Shennong (Part 2)

That evening, to welcome Shennong, they prepared a feast, even though there weren't many guests. Some of the dishes were made by Tomomi, while others were prepared by people they'd hired.

After the meal, once everything had been cleared away, everyone else left. Only Aunt Kei, Shennong, and Ye Wuji remained in the room.

Seeing that, Ye Wuji prepared to leave too. He'd wanted to stay and observe Shennong, but just as he was about to go, Aunt Kei called him back. "Wuji, stay a moment. There's something I need to tell you."

"Sure," Ye Wuji replied. He was curious about what she wanted with him.

"Mr. Shennong, what do you think of this boy?" Aunt Kei asked, turning to Shennong after calling Ye Wuji back.

"He seems like a good kid. He's a little young, but he seems sensible. I'm just not sure what you have in mind, ma'am," Shennong replied, glancing at Ye Wuji and nodding.

"Here's the thing, Mr. Shennong. You seem to be traveling alone, with no one to look after you, and you haven't taken on any pupils. I was wondering whether this boy might be to your liking."

"I see." Shennong smiled. "This boy is so sensible for his age. He understands how hard life can be, and he's eager to train. To be honest, I'm a little tempted." He paused before continuing, "But I've never had a fixed home. I'm always on the road, sleeping wherever I can. He's really too young for that. This is an important time in his development, and traveling around with me might not be good for him. It would be better if he were a little older."

"I understand. I'm sorry to put you in a difficult position, Mr. Shennong," Aunt Kei said.

"I'm deeply impressed by your kindness, ma'am. You've already done so much by taking him in. I never expected you to be thinking about his future as well. Since you've gone to such lengths, how could I hold back?"

"Then what do you have in mind, Mr. Shennong?" Aunt Kei asked, curious about what he meant.

"Haha, ma'am, I said he's too young to travel around with me, not that I couldn't teach him medicine. I'll be staying here for a while, and during that time I can teach him the basics. Then we can see how things go. If I stay longer, I can teach him more. If I have to leave soon, I can leave him some materials to study on his own. When he's a little older, if we meet again, I can take him on as my apprentice. What do you think of that arrangement, ma'am? This will also give us time to see whether he likes medicine. After all, we can't force him."

"Mr. Shennong, you're truly generous. I thank you on the boy's behalf," Aunt Kei said, delighted by his offer.

"Ma'am, you're too kind. No matter how skilled I am in medicine, I can't save everyone in the world. If someone wants to learn, of course I'm willing to teach them. It would be even better if more people wanted to learn. The more people who study medicine, the more civilians caught up in war we can save," Shennong said with a sigh.

"I've seen just how noble your spirit is, Mr. Shennong. If more people shared your outlook, the world would be a better place," Aunt Kei said, deeply moved. Then she beckoned Ye Wuji over. "Wuji, come here. Let me introduce you to your master. This is an extraordinary man. If you can learn even a fraction of his medical skills, you'll be incredible."

Ye Wuji walked over, but before he could say anything, Shennong spoke first. "Haha, let's not get ahead of ourselves, ma'am. I don't know how long I'll be staying. The war may be over, but now the civilians have to rebuild their homes, and those who suffered in the fighting need help, too. If possible, I hope to reach those places as soon as I can and ease their suffering." Shennong waved away Ye Wuji, who was about to bow.

"How about you study with me for now? I'll do my best to teach you while I'm here. When you're a little older, if you're still interested in medicine, you can come find me. Then I'll formally take you on as my apprentice and teach you everything I know." After speaking to Ye Wuji, he turned to Aunt Kei. "What do you think, ma'am?"

"Then it's settled. Starting tomorrow, Wuji, you'll follow this gentleman and do as he says. Make sure you study hard. If you master medicine, you'll be able to save many people."

"Thank you, Aunt Kei. Thank you, Uncle Shennong," Ye Wuji replied.

"All right, Wuji, go get some rest. Starting tomorrow, you'll have to work hard, so don't be afraid," Aunt Kei told him.

"Okay. Good night, Uncle Shennong. Good night, Aunt Kei." With that, Ye Wuji headed to his room.

As he walked, Ye Wuji thought, This is just what I needed. I got close to that guy so easily. His medical skills really are impressive, and from what I can see, he seems like the sort of person who worries about the country and its people. Too bad I know what he's really after. Shennong makes it sound noble, going around treating civilians and usually not charging them, but in reality, he's searching the world for a body suitable for cultivating the Zero-Tails. Just like with a Tailed Beast, not just anyone can be a Jinchuriki. Only someone with a suitable body can do it. Naruto became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki because he was the only suitable person in all of Konoha at the time. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is different from other Jinchuriki. As the strongest Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails can only be hosted by someone from the Uzumaki Clan.

But Shennong is a shinobi, too. I wonder how strong he is. Judging from the movie, he's only exceptional at Medical Ninjutsu—perhaps only slightly worse than Tsunade—and doesn't seem very strong otherwise. Besides, Shennong is already very old. His current condition is just the result of Activation Ninjutsu. He only became so powerful later because he absorbed the Zero-Tails' chakra. The Zero-Tails hasn't been created yet, and even if it had, that wouldn't help him now. It's still at Angkor Fortress. Speaking of Angkor Fortress, where exactly is it? Could it be nearby?

It probably isn't. The Land of Sky attacked Konoha from the sea, and this place is still far from Konoha. Most importantly, there's no coastline near here that's close to Konoha. So Angkor Fortress must be in one of those countries near the coast.

As Ye Wuji walked along, thinking about how to deal with Shennong, someone suddenly smacked him on the head. Only then did he notice Rei standing beside him.

"What are you thinking about? I've called your name so many times, and you didn't react at all. What's gotten into you? Got so bold you can ignore me now?" Rei shouted angrily at Ye Wuji.

"Oh, it's you, Rei." Ye Wuji smiled helplessly. "I was thinking about something and didn't hear you calling me. Why are you looking for me so late?"

"What do you think?" After saying that, Rei suddenly pulled Ye Wuji aside and whispered conspiratorially, "So, did Uncle Shennong say he'd take you on as his apprentice?"

"Huh? How did you know about that, Rei? Aunt Kei only just mentioned it," Ye Wuji asked, surprised that Rei had found out so quickly.

"Of course I know. Why do you think Uncle Shennong came to stay with us? He came to treat the Daimyo's poison. He doesn't like staying at the Daimyo Mansion, but there are plenty of other places. My parents and I were the ones who invited him here. And it was my idea to ask him to take you on as his apprentice." Rei looked pleased with herself. "This was all thanks to me."

"So it was you, Rei. I was wondering why he suddenly wanted to teach me. Thanks. But can I ask why you did it?"

"I'll tell you a secret, but don't go blabbing. At first, I wanted Dad to take you on, too, since our family isn't very big. But then I heard them talking about Yuta. Do you know him? It turns out he's naturally suited to training as a samurai. Dad also said Yuta might be able to master Swallow Reversal. Dad has several fellow disciples, but he's the only one who's mastered Swallow Reversal. Now that they've found someone like Yuta, he's going to be very impressive someday. You won't be able to compete with him. But don't lose heart. I've heard Uncle Shennong is very skilled. If you learn from him, you'll be just as good as Yuta."

So that's what this is about, Ye Wuji thought. I was wondering what was going on. I never planned to compete with that guy anyway, but this works out nicely. I won't have to go to any extra trouble. Rei really does care about me, though.

Thinking this, Ye Wuji said, "All right, I'll study medicine hard. Then, when Yuta gets injured, I'll make him come to me for treatment. How about that, Rei?"

"Perfect! That's exactly what you should do. When that guy gets hurt, make him beg you for help before you treat him. You really are clever, Wuji," Rei praised him.

"Thanks for the compliment, Rei. I'll head back now. I have to start studying with him tomorrow."

"Go on, then. Remember to study hard."

With that, the two of them went their separate ways to their rooms.