Sour (Lemon)

"Lady Tsunade!"

"The legendary granddaughter of the First Hokage, the pioneer of Medical Ninjutsu, the Princess of the Senju!"

All manner of titles and honors were heaped upon Tsunade alone.

Meeting everyone's reverent gazes, Tsunade stood on the platform, clad in her jonin vest.

With war upon them, most jonin had already deployed, and Tsunade's proposal for a medical ninja program had finally been accepted.

This time, with the battlefield having just eased up, she had come to see her handiwork.

"I will also be one of your instructors from now on. Please study hard, improve together, and strive to become excellent medical ninjas."

A simple self-introduction drew cheers from the entire audience.

"Lady Tsunade, we just found a promising talent."

Kamiya Naoko leaned close to Tsunade's ear and whispered.

"Oh?"

"Their talent is no less than yours."

"A talent like that? Who is it?"

Tsunade was pleasantly surprised. She hadn't expected to uncover such a promising prospect on the very first day before classes even began.

It was a good omen—she felt like gambling to celebrate.

Kamiya Naoko pointed at two people sitting in the front row, clapping along.

"That boy?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow when she saw the pair.

She didn't think it would be the girl, because Naoko was pointing near a little Uchiha girl, and the Uchiha couldn't possibly have Yang Release, so it had to be the boy.

"Yes, that boy's Yang Release talent is extremely strong, almost on par with yours."

Kamiya Naoko confirmed once more.

"Good. I'll keep an eye on him after class ends."

Tsunade nodded.

Since she had initiated this medical ninja training program, it was her duty to nurture such talent for the village's benefit.

After all, the more powerful medical ninjas there were, the fewer casualties on the front lines.

She didn't expect everyone to be like her—skilled in both combat and medicine—but if they could assist in researching Medical Ninjutsu and serve as her deputy, that would be excellent.

Still, it all depended on how this boy, whose talent rivaled hers, performed.

If he had nothing but talent, was lazy and gluttonous, and lacked insight, then he would only become an ordinary medical ninja.

"Little brother, please stay behind. Lady Tsunade has something to say to you."

With that, Kamiya Naoko walked up to Yayoi and spoke.

This made the little girl beside him green with envy.

After all, that was Lady Tsunade—and she had taken a special interest in someone.

Did talent really matter that much?

If Yayoi had heard that thought, he would have given a firm yes, then shaken his head.

Even with talent, it wasn't enough. In the world of Naruto, to get ahead, you still needed a cheat.

"I understand. Thank you, Lady Kamiya."

"What a good boy."

Kamiya Naoko was amused by Yayoi's adorable demeanor and laughed as she ruffled his hair.

Her ample chest loomed before him, and Yayoi felt a twinge of emotion, but sensing the grip on his right hand tighten, he suddenly straightened up.

"Haha, study hard on your own, little brother. Big sister is off now."

Seeming to notice the unfriendly glare from the little Uchiha beside him, Kamiya Naoko left with some disappointment.

Today wasn't an official class—just a brief introduction to the training program's purpose and the meaning of Medical Ninjutsu—so it was soon dismissed.

The once lively venue emptied out in no time, but Yayoi was kept behind, with Yan sitting nearby.

"So you're Uesugi Yayoi?"

Tsunade approached, list in hand, and asked.

The dense scratches on her jonin vest spoke volumes about the battles she had fought, like a veteran's medals. The oppressive aura of a seasoned warrior made Yayoi instinctively uncomfortable.

Even in his past life, he hadn't experienced many battles—otherwise, his practical experience wouldn't have been worse than Yan's.

Fortunately, Tsunade wasn't doing it on purpose. Noticing Yayoi's expression turn sour, she immediately reined in her presence.

"Sorry, I just came from the battlefield and unconsciously let my aura slip."

"It's fine, Lady Tsunade."

Yayoi shook her head to show she didn't mind—it was just a bit of pressure, nothing more.

"Well, you see, Neko told me your talent is exceptional. Would you mind if I checked?"

Tsunade cut straight to the point:

"If it's really as Neko said, I'll mark you as a key training candidate."

Tsunade was direct in her speech, and Yayoi appreciated this no-nonsense approach, so she nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Seeing this, Tsunade grabbed Yayoi's arm and channeled Chakra into it.

"Your Yang Release talent is indeed impressive. Wait, this Chakra, this physique!"

Tsunade felt as if she were seeing Kushina all over again.

That was a junior of hers, a clansman of Grandma Mizuto.

She had possessed similar traits within her, but compared to the Yayoi before her, her physique had been far inferior.

Meanwhile, Yayoi kept his composure.

He had already done his homework on Chakra probing.

It could only roughly check his Chakra nature, or at most gauge his Chakra reserves—it couldn't delve into his body's condition.

Besides, his Divine Tree Bloodline still held a certain advantage now, with Senju traits dominating the surface. Even a lab test would most likely conclude it was a Senju Bloodline mutation, never suspecting anything else.

"Your talent is genuine. We'll focus on training you, but could you tell me about your family situation?"

Tsunade circled around to the question.

She strongly suspected the boy before her was a Senju clansman.

After all, the Senju Clan's traits were far from obvious—unlike the Uchiha, who, once their bloodline awakened, could be spotted on the street at a glance.

Their usual characteristics were massive Chakra reserves, pronounced Yang nature, a strong physique, and mastery of all five elements.

And this Uesugi Yayoi fit the bill perfectly.

Ever since her grandfather disbanded the clan, even she couldn't recognize all the new generation of Senju anymore, which was why she wanted to confirm his background through his family.

"My father is Uesugi Koshu, and my mother is Uesugi Asane."

Yayoi said.

There was nothing to hide—it was information anyone could get by asking around near his home.

"Asane, Asane, Asane?"

Tsunade recalled—that was a girl who loved to smile. They had entered the academy the same year and even sat at the same desk.

They used to play together as kids, but gradually lost touch as they grew up.

And now she had a child this big!

But the surname Uesugi—she had changed her surname.

"How is your mother doing now?"

Tsunade couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. Her classmate already had a child.

She was almost certain now that this child was Asane's son.

Once she went back and confirmed it with Grandma Mizuto, it would be settled.

"My mother died on a mission."

Yayoi's voice wavered slightly, his tone suggesting he wasn't in a good mood.

Yan, sensing something was off, grabbed Yayoi's hand, signaling that she was there for him.

"I see..."

The faint, unusual emotion Tsunade had felt earlier vanished instantly, replaced by sorrow tinged with lament.

War always made people lose something.

"If you ever have any problems you can't solve, come find me. I live at—

While I'm still in the village, do your best to improve your strength."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

Before leaving, Tsunade offered Yayoi some words of encouragement. As she walked away, she suddenly glanced back and saw Yan gently comforting Yayoi.

A Senju, getting along this well with an Uchiha?

Tsunade watched the little kid already having someone by his side, and a sour feeling welled up in her heart.