Chapter 184: Yet Another Year Over
"Sensei! Hey, Sensei!"
Hearing the familiar voice of Ami behind me, I turned and tilted my head as I stared at the arrogant purple haired girl as she ran towards me, the slightly shorter brown haired Tenten right behind her as the two girls skidded to a stop, grinning and beaming together as they ignored everyone else and focused on just me.
"Hm? What do the two of you want?"
Tenten was the one to answer, the shorter girl blinking a few times as she noticed that Tsunade was beside me before saying "O-Oh, we wanted to come say thanks again! For teaching us another year. We learned a lot, and we've been practicing daily to prepare for next year!"
I smiled down at the two girls, nodding my head and reaching forwards to ruffle their hair, finding it amusing how they both closed their eyes and leaned into my hands like they were dogs.
"Remember to take a rest day as well. Chakra can only do so much... but I am happy to hear that, girls. Practicing your martial arts and jutsus will prepare you wonderfully for your last year at the Academy."
They both nodded, before stiffening slightly as Tsunade added "If the test is still the same from when I took it all that time ago, the two of you will do fine. Don't get conceited though; there is always someone better than you, no matter how strong, knowledgeable, talented or superior you think you might be. Remember that."
Ami nodded again, her smile fading as it was replaced with determination, while Tenten stared at Tsunade with awe, her reverence for the Senju Princess evident for all to see, which made Tsunade cough beside me as she looked away.
"Ah, we need to get going girls. Go, take a break. I heard the tea shop that way is both cheap and quite good! Sit down and relax, hm?"
Grabbing Tenten's hand, Ami grinned again as she said "Oh! Tea sounds great! C'mon Tenten! See ya Sensei! Lady Tsunade!"
Before she could say anything, Tenten was pulled away, allowing Tsunade to breath out a sigh of relief as she watched them go, her brown eyes filled with conflicted emotions as she sighed again.
"Not used to someone looking up to you like that? Even still?"
Turning towards me, Tsunade frowned, walking with me as I continued to make my way through Konoha's streets, going to place orders at various stalls for the things we needed for the summer; food, materials, necessities, the list was long and expensive, but thanks to Kurenai, Anko and I being certified Jonin, Cameia being known as a Jonin level Shinobi, and the knowledge that Tsunade was living on our compound, many stores were willing to take invoices of monthly payments, much like the other Clans.
So I no longer needed to carry around multiple loads of groceries or other items, so long as I placed the order for them anyways; that was especially useful since I was currently very, very pregnant.
Just another few weeks before my third child is born, which will be followed by a few years of watching all three grow before I bring about a fourth.
"I... Yes, still. Seeing the younger generations venerate me as some sort of... genius capable of everything isn't something that I enjoy. Many others would be flattered, but its just a reminder that I am incapable of living up to their expectations, that I am nowhere near the healer they believe me to be."
Hearing the somber voice of the blonde haired beauty beside me, I sighed as well and rolled my eyes, my hand landing on my stomach as I said "No one is able to live up to those expectations. Jiraiya, Orochimaru... both of them spit on the reverence they had been given, albeit in different ways; ones a pervert and an unserious man, and the other is a traitor. Then there's the Hokage; all knowing, all powerful. God of Shinobi... and yet we both know Hiruzen isn't all knowing. Danzo was proof of that, no?"
Tsunade remained quiet beside me, making me sigh again as I glanced back at the busty Princess, asking "Tsunade, have you made any progress in your research?"
She blinked, surprised at the change in topic but not arguing with it as she replied "I have. I managed to create a rather solid Henge that adds... that to my body, and I have been getting closer to understanding how to substitute chakra for... y'know. It's slowly coming together... Why, did you want to try it out~?"
Seeing her go from gloomy to grinning like I lecher, I rolled my eyes at how she proved her own point, though I said nothing as we approached a stall, the vendor surprised to see us before taking my order.
"Did YOU want to try that Henge out, Kokoro? Get to experience what its like to have a mighty and powerful member, like all three of your wives? Or... did you want to experience the feeling of a fourth at the same time~?"
I rolled my eyes again, replying "Both." to the busty woman, making her go silent for a brief moment before that grin returned, only to have it stiffen as she said "I'd... rather wait till after this passes, hm? I can say it doesn't affect your body, but I am against running the risk of you receiving that Henge in any way..."
Nodding, I continued to walk, finding myself curious about her breakthrough and wondering if it would eventually work; it was a rather interesting idea that I had given her, all that time ago, and now it seemed to finally be coming to fruition...
So much was happening in my life whilst it felt like nothing was happening... time drifted by steadily as another Academic year passed me by, while the time that I had been pregnant continued to grow, though that too was reaching an end as well.
These years were going far too quick for me, yet at the same time... I felt like time was slow as well, making me sigh as I continued to walk through the market with Tsunade, my mind drifting along as we finished shopping, chatting the entire time.
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Going to do like 3~4 chapters before the graduation into Genin, where the actual plot will return to a rather steady schedule; things will happen and the like, while family time and other character building moments will continue on as well.
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