Chapter 42: A Scroll and a New Path
Watching Shinra's "righteous and decisive" choice of Tsunade, the expressions on the faces of the other three men shifted into varying shades of knowing strangeness. They were all adults. They understood the… nuances of the decision-making process perfectly well.
"Fine, fine! You little devil, you chose well!" Jiraiya grumbled, not caring to hide the mix of envy and petty jealousy on his face as he glared at Shinra.
Shinra offered no defense, nor did he confirm the unspoken accusation. He simply shot Jiraiya a proud, slightly smug look, which nearly sent the future legendary sage into another apoplectic fit.
"What kind of look is that, you brat?!" Jiraiya roared, reaching out to deliver a playful but heavy chop to the top of Shinra's head.
Shinra didn't bother dodging. He just stood there, enduring the thump while maintaining that same, utterly unimpressed expression.
"JIRAIYA!!!"
BOOM!
Tsunade's roar preceded the violent impact. Her leg lashed out in a blur, connecting squarely with Jiraiya's midsection. The white-haired ninja let out a comical yelp as the force of the kick sent him sailing out the already damaged window of the Hokage's office.
Orochimaru watched this unfold with an air of utter boredom, as if witnessing a daily ritual. Sarutobi Hiruzen simply covered his forehead with one hand and shook his head slowly, a portrait of long-suffering patience. For some reason, looking at Shinra's unrepentant face, even he felt the kid might have deserved a light thumping.
"Thank you, Tsunade-sensei, for teaching that bad guy a lesson!" Shinra turned his bright, innocent, and utterly shameless smile on Tsunade.
"Ah, ah, it's no trouble at all!" Tsunade was momentarily taken aback by the sheer audacity, then immediately charmed. "Who told you to be my precious apprentice!"
"Ahem." Hiruzen cleared his throat, his expression turning serious as he cut through the warm scene. "Enough of that. The mission I mentioned earlier requires the three of you to depart immediately. As for instructing Shinra, that will have to wait until you return."
At the Hokage's shift in tone, both Tsunade and Orochimaru straightened, their playful and bored expressions vanishing into professional focus.
"Understood!"
In unison, they turned to leave.
Shinra's mouth twitched slightly. He hadn't expected his brand-new, formidable, and aesthetically pleasing sensei to be shipping out before he could even get a single lesson.
Just as a flicker of disappointment crossed his mind, Tsunade, who had reached the doorway, paused. Without looking back, she flicked her wrist.
A cyan scroll traced a neat arc through the air, flying directly toward Shinra.
Shinra's reflexes caught it instinctively.
"This is…"
He was puzzled for a second, then unrolled it a fraction. His eyes widened, then gleamed with pure delight.
Indeed! It's the secret ninjutsu of the Senju Clan—the Body Pathway Derangement technique that forms the basis for the Strength of a Hundred Seal!
He gripped the scroll tightly. To hand over a clan secret technique so freely to someone she'd just met… her trust, or perhaps her sheer, bold confidence, was staggering.
It was, without a doubt, the privilege of the Senju clan's princess.
"Listen up, brat!" Tsunade's voice carried from the hallway, where she was presumably dragging a groaning Jiraiya along. "Train hard with that! If you haven't made decent progress by the time I get back, don't blame me for being ruthless…"
Her pink fist shot up in a mock threat, then descended with a audible thwack onto what was presumably Jiraiya's head again. A clear case of 'killing the chicken to warn the monkey'—or in this case, 'pummeling the toad to motivate the student.'
The evening sun slanted through the broken window, casting long shadows. Watching the noisy, chaotic, yet strangely harmonious duo disappear, a genuine, amused smile touched Shinra's lips. In that moment, he felt an inexplicable, faint sense of belonging to this loud, messy, complicated village called Konoha.
"Alright," Hiruzen said, appearing beside Shinra as the commotion faded. "They're heading to the border. Things have been restless lately. It may be some time before you see them again."
He paused, his expression turning grave. "However, to further your training, I've decided to grant you early graduation and have you join a special training unit within the Anbu… one that reports directly to me. What do you think?"
Join the Anbu?
Shinra had anticipated something like this.
As the Hokage's personal force, the Anbu's strength and resources were unquestionable. The things he could learn and experience there would be leagues beyond anything the Academy could offer. Furthermore, joining the Anbu meant he would be eligible for real missions.
Real combat. The life-and-death struggles he craved.
Playing around with children at the Academy no longer offered him any challenge or pressure. Shinra knew he could only grow further by being tempered in real blood and fire.
The Anbu was the perfect crucible for rapid, extreme growth.
"Agreed," Shinra nodded without hesitation.
Seeing Shinra accept the Anbu path so decisively, a look of deep satisfaction and relief crossed Hiruzen's weary face.
"Good. Tomorrow, an Anbu operative will come for you. Follow them and learn diligently. Grow strong, as quickly as you can."
As he spoke, Hiruzen's gaze grew distant and troubled, his face clouding over with a deep-seated worry.
Shinra watched him, his own brow furrowing slightly. He understood.
The Second Great Shinobi World War…
…was likely just on the horizon.
(End of Chapter)
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