After Senju Jingchuan returned, the Senju shinobi who had accompanied him couldn't stop praising him. They said that although he was young, he was remarkably capable, especially when it came to Medical Ninjutsu. As a result, Senju Jingchuan's reputation within the Senju Clan improved by another notch.
His treatment in the Senju Clan Territory had come a long way from when everyone had wanted to chase him out. Now, whenever he walked down the street, kind old men and women would offer him sweets.
The sun shone brightly that day, and spring was in full bloom.
The Senju, having made it through another winter, were brimming with energy. Everyone was making preparations and laying the groundwork for the new year, hoping to reap a bountiful harvest.
Senju Jingchuan wandered cheerfully through the streets and alleys of the clan territory, taking a stroll and basking in the sunshine. Life couldn't get much better.
As for why Senju Jingchuan could be so carefree, it all went back to the day he returned to the clan territory.
Once they were back, Senju Chenghe went to Senju Butsuma and sang Senju Jingchuan's praises, crediting him with all the credit for defeating the enemy.
Senju Chenghe claimed that if Senju Jingchuan hadn't quickly realized the situation had changed, and if he hadn't possessed such excellent combat skills and superb Medical Ninjutsu, their entire group might have been wiped out.
Senju Butsuma naturally knew that Senju Chenghe was exaggerating, but the whole squad's gratitude toward Senju Jingchuan couldn't have been faked.
Besides, Senju Jingchuan had indeed only just recovered from serious injuries, and his pallor was plain to see. So Senju Butsuma took the opportunity to let him rest for a few days and recuperate properly.
Thus, Senju Jingchuan not only completed his first mission in life, earning the goodwill of the entire clan, but also got a few extra days off.
Naturally, Senju Jingchuan intended to make the most of his unexpected vacation. That was why he was wandering through the streets and alleys of the clan territory.
However, Senju Jingchuan wasn't just wandering around aimlessly.
"Little Jingchuan~ I just made some soup. Come have a bowl~" An old woman in her fifties or sixties waved him over, inviting him to have some.
Her name was Naiko. She had gone to the battlefield in her younger days, and although she was now over sixty, she was still in remarkably good shape. Her eyes were clear as ever, with a hint of sharpness forged in bloodshed.
Her grandson was one of the shinobi on that mission. After hearing that Senju Jingchuan had saved him, Grandma Naiko often brought Jingchuan tasty treats. Sometimes it was food she had cooked herself, and sometimes it was snacks that children liked.
Senju Jingchuan liked the kind old woman, too. Whenever he had some free time, he loved to visit her, and by now he was quite at home there. So he didn't stand on ceremony and scampered over to drink the soup.
"Grandma Naiko, this soup is delicious. Your cooking is as good as ever~ Brother Kazuki is so lucky to have a grandma like you making him delicious food every day." Senju Jingchuan praised her cooking as he drank.
Kazuki was the name of Grandma Naiko's grandson.
"Haha, you've got such a sweet tongue, little Jingchuan. If you like it, come over more often and Grandma will make you plenty." Grandma Naiko laughed so hard at his flattery that she could barely close her mouth.
Ever since Senju Kazuki had gone on a mission, Grandma Naiko had rarely had anyone to keep her company. Senju Jingchuan was as cute as a doll, with delicate features and a silver tongue. He often managed to keep her smiling all day.
Over time, Grandma Naiko's gratitude toward Senju Jingchuan for saving her grandson had turned into genuine affection for the little boy.
After Senju Jingchuan finished his soup, Grandma Naiko held his hand and chatted warmly with him for a while.
"Little Jingchuan, how have you been feeling lately? Have your injuries healed?" Grandma Naiko looked him up and down, examining him from every angle, afraid something might be wrong.
"My injuries are all healed, so don't worry, Grandma Naiko. I've had such a big appetite lately that I could eat a whole cow!" Senju Jingchuan said with exaggerated enthusiasm, spreading his arms to show how big a cow was.
Seeing that Senju Jingchuan's complexion was fairly rosy, Grandma Naiko felt relieved. Then she saw him gesturing so innocently and adorably, and couldn't help laughing.
Senju Jingchuan chatted with Grandma Naiko for a while longer, making her laugh so hard she could barely close her mouth. She kept calling him a "little rascal."
Senju Jingchuan was happy, too, because the system notification kept ringing in his mind: [Cuddle Points +4].
After saying goodbye to Grandma Naiko, Senju Jingchuan headed to the area of the Senju Clan Territory where the farmland was concentrated.
To obtain supplies from the Land of Fire's daimyo, every Senju shinobi capable of going on missions was busy taking assignments each day. Most of the women who couldn't go on missions stayed home and weaved cloth.
Only a few Senju who were too old or physically disabled to go on missions, but could still work, labored in the fields. So when Senju Jingchuan first discovered the farmland, the area had been desolate. Only a few scattered plots had crops growing in them, and no clan members were working the fields.
When he had first returned to the clan territory, Senju Jingchuan had bought potato seeds, sweet potato seeds, corn seeds, rice seeds, and instructions for growing them from the system space.
Two days earlier, Senju Jingchuan had also asked a few of his older brothers, Senju Chenghe, Senju Aoyama, Senju Kazuki, and several other young men he got along with to help him plant the seeds.
The farmland still looked desolate, with the paddy fields on one side and the dry fields on the other. But thanks to Senju Jingchuan's efforts over the past few days, at least the plots looked as though someone had tended to them. They were no longer overrun with weeds like they had been just days before.
Corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes were all high-yield crops. If they were planted well, harvested before winter, and stored properly, there would be more than enough to feed the people of the Senju Clan Territory for a while.
Winter was hard enough for shinobi. Senju Jingchuan never wanted to go through days of having just enough to eat one day and going hungry the next again.
Back when he had been locked in a little room, Senju Jingchuan hadn't been able to do anything about it. But now that he was out, he had to take responsibility for his own stomach.
When Senju Jingchuan had asked people to help with the fields, however, his older brothers had all looked thoroughly puzzled.
Senju Jingchuan didn't understand why shinobi wouldn't farm, even when food was scarce.
Senju Jingchuan explained to his older brothers, "If we have enough food, then winter won't be so hard on us."
"And the clan members won't have to work themselves to the bone taking missions before winter, either," Senju Jingchuan added.
"Then do we have to hand over some of the crops to the daimyo of the Land of Fire?" Senju Kawarama scratched his head. He knew that the farmers in the Land of Fire had to pay the daimyo grain as tax.
Senju Jingchuan was puzzled by the question. He replied,
"Of course not. Shinobi aren't subject to the daimyo. We're free."
When Senju Hashirama heard Jingchuan say that, he happily patted him on the head and praised him for being clever.
Senju Tobirama also seemed thoughtful.
That day, Senju Hashirama was especially enthusiastic about helping Senju Jingchuan work the fields.
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