After a brief exchange, Orochimaru and Jiraiya left, but Tsunade stayed behind.
As Orochimaru departed, he cast another lingering glance at Shin.
Shin didn't sense any malice, but he still felt uneasy.
"What was that confrontation with Uchiha Ryota about?" Tsunade inquired.
Nawaki explained the situation, causing Tsunade to frown.
"The Uchiha are always causing trouble."
Mikoto shifted uncomfortably. She knew Tsunade wasn't referring to her specifically, but she still felt awkward. She was an Uchiha, after all.
"Don't worry, I wasn't talking about you," Tsunade reassured her, noticing Mikoto's discomfort.
She had a good impression of Mikoto, who seemed different from the other Uchiha.
"By the way, I have to leave the village for a mission. It's an escort mission, should take about half a month."
Tsunade informed them.
"Oh..."
Nawaki couldn't help but grin.
Tsunade's smile vanished, replaced by a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Nawaki, you seem happy about this?"
"No, no, not at all!" Nawaki shook his head vigorously.
"I'll deal with you later. I have to go."
Tsunade glared at Nawaki, then waved goodbye to the others before turning to leave.
Nawaki breathed a sigh of relief once she was out of sight.
"Nawaki, are you scared of your sister?" Shin asked.
Nawaki scratched his head. "A little. She's really strict when she trains me."
"Come on, weren't you going to show us around Konoha? We have some time before class. Let's explore the area."
Shin looked at Mikoto.
"Mikoto-san, want to join us?"
"Oh, may I?" Mikoto looked surprised and pleased.
"Of course." Shin smiled, and the four of them set off to explore Konoha.
Shin and Kushina were unfamiliar with the village, so Nawaki acted as their guide, pointing out various landmarks and locations.
Since they didn't have much time before their afternoon class, they only explored the area near the Academy.
It was good to familiarize themselves with the surroundings. Soon, it was time to head back for class.
Back in their seats, Shin asked Mikoto, "Mikoto, that incident earlier... It won't cause you any trouble, will it?"
He had dropped the honorifics, a sign of their growing friendship.
Mikoto shook her head.
"I'll be fine. I'm practically invisible in the Uchiha Clan. No one will bother me over this. Actually, I should be the one apologizing." Mikoto looked at Shin and Kushina apologetically.
"Mikoto, we're friends now. No need to apologize," Kushina said.
Perhaps they were destined to be best friends. Kushina, who had initially been hostile towards Mikoto, now seemed quite fond of her.
The afternoon class was another lecture. Kushina wasn't interested in theory; she felt like falling asleep.
Shin felt the same. If the lecture had been useful, he would have paid attention, but it was all stuff he already knew or found irrelevant.
School let out early, a little after four in the afternoon.
After school, they accepted Nawaki's invitation to explore more of Konoha.
Back at the Senju compound, Shin refrained from practicing Taijutsu or Kenjutsu. He didn't want to attract attention so soon after arriving in Konoha, so he focused on Chakra refinement.
He didn't know if the Sandaime had assigned Anbu to watch them, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Practicing Taijutsu or Kenjutsu might reveal his true strength. Even practicing Ninjutsu was risky. For now, he'd stick to refining Chakra.
'Should I copy the Byakugan?'
Shin thought of his Advanced Replication Card. He had four cards in total: three Common and one Advanced.
The Advanced Card could copy S-rank Jutsu, Kage-level Chakra and physique, and even Kekkei Genkai.
The Byakugan, while seemingly less impressive than the Sharingan and Rinnegan, had powerful sensory capabilities and could even evolve into the Tenseigan.
The Tenseigan was a dōjutsu on par with the Rinnegan, perhaps even surpassing it in offensive power.
After some consideration, Shin decided against it. While the Byakugan's sensory abilities were useful, especially for detecting surveillance, it would also turn his eyes completely white.
Walking around with those eyes would draw unwanted attention, especially from the Hyūga Clan.
'If only I had the Mind's Eye of Kagura... It's even better than the Byakugan.'
He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He didn't know how to awaken it, or if it was even possible for him.
As far as he knew, only Karin possessed that ability.
<><><><>
A few days passed. Shin and Kushina's days were filled with school, exploring Konoha with Nawaki and Mikoto, and Chakra refinement.
One day, they were summoned to Uzumaki Mito's residence, along with Kai and Akiko.
"I've called you here today to teach you the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu."
Shin's face lit up. This was great news! With Mito's guidance, they would progress quickly in Fūinjutsu.
Kai and Akiko were also excited.
"We'll start with the most basic sealing formulas," Mito said seriously.
These children were the last remnants of the Uzumaki Clan, the Hope for its Revival.
As a former princess of the clan, Mito wanted nothing more than to see it restored to its former glory.
She would teach them everything she could.
How much they learned, however, depended on their talent.
From then on, their days were filled with school, followed by lessons in Fūinjutsu from Mito after dinner.
Under Mito's tutelage, Shin, already a genius, progressed rapidly.
Kushina also learned a lot. She was talented, second only to Shin.
But Shin had warned her not to stand out too much. She should learn the Jutsu, but pretend she wasn't as skilled as she actually was.
<><><><><><>
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