Heart Seal Love Burial Hand

Tsunade's Heart Seal Love Burial Hand

After the surgery, Anko's mother stood outside the operating room, thanking them profusely. "Lady Nonō, Lord Tsunade, thank you so much!"

Nonō smiled and teased, "It seems you've forgotten to thank someone else."

Hearing that, Anko's mother quickly realized. "Little Doctor Soseki, and you as well—thank you so much!"

Soseki's little face remained taut, but the corners of his mouth could not stop rising. "I-I think this is the first time anyone has called me a doctor."

Seeing this, everyone smiled. They had not expected that little Soseki, who was usually so steady and dependable, would get so worked up just from being called a doctor.

But this Soseki seemed even more like a child!

Anko stared at Soseki with her big, round eyes, her gaze filled with... appetite!

"Big brother, can I have dreams like that again in the future?"

"Of course you can. Once you learn Genjutsu, Anko, you can give yourself whatever kind of dreams you want."

"Wow! Then I want to eat mochi balls, Three-Color Balls, red bean balls... Ah, Mom, don't pull me!"

"Are you trying to die? Even if it's just a dream... do you want to eat so many sweets that you get too fat to walk someday?"

"Aah! I don't care! Being too fat to walk is better than being too hungry to walk!"

The mother and daughter walked away, laughing and fooling around. Everyone watched the heartwarming scene with smiles, until Soseki suddenly looked up and asked, "Lord Tsunade, was Leaf Village the victor of the last war?"

Though she did not understand why Soseki had suddenly asked that, Tsunade still sighed with deep feeling. "In war, how could there be any victors?"

Soseki bit down hard on his lower lip. "I was just thinking... even the villagers of Leaf Village live such difficult lives. How much harder must life be for the people of those small countries caught up in the war?"

Tsunade suddenly fell silent, inexplicably recalling the three little children Jiraiya had saved in Amegakure.

"But that way of thinking..." Tsunade looked at Soseki, her eyes distant. "It really is a lot like Jiraiya... and also..."

"Can studying medicine really save this world?" Soseki murmured in confusion, then immediately perked up and looked at Tsunade. "Lord Tsunade, could I ask you to guide my training?"

Tsunade froze, then remained silent for a moment. "Why me?"

Soseki answered as if it were only natural, "Of course because you are Leaf Village's greatest Medical Ninja!"

"The greatest Medical Ninja?" Tsunade laughed at herself, then shook her head beneath Soseki's expectant gaze. "I have no intention of taking on a disciple."

"Lord Tsunade, you..." Nonō's expression tightened as she tried to dissuade her.

"It's all right, Sister Nonō." Soseki was disappointed at first, but he quickly said with renewed vigor, "It must be because I'm still not outstanding enough, which is why Lord Tsunade does not want to guide my training."

As he walked away, Soseki shouted loudly, "Lord Tsunade, I won't give up!"

Watching Soseki's retreating back, Tsunade's expression dimmed. "You really are so much like him... Nawaki!"

It was as though she had returned to that nightmare once more. The blood simply would not stop, and Tsunade's body trembled in terror.

"Blood... blood..." Tsunade muttered, abruptly waking from the nightmare. Only then did she finally notice a fact she had previously overlooked. I didn't lead this surgery, but I didn't deliberately avoid it either. Why didn't I feel that terror and despair... Was I influenced by his conviction?

Meanwhile, after returning to the lounge, Soseki felt rather helpless.

"Ah, as expected of Princess Tsunade of the Heart Seal Love Burial. It looks like I'll have to tackle this obstacle from another angle."

Even so, Soseki was not particularly discouraged. A scheme was merely a way to push forward one of the more likely possibilities among many.

If it had been too easy, perhaps he would not have cherished it instead.

"In that case, it's time to release those rumors." With that thought, a warm, sunny smile appeared on Soseki's lips. "Please don't disappoint me, upperclassmen!"

One week later, at Ninja Academy, in a remote and quiet corner.

The once-peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a burst of mocking laughter.

"Is this all you've got? It doesn't seem like much."

"Don't think learning some Clone Technique makes you a ninja. You're still far from it!"

"Exactly. If you want to fight back against us, at least pull out a D-rank ninjutsu."

"A D-rank ninjutsu? Are you looking down on Boss Shūnen's strength?"

A group of third year students dressed like delinquents laughed and jeered. The boy surrounded by them frowned. "Enough. Don't waste time with them."

"Got it." One of the languid delinquents walked out and crouched down. "Looking at you, it seems you're pretty dissatisfied?"

Several younger-looking students had been knocked to the ground and glared angrily at them.

"It doesn't matter whether you're dissatisfied. In the ninja world, strength is everything!" The languid delinquent patted the lead boy's face and laughed. "As payment for teaching you that lesson, shouldn't you 'lend' us the money you have on you?"

The lead boy's face turned red. "I won't lend money to scum like you!"

The languid delinquent was not angered by the insult and still wore a grin. "Of course, whether you lend it to us is your choice. But if you don't, we might come by to have a little exchange with you every day."

"You!"

"Don't be so happy. After all, we Third Years are your best big brothers!"

At his words, the other second year students grew somewhat frightened as well.

"Yota, just give it to them."

"Yeah. It's not like this is the first time."

Seeing his companions back down, Yota could only say with a humiliated expression, "I agree."

Seeing this, the other delinquents burst into loud, mocking laughter.

"How boring. You're giving up already?"

"I thought we might get a good show today."

Provoked by them, Yota's blood rushed to his head and he shouted, "You only dare bully us! If you've got the guts, go pick on the First Years!"

The delinquents' expressions all turned ugly at that. Yota ignored them and continued shouting, "And you call yourselves the prestigious Uchiha Clan? You don't even dare fart in front of Lord Hokage!"

"What did you say?" Shūnen, who had been watching coldly all along, suddenly turned a chilling gaze on him.

"Was I wrong?" Yota craned his neck and shouted, "It's already spread throughout the academy that an Uchiha Clan member like you doesn't even have the courage to stand before Asuma Sarutobi!"

Thanks to Paradiseboy Suhang for the 100 reward.