Too Similar

Fang Xu merely nodded.

"Oh."

Tsunade waited for a long while, but no follow-up came.

Her brow twitched.

"Oh?"

Fang Xu remained very calm.

"Mm. Oh."

The smile vanished from Tsunade's face on the spot.

She reached out, grabbed Fang Xu's cheek, and pulled it outward.

"Brat, what kind of reaction is that?"

Fang Xu's face was slightly distorted from the pinch, but his tone remained steady.

"Lady Tsunade, you never intended to take on a disciple, did you?"

Tsunade's fingers paused.

Fang Xu continued, "If you truly wanted to take one, you wouldn't have sneaked my snacks the moment you walked in, nor would you have circled around the matter for so long."

"Besides, I've already taken Teacher Sakumo as my swordsmanship master. If you were to take me in, it was most likely the Third Hokage's idea, not yours."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"How can you be so sure?"

Fang Xu said, "Ever since I found that copy of 'Thousand Hands Swordsmanship Insights' at home, I suspected my family was connected to the Senju."

Tsunade released his cheek.

Fang Xu rubbed his face and continued, "Later, I went to the library and looked through some public records. Many branches of the Senju merged into Konoha and stopped using the Senju surname."

"The things my parents left behind included Thousand Hands Swordsmanship Insights. That means my ancestors were most likely from a branch of the Senju."

Tsunade's gaze upon him grew more serious.

"You already knew you were a descendant of the Senju?"

"Only a deduction."

Fang Xu said, "But it was probably right."

Tsunade asked, "What else did you look into?"

Fang Xu thought for a moment before answering honestly, "The First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and some records about the Senju."

He paused, then added another sentence.

"Of course, I also looked into you."

Tsunade raised a brow.

"You looked into me?"

"Mm."

Fang Xu's tone was very sincere.

"There wasn't much information, but I could tell that you hadn't taken any disciples before and didn't much like trouble."

Tsunade stared at him.

Fang Xu's expression did not change.

"To put it bluntly, you seemed rather laid-back."

A vein throbbed at Tsunade's temple.

"Brat, you're calling me laid-back right to my face?"

Fang Xu immediately said, "That was the impression I got from the records and rumors. It doesn't represent my personal stance."

Tsunade nearly laughed from anger.

This brat really knew how to make his words slippery.

He knew when to back down, yet when it was time to push back, he did not yield at all.

She truly had no interest in taking a disciple, but seeing how clear-headed Fang Xu was now, she understood why the old man had his eye on him.

Six years old.

A descendant of the Senju.

Able to tie with Kakashi.

And not some foolish little brat whose blood would boil after a few sweet words.

Tsunade dropped the teasing expression from her face and said directly, "You guessed right. I have no plans to take a disciple."

Fang Xu nodded.

"I could tell."

"But I won't pretend I haven't seen a descendant of the Senju."

Tsunade took two scrolls from her robe and placed them on the table.

Fang Xu's gaze immediately fell upon them.

Several words were written on the cover of the first scroll.

Shadow Clone Technique.

The second scroll read—

Water Release: Water Wave Technique.

Fang Xu's breathing visibly halted.

Tsunade noticed his reaction, and only then did the corner of her mouth lift in satisfaction.

"I thought nothing mattered to you."

Fang Xu did not pretend otherwise.

"These two scrolls will be very useful to me."

"Good that you know."

Tsunade pointed at the Shadow Clone Technique scroll.

"The Shadow Clone Technique is not an ordinary Clone Technique. The clones are physical entities. They divide your Chakra, and once they are dispelled, their memories and fatigue return to the original body."

"You're smart and willing to work hard. This technique truly suits you."

"But don't use it recklessly."

Her tone became more serious.

"Your Chakra reserves aren't particularly impressive right now. Making too many shadow clones isn't training. It's courting death."

Fang Xu nodded earnestly.

"I understand."

Tsunade pointed at the other scroll again.

"Water Release: Water Wave Technique is suitable for building your foundation in Water Release."

"You have a water nature. It would be a shame not to train it."

"Consider these two scrolls a gift for our first meeting."

Fang Xu looked at the scrolls on the table, warmth rising in his heart.

The Shadow Clone Technique.

It was something he had wanted for a long time.

With it, his learning speed could rise by another huge margin.

Water Release: Water Wave Technique was practical as well.

Although Lightning Release was his strongest nature, he also possessed water and earth natures.

If he wanted to walk steadily in the future, he could not rely only on the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and Lightning Release.

Tsunade looked at him, her voice no longer as casual as before.

"Fang Xu, the Shinobi World is not peaceful."

"Since you have talent and are a descendant of the Senju, don't waste it."

"Become stronger."

"And do your best to stay alive."

Fang Xu looked up at her.

At that moment, he could sense that Tsunade was not merely saying the right things.

She truly hoped he would survive.

Fang Xu stood and gave her a solemn bow.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade waved her hand and rose to head for the door.

When she reached it, she stopped again.

"If you run into trouble you can't solve in the future, you can come find me at the Senju Residence."

She thought for a moment, then added,

"Or at the Ninja Hospital."

"But don't come bothering me over trivial things. I don't like being troubled by small matters."

Fang Xu followed her to the door.

"I'll remember that. Thank you for tonight, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade turned back to look at him.

"Call me something else."

Fang Xu was taken aback.

"What?"

Tsunade crossed her arms.

"Aren't you a descendant of the Senju? Calling me Lady Tsunade all the time—doesn't that sound too distant?"

Fang Xu immediately understood.

"Sister Tsunade."

Only then did Tsunade nod in satisfaction.

"That's more like it."

She was about to leave when her gaze stopped on Fang Xu's face.

The light inside the house spilled out, falling over his short hair and features.

In that instant, Tsunade froze.

Fang Xu's face was naturally not Tobirama Senju's.

Yet his short hair, the cool lines around his brows and eyes, and the contours of his nose bridge and jaw all reminded her of her second grandfather from her memories.

Especially when he stood there quietly.

He looked far too similar.

Tsunade fell silent for half a second, then quickly came back to herself and waved her hand.

"Go back inside."

With that, she turned and left.

Fang Xu stood at the doorway, watching Tsunade's back disappear into the night. Gratitude welled up within him.

Tsunade said she would not take a disciple, but there was not the slightest hint of perfunctoriness in what she had given him.

The Shadow Clone Technique.

Water Release: Water Wave Technique.

And her words that he could come find her if he had trouble.

He would definitely repay this kindness someday.

Fang Xu shut the door and returned to the table.

He had managed to remain composed in front of Tsunade just now.

Now that he was alone in the room, he could finally no longer suppress the curve of his lips.

He picked up the Shadow Clone Technique scroll, growing more excited the longer he looked at it.

"This is the real training accelerator."

The greatest value of shadow clones was not merely combat, but learning.

Once a clone was dispelled, its experience and memories returned to the original body.

That meant he could have shadow clones help study scrolls, practice the basics, and organize his thoughts.

Swordsmanship, ninjutsu, Chakra control, even improvements to Lightning Mode—shadow clones could speed up all of it.

Of course, that was only if his Chakra could support it.