"Then what should I train in now, Sis Tsunade? Taijutsu?" Naoki Senju asked, somewhat puzzled, while a faint anticipation stirred within him. If he wasn't learning Water Release, didn't that leave only Wood Release?
"That was the original plan. Finding Orochimaru will take at least several months, so I intended to use that time to teach you some basic ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, then start teaching you Wood Release after we found him. But judging by your talent for ninjutsu, those preparations clearly aren't enough."
Seeing that Naoki Senju's eyes were practically shining, Tsunade stopped keeping him in suspense and smiled slyly. "So next, I'll teach you some higher-level ninjutsu, such as advanced Water Release Ninjutsu with an A-rank difficulty. Well? Want to learn?"
That smile...
Naoki Senju immediately grew wary. Whenever Tsunade wore that smile, it usually meant she had her eye on something, and the only thing he had that seemed worth her attention was his meager wealth...
"What? Don't tell me you don't want to learn?"
Tsunade draped an arm around Naoki Senju's shoulders and winked mischievously. Could he stand for this? Absolutely not!
"Yes! I have to learn," Naoki Senju answered through "gritted teeth." Though he would inevitably take a hefty financial hit this time, his money wouldn't come that easily. Sooner or later, Tsunade would have to... repay him with her body...
Chuckling, Tsunade let go of Naoki, looking like a pretty fox that had stolen a chicken, utterly unaware that this was merely bait...
"A-rank ninjutsu is worlds apart from C-rank ninjutsu in difficulty. You can't learn it yet. First, you need to practice chakra control. Learning my Medical Ninjutsu later will also require precise chakra control."
Tsunade surveyed the courtyard, only to discover awkwardly that, after suffering destruction at both her hands and Naoki's, the large tree in the courtyard could no longer serve as a training tool.
"Come on, let's use another courtyard." With that, she turned and strode briskly away.
Understanding dawned on Naoki Senju. This had to be the classic Tree Climbing Practice and Water Walking training. There had to be something special about it for it to become required training for Konoha ninja. Not only did it develop chakra control, but its practical applications were also outstanding.
Fortunately, Naoki had rented quite a few courtyards. After avoiding Shizune's courtyard, Tsunade picked one at random.
"Gather chakra in the soles of your feet and use it to stick to the trunk. Then you can walk up it one step at a time like this. Give it a try."
Hanging upside down from the tree trunk, Tsunade dropped lightly to the ground. Perhaps her yukata was also held in place by chakra; it actually defied the law of gravity entirely, revealing not a hint of anything. Damn that chakra!
Tsunade had no idea what Naoki was thinking. Applying chakra to the surface of her body to hold her clothes in place and prevent accidental exposure was merely instinctive. She raised an eyebrow at Naoki Senju, who was "studying carefully" nearby. She wanted to see whether his chakra control was as monstrous as his talent for ninjutsu.
Naoki Senju copied her, gathering chakra in the soles of his feet and stepping onto the trunk. On the first step, his chakra was evenly distributed and the force was just right. Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.
On the second step, Naoki stood entirely on the tree trunk.
But his third step left a deep footprint in the trunk, and he lost his balance, falling from the tree.
Tsunade immediately burst into utterly unsympathetic laughter, her body shaking with mirth. Fortunately, Naoki Senju's chakra control wasn't very good. Otherwise, what would she, his older cousin, have left to teach him? How could she rightfully collect money for her gambling?
When Naoki Senju fell out of the tree for the second time, Tsunade nearly laughed herself breathless. Only when Naoki glared at her did she wave a hand.
"All right, all right. Take your time practicing. Your big sister's off to soak in the hot spring."
"This won't work. I keep putting out too much chakra, which cracks the trunk under my feet. Then I lose my balance and fall."
Covered in grass stains from his falls, Naoki Senju decided to stop charging ahead blindly. Single-minded people like Naruto and Sasuke were a minority, after all. He needed science, not the Will of Fire.
Naoki Senju's gaze slowly drifted toward the courtyard wall, and a flash of inspiration gave him an idea. The wood wasn't hard enough, so even a little excess chakra would crack it underfoot. But with a wall made of brick, stone, and cement, he wouldn't have to worry about its strength. He would start with the easy option, then.
With his plan decided, Naoki Senju immediately put it into action. Reality proved his method workable: step by step, he actually managed to walk straight up the courtyard wall, which stood over five meters tall.
But once he reached the top of the wall, Naoki Senju no longer wanted to come down...
In the courtyard on the left were Shizune and Tonton. Shizune already possessed an entire airfield at such a young age-utterly flat and unremarkable, with nothing to see. But in the courtyard on the right, the person soaking in the hot spring was Tsunade!!!
And Tsunade seemed to have had a few extra drinks while soaking. Her cheeks were flushed as she dozed in the hot spring. Since she was bathing, there was naturally no need to wear a yukata...
"Tsk, tsk. That figure really is incredible. They actually float~"
Naoki Senju clicked his tongue in wonder. Just as he became engrossed in watching, Tsunade seemed to sense something. Her eyes opened, her sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings before lingering on Naoki's courtyard for a long time.
"What a little pervert."
After that laughing scold, Tsunade rose from the hot spring, letting her lovely figure stand exposed to the air. Water droplets slid down her curvaceous body as she slipped on the outer robe left beside the spring and chuckled.
"Looks like my charm hasn't diminished in the slightest. Time for bed. Staying up late is beauty's worst enemy."
Beside the courtyard wall, Naoki Senju suppressed his presence and hid carefully. Tsunade truly lived up to her reputation as one of the Sannin. Even in an utterly relaxed state, she could detect him. It seemed he would have to be extremely careful in the future, or the next person to have three to five ribs broken...
Ten minutes later, after confirming that Tsunade wasn't storming over to break his ribs, Naoki Senju returned to the tree and continued training his chakra control.
With his first experience of controlling chakra for an extended period behind him, Naoki made visible progress when he resumed Tree Climbing Practice, going from managing only four or five steps at first to grasping the knack of controlling chakra.
Early the next morning, Shizune rose early as usual and began her first task: waking Lady Tsunade and Lord Naoki from their sound sleep.
"Honestly, Lady Tsunade. Why did you drink that much again last night? Aren't we supposed to be traveling today?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know I was wrong. Let's go wake up the little pervert first."
"Little pervert... Lady Tsunade, how can you say that about Lord Naoki!"
The sleepy-eyed Tsunade led the way, with Shizune following behind carrying Tonton, as they headed toward Naoki's courtyard.
"Lord Naoki, it's time for us to leave. Lord Naoki~"
"Shizune? I'm over here at the hot spring."
Shizune's pretty face flushed slightly, and she stopped going farther inside. Tsunade, however, perked up and quickened her pace. That little pervert had seen her body yesterday, so today she had to look at his in return. Otherwise, wouldn't she be losing out terribly?
"Lady Tsunade!"
Caught in a dilemma, Shizune could only lower her head and follow Tsunade with a red face.
But Tsunade, who was walking ahead, stopped without warning. With her head lowered, Shizune bumped into Tsunade's back without noticing. Feeling a little puzzled, Shizune looked up, only to be stunned by the sight before her as well.
Naoki Senju was indeed in the hot spring, but he wasn't soaking naked in it. He was standing on the surface of the hot spring water!