Is This a Threat?

"Of course I won't refuse."

Uchiha Yū swallowed. That punch would kill him, wouldn't it?

"Good. After all, plenty of people in the village want to become my assistant."

Tsunade placed a hand on You's head and ruffled his hair. Kushina suddenly popped out from behind him and added,

"I want to be Lady Tsunade's assistant too, but my chakra control isn't very good."

"It's not that your control is bad."

Noticing Kushina's expression, Tsunade immediately exposed the reason for her failure.

"It's because you're too lazy. I told you to practice your chakra control properly. With my guidance, there definitely wouldn't have been a problem, but the very next day, you went running off to find your little boyfriend."

She shot Minato Namikaze a displeased look. Who in the village didn't know that Kushina liked Minato Namikaze?

"Ahem..."

"You, you can come to Konoha Hospital after class and assist me with some examinations. It'll help me understand your body better, though it might hurt a little."

Tsunade gave Uchiha Yū a warning in advance. After all, medical ninjutsu was still in its developmental stages. Being able to save someone was already impressive; whether the patient hurt afterward was not within Tsunade's consideration.

All three of them were smiling. Only he sat in his wheelchair with a defeated look. If his mobility had not been limited, he definitely would have run away after class.

"Damn it, I knew this wasn't going to be anything good."

Aside from his physical condition, Uchiha Yū was even more worried about something else. After his two friends left, he hesitantly said,

"Lady Tsunade, you should know my identity. As a member of the Uchiha Clan, approaching you so rashly could cause me quite a bit of trouble."

"After all, I seriously injured an Uchiha member not long ago."

At a time like this, even if he claimed he had nothing to do with the Hokage faction, Uchiha He would certainly overthink it. He already had it bad enough in the Uchiha Clan. If the clan head deliberately targeted him, even his safety in the village could be threatened.

"That is a problem."

Tsunade fell into brief thought. She lowered her head slightly, considered it for a moment, then came up with a compromise and told Uchiha Yū,

"You can come to the hospital for examinations on Saturdays and Sundays. Konoha Hospital has my laboratory. After your regular checkup, I'll take you there."

He could not openly associate with Tsunade, but no rule said he could not do it in secret!

As long as they were careful and did not let the Uchiha Clan discover it, the boy's life would not be affected.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Letting out a long breath, Uchiha Yū still could not escape her clutches. He could only obediently become Tsunade's experimental assistant.

Once that was settled, Tsunade left directly. As he pushed his wheelchair around the corner, he spotted two people sneakily eavesdropping on his conversation with Tsunade.

Uchiha Yū was instantly furious!

Well, damn! Not only had they sold him off to Tsunade, they had even been eavesdropping on their conversation.

"You two bastards, don't you think you've gone too far?!"

"You'd better apologize to me properly today, or this isn't over!"

He struck hard at his friends! Their intentions might have been good, but without the owner's consent, they had sold him to Tsunade as a lab rat.

"Come on, that was Lady Tsunade."

Kushina rolled her eyes and said as though it were only natural,

"You know Lady Tsunade has become a jonin. She can take disciples now. Once you become her assistant, you can naturally become Lady Tsunade's disciple too."

"That's impossible."

He had not expected Kushina to think that far ahead. If he were from the Inuzuka Clan or Hyuga Clan, then after getting close to Tsunade and becoming her assistant, he really might have become her disciple.

But as an Uchiha, he was destined to never become Tsunade's disciple. There were far too many complications involved.

"Why is it impossible?"

They were only five- or six-year-old children. They had never encountered the village's dark side, so naturally they knew nothing of the enormous power struggle hidden beneath Konoha.

Sometimes, one's birth determined one's future. At least for now, Uchiha Yū had no ability to resist fate's arrangements.

"You wouldn't understand! Idiot!"

He could not be bothered explaining it. His gaze fell on Minato Namikaze, and he threw a punch into his stomach. Pain immediately flashed through him, and Minato Namikaze, who had been watching the show, doubled over on the ground.

"Since when did you get so strong?"

His face turned liver-colored. In the end, Kushina helped him back to his feet. Looking at You like he was a monster, he rubbed his stomach and continued,

"With this kind of strength, if Lady Tsunade heals your body, you'll definitely become an outstanding ninja."

"Don't change the subject. That punch was interest!"

He could not let Minato Namikaze get away today. He pushed his wheelchair in front of the two and blocked their path.

"Now tell me how you're going to apologize."

Seeing how serious he looked, Minato Namikaze feared he would have to pay dearly this time. He helplessly looked at his little wallet and said,

"Uh... How about I treat you to ramen? The village just came out with a new flavor of ramen."

After counting his money, he added,

"Don't be too ruthless. I don't want to spend the next month living on instant noodles."

"That's more like it."

He had been in the world of Naruto for several years, yet he had never eaten at Ichiraku Ramen.

As a war orphan who was unwelcome in the clan, it was already good enough if he had food to eat every day. Where would he get spare money to eat at Ichiraku Ramen?

Konoha at this time did not have many forms of entertainment. Gathering for a meal after school had become a common way to socialize and have fun.

And Ichiraku Ramen's owner made fantastic ramen, so they had barely managed to snag a seat.

But just as the three were about to head over, they saw a drunk holding a bottle of liquor plop himself down in the chair.

He acted as though the three of them owed him something!

Kushina, who had the hottest temper, could not swallow this insult. She rushed up to the man and demanded,

"Hey, hey, hey! Those are the seats we reserved! How can you act like this?!"

The drunk, whose face had just been shoved into it, did not even look at them until Kushina slapped the table.

Ramen broth that had not yet been cleaned up splashed onto him. Only then did he raise his head and squint at them disdainfully through bleary eyes.

"Hm? Where'd these little brats come from? And a little redhead too? You look just like a chili pepper."

In the drunk's eyes, Kushina had become a little chili pepper.

Those words instantly ignited Kushina's fury. She swung her fist and smashed it into his face.

"Bang!"

"Argh!"

No one had expected Kushina to actually strike. It immediately drew quite a few people's attention, though most watched with an amused attitude.

What could three children possibly do?

However, You noticed several gazes fall upon Kushina.

"Hold your little girlfriend back."