Tsunade's Protectiveness

Was Kakashi really that unfazed by pressure?

Qingyu glanced at Kakashi, whose expression was unchanged.

The fact that this trait had dropped was enough to show that Kakashi was actually sweating bullets inside.

But thinking about it carefully, that was only natural.

The more talented someone was, the more pride they tended to feel when others were about to catch up with them.

In the original story, Kakashi was a lone star, an unparalleled genius, and that had left him lonely.

But the person who was about to teach Kakashi how to love was Qingyu!

"Looks like you'll surpass me next time."

Kakashi sighed.

Before he'd even enrolled, he'd been a well-known genius far and wide.

But after meeting Qingyu, he realized that the title of genius he'd held for several years was about to change hands.

That made Kakashi resolve to work even harder than usual.

"Not at all."

Qingyu shook his head modestly.

"I'm sure you've put in a lot of effort."

Kakashi said.

He could already see how much effort and sweat Qingyu had put in. Without it, he couldn't have improved so much in such a short time.

"That's true."

Qingyu nodded.

Kakashi only had to think about how to learn. Qingyu had to think about how to learn and how to trigger traits, too.

Follow the formula and solve the problems—now that was fast!

Evening.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's home.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window, holding his pipe and watching Sarutobi Asuma in the yard.

Asuma had taken off his flashy jacket and was wearing only a tank top. Sweat covered his forehead as he pounded the wooden post again and again.

This wasn't the first time Sarutobi Hiruzen had seen a scene like this.

Asuma had always been like that, ever since he was little.

Every so often, something would spur him on, and he'd suddenly get fired up and train like mad for a few days.

Then his enthusiasm would go out like Fire Release without chakra—pfft—and he'd go back to his usual careless self.

But this time was different.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had kept track. Ever since the last monthly exam, Sarutobi Asuma had come home from school and trained every day.

He'd even stuffed the few adult magazines he treasured under his bed.

At first, Sarutobi Hiruzen had assumed the boy's three-minute enthusiasm had merely stretched to five, and hadn't paid much attention.

But as the days passed, Sarutobi Asuma didn't slack off. Instead, he increased his training on his own.

That surprised Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Of course, he knew the reason.

Qingyu.

That child had put considerable pressure on this year's students.

Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, and even those proud little brats from the Uchiha Clan had all started training extra.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe.

This was a good thing.

Qingyu's arrival was like throwing a stone into a stagnant pond, stirring the water around him to life.

Tsunade seemed to have something she wanted to discuss with him, so Sarutobi Hiruzen decided he would meet Qingyu as well.

"Ask Tsunade to come to the Hokage Building."

Sarutobi Hiruzen called to someone outside.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

The Anbu ninja acknowledged the order and left.

Sarutobi Hiruzen arrived at the Hokage Building.

Tsunade arrived soon after.

Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't even smoked half his pipe when someone pushed open the office door from outside.

Tsunade strode in, sat down, and got straight to the point.

"Old man, is the Sword of the Thunder God still in the Armory?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand, holding his pipe, paused slightly.

The Sword of the Thunder God.

An experimental ninja tool left behind by Senju Tobirama, gathering dust in the Armory for more than a decade.

Tsunade's sudden mention of it, combined with the reports the Anbu had brought him recently, made it obvious to Sarutobi Hiruzen what was going on.

"Qingyu wants to use it, doesn't he?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

Tsunade didn't deny it. She nodded.

"He wants to train in swordsmanship. Second Granduncle's sword is just sitting around collecting dust, so what's wrong with letting him use it?"

"That tool is still too dangerous for students."

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.

Qingyu was certainly talented, but letting a child who'd only recently enrolled take the Sword of the Thunder God would inevitably make people accuse Sarutobi Hiruzen of favoritism.

He was the Hokage. He had to maintain balance.

The way of balance existed in all things.

That was something Sarutobi Hiruzen had once read in a book.

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched.

"Dangerous?"

She stood up and planted both hands on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk.

Then she slammed down a fist.

Thud!

The desktop gave a muffled thump. A crack spread from the spot where Tsunade's fist landed, and the stacks of documents on the desk shook three times.

"How many contributions have I made to the village, and you're telling me a ninja tool gathering dust in a storeroom is too dangerous?"

Tsunade said.

She rarely made requests of the village.

The last time she'd asked for something, it had been to reform the medical ninja system.

Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out.

And now, over something like this, she was still being told no?

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the crack in his desk, then at Tsunade's clenched fist. His eyelid twitched.

That temper.

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know which of Tsunade's relatives she'd inherited it from.

The First had been gentle, and Teacher Tobirama had been calm.

How had they ended up with an oddball like Tsunade?

But then Sarutobi Hiruzen thought it over.

Could she have inherited their protectiveness?

After all, Hashirama Senju and Senju Tobirama had both treated their clan members well, and Tsunade treated that little rascal Qingyu well, too.

Besides, the Senju Clan had disbanded, changed their names, and started new lives. Qingyu was the only Senju by Tsunade's side.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.

She was Hashirama's granddaughter, his teacher's niece, and his own student.

"Qingyu can have it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen relented.

"But I'll have to watch his swordsmanship training in person before I decide."

At the first part, Tsunade loosened her fist a little.

At the second, she frowned, but thought it over and nodded.

"Fine. Come watch at my place tomorrow afternoon."

She turned to leave. At the door, she paused and glanced back at the desk she'd cracked, looking a little embarrassed for once.

"...Put it on my tab."

The door closed.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat alone in his office, looking at the crack in his desk, then at the tobacco in his pipe, which had gone out. He sat in silence for a long while.

Could she even afford to pay him back?

Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to ask, but in the end, he kept the question to himself.

He was afraid Tsunade would ask to borrow money.

His three students really were all a handful.

Orochimaru, the most talented of them, spent all day cooped up in his lab, researching who knew what shady things. Lately, he'd also been getting closer and closer to Shimura Danzō. Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned whenever he read the reports from the Anbu.

There was no need to even mention Jiraiya. For some reason, he'd abandoned perfectly good missions and spent every day wandering the world, searching for some elusive "Child of Prophecy."

It was already more than forty years into Konoha's history.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had nearly worked himself half to death as Hokage, while Jiraiya was still caught up in that superstitious nonsense.

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, put aside those aggravating thoughts, packed a fresh pinch of tobacco into his pipe, and lit it again.

Qingyu was much easier to deal with.

Although he had half Uchiha blood, his dedication to the Will of Fire surpassed that of many Konoha Ninja. With his talent and willingness to work hard, who wouldn't like a child like that?