Tsunade's Brother Nawaki

After staying with Uzumaki Mito for a while, Shin and the others took their leave once she needed to rest.

"Hey, my grandmother said you possess an extraordinary power. What is it? I've discovered you have quite a few secrets."

Tsunade stared intently at Shin, her eyes filled with deep curiosity.

"How would I know?"

Shin shrugged at Tsunade, feigning ignorance; the Perfect Sage Body could not be exposed.

Even if it were truly exposed, he doubted anyone would even recognize the Perfect Sage Body.

After all, the only thing people truly remembered about Senju Hashirama was his Wood Release, not his Sage Body. Yet, without the Perfect Sage Body, Wood Release would never possess that world-destroying power.

Take Yamato's Wood Release, for instance; its power was only slightly stronger than ordinary ninjutsu, earning it the label of a "fake" Wood Release.

Speaking of the Senju Clan, they should have the Wood Release ninjutsu left behind by Senju Hashirama. Shin really wanted to take a look at them.

Although he currently lacked the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, Shin believed that as long as he studied it, he would eventually possess Wood Release—not the kind Yamato had, but the kind Senju Hashirama wielded.

"Shin, what are you thinking about? You're about to walk into a wall."

Kushina tugged at Shin, pulling him back to reality.

Looking at the wall in front of him, Shin felt embarrassed. If Kushina hadn't pulled him back, he would have walked straight into it.

"Tell me, is your eyesight bad or something?"

Tsunade looked at Shin with a mocking expression.

Shin glared at this woman, wondering how he could get away with giving her a good beating.

Thinking about it, I'm still no match for Tsunade. I'll endure it for now. Once I'm stronger than you, I'll definitely make you pay.

Staring at the malicious gaze from Shin, Tsunade raised an eyebrow, though she didn't take it to heart.

"Right, I'm planning to have the four of you attend the Ninja Academy."

Tsunade looked at Shin, Kushina, Uzumaki Kai, and Uzumaki Akiko as she spoke. They couldn't stay in the Senju Clan compound forever, and since they were at the right age, Tsunade felt that sending them to the Ninja Academy was a good choice.

"Of course, if you don't want to become a ninja, you can choose not to attend."

If they didn't want to become ninjas, Tsunade wouldn't force them.

"I'll go to the Ninja Academy. I want to become a ninja so I can avenge my family in the future," Uzumaki Kai said, his face full of hatred.

"I want to go to the Ninja Academy, too," Uzumaki Akiko added.

The experience of the Uzumaki Clan's annihilation had made young Uzumaki Akiko realize that one could not survive without strength. Therefore, she also wanted to become a ninja, at least to possess the power to protect herself.

"Very well. Since you've all decided to attend, I'll speak to the Hokage tomorrow," Tsunade said with a nod.

"Hey, you haven't asked for our opinions yet."

"Oh? Don't you two want to become ninjas?" Tsunade looked at Shin and Kushina in surprise.

"Of course we do, but you should still go through the motions," Shin replied.

Tsunade clenched her fist and said angrily, "You brat, if you don't want to get beaten up, stop messing around."

Shin shut his mouth sheepishly. Given Tsunade's personality, if she said she would hit him, she definitely would. It was better not to provoke her.

"Um, Lady Tsunade, how have you arranged things for me?" Uzumaki Hikari asked, thinking of his situation. He was the only adult among the survivors.

"As for you, if you can pass the assessment, you can become a Konoha ninja. If you don't want to be a ninja, then find another way to make a living," Tsunade said to Uzumaki Hikari.

Uzumaki Hikari thought for a moment and said to Tsunade, "Please tell the Hokage that I wish to become a Konoha ninja."

"Fine, I'll tell the old man. But whether you can actually become a Konoha ninja depends on your own efforts."

After saying this, Tsunade left with Shin and Kushina, while Uzumaki Akiko, Uzumaki Kai, and Uzumaki Hikari headed toward their living quarters.

"Damn it, why is Lady Tsunade so good to that guy Uzumaki Shin?" Uzumaki Kai felt extremely jealous.

Furthermore, when they met Uzumaki Mito earlier, she had mostly kept her eyes on Uzumaki Shin, while he was barely given any attention.

Uzumaki Kai already held a grudge against Uzumaki Shin, and now, fueled by jealousy, his hatred for Shin grew even deeper.

Uzumaki Akiko and Uzumaki Hikari glanced at Uzumaki Kai but ignored him.

Unlike Uzumaki Kai, Uzumaki Akiko and Uzumaki Hikari felt no jealousy, and they held no grudge against Shin.

As they were walking back with Tsunade, Shin suddenly saw a young boy around his age walking toward them, holding several skewers of grilled meat.

Upon seeing Tsunade, the boy's expression changed, and he turned around, trying to slip away.

"Nawaki, you stop right there! Where do you think you're going?"

Tsunade spotted Nawaki and marched toward him, her face twisted in a menacing glare.

Is that Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki?

Uzumaki Shin glanced at Nawaki. Poor guy, he really had it rough—dying at only twelve years old.

"Big sis."

Nawaki turned around reluctantly, trying to hide the grilled meat skewers behind his back.

"I've already seen them, so what are you hiding? Tell me, where did you get those skewers?"

"This is... this is something I bought."

"Bought? Didn't you tell me you were out of pocket money?" Tsunade asked, clearly displeased.

Last time, Tsunade had gone to gamble and lost, so she went to Nawaki to "borrow" money. Nawaki knew his sister was a gambling addict who never won a single bet. If he lent her money, it would be like throwing meat buns at a dog—gone forever with no hope of return.

So, Nawaki had made up an excuse, claiming he had spent all his money on ninja tools, forcing Tsunade to leave empty-handed and frustrated.

Now that he had finally caved to his cravings and bought a treat, he'd been caught red-handed. Nawaki was weeping on the inside.

"You even lied to your own sister? These skewers are confiscated."

In the blink of an eye, the skewers in Nawaki's hand were snatched away by Tsunade, leaving him to stare at her with longing eyes.

"Alright, stop staring. I'll give you one."

Tsunade counted them—there were four in total. She gave one to Nawaki, one to Uzumaki Shin, one to Kushina, and kept one for herself. It was the perfect split.

"Mmm, so fragrant! It smells even better than the ones we grill ourselves," Kushina said, taking in the aroma of the skewers.

"Not bad. It really is quite delicious, and the portions are generous too."

Uzumaki Shin took a bite. The flavor was indeed excellent, far better than what he usually managed to whip up himself. Perhaps it was because he lacked the proper ingredients.

"Big sis, who are they?" Nawaki asked, looking at them with curiosity.

"They are members of the Uzumaki Clan, distant relatives of our Senju Clan. Something happened to their clan, so they'll be living here from now on."

"Oh, and they'll be starting at the Ninja Academy in a few days. Make sure you look out for them," Tsunade instructed Nawaki.

"Oh, nice to meet you. My name is Nawaki," Nawaki said, introducing himself to Uzumaki Shin and Kushina.

"Hello, I'm Uzumaki Shin, and this is Kushina. We'll be in your care from now on," Uzumaki Shin replied, officially making his acquaintance with Nawaki.