Life after the start of the school term was rather peaceful.
The scene Shinho Aburame had anticipated—Sasuke Uchiha seeking him out for a sparring match—never happened.
Shinho figured it had something to do with Uchiha Shisui's death, which seemed to weigh heavily on Sasuke.
That was fine by him.
Less trouble.
Shinho had been quite busy lately.
His days were filled with meals, school, training in refining his essence, and poring over medical books. Occasionally, he'd also make time to act as a temporary teacher for Chisori and Karin.
Before he knew it, a month had flown by, and Shinho had smoothly advanced to the second rank of Gu Master.
He had stayed as a first-rank Gu Master for quite some time, accumulating a significant amount of refined essence, which made the process of advancing utterly smooth and uneventful.
The most noticeable change from advancing from a first-rank to a second-rank Gu Master was the quality of his essence. His bronze essence had now transformed into iron essence.
The improvement in quality was striking.
One portion of iron essence was equivalent to ten portions of bronze essence.
Aside from this enhancement, there were no significant differences. For a Gu Master, the Gu worms they nurtured were still the core of their power.
Thanks to his accomplishments, Shinho had already gained several second-rank Gu worms ahead of time. Now, with his advancement, he could fully harness their potential, and his strength surged noticeably.
Worth mentioning was that the Wine Gu had now been refined into a Four-Flavor Wine Gu.
The first-rank Wine Gu had already lost its usefulness, so it was upgraded.
Four-Flavor Wine Gu: A second-rank Gu worm, it helps second-rank Gu Masters purify their essence, boosting them to the next minor level.
In other words, though Shinho was currently a second-rank beginner Gu Master, he could now use essence at the intermediate level.
The rarity of the Wine Gu series was evident.
Another school day had come to an end.
Shinho rose from his seat and left the classroom.
"What's Shinho been busy with lately?" Kiba Inuzuka stretched lazily and asked with some confusion.
Before, Shinho would often hang out with them after school. Now, he would barely say goodbye before rushing off somewhere.
"I know," Ino Yamanaka said with a sly smile as she sat beside Shinho's empty desk.
Naturally, sitting so close meant she had an easy time figuring out what Shinho was up to.
"He's been reading medical books," Ino announced in response to the curious glances of the group.
"Oh, I see," Shikamaru Nara mused, guessing, "It might be a task from Lady Tsunade."
"Learning medical ninjutsu is tough," Sakura Haruno sighed, adding, "I don't get half of what I'm reading."
Ever since Sakura had decided to become a medical ninja, she had started borrowing medical books, though she struggled to understand them without proper guidance.
She couldn't wait to graduate and find a skilled teacher.
"If Shinho-kun is working this hard, I can't slack off either!" Ino's eyes suddenly sparkled with determination. "I'm heading home! See you all tomorrow!"
"Talk about motivated," Shikamaru yawned.
The bond of the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio remained strong, and their parents frequently gathered for friendly conversations. Lately, Ino's changes had become a hot topic among the adults.
Yamanaka Inoichi, however, was furious.
He had only found out from others that his daughter's new sense of diligence had a source. He had thought she had simply become more serious about her training.
But it seemed he had been completely blindsided!
Sasuke Uchiha seemed deep in thought as he left the classroom.
"Sasuke-kun! Wait for me!" Sakura called after him, but Sasuke's pace quickened.
Sakura watched his lightning-fast movements in shock. Is this some kind of lightning-style technique?
Sasuke came to a halt. His use of lightning chakra wasn't to escape Sakura's pursuit but to catch up with Shinho.
When Shinho saw Sasuke suddenly appear, he blinked in surprise. Really? You're using lightning chakra for this? You truly have a knack for showing off.
"What brings you here today?" Shinho continued walking, casually asking, "Where's your teacher?"
"He's on a mission," Sasuke answered.
"So, you want to spar with me?" Shinho asked after a brief pause. "But I'm pretty busy lately. Maybe you could spar with Naruto instead."
At this point, before Sasuke awakened his Sharingan, he and Naruto were fairly evenly matched. However, with the activation of the Sharingan, things would shift in Sasuke's favor.
The Sharingan was simply that powerful.
Naruto would need to train in something like the Eight Gates or rely on the fox spirit, Kurama inside him to keep up.
"No, it's not that," Sasuke hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "I have a question for you."
"What's the question?" Shinho asked, intrigued.
"What's happening with the Uchiha clan?" Sasuke asked in a low voice.
Ever since Shisui's funeral, this question had been nagging at him, but when he asked his mother or brother, they always brushed it aside.
Shinho was genuinely surprised. Is Sasuke using his brain for once?
He was sharper than in the original timeline, likely a result of the butterfly effect Shinho had caused.
"Why are you asking me?" Shinho raised an eyebrow.
Sasuke didn't know Shinho was a reincarnator. Maybe it was just a case of grasping at straws?
"You're Tsunade-sama's student," Sasuke explained.
Fair enough.
Shinho nodded slightly, then asked, "What do you think of the Uchiha clan?"
"They've always treated me well," Sasuke responded without hesitation.
"And how do they treat your brother?" Shinho followed up.
Sasuke froze for a moment, his expression turning thoughtful.
His initial impulse was to say they treated Itachi just as well, but then he realized that wasn't quite right.
Some members of the clan clearly didn't seem to like his brother much.
But why?
They were all part of the same Uchiha clan, so what could cause such animosity?
"Do you know why?" Sasuke asked, unable to figure it out on his own.
"Your brother never told you?" Shinho asked in return.
"No," Sasuke replied, frustration clear in his voice. "He says I'm too young and will tell me when I'm older."
That was technically true.
Though the way Itachi went about "maturing" Sasuke was rather... unorthodox to say the least.
Trust me, Sasuke, you wouldn't want to know, Shinho thought to himself, deep in thought.
When it came to leadership in Konoha, replacing the Hokage required certain conditions.
First, the Hokage had to either die or step down.
There was no age limit for a Hokage, which meant they could theoretically hold the position for life.
That was why Danzo had never given up his dream of becoming Hokage. If he could outlast Hiruzen Sarutobi, his chances of taking the role would greatly increase.
Though, admittedly, the odds were slim.
In the original timeline, Hiruzen first stepped down after the Third Great Ninja War when Konoha had suffered heavy losses, and someone had to take responsibility.
Added pressure from the Fire Daimyo and Konoha's higher-ups, especially Danzo, played a role in his decision.
Danzo had wanted either himself or his ally, Orochimaru, to take the position of Fourth Hokage.
However, the young genius Minato Namikaze had been chosen instead.
Unfortunately, Minato's life was tragically cut short, and with Konoha left without a strong leader, Hiruzen had resumed his duties as Hokage.
If Tsunade truly wanted to become Hokage, it wouldn't be too difficult.
Konoha's selection process for Hokage followed three steps: a vote from the villagers, a vote from the Jonin, and finally approval from the Fire Daimyo.
Shinho couldn't imagine Tsunade losing in any of these steps.
But the real challenge would be Hiruzen Sarutobi.
If he refused to step down, it would complicate things.
There was one last option, though—Hiruzen making a grave mistake.
"Sasuke..."
"Do you know who Uchiha Madara is?" Shinho Aburame asked Sasuke Uchiha.
"Uchiha Madara?" Sasuke tilted his head, thinking for a moment before responding, "No, I don't."
"Then go back and ask your brother," Shinho said with a dismissive wave. "See you next time."
"Huh?" Sasuke stood there, bewildered.
Even after Shinho had disappeared from sight, Sasuke remained confused. He had come to Shinho seeking answers, but instead, he left with even more questions.
Still, it wasn't a complete waste. At least now he had a reason to talk to his brother, Itachi, who had been increasingly busy and distant recently.
Sasuke wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew better than to interrupt his brother's important tasks.
At the Uchiha Residence
"Sasuke," Mikoto Uchiha greeted her son with a warm smile as she heard the door open. "Welcome home."
"Where's brother?" Sasuke asked as he removed his shoes.
"He's not home," Mikoto replied, sighing softly to herself. Normally, she would tease Sasuke about always looking for Itachi first, but lately, she just didn't have the energy for it.
She had noticed the growing tension between Fugaku and Itachi. The entire Uchiha clan felt like a boiling pot of oil—any spark could set it ablaze.
"Is he coming back today?" Sasuke asked, unsurprised by the answer. It was strange for Itachi to ever be home these days.
"He might," Mikoto said, forcing a smile.
"Mom, hug," Sasuke said, looking up at her after a few moments.
Outside the Senju Residence
"Shizune-nee," Shinho Aburame said seriously, "This is it—our one shot."
"I understand," Shizune replied, nodding firmly.
She had heard Shinho's plan, and although she found it a bit risky, it wasn't without merit. For Lady Tsunade's sake, she was willing to try anything.
Better to try and fail than to do nothing at all.
"I'm back, Sensei," Shinho called as he opened the door.
Tsunade glanced at him briefly before going back to watching television. A glass of milk sat on the coffee table in front of her.
"Sensei, I think that's my milk," Shinho said, setting his bag down and sitting beside her.
"I was thirsty, so I drank it," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes. "What, are you going to complain about me drinking your milk?"
"Of course not," Shinho shook his head.
"Aren't you going to study today?" Tsunade asked, noticing that Shinho hadn't gone straight to his books like he usually did after coming home.
For the past month, he had been dedicating himself to reading medical texts, though she personally believed it wouldn't help him solve the problem.
"I've found the solution," Shinho said, pulling a medical book from his bag and handing it to her.
Tsunade paused, surprised, and glanced at the cover of the book. It was titled Reshaping the Mind.
She vaguely remembered that this was a book on psychological disorders.
"What solution?" Tsunade asked, shaking her head. "You can't fool me. This book doesn't mention hemophobia."
"You're right, it doesn't," Shinho agreed, not arguing. He flipped to a particular page and handed the book back to her. "But I believe the method outlined here can apply to hemophobia as well."
Tsunade scanned the page. "Systematic desensitization therapy?"
As a medical ninja, she was familiar with this treatment. Essentially, it exposed the patient to the source of their fear in a controlled, step-by-step manner, gradually reducing their anxiety or fear response. It was often used to treat psychological disorders.
There were other variations, too, like emotional desensitization, which involved replacing feelings of fear with positive emotions.
Tsunade fell into silence, her first instinct being to reject the idea. Every time her hemophobia was triggered, she was flooded with painful memories from the past—memories she had spent over a decade trying to forget.
And now, Shinho was suggesting she repeatedly confront these memories until she became desensitized to them? It seemed absurd.
Besides, she simply didn't want to go through that process.
"No," Tsunade shook her head, gripping the book tightly.
"Sensei, don't forget our bet," Shinho reminded her, his tone firm.
He understood her hesitation, but the reality was that facing her fear was the only way forward. Hemophobia wasn't something that could be cured with medicine.
A mental illness required a mental solution.
"..." Tsunade remained silent, completely caught off guard. This wasn't what she had expected at all.
She hadn't imagined that Shinho would come up with something like systematic desensitization therapy.
"Sensei," Shinho said calmly, "are you afraid?"
"Brat!" Tsunade was instantly angered by his words. "What do you mean, am I afraid? Of course not!"
Shizune watched nervously from the sidelines, worried that Tsunade might lose her temper.
"That's the Sensei I know," Shinho said earnestly. "The legendary Tsunade of the Sannin, a role model for all shinobi, who knows no fear."
"You better believe it!" Tsunade huffed, her expression softening as a hint of pride appeared on her face.
But then, her smile froze.
Something didn't feel right.
She had fallen into a trap—first, he used reverse psychology, then flattery.
"You sly little bastard," Tsunade said, her face stern again. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Sensei," Shinho said with a light chuckle. "But I'm afraid I've already won this bet."
Tsunade froze, her anger flaring up again.
This brat was too arrogant! Did he really think he had her figured out?
"Win? The bet hasn't even started yet," Tsunade crossed her arms, her amber eyes shining with renewed determination. "I told you, I won't lose!"
"Good," Shinho said, sensing he had achieved his goal. "Shall we start now?"
Tsunade gritted her teeth.
Whether she agreed or not, she felt trapped. Either choice seemed to play right into his hands.
"Damn brat!" Tsunade cursed, laughing despite herself, before reaching out with her hands.
"Wait!" Shinho tried to stop her, but it was too late.
Once again, Tsunade ruffled his hair into a wild mess.
Shizune couldn't help but laugh—this time, her laughter was filled with genuine happiness.
Tsunade had agreed to undergo treatment. That was the best news she had heard in a long time.
Though, of course, she also enjoyed seeing Shinho's exasperated expression. There was something particularly amusing about his resigned look of defeat.
Shinho shot Shizune a glare. What are you laughing at? You didn't even contribute anything!
Sigh. My useless senior.
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