Shennong (Middle)

That evening, to welcome Shennong, they prepared a large spread of dishes—though few guests had arrived. Some were cooked by Tomomi, while others were prepared by hired help.

After the meal and the subsequent cleanup, the others retreated, leaving only Aunt Kei, Shennong, and Ye Wuji in the room.

Ye Wuji noticed the situation and prepared to excuse himself; he had originally intended to stay behind to observe Shennong, but just as he turned to leave, Aunt Kei called out to him. "Ye, stay here. There are some things I need to discuss with you."

"Understood," Ye Wuji replied, curious to know what business they could possibly have with him.

"Now, Mr. Shennong, what do you think of this child?" Aunt Kei asked, turning to Shennong after stopping Ye Wuji.

"A fine lad. Though he is young, he seems sensible. However, I am not sure what you mean, Madam," Shennong said, looking Ye Wuji over with a nod.

"It is like this, Mr. Shennong. I see that you are traveling alone, with no one to look after you and no apprentice to your name. I wonder if this boy might catch your eye?"

"So that is it," Shennong chuckled. "This lad is quite sensible for his age; he understands the hardships of the world and is eager to train. To be honest, I am somewhat tempted." Shennong paused, then continued, "However, I have no fixed abode and live a life of hardship. He is still quite young and in his prime growth phase. If he were to wander with me, it might not be good for his development. It would be better if he were a bit older."

"I see. My apologies, Mr. Shennong, I have put you in a difficult position," Aunt Kei said.

"Your kindness is truly admirable, Madam. You have already done so much by taking him in; I never expected you to plan for his future as well. Since you have gone to such lengths, how could I fall behind?" Shennong replied.

"Then, may I ask what you intend..." Aunt Kei asked, curious about his meaning.

"Haha, Madam, I said he is too young to wander with me, but I never said I couldn't teach him medicine. I will be staying here for a while, and during this time, I can teach him the basics. We shall see how things go; if I stay longer, I can teach him more, and if I leave sooner, I can leave behind materials for him to study on his own. When he is older, if we happen to cross paths again, I shall formally take him as my apprentice. What do you think of this arrangement, Madam? Besides, this will give us time to see if the boy actually has an interest in medicine; we shouldn't force him, after all."

"Mr. Shennong, you are truly a magnanimous man. On behalf of the child, I thank you," Aunt Kei said, clearly delighted.

"Madam, you flatter me. No matter how skilled my medicine is, how can I save everyone in the world? If someone wishes to learn, I am naturally willing to teach. It would be even better if more people learned, as only then can we treat the civilians affected by war," Shennong said with a sigh.

"I have truly witnessed your noble spirit, Mr. Shennong. I believe the world would be a better place if more people shared your philosophy," Aunt Kei agreed. She then beckoned to Ye Wuji. "Ye, come here. Let me introduce you to a master. This is a remarkable man; if you can learn his medical arts, you will be truly formidable."

Ye Wuji walked over, but before he could speak, Shennong interrupted: "Haha, Madam, let us not get ahead of ourselves. I do not know how long I will stay. Although the war has ended, the civilians are now rebuilding their homes, and those scarred by the conflict need help. If possible, I hope to reach those places soon to relieve their suffering." Shennong waved his hand, declining the bow Ye Wuji was about to offer.

"For now, you shall learn from me. I will do my best to teach you during this time. When you are older, if you are still interested in medicine, you can seek me out, and I will formally take you as my apprentice and pass on all my knowledge." After saying this to Ye Wuji, he turned back to Aunt Kei. "What do you think, Madam?"

"Let us do that. Starting tomorrow, Ye, you will follow this gentleman. Do whatever he tells you, and remember to study hard. If you master medicine, you can save many lives."

"Understood. Thank you, Aunt Kei, Uncle Shennong," Ye Wuji said.

"Very well, Ye, go and get some rest. Starting tomorrow, you will have to endure some hardship, so don't be afraid," Aunt Kei told him.

"I understand. Goodnight, Uncle Shennong, Aunt Kei." With that, Ye Wuji headed toward his room.

As he walked, Ye Wuji thought to himself that this was like having a pillow handed to him just as he was getting sleepy. It was so easy to get close to this man. His medical skills were indeed impressive, and on the surface, his character seemed to be that of someone who truly cared for the nation and its people. Unfortunately, Ye Wuji knew his true objective. Despite Shennong's flowery words about saving civilians and refusing payment, his real goal was to scour the world for a body suitable for hosting the Zero-Tails. Much like the Tailed Beasts, a Jinchuriki could not be just anyone; the body had to be compatible. Naruto was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails because, at the time, he was the only one in Konoha suitable for it. The Nine-Tails was the strongest of the beasts, and only the Uzumaki Clan was fit to contain it.

However, this Shennong was also a ninja, though his strength was unclear. Based on the movie, his medical ninjutsu was formidable—perhaps only slightly inferior to Tsunade—but his other abilities seemed lackluster. Furthermore, Shennong was quite old; his current state was merely the result of a Cell Activation Jutsu. The reason he became so powerful later was due to absorbing the chakra of the Zero-Tails. But the Zero-Tails hadn't been created yet, and even if it were, it was still at the Angkor Fortress. Speaking of the Angkor Fortress, it occurred to Ye Wuji to wonder where it was located. Surely it wasn't nearby?

It shouldn't be. The Land of Sky attacked Konoha from the sea, and this place was far from Konoha. Most importantly, there was no coastline here near Konoha. Therefore, the Angkor Fortress must be in one of the countries near the sea.

As Ye Wuji walked and pondered how to deal with Shennong, he was unexpectedly tapped on the head. He realized Rei was standing beside him.

"What are you thinking about? I called your name so many times and you didn't react. What's wrong? Have you grown bold enough to ignore me?" Rei asked, sounding annoyed.

"Oh, it's you, Sister Rei," Ye Wuji said with a helpless smile. "I was just thinking about something and didn't hear you. It's so late, why are you looking for me?"

"Why do you think?" After saying this, Rei pulled Ye Wuji aside and whispered mysteriously, "So, did Uncle Shennong agree to take you as an apprentice?"

"Ah, how did you know about that, Sister Rei? Aunt Kei only just mentioned it," Ye Wuji said, surprised by how quickly she had found out.

"Of course I know. Why do you think Uncle Shennong is staying with us? He came to treat the Daimyo's poison. Even though he doesn't like staying at the Daimyo Mansion, there are plenty of other places he could have stayed. It was my parents who invited him, and I was the one who asked them to convince him to take you as an apprentice," Rei said, looking as if the whole thing were her doing.

"So it was you, Sister Rei! I was wondering why he would want to teach me for no reason. Thank you, Sister Rei. But may I ask why you did this?"

"I'll tell you in secret, but don't go blabbing about it. I originally wanted my father to take you on as an apprentice, since we don't have many people in our family. But then I heard them talking about Yuta. Did you know he is naturally suited for samurai training? My father even said Yuta might be able to master the Swallow Reversal. My father has several martial brothers, but he is the only one who mastered it. Now that they've found someone like that, Yuta will be very powerful in the future. You won't be able to compete with him. But don't be discouraged! I heard that Shennong is incredibly skilled, so if you learn from him, you definitely won't be any worse than Yuta," Rei explained.

So that's how it is, Ye Wuji thought. I never had any intention of competing with that guy, but this works out well—it saves me the trouble. Still, Sister Rei really is looking out for me.

Thinking of this, Ye Wuji said, "Alright, I will study medicine hard. In the future, when Yuta gets injured, he can come and beg me to treat him. How about that, Sister Rei?"

"Not bad, really not bad! Let's do that. When that guy gets hurt, make him beg you before you save him. You really are smart, Ye," Rei praised.

"Thank you for the compliment, Sister Rei. I'll head back now; I start my lessons with him tomorrow."

"Go on then. Remember to study hard!"

With that, the two parted ways and headed toward their respective rooms.