Doing the Happiest Thing in the Most Disgusting Place!

"Want to give it a try?"

It was about time anyway. Shuji slowly dispersed the Mystical Palm Technique in his hand without looking up as he spoke to Nawaki.

"No need."

Nawaki immediately took half a step back. That was the Mystical Palm Technique.

The prerequisite for being experimented on was definitely getting injured.

On such a happy day, Nawaki had no desire to end up with any wounds on his body.

"It might still be a little numb, but the Mystical Palm Technique does have side effects. Get up and walk around a bit."

Shuji paid Nawaki no further attention. He helped Mikoto to her feet as he spoke to her.

"Okay."

A faint blush still lingered on Mikoto's face. She nodded gently and stood up.

"Let's go. We're heading to my house to celebrate tonight!"

At that moment, Nawaki's voice rang out again. Shuji looked over and saw the two large bags of food Nawaki had raised.

Tilting his head slightly, Shuji also saw Hiashi standing behind Nawaki, carrying two equally large bags of food.

"Hizashi and Hinagiku already went home. I asked them to tell your parents, so you don't need to go back tonight."

Noticing Shuji's gaze, Hiashi spoke to him, his face filled with undisguised excitement.

Clearly, Hiashi was extremely pleased that he would not have to face Hyuga Tokuhiro's sour expression tonight.

"Sure. Are Hinagiku and Hizashi coming too?"

Shuji nodded. At a time like this, he naturally would not say anything that might spoil the mood.

The path of training was long and filled with challenges.

If one demanded of oneself to live like an ascetic throughout the entire process, life would be far too dull.

Besides, it was only one night.

"Who knows? But Hyuga Tokuhiro surely can't go to the Senju house to drag me back, right?"

Hiashi shrugged carelessly and replied to Shuji with an unconcerned look.

"Will you come too, Mikoto?"

Shuji nodded and turned back toward Uchiha Mikoto.

"No, I won't be going."

At Shuji's invitation, a hint of longing flashed through Mikoto's eyes. But considering her status and her father's personality, she pursed her lips helplessly and shook her head, declining Shuji's invitation.

"Alright. We'll get together another time when there's a chance."

Shuji nodded and said to Mikoto.

"Yeah. There will definitely be a chance."

Mikoto nodded briefly and replied to Shuji.

Perhaps some things could only be done after they had grown stronger in the future.

But other things had to be prepared for in advance.

For example, after graduation, she needed to find a way to become teammates with Shuji.

"Alright."

Shuji nodded, and everyone began heading home.

"Monkey? You actually have time to visit me?"

At the Senju residence, Mito, who had been marking up a Sealing Technique scroll, looked at the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing before her in surprise.

"Ah... before Tsunade left the village for a mission, she asked me to come by when I had time and keep an eye on Nawaki's training."

Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled, taking off his Hokage hat and placing it on the table.

"I can handle that myself. I can't believe she thought to ask you."

Mito shook her head helplessly, her tone carrying a trace of reproach.

"You spoil Nawaki too much."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said to Mito.

"Those were your granddaughter Tsunade's exact words."

He quickly added.

"Hmph! As if I didn't spoil her back then."

Mito snorted in dissatisfaction, though she did admit that she spoiled Nawaki.

"You don't need to take Tsunade's words to heart. If you're too busy, there's no need to come here."

Mito continued.

Hiruzen was the Hokage now, after all. He had many matters to handle every day, so coming here to supervise Nawaki's training was truly rather inappropriate.

"I just finished handling today's affairs and happened to have nothing else to do, so I came to see Nawaki."

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and said to Uzumaki Mito.

A Hokage personally supervising the training of a six-year-old child seemed highly unreasonable.

But if that child was the grandson of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Mito...

Then it seemed perfectly reasonable.

Especially since the child also had the Senju Clan, Konoha's foremost great clan at the height of its power, standing behind him.

Wasn't Hiruzen's behavior also a way of showing goodwill toward the Senju Clan?

"Alright, but the village must still come first."

Mito nodded and said to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Of course."

Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately replied with a smile.

"Listen."

Just then, as footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Mito with smiling eyes and spoke.

Outside the courtyard, Nawaki carried two large bags of food as he jogged all the way toward the dojo where he usually practiced taijutsu with Shuji.

Today, Nawaki was going to do the thing that made him happiest in the place he hated most!

Inside the dojo, Nawaki dragged over a table and began placing the prepared food onto it, one portion at a time.

Grilled meat, sushi, salmon, meatballs, sukiyaki.

Until Nawaki pulled out three bottles of sake and two packs of cigarettes, Shuji finally could not hold back anymore.

"You're... pretty rich, huh?"

"Eh~ Although all the allowance my clan gives me is with Tsunade, my grandmother gives me some money now and then too."

As Nawaki spoke, he opened a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and handed it to Shuji.

"Here, give it a try. The shop owner said smoking this makes you happy."

"Thanks, but I'll pass. And I advise you not to smoke either."

Shuji raised a hand to refuse Nawaki's kindness and advised him.

In his previous life, Shuji had been unable to live without the stuff. He had finally quit only by dying once, so he had no intention of touching it again.

Using Nen Energy to treat pharyngitis or something would be utterly ridiculous.

"Why?"

Nawaki froze and asked Shuji in confusion.

Hiashi, who had been somewhat eager to try it himself, also looked curiously at Shuji.

"When I was studying Medical Ninjutsu, I read information about this stuff. Smoking it leaves a smell on you. When your sister comes back, she'll beat you to death."

Shuji answered Nawaki in a perfectly serious tone.

For Nawaki, talk of lung disease, pharyngitis, affecting his ability to conceal himself after graduation, and the like would not work.

It was better to bring Tsunade directly into it.

"Then forget it."

Nawaki looked regretfully at the cigarette in his hand before tossing it aside.

At that moment, Tsunade's terror overcame Nawaki's curiosity.