Under the relentless pressure of the Nine-Tails, Kushina found herself immersed in a hellish special training regimen led by her proud and irritable mentor.
That evening, Kushina stumbled home, her body battered and exhausted. She managed a weak greeting before collapsing onto her bed. Within seconds, she was sound asleep.
Tsunade watched her with concern. "Shinki, are you sure this is okay? She looks completely drained."
"Don't worry," Shinki replied calmly, unconcerned. "This is good for her. The more the Nine-Tails pushes her, the faster she'll grow."
He continued, smirking slightly, "Don't underestimate that irritable teacher. The Nine-Tails has lived for countless years. It knows what it's doing. Its experience far surpasses that of any ordinary mentor."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Shinki glanced over at Nawaki and teased, "Speaking of which, instead of worrying about Kushina, maybe you should worry about yourself. I heard you got thrashed by Minato recently?"
Nawaki's face turned beet red. He glared at Shinki, annoyed. "Do you have to bring that up?"
Minato's growth was indeed unnerving. Despite going through the same training regimen, eating the same meals, and enjoying the same resources, Minato seemed to soar ahead effortlessly. It left Nawaki baffled and frustrated.
"Minato's speed is one thing," Shinki added, "but don't forget Kushina. Once she masters even a basic level of control over the Nine-Tails' chakra, she'll surpass you completely. A single layer of tailed beast chakra is enough to overwhelm you."
Nawaki groaned. Shinki's words stung, but they weren't wrong. If Kushina continued at this pace, she would easily outshine him. The thought was deeply unsettling.
Tsunade, sensing her brother's dismay, tried to offer some advice. "Listen, Nawaki, there are gaps between geniuses. Minato is exceptionally talented. You're talented too, but it's okay to acknowledge that some people are on another level. What matters is your effort."
"I know…" Nawaki muttered with a bitter smile. "It's just frustrating."
"Then train harder. If you still fall behind, accept it," Shinki said bluntly. "At least you'll know you gave it your all."
Despite his frustration, Nawaki's resilience kicked in. One of his strongest traits was his ability to bounce back quickly. He decided he wouldn't let this setback defeat him.
Later that evening, Tsunade stood up suddenly. "I need to head out. There's overtime waiting for me at the hospital."
Shinki raised an eyebrow. "You? Working overtime?"
Tsunade froze, a guilty expression crossing her face.
"Wait a minute…" Shinki leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You didn't lose all your money again, did you?"
Tsunade sighed, grabbing her coat without answering.
When Nawaki reappeared after changing his clothes, he asked, "Where did my sister go?"
"She's working overtime," Shinki said with a smirk.
Nawaki frowned. "Lost all her money again, huh? Typical."
Far away, in the Rain Country, Jiraiya observed his three disciples—Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—with a mixture of pride and sadness. They had grown remarkably under his guidance, but he knew their time together was drawing to a close.
"Teacher Jiraiya, is something on your mind?" Konan asked softly.
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly. Konan's maturity often surprised him, and her intuition was spot on. She had guessed what he was thinking.
"Konan," Jiraiya said after a pause, "I'm a ninja from Konoha. I can't stay here forever. The village is at war, and my place is there."
Konan's heart sank. She had always known this day would come, but the reality still hit hard. Over the past two years, Jiraiya had become more than a teacher—he was family. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Jiraiya sighed and patted her blue hair gently. "You've all grown so much. You're strong enough to survive here now, and that makes me proud. Knowing this, I can leave without worry."
Though his words were meant to comfort, Konan couldn't hide her sadness. Yahiko and Nagato, standing nearby, watched quietly, their own emotions conflicted. Their mentor was leaving, and with his departure came the realization that they would soon face the world alone.
>>>>>
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A/N: Hey Guys,
I was going over the discount code and saw that it wasn't toggled on for all the tiers. I fixed it now, sorry about that. ;)