Izuna Loves Fish?

"Ugh—"

"Hiss! That hurts... Brother Tobirama, couldn't you have gone a little easier on me?"

Senju Kyogawa clutched his head, where a large bump had been raised, and complained to Senju Tobirama.

Senju Kyogawa blinked his large, almond-shaped eyes, his fair and delicate face filled with grievance, looking quite pitiful. Sunlight spilled over his white hair, reflecting a brilliant sheen.

Senju Tobirama was momentarily dazed.

Senju Kyogawa had always been the brother who looked most like Senju Haruko. Now that he had grown his hair out, his delicate little face appeared even more androgynous, making it difficult to distinguish his gender at a glance.

Senju Tobirama couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for Senju Haruko, but he quickly shook his head.

"Kyogawa, you are too weak. You can't even dispel the most basic genjutsu," Senju Tobirama said sternly.

Seeing that his pouting had no effect, Senju Kyogawa pursed his lips, fell silent, and returned to his training under Senju Tobirama.

Senju Tobirama was right; Senju Kyogawa's talent for genjutsu was indeed inferior to his aptitude for taijutsu. They had been training for several days now, yet Senju Kyogawa still couldn't avoid even the simplest illusions, constantly falling into Senju Tobirama's traps.

However, after several days of training under Senju Tobirama, Senju Kyogawa's resistance to genjutsu was growing stronger, and the time he remained trapped in illusions was becoming shorter and shorter.

But one had to remember that on the ninja battlefield, every second was precious; some ninjas might lose their lives for being just a second too slow. Therefore, Senju Kyogawa still needed to practice his genjutsu further.

Beyond genjutsu, Senju Tobirama had also been teaching Senju Kyogawa how to utilize chakra over the past few days.

Ever since he stopped the autonomous circulation of his Healing Jutsu, Senju Kyogawa's chakra reserves had been increasing. Although he still lagged behind other Senju ninjas of his age, he at least had enough to perform most ninjutsu.

But training in ninjutsu didn't rely solely on the amount of chakra.

Senju Kyogawa also had to train his hand-seal speed and chakra stability.

Senju Kyogawa had been agonizing over hand seals for days. He truly couldn't understand why there were so many steps to a ninja's seals, so many to memorize, and why different ninjutsu required different sequences.

The diligence with which Senju Kyogawa had been memorizing hand-seal techniques during this period was comparable to his frantic cramming for the college entrance exam in his past life.

Senju Kyogawa had been working himself to the bone, losing track of how many bumps Senju Tobirama had knocked onto his head. His fingers were nearly knotted from practicing seals, and his entire body ached with soreness.

As for chakra stability... Senju Tobirama had told him to try tree-climbing and water-walking.

On this day, Senju Tobirama went out on a mission, and Senju Kyogawa finally earned a break.

As for why Senju Kyogawa wasn't going on missions, it was simply because there were very few escort missions available lately. At his age, he could only take escort-type tasks, but those were mostly snatched up by ninjas a year or two older than him, leaving nothing for him.

Finally able to rest for a few days, Senju Kyogawa first went to observe the crops he had planted.

Ever since he realized that his Healing Jutsu could stimulate cell metabolism and regeneration, an idea had sprouted in his mind—

If a plant seedling were "healed," would it grow faster?

Today, Senju Kyogawa finally had the time to test it.

Senju Kyogawa channeled his Healing Jutsu into his palm and carefully approached a potato sprout that was growing quite well.

The potato sprout was "healed."

Senju Kyogawa held his breath, quietly observing the changes.

Just as Senju Kyogawa had expected, the potato sprout did indeed grow a bit, but it only shot up a small amount before stopping.

Senju Kyogawa decided to try again the next day.

The following day, the potato sprout grew another bit under the influence of the Healing Jutsu.

It seems the Healing Jutsu is indeed effective on the potato sprout, though I have no idea what the final potatoes will turn out like...

Senju Kyogawa decided to wait and see.

Regardless, the fact that the Healing Jutsu could promote the growth of plant seedlings was a fairly significant discovery.

Senju Kyogawa arrived at the Naka River again—the border area between the Senju and Uchiha clans. It was worth noting that the spot he visited this time was where he often came to fish, not the place where Hashirama often "dated" Madara.

He had come here to fish again, and he also wanted to catch some wild chickens or rabbits to raise. There was no helping it; he was a meat lover and simply couldn't stand the days of eating vegetables every other meal.

Of course, after finishing these tasks, Senju Kyogawa would also practice his water-walking.

Senju Kyogawa quickly locked onto a few fish and skillfully and swiftly caught them.

Excellent, my skills haven't rusted! Senju Kyogawa thought happily.

He placed the fish into the large bucket he had brought, then performed a small Water Style seal to fill the bucket with a bit of water to keep the fish alive.

After catching the fish, Senju Kyogawa set the bucket on the bank. He then looked at the water surface, deciding to begin his water-walking practice.

He warmed up, carefully gathered chakra into the soles of his feet, and slowly stepped onto the water.

When his first foot touched the surface, Senju Kyogawa still felt a sense of novelty; it felt no different from stepping on solid ground. He marveled at how chakra was truly a miraculous power system.

Eh? Did I succeed? Senju Kyogawa slowly placed his other foot onto the water. It wobbled unsteadily at first, but he quickly found his balance.

Then, Senju Kyogawa tried to walk across the surface. He successfully took one step, then two...

Then, Senju Kyogawa felt the ground vanish from beneath him, and with a "splash," he tumbled into the water.

"Cough, cough... Ptooey!"

Senju Kyogawa flailed his arms in a panic, then floated to the surface, spitting out the water he had choked on before he could react.

His medium-length white hair was plastered together in wet clumps, with several strands of bangs sticking to his face. His fair complexion was flushed from choking on water, making him look truly disheveled.

"Pfft—"

Senju Kyogawa suddenly heard the sound of someone stifling a laugh from the riverbank. He looked up, only to see someone he hadn't expected—Izuna, the boy suspected to be from the Uchiha Clan.

Senju Kyogawa felt a surge of surprise. He had come to the Naka River to fish many times before, but he had never encountered Izuna. Why today...

However, Izuna's face was slightly pale, looking less healthy than before. Although his skin remained fair, it lacked that rosy, translucent glow.

Upon realizing it was Izuna, Senju Kyogawa's surprise quickly gave way to embarrassment.

He hadn't expected his clumsy fall into the water to be witnessed by anyone. Senju Kyogawa felt both ashamed and humiliated.

Senju Kyogawa swam slowly to the bank and pushed himself up.

"Izuna, what brings you here? I haven't seen you in a long time." Senju Kyogawa shoved his shame aside, hoping to divert Izuna's attention elsewhere by changing the subject.

Hearing this question, Izuna was indeed distracted for a moment. He stammered for a while before lowering his lashes and replying:

"Just out for a walk..."

Watching Izuna's behavior, Senju Kyogawa immediately sensed something was amiss. But seeing Izuna's state, it was clear he was in a bad mood; perhaps "a walk" wasn't just a dismissive excuse after all.

After saying this, Izuna fell silent. He stared blankly at the water's surface, lost in his own thoughts.

Seeing Izuna so downcast, Senju Kyogawa felt an inexplicable discomfort in his chest. He was used to seeing Izuna proud and full of vitality, not silent and sorrowful like this.

Senju Kyogawa moved a little closer, yet maintained a respectful and safe distance. He was still dripping wet and didn't want to soak Izuna as well.

He had originally intended to simply keep Izuna company in silence, hoping to ease his unhappiness. But as he drew near, Senju Kyogawa caught a faint scent of blood. It was very subtle, but Senju Kyogawa was familiar with it, allowing him to identify it instantly.

Senju Kyogawa's expression shifted, and he asked with concern:

"Izuna, are you hurt?"

Izuna looked up in surprise, perhaps not expecting him to smell it, or perhaps not expecting Senju Kyogawa to care so much.

Senju Kyogawa didn't care what Izuna was thinking. To him, Izuna was his first "friend" since arriving in this strange world—even though they had only met a few times, he liked Izuna for being proud, capable, firm, and resilient. Moreover, Izuna's appearance happened to align perfectly with Senju Kyogawa's aesthetic.

Senju Kyogawa raised his hands and channeled Healing Jutsu.

His palms began to glow with a faint, green light characteristic of healing.

Izuna stared at Senju Kyogawa's hands in astonishment, his heart racing. He hadn't expected Kyogawa to know Medical Ninjutsu.

Senju Kyogawa smiled and asked:

"Izuna, let me treat you."

He then added, as if afraid Izuna wouldn't believe him: "My, uh, my Medical Ninjutsu is very effective!"

Izuna hesitated for a moment before deciding to trust him—there was no other reason; Izuna also felt a certain affinity for Senju Kyogawa. Through their few interactions, he felt that Senju Kyogawa was a kind-hearted child who wouldn't harm him. Besides, even if Senju Kyogawa intended to hurt him, he was confident he could react in time.

Thus, Izuna took off his outer garment, revealing his upper body wrapped in thick bandages.

Even through the thick layers, one could see that Izuna's back was well-defined. He had a lean, athletic build with toned muscles on his arms that didn't look bulky, beautiful shoulder blades, and a straight spine.

As he unwound the bandages, the skin stuck to the rough fabric during the final layer, forcing him to let out a muffled groan as his brows furrowed.

The wound was long and deep—clearly a blade injury—stretching from Izuna's right shoulder down to his left lower back.

Izuna's skin was blindingly fair, which made the wound look all the more striking and gruesome. Senju Kyogawa felt a pang of regret that such a beautiful back had been slashed diagonally, though he was also relieved; if it had been any worse, Izuna might have lost his life on the spot.

He sighed inwardly, thinking that this Ninja World truly was a cutthroat place.

The area around the wound was slightly inflamed, whether from the injury itself or the friction of the rough bandages, he couldn't tell.

Senju Kyogawa first used a burst of "flame" to evaporate the water from his hands before hovering them over Izuna's wound, slowly applying the Healing Jutsu from the top right to the bottom left.

Izuna's back trembled slightly, whether from the pain of the wound or from tension—it certainly wasn't from the cold, as the thirty-seven or thirty-eight-degree heat was practically scorching against their skin.

Senju Kyogawa quickly healed the wound on Izuna's back—not even a scar remained, revealing his flawless skin once more.

Senju Kyogawa was satisfied.

Izuna put his clothes back on and thanked Senju Kyogawa.

He suppressed his inner shock—he hadn't expected Senju Kyogawa's medical skills to be this formidable.

Izuna soon took his leave. Before he departed, Senju Kyogawa gave him a few fish, claiming they would be good for making soup to help him recover his strength.

Izuna was slightly stunned, but he accepted the fish and offered a very solemn word of thanks.

At the same time the next day, Senju Kyogawa was back at the river catching fish, then practicing water-walking.

Unsurprisingly, Senju Kyogawa still couldn't hold his footing for more than a few steps.

He returned to the bank and wrung the water from his clothes.

"Hey—your name is Kyogawa, right?" A familiar voice suddenly drifted from the opposite bank.

Senju Kyogawa looked up to see Izuna.

He was surprised; he hadn't expected Izuna to come back today.

Senju Kyogawa quickly suppressed the surprise in his heart. He offered a faint smile and replied, "Yes, I am Kyogawa. Is there something you need, Izuna?"

Izuna's face on the opposite bank was slightly flushed, though it was unclear if it was due to the sweltering heat.

Izuna coated the soles of his feet with chakra, then walked across the water, moving quickly and steadily.

Seeing how stable Izuna was while treading on water, Senju Kyogawa couldn't help but feel a surge of envy.

He was nowhere near as fast or steady as Izuna; he basically sank into the water every two steps he took.

Izuna arrived quickly. He stood before Senju Kyogawa with a slightly reddened face and asked:

"Can you teach me how to catch and grill fish? In return, I will teach you the techniques for treading on water..."

Izuna looked a bit embarrassed, his gaze drifting aimlessly. In truth, it wasn't that he liked fish all that much, but several of the younger generation in his clan had been injured on the battlefield recently, and he wanted to provide them with some extra nourishment.

Those juniors had always looked up to Madara, and since Madara had been worried about their health lately, Izuna—being a devoted brother—naturally took an interest in their well-being.

Beyond that, he actually wanted to repay Senju Kyogawa for the kindness of treating his wounds the other day, using the fishing lesson merely as an excuse.

Besides, teaching him to tread on water was just a basic ninja skill; it didn't involve any secret clan ninjutsu or the like...

Senju Kyogawa's eyes turned into little dots in confusion.

He had expected Izuna to bring up something serious, not ask for lessons on catching and grilling fish.

He realized the reason the moment he thought about it.

Senju Kyogawa chuckled to himself; Izuna was truly a tsundere and adorable child.

Thinking about it carefully, while catching fish wasn't difficult, it did require technique, and judging by Izuna's appearance, he didn't look like someone who knew how to catch fish.

Senju Kyogawa's thoughts shifted, and he said happily:

"Of course! That's not a big deal at all~"

And so, Izuna and Kyogawa began their pleasant exchange of teaching and learning.