Tsunade: Did You Fall for Your Newly Accepted Disciple, Your Great-Grandmother?

"Ow, that hurts."

Tsunade rubbed her throbbing temples and slowly opened her eyes. Her entire body ached as though she had been beaten up.

Looking at the unfamiliar inn around her, confusion flickered in her eyes. "Huh? Why am I here? I remember... ow, my head hurts. I can't remember."

Just as she was wondering why she had woken up in an inn, the door suddenly swung open.

"Perfect timing, I was just looking for you. Huh? Who's she?"

Uchiha Sōgetsu walked in. Tsunade was about to question him when she caught sight of the pretty young girl following behind him. She looked only twelve or thirteen, with long black hair tied in a high ponytail and dressed all in black. She appeared exceptionally well-behaved.

"Oh, Lady Tsunade, you're finally awake."

Uchiha Sōgetsu raised an eyebrow and said expressionlessly, "If you hadn't woken up soon, I would've started wondering whether you were dead."

"Uh..." Tsunade caught the hint of sarcasm in the boy's voice. She rubbed her nose, suddenly feeling inexplicably guilty, and cautiously asked, "Did I drink?"

"What do you think?"

Uchiha Sōgetsu curled his lips. "The room reeks of alcohol. Can't you smell it at all?"

"Cough, cough."

Tsunade coughed twice, feeling even guiltier. She muttered, "People who drink can't smell alcohol on themselves."

But as she spoke, she sensed something was off. Staring at the delicate-looking girl, she asked in confusion, "No, wait, brat. I remember we went to the Forest of the Dead, didn't we? How did I end up drinking? What exactly happened in between? Why don't I remember any of it?"

"Lady Tsunade, why don't you think carefully?" Uchiha Sōgetsu glanced discreetly at Hikari beside him before saying, "After we went to the Forest of the Dead and repaired the seal, you insisted on dragging me out to celebrate. Then you got completely drunk."

Tsunade tried hard to recall it.

Sure enough, that memory surfaced in her mind.

After repairing the seal, she had felt gloomy and, without giving Sōgetsu any choice, dragged him off to blow off some steam.

Then the two of them went to a nearby entertainment district and drank themselves senseless in a tavern. She had even gone on a drunken rampage midway through and smashed the place to pieces.

"I'm really sorry!"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Tsunade immediately apologized. "I promise I'll never drink again... um, after this mission."

"Heh, I hope so." Uchiha Sōgetsu clearly doubted it.

"Cough, cough. Brat, don't obsess over such trivial things. Girls will hate you for it, you know~"

Tsunade quickly changed the subject and looked at the well-behaved girl, who seemed somewhat familiar. "Right, who is she?"

"Oh, her name is 'Hikari.' She's the disciple you accepted after getting drunk last night." Uchiha Sōgetsu paused. Under Tsunade's stunned gaze, he pulled open his shirt and added, "By the way, I advised you not to decide so rashly, and you punched me dozens of meters away."

"I'm not that violent... am I?"

Looking at the obvious bruise on the boy's chest, Tsunade felt even guiltier.

Though she had no memory of it, faced with such direct evidence, she did not dare say she definitely had not done it.

"Mm, you weren't that violent. It was only a few streets, that's all."

Uchiha Sōgetsu put his shirt back on, pushed up the frames on his nose, and said with a crooked smile, "If I hadn't been lucky last night, you'd probably be holding my funeral today."

"A-a few streets?!"

Tsunade's eyes widened, her sensual red lips opening wide enough to swallow a goose egg.

"Heh heh, not much. Only three streets." Uchiha Sōgetsu sneered. "Just three million ryō. I've already sent the bill to Lord Hokage, including my medical expenses."

As he spoke, he did not forget to add, "I've finally witnessed the Yin Seal of Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin. What an eye-opener."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!" This time, Tsunade had no thought of making excuses. She immediately performed a standard dogeza. "Sōgetsu, please forgive me. I didn't mean to!"

She sensed the Chakra stored within the Yin Seal. A portion of it had indeed been released.

"Forget it. I'm fine anyway."

Uchiha Sōgetsu sighed, unwilling to dwell on the matter. "What are you planning to do about Hikari? Are you going to go back on your word? You were drunk last night, after all."

"Tsk..."

Tsunade sucked at her teeth, her head pounding.

What kind of mess was this? Smashing up three streets in a drunken rampage and nearly beating Uchiha Sōgetsu to death was one thing, but how had she even taken on a disciple?

"Lady Tsunade... you don't have to force yourself..."

Uchiha Hikari, who had remained silent for a long time, bit her lips upon hearing this. Her little hands twisted together as she looked timidly at Tsunade. Tears welled in her eyes as she held back her grievance and whispered pitifully, "I've caused you trouble... I... I'll leave right away..."

By the end, Hikari was quietly sobbing, her little face covered in tears.

What a pitiful child...

Tsunade had always been softhearted, and she was already at fault. Seeing the girl's pitiful appearance now touched the softest part of her heart. Gritting her teeth, she slapped her thigh. "It's not a burden, absolutely not! I, Tsunade, keep my word. From today on, you're my disciple!"

"Really?" Hikari covered her lips, delight appearing in her eyes. "You're really willing to accept me as your disciple?"

"Of course it's true!"

Tsunade patted her chest and said boldly, "From today onward, you are my first disciple!"

Hikari threw herself into Tsunade's arms, sobbing. "Hikari has a master now. Hikari has a master too. That's wonderful, sob... sob..."

"Silly child, why are you crying?"

Tsunade stroked the girl's hair and drew her into her embrace, maternal gentleness filling her eyes. "With your master here, no one will bully you again."

What a heartwarming scene.

Uchiha Sōgetsu, who had orchestrated it all, could not help praising her inwardly. Hikari truly was a born Spectator.

From her expressions to her movements, even every glance and the tone of every sentence, everything had been meticulously designed by him. It perfectly exploited Tsunade's sympathy and guilt, targeting her psychological weaknesses.

Of course, Hikari's Dojutsu had been indispensable as well. She had used Yachihoko to alter Tsunade's memories.

This way, he had given Uchiha Hikari a new identity.

The Legendary Sannin, the Princess of the Senju Clan, Princess Tsunade's first disciple, the Heirs of the founder of the Medical Ninjutsu system, the legendary big fat sheep... and a whole string of other titles.

Even across all of Konoha, few people would dare touch her.

However, Uchiha Sōgetsu suddenly thought of a seemingly serious problem for both Tsunade and himself.

Logically speaking, Uchiha Hikari had been born in an era when even the First Hokage had still been a child.

If that was the case...

Wouldn't Tsunade have to call her own disciple Grandmother?!

December 12, sunny.

Everyone in the group was showing off their manuscript fees, while I alone stayed silent. (Roaring) (wriggling) (Sinister growl) (Crawling) (Splitting apart) (Jealousy) (Twisting) (Convulsing) (wriggling)... Hold it in, Jian Dan, hold it in. Don't fantasize about getting rich overnight. Write properly, and absolutely do not buy lottery tickets!