第9章 您这话可就太谦虚了

He was so angry that he grabbed Tsunade, intending to give her a good talking-to so she would understand that being a "little princess" and being a "brat" were two entirely different things.

However, before Hibari could even finish his second sentence of lecturing, Tsunade was the one who got annoyed by his fiery tone. She raised her hand and landed a solid punch right on Hibari's eye socket, then pulled a big, mocking face.

"I'm never playing with you again, Hibari-ge!"

She shouted this childish declaration and then turned on her heel, running off with a rhythmic thump-thump-thump.

Truth be told, this girl Tsunade had never known how to pull her punches since she was little; it was no wonder she would later beat Jiraiya so badly. This punch, carrying the early signs of "Strength of a Hundred," landed on the unsuspecting Hibari's eye socket and left him stunned. By the time he came to his senses, he could only watch helplessly as those short legs disappeared in a flash.

Thus began the current scene—Hibari chasing Tsunade all over the Senju Clan estate.

"Hibari-ge!" Tsunade shouted while running for her life, not forgetting to look back and "warn" him with a hint of fear, "As a man of the Senju Clan, your heart and capacity are what matter most. You can't get angry at everything. Great-Grandfather said so, don't you forget it!"

"Is what you did even human behavior?" Hibari's temper flared even higher upon hearing this. "And you dare to hit your older brother! If I don't discipline you today, will you be burning down our house tomorrow?!"

However, while he roared fiercely, his feet slowed down involuntarily, fearing that if he chased too hard, the little one might trip. He figured he would wait until she ran out of steam and stopped on her own before giving her a proper lesson.

As he rounded a corner, Tsunade's figure vanished from his sight. When Hibari caught up and looked, well, the little one had already climbed into someone's arms and was nestled there, winking and making faces at him.

"Hibari."

A gentle, soft, yet dignified voice drifted over, causing Hibari to catch his breath. He looked up at the figure holding Tsunade.

It was a woman with long, wine-red hair. Her posture was elegant and her face beautiful, though there was a touch of heroic spirit in her brow that gave her a unique charm. On her forehead was a diamond-shaped mark.

Hibari knew that was the famous "Yin Seal," the very technique that allowed her to maintain her youthful appearance.

This was his and Tsunade's grandmother, the mistress of the Senju household, and the wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama—Uzumaki Mito.

"What's the matter, chasing little Tsunade around so early in the morning?" Grandma Mito asked with a smile.

Hibari first glared fiercely at Tsunade, who was still making faces, before speaking with some annoyance: "Grandma Mito, don't even mention it, it's infuriating! If Princess Tsunade isn't reined in, she's going to become completely lawless!"

He then proceeded to "embellish" the "good deeds" little Tsunade had committed, which made Mito cover her mouth and chuckle from time to time.

"Even that box of pastries I specifically bought to honor you was secretly eaten by her, and she took two or three bites out of every single piece, leaving them scattered all over the table!"

After Hibari finished his rambling complaint, he walked over to Mito and naturally took the light parcels from her hands. "You tell me, shouldn't this little girl be disciplined?"

Seeing how sensible Hibari was, Mito smiled and said, "Little Tsunade acting out like this is indeed unseemly. I thought letting her be lively when she was younger would be good, but I didn't expect her to be spoiled rotten by your Grandfather Hashirama, becoming more mischievous by the day. Hibari, I will have a talk with her. As her older brother, don't always hold a grudge against her, understand?"

Hearing his grandmother say this, Hibari could only nod. "I understand, Grandma Mito. If I really wanted to hit her, would I have let her run so far? I was just trying to scare her..."

Uzumaki Mito knew better and nodded with a chuckle. Her gaze fell on little Tsunade, who was looking a bit wilted in her arms, and she reached out to flick her forehead lightly.

"Tsunade, you must remember, you are not just a child of the Senju Clan, you are also the 'Princess' of the Land of Fire. Since you are a princess, you must act like one. It's fine to play, but there must be limits, understand?"

Little Tsunade bit her lip and nodded aggrievedly. "I know, Grandma Mito..."

Then, she turned to look at Hibari, her big eyes blinking, and her little voice dragged out long. "Hibari-ge... please forgive me too..."

Since Grandma Mito had said she would handle it, Hibari had no intention of being difficult anymore, especially since being looked at by this little girl made his lingering anger vanish into thin air.

"Hmph, you're lucky this time, with Grandma Mito protecting you." Hibari curled his lip, deliberately keeping a straight face. "If you act like a 'brat' again next time, I really will put on my airs as an older brother and discipline you... Forget it, I'll let you off this time."

Seeing that the storm had passed, Uzumaki Mito smiled and turned to Hibari. "It's a coincidence, actually. I was thinking of looking for you this morning. Hibari, I heard you've started training under your Great-Uncle Tobirama, is that right?"

Hibari's skills were, truth be told, a hodgepodge of things picked up here and there. He would learn a few basics from one aunt today and a couple of moves from an uncle tomorrow, scraping together enough to master some ninjutsu.

Of course, Great-Uncle Hashirama and Great-Uncle Tobirama had given him pointers before, but both were very busy men, and Hibari was still young, so they hadn't taught him in a strictly systematic way. Thus, Grandma Mito's question was perfectly valid.

Hibari nodded. "That's right. Now that the Five Kage Summit is over, Great-Uncle said the peace treaty is signed, so there shouldn't be any fighting for a while. Once he had some free time, he figured that the old problem I've been dragging around wasn't going to solve itself, so he decided to start training me systematically."

Uzumaki Mito's smile deepened upon hearing this. "That's good.

I only have my sealing techniques to offer, which is limited. Your Great-Uncle Tobirama has a wealth of knowledge, and you are a clever child. If you can learn his skills, our Senju Clan will have a worthy successor."

Considering Hibari's trouble with water, Mito naturally skipped over Hashirama's Wood Release to avoid adding unnecessary pressure to the child.

Hibari laughed. "Grandma Mito, you are being too modest. Last time I used the Adamantine Sealing Chains you taught me, I really made a name for myself in front of Great-Uncle Hashirama and Great-Uncle Tobirama!

You can't stop teaching me new things just because I'm training with Great-Uncle Tobirama. I've been eyeing that 'Yin Seal' for a long time, just waiting for a day when you're in a good mood so I can find an excuse to 'trick' it out of you!"

Although he used the word "trick," Uzumaki Mito was not annoyed; in fact, she was quite pleased.

She reached out and ruffled Hibari's hair, laughing, "The Yin Seal, is it... When the time comes, and I'm in a truly good mood, you can come and try to 'trick' it away... you little rascal."

Mito had originally intended to find Hibari, so running into him halfway saved her a trip. The three of them chatted as they walked toward Mito's residence.

"Grandma Mito, have Great-Uncle Hashirama and Great-Uncle Tobirama already gone out?" Hibari asked casually while carrying the light parcels beside Mito.

"Why? Are you in such a rush to start training?" Uzumaki Mito tilted her head, teasing him with a smile.

"That's not it." Hibari scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It was only decided yesterday that we would start training. You know how it is, most of Great-Uncle Tobirama's signature skills are Water Release, which I can't learn yet.

As for his 'miscellaneous' ninjutsu, I don't have the theoretical foundation to grasp them. So, I haven't quite figured out how to take the first step, just asking out of curiosity."

Truth be told, Hibari had never really taken a proper theory class. Just as Great-Uncle Tobirama always said, he only "knew how" to use them, not "understand" the principles. He could cast the ninjutsu, but that was all he could do.

Why did those hand seals produce a fireball? Why did those gestures summon a water dragon? To Hibari, it was like using a refrigerator without needing to understand refrigeration—since everyone else succeeded with those seals, he just followed along.

Therefore, while he had learned quite a few ninjutsu, the underlying logic—aside from the most basic knowledge and the bits he'd been taught by his great-uncles—remained a mystery to him.

But the situation was different now. Hibari was determined to follow Great-Uncle Tobirama's path of "scientific ninja arts," hoping to find a reliable way to cure his own condition.

Besides, learning well would complement his training; who knew, he might even be able to develop some more powerful ninjutsu later on? His strength would surely skyrocket.

So, Hibari was currently in a state of "wanting the refrigerator to cool, so I really have to learn the principles." However, as he said himself, he hadn't quite settled on how to take that first step.

"Then you really need to think it over carefully," Uzumaki Mito replied. "If your theoretical knowledge doesn't keep up, you'll find it harder to progress later on. Many complex ninjutsu aren't just about memorizing hand seals.

To be honest, I was quite surprised you could cast the 'Adamantine Sealing Chains.' But Hibari, luck won't feed you forever. Take the 'Yin Seal' you want to learn, for example..."

She paused before continuing: "It is far more complex than the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

It is a sealing technique that acts directly upon one's own body. The slightest mistake could lead to serious trouble. Teaching it to you now wouldn't be kindness; it would be harm. Wait until your Great-Uncle Tobirama thinks you are ready, then come and ask me for it... hehe."

"Hearing you put it that way, that makes sense." Hibari thought for a moment and grinned. "Alright then... I'll go to Great-Uncle's place later, swipe his keys, and start by hitting the books."

Hearing him say this, Uzumaki Mito couldn't help but smile, her expression filled with relief. "Your Great-Uncle Tobirama probably didn't spell it out for you because he wanted to see if you could figure out the first step on your own. It seems you aren't so impatient as to disappoint him."

Reading books and learning ninjutsu were two very different things. Ninjutsu, by itself, was a standalone item.

Even with a teacher, as long as the cause and effect were explained clearly, it was usually enough for a ninja. Learning a few would lead to a noticeable increase in strength in a short time.