The ancestral lands of the Senju clan were located on the eastern side of Konohagakure, directly opposite the Uchiha Clan Territory on the west.
Shinji traversed most of the village before finally arriving in this area. Once covered in dense vegetation with vast woodlands and open plazas, it was now completely desolate, leaving only a bleak and deserted landscape.
As one of the founding clans of Konohagakure, the Senju had chosen to fully integrate into the village. It was truly lamentable that the only remaining clan member was now Tsunade.
Shinji walked down a quiet street and found an old, antiquated house. It stood in stark contrast to the surrounding desolation. The weeds in the courtyard had been meticulously trimmed, and among the paving stones were several new ones, their color clashing with the old stones—clear evidence of recent renovations.
This was Tsunade's home.
Before returning to the village, Tsunade had specifically instructed him to come see her when he had time.
Shinji frowned. He intended to complete this task before leaving the village.
As soon as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he saw Shizune carefully watering flowers in the yard with a watering can. Hearing the noise, she looked up and exclaimed happily, "Shinji, you're here!"
Shinji smiled and nodded. "I'm here to see Teacher Tsunade."
Shizune quickly put down the watering can and warmly welcomed him inside. As she led the way, she sighed helplessly. "Make yourself at home. Lady Tsunade is still sleeping. She's always so lazy when she's at home. Please wait a moment; I'll go get her."
Shinji was about to say he could wait, but Shizune had already hurried upstairs with quick, light steps.
He could only smile wryly.
Sunlight filtered through the newly replaced paper doors of the old house, breathing a bit of life into the room.
Before long, soft footsteps sounded from the stairs.
Tsunade descended from the second floor. She was loosely draped in a large, off-white nightgown, the collar slightly open, revealing a glimpse of her slender collarbone. Her long hair was casually tied back, exuding the laziness and weariness of someone who had just woken up.
She walked barefoot on the slightly cool wooden floor, her toes rounded and her steps so light they were almost silent.
A section of pale, smooth calf swayed gently beneath the hem of her nightgown.
The sight made Shinji sneak a few glances despite himself.
Tsunade walked up to Shinji, casually smoothing her stray strands of hair. She stretched and yawned, her tone casual. "You're here."
Shinji quickly stood up. Looking at the lazy and carefree Tsunade before him, he couldn't help but say, "Teacher Tsunade, I am, after all, a man. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to appear before me like this?"
Only then did Shizune, standing behind Tsunade, notice the slightly open collar of her nightgown. Her cheeks flushed bright red. She hurried forward, reaching out to pull Tsunade's nightgown collar up a bit to cover the exposed skin, muttering in complaint, "Lady Tsunade, Shinji is still here!"
Tsunade, however, paid no mind. Instead, she straightened her posture slightly and shot Shinji a teasing, dismissive look. "You're still just a kid!"
The implication was clear: you still have a long way to go!
Shinji's face darkened, a wave of frustration welling up inside him. He really wanted to "teach" this unreliable teacher a lesson but forcefully suppressed the impulse.
He took a deep breath and changed the subject. "Tsunade-sensei, did you need something from me?"
Tsunade walked straight to the sofa and sat down, casually crossing one leg as she spoke in a calm tone. "Since I've taken you as my student, I should at least fulfill my duties as a teacher."
"I'll teach you all the knowledge of Medical Ninjutsu, along with everything related to it."
"Once I've passed everything on to you, I'll still have to leave Konohagakure for a while."
At this point, she irritably pinched the bridge of her nose. She had already stayed in Konohagakure long enough since returning. She had originally wanted to go out and clear her mind but ended up taking Shinji as her student halfway through.
She could take Shizune with her, but she couldn't bring Shinji along.
Tsunade glared fiercely at Shinji—she was putting all the blame for this on him.
She turned to Shizune and ordered, "Shizune, bring that over."
"That?" Shizune was momentarily puzzled before understanding dawned on her. She grinned and hurried into the adjacent room. Moments later, she returned carrying a heavy wooden chest and handed it to Shinji. "Here you go."
Shinji took it with both hands, immediately sinking under its considerable weight. At Tsunade's gesture, he opened the lid. "What's this?"
Tsunade swung her bare ankle casually, her tone light but firm. "I've observed you. Your grasp of the foundational system of Medical Ninjutsu is still very shallow. You must build a solid foundation from the ground up. From now on, memorize all these books."
A mischievous smirk curled at the corner of her mouth as she deliberately emphasized, "All—of—them."
"This is your assignment!"
Shinji was completely stunned. The chest was packed full of medical books and scrolls covering Chakra control, herb identification, the Chakra Pathway System and Tenketsu, battlefield first aid, and more—at least thirty or forty volumes in total.
"Isn't this a bit too much!"
Shizune patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I went through the same thing back in the day, Shinji. Hang in there."
Seeing Shinji's dazed expression, Tsunade's mood instantly brightened.
Half an hour later, Shinji left the Senju clan grounds carrying the heavy wooden chest. He and Tsunade agreed that he would report his progress to her every three days.
Running his hand along the edge of the chest, he noticed that many of the medical books bore the secret collection seals of the Senju clan.
These were precious texts for Medical Ninja, and Tsunade hadn't withheld any of them because of his background.
Shinji's fondness for her immediately grew. He silently vowed to cure her hemophobia and surpass her!
...
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Please take these books back home."
Shinji patted his shadow clone's shoulder with a faint smile, feeling like he was getting lazier by the day.
The shadow clone clicked its tongue in annoyance, swatting away the original's hand with a look of "don't touch me" disdain.
It picked up the chest from the ground and walked away without even glancing back at the original.
Shinji: "..."
Following his memory, he made his way through the eastern side of Konohagakure until he finally found the house with the "Yuhi" nameplate at the end of a quiet alley.
He and Kurenai Yuhi were teammates, and he had visited her home a few times before.
This time, he had come to inform her in advance about his secret mission outside the village.
The door opened.
"Shinji!"
Kurenai's voice carried clear surprise, clearly not expecting his sudden appearance.
"Kurenai, I need to talk to you."
"Come in first!"
"Sure, is it convenient? Is Uncle Yuhi not home?"
Kurenai Yuhi nodded gently, her expression troubled. "She went to attend a Jonin meeting. She's been very busy lately and came back very late last night."
She bent down and took out a pair of men's slippers from the entranceway, placing them softly on the floor. "Please use my father's for now."
Shinji didn't think much of it and slipped into the spare slippers by stepping on the heels.
Kurenai was wearing a light gray cotton house dress, her eyes gentle and smiling as she looked at him.
"Would you like to come in and see my room?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly, her tone carrying a hint of barely noticeable nervousness and anticipation. His sudden visit had both surprised and delighted her.
Shinji's voice trembled lightly. "Is that okay?"