Tsunade searched her memories for a while, but they were still fuzzy. "Forget it. I can't remember."
"Heh, heh, heh... Keep going. I've gotten a little stronger again."
Shangguan Yue could feel his body slowly growing stronger. It was slow, but it was happening, and he was hooked.
Tsunade watched closely from the side but didn't stop him. "I have to say, you've got good willpower."
After a long while, Tsunade vanished from where she stood. Before long, she suddenly reappeared in the same spot, now with an enormous lunchbox beside her.
"Little man~ Come eat."
Hearing her, Shangguan Yue staggered over to her. "Wow, that smells amazing."
Without the slightest hesitation, Shangguan Yue grabbed the lunchbox, which was bigger than he was, and opened it. Inside was a mountain of roasted meat. "Arigatou. Let's eat!"
"Whew~ I'm alive again."
Medical Ninjutsu chakra appeared in Tsunade's hands. She pressed them against Shangguan Yue and closed her eyes. After a long while, she spoke.
"Little man, your body's in great shape now. You recover quickly, and you don't have any hidden injuries. Just remember to eat plenty after training, or your body will become depleted.
"But since your physical strength is up to par, Shangguan Yue!!!"
"Hm? Yes!"
Seeing Tsunade suddenly turn serious, Shangguan Yue reflexively stood at attention and answered.
"Today, I'm officially going to teach you how to cultivate chakra. It's an essential skill for becoming a ninja. Do you want to learn?"
"Of course! I'm going to become the God of Shinobi!"
"Hahaha~ Little man, that's quite the dream. It'll be difficult. Are you sure? People die trying."
"Of course! The path to becoming strong is bound to be full of thorns."
Seeing Shangguan Yue's determined expression and shining eyes, Tsunade couldn't help getting serious too.
"Good. That's the kind of spirit my future man should have."
Shangguan Yue muttered under his breath, "Heh, I haven't agreed to that yet."
"Hm? Little man, do you have a problem with that?"
Tsunade pressed her forehead against Shangguan Yue's, making him clutch his head and stumble backward.
"No problem. Let's get started."
"This is the chakra extraction method unique to the Senju Clan. Once I teach it to you, you must remember it well. You must never teach it to anyone else."
"I know. Something this good should be kept to myself."
"Good. Clear your mind and focus. I'll guide you."
"Huh? Aren't you just supposed to tell me what to do so I can do it myself?"
"This is my personal technique. No one else knows it. Teaching it to you will cost me some of my chakra, and I'll have to cultivate it back. Don't talk."
Tsunade placed both hands on Shangguan Yue's wrists, and the two sat cross-legged facing each other. Shangguan Yue felt a mass of energy suddenly appear inside him.
"Is this chakra?"
Tsunade's chakra flowed through Shangguan Yue's body, following his chakra pathways all the way to his brain before forming a closed loop.
As Tsunade guided him, Shangguan Yue felt his mind and body combine. Before long, he had produced chakra of his own.
He then followed Tsunade's movements, circulating it through his body. He didn't quite understand what he was doing, but he quickly memorized the process.
When Tsunade saw that Shangguan Yue could continue cultivating chakra on his own without her guidance, she stopped directing him.
"Little man, cultivate chakra in moderation. Stop when you start feeling tired, or you'll shorten your lifespan."
Tsunade withdrew her chakra and exhaled. She watched the faint blue glow rising from Shangguan Yue's body, a sign of his cultivation.
It was very faint, but Tsunade could see it clearly.
As the sun sank toward the horizon, Shangguan Yue suddenly collapsed to the ground. Only then did Tsunade reappear and use Medical Ninjutsu on him. It wasn't long before he managed to stand up again.
"Ow, my whole body's sore."
"You really are something. I told you not to rush. You've already reached your limit, so don't cultivate any more chakra today."
Tsunade curiously sent her chakra into Shangguan Yue's lower abdomen. "Huh?"
"What is it?"
"Nothing. The chakra you extracted on your first try is pretty good."
"Pretty good? But it's still not even as much as the scraps you have. I've got a long way to go."
"Hey! Why'd you hit me?" Shangguan Yue clutched his head and crouched down.
"What are you thinking? I'm from the Senju Clan. You... Forget it, it's understandable. Come on, I'll take you to get dinner."
Tsunade hoisted the exhausted Shangguan Yue onto her back and headed to a barbecue restaurant. They certainly drew plenty of attention along the way.
"Good evening, Lady Tsunade!"
"Who's the kid on Lady Tsunade's back?"
"No idea. I've never seen him before. Is he Lady Tsunade's child?"
"How could that be? Lady Tsunade doesn't have a boyfriend. Where would she get a child?"
The villagers of Konoha were intensely curious about Shangguan Yue. Before long, the news had reached the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Understood. Go investigate that boy's identity and report back to me."
"Yes, sir."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the file in his hand, puffing on his pipe.
"Bang!" A cloud of smoke appeared, and a shadowy figure materialized and dropped to one knee. "Lord Hokage, we've finished the investigation."
"Whew..." Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a smoke ring, enveloping himself in smoke. "Go on."
"The boy's name is Shangguan Yue. His father is the missing Shangguan Hong."
"Hmm?... All right, you may leave."
"Yes, sir." With a Body Flicker Technique, the figure vanished.
"Shangguan Yue, Shangguan Hong, Tsunade... How did they get involved with each other?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the ash from his pipe and gazed out the window, lost in thought.
At the same time, deep underground, Shimura Danzō looked over the report, then handed it to the subordinate kneeling before him with an arm extended.
"Shangguan Yue? He's still alive? But since he's involved with Tsunade, then... Torune."
"Here."
"Keep a close watch on this boy. Don't let yourself be seen. Go."
"Yes, sir."
Aburame Torune, wrapped tightly from head to toe, vanished from where he stood. He followed the address in the report and watched Tsunade leave the barbecue restaurant with Shangguan Yue.
Then they vanished from sight again. "With Tsunade there, this won't be easy."
Aburame Torune didn't dare follow too closely, let alone spy on them. He couldn't even hear what they were saying. Tsunade's sensory abilities were no joke, and he didn't want to get caught and take a punch.
"Yue."
"Hm?"
"From now on, come to my place every morning and go home in the afternoon. I'll teach you the specifics of cultivation."
"Why?"
Shangguan Yue looked up at her with a puzzled expression, unsure why Tsunade had suddenly changed her tune.
"No particular reason. The honor of the Senju Clan must not be insulted. Since my grandfather made the decision, I'll honor it.
"But you have to become strong enough. Otherwise, you won't even be worthy of having people find out about you.
"The Senju Clan has countless enemies. Without strength, things won't end well for you.
"From now on, tell people I'm your teacher and you're my student."
"Okay."
Shangguan Yue said no more. Since Tsunade had put it that way, he couldn't back down.
Before you continue