Tsunade responded indifferently.
Itachi hesitated. He had heard that Tsunade was present at the Hokage's office yesterday. She probably knew about the thoughts of Konoha's higher-ups.
However, Danzo's actions had left him conflicted. In the end, he said nothing.
For now, Itachi only trusted Hiruzen Sarutobi within Konoha's leadership. After dropping Sasuke off at school, he planned to visit the Hokage's office.
Tsunade rubbed her temples, feeling the headache of the situation.
"What's wrong, Sensei?" Shinho asked.
"It's nothing," Tsunade shook her head.
Shinho didn't press the issue. Tsunade was currently in a delicate state, caught between the weight of her hemophobia and the burden of Konoha's future. The fear and past trauma clearly weighed more on her.
Though last night had sparked some changes, it wasn't enough just yet.
Once I resolve her hemophobia, I'll deal with the rest, Shinho thought.
"We're here. You can go in by yourself," Tsunade said, letting go of his hand as they reached the school.
"Got it," Shinho nodded.
"If you want to check out those medical books, go to Konoha Hospital and find Shizune," Tsunade reminded him before turning to leave.
Shinho stepped into the classroom, immediately locking eyes with Hinata Hyuga.
"Were you waiting for me?" Shinho asked as he approached her.
"Uh… um…" Hinata lowered her head, her fingers nervously tapping together, her voice trembling.
She had heard that Tsunade and Shinho had returned to the village yesterday, but she hadn't dared to go see him.
After a long night of anticipation, her patience had finally been rewarded.
"Sh-Shinho-kun," Hinata gathered her courage and asked, "How was your trip this past month?"
"It was good," Shinho said, noticing how tense she was. "You haven't changed much, though."
Hinata froze, her fair toes curling in response.
What does that mean? Did he want me to change or stay the same?
"Your hair's gotten a lot longer," Shinho remarked, glancing at her.
"I'll cut it!" Hinata blurted out, immediately regretting it when she noticed Shinho's surprised look.
She quickly lowered her head, her face hidden beneath her long black hair, which only served to hide her embarrassment.
"Why cut it?" Shinho asked, puzzled. "Do you prefer short hair?"
He remembered that Hinata grew her hair long as an adult.
"N-No… That's not what I meant…" Hinata stammered, her head spinning, unable to make sense of her thoughts.
Shinho chuckled, realizing what she was trying to say. Teasing her is too much fun.
"I like long hair more, but short hair's fine too," Shinho said casually.
Hinata nodded silently. She had just decided to keep her hair long.
"I'll tell you some funny stories from the trip," Shinho offered, after a moment's thought.
As he began to share his adventures, Hinata visibly relaxed, listening intently. As she watched his profile, she thought to herself that she would love the chance to travel with him someday.
Perhaps after graduating from the Academy, she could even be on the same team as him.
Meanwhile, outside the classroom, the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho slowly approached.
"I wonder if Shinho-kun has already arrived…" Ino Yamanaka started to say before trailing off.
She had spotted Shinho and Hinata talking happily.
Shikamaru Nara glanced at Choji Akimichi.
But Choji was too engrossed in his bag of chips to notice.
Must be nice, Shikamaru thought to himself.
Sometimes he resented being so perceptive—it made it hard to even pretend not to care.
He thought for a moment, then stepped forward to greet Shinho.
"Long time no see, Shinho,."
"Good morning," Shinho replied.
"Want some chips?" Choji Akimichi offered after a moment's thought.
"Thanks." Shinho casually took one.
"Let's go fishing again sometime," Choji said with a simple, honest smile. In his mind, sharing food was the simplest form of friendship.
"There'll be a chance for that," Shinho nodded.
"Shinho-kun!" Ino Yamanaka came running to his right side and asked, "What were you all talking about?"
Seeing this, Shikamaru Nara exchanged a glance with Choji and quickly made his escape.
"...?" Choji, not understanding the cue, followed Shikamaru back to their seats.
Not far away, Sasuke Uchiha scowled in irritation. Ever since Shinho entered the classroom, he hadn't even acknowledged him, let alone greeted him.
Damn it! I'm supposed to be your lifelong rival!
As Sasuke stewed in his thoughts, a green blur dashed in from outside.
"I'm here, Shinho!" Naruto Uzumaki skidded to a halt right in front of him.
Ino gritted her teeth. Can't you assess the situation first?!
Hinata Hyuga sighed inwardly. Shinho-kun is just too popular. It's hard to ever get a moment alone with him.
"Why are both your hands wrapped in bandages?" Shinho raised an eyebrow. Is he starting the Eight Gates training already? Or maybe not...
"It's from training with Uncle Guy," Naruto said, twisting his wrists. "I think it looks cool."
Just then, the bell rang for class. Iruka Umino walked in with a beaming smile.
Since the last end-of-term exam, he had been thrilled after receiving praise from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He had been diligently practising his teaching methods for the past month, convinced that his skills had improved.
Iruka thought of Mizuki, who was now in prison and couldn't help but sigh.
What was the point? he thought. Because of one moment of greed, his girlfriend now cries every day.
"Class is starting," Iruka said without any extra chatter. "Our first lesson today is on traps."
Time passed, and soon it was the end of the school day.
Shinho made his way to Konoha Hospital, where he found Shizune in one of the wards. She was wearing a white coat, checking a patient's IV.
Compared to her usual nurse's uniform, it made her look a bit less alluring.
"Shizune-nee," Shinho called out once she finished her work.
"Shinho?" Shizune looked surprised, then smiled warmly. "Are you sick? Want me to give you a shot?"
Her playful demeanor seemed less than professional.
It'll be me giving you the shots one day, Shinho thought but kept his expression serious. "I want to look at some medical books."
Shizune paused, understanding immediately.
It had to be about Tsunade's hemophobia. But could reading medical books really help?
She had her doubts but didn't refuse. Shinho followed her to the hospital's library.
"Take your time." Shizune handed him a key. "You can come by anytime with this."
"Thank you, Shizune-nee." Shinho looked at the rows upon rows of books, which seemed to be in the thousands.
It wasn't a problem, though. He just needed to focus on books related to psychological issues. Then, he could piece together an explanation if necessary.
"Shinho," Shizune reappeared and said, "it's time to go home. It's already seven o'clock."
"Okay." Shinho picked up the book he was reading. "Can I take this with me?"
"Of course." Shizune glanced at the book and understood.
Back home, the routine was the same as usual: dinner, a bath, training, and rest. But now he had added another step—reading.
Tsunade stood silently in the doorway.
"He's very diligent," Shizune said softly.
"It's just wasted effort." Tsunade shook her head, clearly skeptical. "The book he's reading doesn't even cover hemophobia."
Shizune was silent. She couldn't refute the truth.
"But I believe in him." Shizune's expression was firm.
"If he were ten years older, I'd say your springtime had arrived with how you're always looking out for him." Tsunade smirked.
"Tsunade-sama, what nonsense are you spouting now?" Shizune rolled her eyes. "Why not thirty years older?"
Tsunade paused, then shot her a glare before walking away.
Realizing her mistake, Shizune stayed quiet and didn't follow. She watched Shinho and fell into a thoughtful silence.
...
In the Uchiha Clan's compound.
"Why is it so quiet today?" Sasuke wondered as he entered. The usually bustling streets felt eerily empty.
Is something wrong? Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he spotted two Uchiha clan members. They were both dressed in black mourning clothes.
Who died? Sasuke rushed home, feeling a growing sense of dread.
"Change into these clothes." Fugaku Uchiha, also clad in black, instructed him.
Sasuke felt a wave of unease. Death was common for shinobi, but if the clan leader himself was attending the funeral, it couldn't be just any ordinary ninja.
"It's Shisui," said Mikoto Uchiha, also in black, with a somber expression.
"Shisui-nii?!" Sasuke froze. He couldn't believe it. Shisui was a genius, on par with his brother Itachi. How could someone like that die so easily?
"Get dressed, and let's go," Fugaku said flatly.
In a daze, Sasuke allowed Mikoto to dress him in a black mourning robe. The three of them then headed to Naka Shrine.
"Brother." Sasuke, upon arrival, finally snapped out of his daze when he saw Itachi.
Fugaku's presence triggered a reaction among the crowd.
"Clan leader! Who was responsible for Shisui's death?"
"They even took his eyes. This is outrageous!"
"It must be the higher-ups of Konoha!"
"This is an insult! We can't stand for this, Clan Leader!"
The atmosphere was filled with anger and indignation. Fugaku slowly raised his hand, and the shrine fell silent again.
"Today, we will not discuss anything else," Fugaku said coldly. "Let's first lay Shisui to rest."
Itachi remained silent, observing everything. The number of hawks within the clan was growing, and it seemed like a conflict with Konoha could break out at any moment.
Fugaku's stance was also clear.
Itachi recalled his conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi earlier that afternoon. The Third Hokage claimed ignorance of Danzo's actions and had placed him under house arrest.
He had also reaffirmed that as long as the Uchiha did not initiate a coup, Konoha would not act against them.
Sasuke looked around, a sense of fear creeping in. He didn't understand what was happening, but the atmosphere felt ominous.
"It's okay, Sasuke." Itachi reached out, taking his hand. "Don't worry; everything will be fine."
Sasuke felt a small sense of relief at his brother's reassuring words.
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