Team Choza left the Hokage's office and went straight to the village library to select their jutsus which they were getting as a reward for their efforts in the war.
The process did not take long because each of them already had a clear idea of what would be most useful for each of them.
Shunsui did not spend much time thinking about his own choice. He had already realised that ordinary ninjutsu would always remain secondary for him. In real battles he relied far more on his kenjutsu and the games created by his Shikai than on hand seal techniques. And now he also had genjutsu in the mix.
Even so he picked the single most useful jutsu this world had to offer and one he was certain he would use both inside and outside of combat.
Yup, He had selected the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He knew he would not be able to use his Shikai through a shadow clone because there was only one pair of Katen Kyōkotsu in existence and the swords themselves could not be cloned.
Still he wanted to test whether he could make the clones into participants of his games and see what rules the Shikai would accept.
He wondered if a clone could take the penalty for losing a game in his place though he doubted the system would allow something that convenient.
His Shikai always selected him as a core participant after all. At best he might be able to add a shadow clone as an extra player inside an already active game and gain some tactical flexibility from the arrangement.
Once the selections were finished the four of them stepped back out into the afternoon light of the village.
Choza stopped them once on the streets before they went to their respective homes. "Alright team. We might not be able to meet as regularly from now on because of the new assignments. But every Sunday if you are inside the village you will come to my house for dinner. That is not a suggestion."
He then turned to his two newly chunin students. "Genma and Guy, you will continue your individual training and we will still take one mission together each week so you do not lose the habit of working as a unit. Shunsui learning directly from Shikaku and the Hokage himself is a rare opportunity so do not get lazy about the office work."
The three younger shinobi nodded in understanding.
They then stepped forward and wrapped their arms around their large jonin sensei in a group hug. Shunsui's voice came out muffled against the flak jacket, "You take care of yourself too sensei. You are getting thin these days because you worry about us too much. If you keep losing weight the other Akimichi will start thinking you have switched clans. We cannot have the great Choza looking like an ordinary sized person. The village needs its reliable mountain."
The team finally parted ways. Shunsui turned toward the familiar road that led to the orphanage which was still the only home he claimed.
There was no point wasting money on a private house when he could continue living on the donations and support that already kept the orphanage running.
Most academy graduates were required to leave once they became genin yet the matron had never asked him to move out.
Shunsui was fairly certain the decision had less to do with deep maternal love and more to do with her constant worry that he would become lazy the moment he lived alone and would slowly drift away from the path of the Will of Fire.
The idea that the old woman kept him under her roof mainly to supervise his moral development never failed to amuse him.
He pushed open the front door of the orphanage and called out in a casual voice. "I am home."
The words were barely finished before a group of the younger children appeared from several doorways at once and crowded around him with excited shouts.
Shunsui raised both hands in surrender and laughed. "Yeah yeah I already know what you want. I brought sweets for all of you. Take them and share properly. And make sure you brush your teeth afterwards. I am not taking anyone to the dentist if you end up with holes in your teeth. The dentist asks too many questions and I have already had enough serious conversations for one day."
The children cheered in a single loud wave of "Yayy!" and immediately began negotiating who would get which piece of candy.
The matron herself walked into the main room a moment later. Her sharp eyes looked Shunsui up and down as if checking for missing limbs. "Ah boy it is good to see you alive."
Shunsui tilted his head and answered with mild suspicion. "You do not sound entirely happy about it."
The matron folded her arms and launched into the lecture he had half expected. "Of course I am not happy. You are supposed to be out on the battlefront spreading the Will of Fire and setting a proper example and instead you are already back inside the village. You do not even look injured. Did the fighting scare you into running home early or did you simply get lazy and decide the war could continue without you?"
She kept going without giving him space to answer. "A true shinobi of Konoha stays on the field until the work is finished. Look at you standing here without a single bandage or a story about crawling through the mud for three days. I raised you better than this. The Will of Fire does not take holidays just because a boy decides he misses warm meals and a soft bed."
Shunsui endured the scolding and only muttered, "Crazy old woman. I almost died out there more than once."
He then glanced around the room and the visible hallways with caution. His body was ready to dodge in a moment's notice while he searched for any sign of a certain small figure who specialised in surprise attacks.
The matron noticed the wary posture and understood it. "Ika is still at the academy. He will not be back for a while."
Shunsui let out a short breath of relief at the news. The matron however continued in a more hesitant tone. "But there is something you should know about Ika. Now that I think about it, It is better if you hear it directly from him after he comes back from the academy."
The way she chose her words immediately gave Shunsui a bad premonition. Whatever change had occurred with the boy while he was away on the front lines was clearly not a small one.
-------Author Notes--------
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