Juri, a Good Wife

" N a w a k i—"

"Big brother—!"

Diejian scooped up his little brother, who came running over on unsteady legs, and settled him on his bent arm.

His little brother had only just started babbling and learning to talk. He was so adorable that Diejian couldn't help wanting to spoil him.

He doted on his little sister Tsunade even more, since she was a girl—he was so afraid she'd melt if he kept her in his mouth. But Diejian hadn't expected his much younger brother to be such an utterly lovable creature.

Tsunade had gone to the Ninja Academy, and their parents were away on a mission.

At the moment, only Diejian, Nawaki, and their grandmother Mito were at the Senju Residence.

"Grandma, I'm taking Nawaki out for a little walk."

"All right. Be careful."

After letting Mito know where he was going, Diejian took his young brother for a leisurely stroll around Konoha.

He smiled and returned the greetings of familiar faces along the way, showing his little brother the sights around the village.

At a spot with a clear view of Kage Rock, Diejian told him about the greatness of their grandfather Hashirama and the achievements of their teacher Tobirama.

His little brother was too young to understand any of it, but Diejian was mostly indulging himself, so it didn't matter.

Nawaki had no idea what he was talking about, but he chattered away excitedly, clearly having a good time.

"Senju, you're back."

As Diejian walked through the shopping district, he ran into Juri, who seemed to be out shopping.

The green onions poking out of the shopping bag in her hand caught his eye. She looked remarkably domestic.

But Juri's clothes were as lavish as ever, which didn't quite fit the homely atmosphere.

"It's been a while," Diejian replied. He'd actually returned to the village just two days ago.

He hadn't left the village on a mission. He'd been training with Tobirama.

At regular intervals, Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God to send Diejian outside the village.

He called it training: Diejian was sent from one place to another and made to stay there, using the local environment for extremely harsh training.

Even if Diejian tried to resist, Tobirama was only a Shadow Clone, and any attack would make him disappear.

There was a chance Diejian would lose even his way back with the Flying Thunder God, so he had no choice but to obey.

He really had no other option.

The message was basically: If you don't like it, learn the Flying Thunder God and get back on your own.

Besides, whenever Diejian returned to the village, his stamina was completely spent.

He had no energy left to go out for a stroll.

He spent his days off recovering, so naturally he rarely went out.

It wasn't just Juri. It had been a long time since he'd seen close friends like Sakumo and Ina, too.

Even if it meant collapsing from exhaustion or coming down with a cold, Diejian sincerely wished he could rest a little more.

But Tobirama and Mito managed Diejian's training so perfectly that he never injured himself from fatigue or caught a cold from being run down.

To be honest, his health was better than it had ever been.

The training was so brutal that even if Diejian tried to run away, Tobirama could use the mark he'd placed on him to chase him to the ends of the earth with the Flying Thunder God.

Diejian had almost no time to himself anymore.

"No, it really has been a while, Juri. Hahaha..."

"Ah, I see you're still having a hard time. I've heard some things."

In reality, it had only been a few weeks since they'd last seen each other.

But to Diejian, it felt as though they'd been apart much longer.

Looking at Diejian's wry smile, as if he'd transcended exhaustion and reached enlightenment, Juri echoed him with some confusion.

"By the way, who's this little one...?"

Juri's gaze shifted to Nawaki.

Come to think of it, this was probably the first time Diejian had introduced Nawaki to Juri.

Diejian adjusted his hold so Juri and Nawaki could face each other.

"Nawaki, say hello."

"Waaah."

Now, who was the one who let out that silly "waaah"?

It could have been Nawaki, clumsily greeting her with a wave of his chubby little hand. Or it could have been the woman in front of him, blushing and turning her head away.

Diejian didn't mention it or press the matter.

He simply took Juri's shopping bag, then held his little brother out to her.

After hesitating for a moment, Juri carefully took Nawaki and held him in her arms.

Perhaps to soothe him, Juri began gently rocking her body in a steady rhythm.

The cradle-like motion seemed to comfort Nawaki. His eyes fixed on Juri's twin ponytails swaying in front of him.

Children were bundles of curiosity.

Sure enough, Nawaki reached out, grabbed Juri's hair, and began tugging at it with little snorts.

Watching Nawaki grin happily, Juri didn't seem able to get angry. She forced herself to endure the pain, wearing a strange smile.

"N-Nawaki..."

What should she do?

Juri looked at Diejian for help with tears in her eyes.

"Nawaki, come here."

"Ya!"

"'Ya,' what? You little rascal..."

Diejian reached out to take Nawaki, who was misbehaving in Juri's arms.

But Nawaki must have taken a liking to Juri. He turned his head away from Diejian and hid against her.

As his big brother, Diejian was a little hurt to have lost to someone else's big sister.

Juri seemed deeply moved that Nawaki had chosen her over his brother.

The timid expression she'd worn just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

Her face relaxed, and her eyes curved into crescents.

"There, there. Nawaki, you're such a good boy."

"You're saying that even while he's pulling your hair?"

Even with Nawaki still clutching her hair, Juri continued rocking him like a cradle.

Diejian had never seen Juri smile so happily before.

So she has a side like this, too. Diejian was a little bewildered by this Juri he'd never known.

Perhaps he'd tired himself out playing. Nawaki began blinking sleepily in Juri's arms, as if he were rowing a boat.

His little brother was about to fall asleep while still clutching her hair. Diejian scratched his head, looking troubled.

"Sleepy? That's a problem. I was planning to buy a few things..."

"Well, in that case, I'll come with you. He seems to like me more than he likes you anyway."

"Is that so...? Sorry to trouble you."

Holding a sleeping Nawaki in one arm while carrying a shopping bag would be awkward.

Diejian had been wondering whether to send a Shadow Clone shopping or just head home first. He readily accepted Juri's offer to look after Nawaki.

The price was that he'd have to carry Juri's things, but that was a small price to pay for Nawaki's peaceful sleeping face.

"Well, well."

With Juri carrying Nawaki beside him, Diejian browsed the shopping district.

He mainly picked out vegetables, mushrooms he liked, and ingredients for the baby food Nawaki ate.

Just then, a woman called out to him.

Hearing the familiar voice, Diejian thought, Could it be? and turned around.

"I thought it had been ages! Young Master, you little rascal!"

"It's you, ma'am," Diejian replied as the proprietress of the Konoha Set Meal Shop approached with a kind smile.

Unlike Juri, who was carrying a shopping basket, the proprietress had a shopping bag in her hand and the brisk air of a housewife.

For Diejian, who'd been away from the village for a while, it was a reunion, too. But what was with the proprietress's excited tone?

Unable to think of a reason, Diejian tilted his head.

"So you chose Juri-chan. Ina-chan is a lovely girl, too, but I always knew. If Juri-chan got married, she'd be a good wife who respected her husband. You've even had a baby! What's his name?"

"Eek?!"

Juri made a strange noise at the unexpected comment.

The people around them turned to look.

Her cheeks reddened like apples, and Juri looked flustered.

"Really, those round eyes look just like Young Master's when he was little. Though the hair color doesn't match either of you."

"Juri, don't use your Sharingan."

The Two-Tomoe appeared in Juri's eyes as she grew flustered.

Perhaps she'd gotten into the habit of activating her Sharingan whenever she got worked up.

Diejian reminded her in a flat, expressionless voice, thinking what a handful she was.

Juri hurriedly deactivated her Sharingan.

The proprietress finished her rapid-fire speech, and a gleam flashed in her eyes.

The proprietress fixed Juri with a sharp look, like a housekeeper who'd uncovered decisive evidence. Juri gave a timid response quite unlike her usual self. "W-What...?"

"Juri-chan, you wouldn't happen to be cheating... No, I'll stop there. With your looks, you must have plenty of admirers!"

"What a rude thing to say!"

The shopping district fell silent in an instant.

Exposed to everyone's stares, Juri's eyes darted around in a panic.

To make matters worse, Nawaki began to whimper.

Perhaps the loud voice had startled him.

"S-Sorry!" Juri said hurriedly, gently patting Nawaki to soothe him. "I'd never do anything like that..."

Seeing how genuinely dejected Juri looked, Diejian sighed.

"Ma'am, you know Nawaki. Enough with the teasing, seriously..."

At Diejian's words, the proprietress laughed and said, "Sorry about that," then began teasing the whimpering Nawaki with her hand.

Diejian had introduced Nawaki to her before.

She'd teased Juri knowing full well who he was.

Juri, who'd been left out of the conversation, seemed to gradually realize what was going on.

Her whole body turned red, as if she were boiling.

She wanted to snap at the proprietress, but Nawaki looked ready to start fussing again.

So she reluctantly held back.

"Sorry, Juri-chan. But you've never had even a single rumor about you. I was worried sick. Is there a good man in your life?"

"A good man... I don't need one of those."

"You can't say things like that. You'll never get married."

"Ugh... Even if you say that..."

"Um, we're still teenagers, aren't we?"

Without a mother of her own, Juri seemed at a loss when it came to dealing with a busybody like the proprietress.

Her usual forceful attitude vanished, and she shrank into herself.

Unable to watch any longer, Diejian stepped in to help. Juri immediately looked at him with shining eyes.

Under her gaze, Diejian felt at a loss, too.

The proprietress might have been a little overbearing in her concern. But then again, she and Diejian's grandfather Hashirama were from the same generation.

To someone who'd lived through the Warring States Period, getting married as a teenager wasn't unusually early.

In that sense, the proprietress had a point. It was a generational divide.

But the proprietress wasn't foolish.

Seeing how uncomfortable Juri really was, she apologized, told them to "Come by again," and returned to her shopping.

Diejian glanced at Juri walking beside him.

She still hadn't recovered from her embarrassment. Her cheeks were flushed, and her movements were stiff.

Would this stubborn, overbearing, but kind-to-her-friends cutie really become a "good wife"? Diejian wondered. Maybe the proprietress wasn't wrong after all.

The average age of marriage in Konohagakure was around twenty, and people usually had children around the same age.

Diejian would be entering "that age range" in a few years, but it didn't feel real yet.

He only vaguely thought that he wanted to stay a kid a little longer.

During the Warring States Period, the Senju Clan had used the forests as their base of operations.

Perhaps some of that old tradition remained, because the Senju Residence was lush with greenery.

Most of it came from Hashirama's potted plants, which had grown over the years, though the potted plants Diejian tended had recently begun joining them.

Beside the towering trees that had long since outgrown their pots, their little saplings were thriving.

Looking at them, standing at different heights, Diejian naturally saw himself and his grandfather in their place.

He rested his head on a cushion.

Lying beneath the veranda, Diejian quietly gazed at the trees in the garden.

The warm sunlight gradually drew him into a drowsy whirlpool.

His body relaxed, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Diejian surrendered to sleep.

"Diejian—are you there?"

Just as Diejian was drifting into a light sleep, a familiar voice pulled him back to awareness.

Whether he was still half-asleep or his usual thought process simply wasn't working, Diejian stayed lying beneath the eaves, covered his ears, and rolled over.

"He's here! Just wait a moment!"

A familiar voice came from inside the house. Diejian grumbled unhappily.

His body wouldn't move, as if he were pinned down by a ghost.

As though he were tied to the floor.

"Move..."

"Big brother, are you awake? Miss Ina's here."

At some point, a girl had climbed on top of Diejian.

It was his little sister, Tsunade.

Diejian gave Tsunade's ponytail a gentle tug and got her off him.

"Ow, ow," Tsunade said, her voice lively and bright.

Though she cursed him for being "so mean," the corners of her mouth were turned up in delight.

Diejian gave her a helpless smile and sat up.

He shook his foggy head and sighed.

"Heave-ho."

"Big brother, you sound like an old man."

Diejian grunted as he stood.

The sight seemed to strike Tsunade's funny bone, and she burst into mocking laughter.

"Mind your own business."

"Ah—wait, big brother! I'm sorry!"

Diejian grunted irritably and strode toward the entrance.

Left behind, Tsunade hurried after him.

She circled around the displeased-looking Diejian, peeking up at his face to gauge his mood.

She even added a cute little blink.

But the mischievous grin at the corners of her mouth gave away her true intentions.

Tsunade wanted to wheedle her way into Diejian's good graces.

He noticed, of course, but kept ignoring her as he walked down the hall.

Tsunade caught the brief smile that flickered across her brother's face. Knowing he wasn't really angry, she kept acting cute.

"Hey, big brother, big brother. Hey, hey."

Tsunade kept circling Diejian like a pushy salesperson hawking her wares.

Diejian suddenly stopped, turned to Tsunade, and quickly cupped her cheeks between his palms.

Her skin felt soft and smooth against his hands, and warm. What a nice feel, he thought.

"Stop it~"

Ignoring Tsunade's protests, Diejian moved his palms in circles.

Her cheeks warped like waves, distorting her whole face as ripples spread.

After thoroughly enjoying the soft, doughy feel of Tsunade's cheeks, Diejian headed for the entrance again.

On the way, he touched his own cheeks and was disappointed by how they felt.

They didn't have Tsunade's soft, squishy texture.

The stubble starting to grow was a little prickly, too.

Suddenly, he wondered how Ina's cheeks would feel.

Tsunade must have been so startled that her legs gave out; she plopped down on the floor.

Blushing, she cursed Diejian for playing with a young girl's tender skin.

Still, the face massage had been pretty "nice," so she didn't think it was all bad.

In any case, Tsunade got up and went after Diejian.

Perhaps without realizing it, she had sensed something rather indecent from her brother when he'd put his hands near her armpits.

"You're a rare sight. What brings you here?"

Ina stood properly at the entrance.

Her signature bun stood out.

Her exposed nape had a touch of allure, and pearl-like ball earrings adorned her earlobes.

The sleeveless purple hoodie left her skin bare. She usually seemed self-conscious about it and wrapped it in bandages, but today she wasn't wearing any.

Her skirt fell below the knees. It was less revealing than usual, yet somehow made her look more mature.

"I came to hang out with you."

"What did you say?"

"I said I came to hang out with you."

Ina held her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly.

It was just the right angle to look up at Diejian.

Diejian was used to Tsunade putting on a coy, affectionate act like that.

It didn't faze him.

He was simply surprised by Ina's sudden behavior.

He eyed her suspiciously from head to toe, then reached out with both hands to touch her cheeks.

Diejian's hands cupped her face, and Ina's mood soared.

Their eyes met.

Ina naturally wanted to close hers, but the sensation of her cheeks being kneaded left her flustered.

"Are you all right? Is it really you?"

"Stop it!"

"Ow."

Only after Tsunade smacked him on the head did Diejian let go of Ina.

Tsunade scolded him for "just rubbing a girl's skin without permission," but he only scratched his head, seemingly lost in thought.

Or perhaps he wasn't thinking at all because he'd just woken up.

Ina, her cheeks flushed from being kneaded, stared blankly at Diejian.

There was no special meaning behind that whole exchange.

They were just fooling around.

Though, if Diejian asked, Ina wouldn't refuse.

"Standing here won't get us anywhere. Come in."

"Thanks for having me~"

Diejian gestured for her to come in with his head, then turned and headed back to his room.

Thinking about it, this was Ina's first visit to his home since their days at the Ninja Academy. He realized he hadn't invited her over in a long time.

Sakumo had often come to the Senju home because they'd been classmates, but after they were assigned to different classes, even when they met, they usually went out to eat. It had been a long time since Ina had visited the Senju home.

With a nostalgic smile, Diejian led the way.

Ina slipped off her shoes briskly and entered the Senju home.

Diejian glanced at her as she followed him toward his room.

The Diejian home smelled of wood and tatami, just as it had years ago.

Ina found the scent comforting.

The fragrance of tatami came from its raw material, rush grass.

It definitely wasn't Diejian's scent. Ina shook her head, trying to clear her overheated thoughts.

(Is this girl all right...)

Diejian watched Ina's strange behavior out of the corner of his eye and furrowed his brow in concern.

After inviting Ina into his room, Diejian plopped a cushion onto the floor.

He sat across from her with the table between them.

Tsunade brought tea and snacks, then set them gently on the table.

As she left, Tsunade gave a mischievous grin and said, "Enjoy your chat~" Diejian scratched the back of his neck hard.

Ina looked around Diejian's room, her eyes darting from one thing to another.

Diejian wondered to himself what was so strange about her. It wasn't her first time here.

Though it wasn't her first visit, this was a boy's room she hadn't seen in years.

It was only natural for one or two decorations to have changed.

Diejian was terribly inconsiderate.

Hanging on the wall was the ninja uniform issued to Chunin and higher-ranked ninja after the Chunin Selection Exam, bearing Konoha's emblem.

The green uniform covered the neck and had plenty of pockets for storing scrolls and Kunai. It was a fine piece of functional design.

The old Forehead Protector hanging beside it was the one Diejian liked to use every day.

Hashirama had given it to him, and Diejian treasured it as if it belonged on a shrine.

On the opposite wall hung two scrolls, one inscribed with "Senju" and the other with "Second."

"Senju" was in Hashirama's own hand, while "Second" was written by Tobirama. Both were written in exquisite calligraphy.

The "Senju" scroll had been there for a while, but the "Second" scroll was new.

It was probably a recent work.

There was another scroll beside them, inscribed with "Die."

Compared with the first two, its brushwork was immature and clearly unpolished. Diejian had written it himself.

Ina let out a snort of laughter.

"So, what's the matter?"

"It's not 'what's the matter'! You're always standing me up!"

"No, I do feel bad about that."

"You've been leaving me on my own. Do you know how lonely I've been...? Do you understand?"

"I mean... You should talk to Uncle Tobirama about that."

Watching Diejian shrug and say, "He's been strict lately," Ina snapped a snack biscuit in half with her teeth.

Thinking that she seemed to be in a bad mood, Diejian slurped his tea noisily and without manners.

He even rudely wondered, Is it that time of the month? He was honestly quite inconsiderate.

He hid his face behind his teacup and peeked at Ina's expression.

"Like I said, I came to hang out with you."

"Ah..."

"I see..." Diejian murmured. Ina smiled and nodded as if to say, "Exactly."

"Then how about a game of Hanafuda? We can invite Tsunade, too."

"Ah—I'm so busy~"

Tsunade's utterly flat voice came from the other side of the door.

"Little sister Tsunade, she says she's busy."

"Huh? That doesn't sound like what I heard..."

Diejian stared at the door in bewilderment.

His face clearly showed that he couldn't accept it.

But when Ina quietly added, "She's busy," he had no choice but to give up reluctantly.

"Just kidding. Did I scare you?"

"A little."

There was a sound from the other side of the door, as if someone had fallen over. Ina silently laughed and thought, Sorry.

This was just right for Diejian and Ina.

"I came to talk about a mission."

"What? So that's what it was."

Once they became Chunin, Konoha's ninja could choose their own partners for missions.

Working with their original teammates made teamwork more reliable, but not every team member was a Chunin.

In Diejian's team, Juri was still a Genin. In Ina's team, everyone but Ina was, too.

At the moment, the only people Ina could team up with for missions as a Chunin without any concerns were Sakumo and Diejian.

Since they hadn't even been on the same team as Genin, Ina had been looking forward to the day they could take on missions together.

Diejian had no reason to refuse, either.

Tobirama's approval was required, but surely he wouldn't object if it was for a mission.

As he listened to Ina explain, Diejian's lips curled up. "Oh?"

★

"Listen up, you brats! You're nothing but trash! The ashes left after Fire Release burns you to cinders! Garbage swept up by Wind Release! Mud churned up by Water Release! That's what you are!"

"..."

"Answer me!! The only thing you're allowed to say is 'Yes, sir!' Got it!?"

"Understood..."

"Too quiet!! Again!! You're not people!! You're tools for killing the enemy!! That's what it means to be a ninja!! Do you understand!?"

"Understood!!"

"Listen up, you lot! I don't care whether you're from Kirigakure or Sunagakure. I don't discriminate. You're all equally worthless! If you understand, hurry up and strap on these weights, then run laps around the training ground!! One hundred laps to start!!"

"Ehh—..."

"Are you kidding me!! No talking back!! Get moving!!"

Diejian bellowed threats at the children, but the students still dragged their feet.

Diejian furrowed his brows and paced in front of the students lined up in formation.

"Big brother Diejian, what's gotten into him...?"

"I have no idea..."

Among the students standing in formation, Tsunade and Jiraiya whispered to each other, stunned by Diejian's sudden change.

Tsunade gaped at her brother's transformation, while Jiraiya couldn't hide his confusion at the brutality of the senior he admired.

Diejian's eyes flashed sharply.

He caught their conversation and swiftly formed Hand Seals.

"Wood Release: Tree Binding Forest!!"

"Waaah, me!?"

Wood Release: Tree Binding Forest.

A Wood Release ninjutsu created by Diejian.

This technique captured its target by binding their body tightly with rapidly growing trees.

It was the reverse of Grass Knot. Though it was less suited to surprise attacks, its binding power was immense.

Trees suddenly sprouted from beneath Jiraiya's feet and wrapped around his body.

The trees writhed as if alive, restraining Jiraiya according to Diejian's will.

He was bound fast before he even had a chance to escape, pinned in place with his arms and legs spread wide.

"Let me go!!"

Chosen as the example to frighten the others, Jiraiya let out a scream.

He struggled to free himself, but the restraints were powerful. It was all in vain.

"Stop, don't, please don't..."

With the Tiger Hand Seal formed, Diejian circled behind Jiraiya.

A sense of foreboding made Jiraiya's hair stand on end.

He shook his head slightly from side to side, pleading with him not to, not to.

"Konoha's Secret Taijutsu Ultimate Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!!"

"Ahh—!!"

With a squelch, Diejian's fingers sank into Jiraiya's butt.

Jiraiya had nowhere to run and could only endure it.

Watching Jiraiya, tears streaming down his face as he groaned in pain, the students shuddered.

To avoid Diejian's glare—one that seemed to ask, "Do you want the same thing?"—the students immediately took off running.

Ina looked at Diejian in bewilderment.

How had things ended up like this?

She shook her head from side to side, at a loss.

The task Ina had proposed to Diejian a few days ago was to serve as a temporary teacher at the Ninja Academy.

It was a special assignment given to Ina personally by the Second. She was a first-generation graduate of the academy and had passed the very first Chunin Selection Exam.

Sakumo and Diejian had passed alongside her.

Sakumo was away on a mission, so Ina had thought of carrying out the assignment with Diejian.

Diejian had no objection to teaching the younger generation at his alma mater. Ina had also been eager to do her part for her adorable juniors—but...

"Run with more spirit!! Do you think you'll survive on the battlefield like that!! You're trash! You're **! You're maggots who don't even know how to fight!! You're inferior to every other ninja in the world—"

"Stop it!!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Ina shouted. Diejian's body jolted.

A short distance behind him, Ina herself sat in a chair with her head bowed and her eyes closed.

It was the Mind Body Switch Technique.

This was the second time Ina had entered Diejian's mind, but she surely hadn't expected it to happen under these circumstances.

Ina spoke to Diejian in her mind:

"What on earth are you thinking?!"

"Huh? No, I'm training them so they can grow stronger."

"That's too much for children! You'll traumatize them!!"

"Whaaat?!"

Hearing the genuine bewilderment in Diejian's voice, Ina froze, trembling with a flicker of anger.

If he was joking, the prank had gone way too far.

But just before she could lose her temper, Ina felt a chill. Could it be...

She remembered something.

It was the training methods of Diejian's teacher, Tobirama.

Ina understood everything.

A sound of pity escaped her: "Ah..."

She prayed to the God of Shinobi, her heart crumbling.

Even the innocent way Diejian tilted his head in confusion made Ina's heart ache.

What a tragedy.

Diejian had been enduring these very trials—the ones he was now inflicting on the children—since he was little.

He probably didn't think for even a moment that this was a strange way to train, by the standards of the world.

Instead of getting angry, she almost wanted to praise him.

She wanted to feel proud of this friend, who had managed to remain kind through these daily ordeals.

Ina shed tears of emotion in her heart.

But Tobirama's training would continue, wouldn't it?

Now that Diejian knew the truth, his mind might very well break.

Ina didn't have the courage to tell him the truth—