Chapter 118: Tsunade's Lucky Kiss

Shinho Aburame exhaled slowly.

It had taken him five long years to reach the Upper stage of Rank Three, from the initial stage of Rank Two 

Five years!

According to the original lore, a Gu Master with A-level aptitude, even with the help of their family, would need about ten years to reach Rank Four.

Shinho's progress of advancing a rank and a half in just five years was incredibly fast by normal standards.

After all, the system only provided him with Gu insects; it didn't help him cultivate. He had to rely on himself, accumulating progress day by day.

Though technically at the Upper stage of Rank Three, he was essentially at the peak of it. 

This was thanks to the Seven-Fragrance Wine Gu, a reward from Tsunade's achievement "Best Cure for Fear."

The Seven-Fragrance Wine Gu is a Rank Three Gu, evolved from the Four flavour Wine Gu. It could refine true essence, boosting a Gu Master's essence by an entire sub-rank.

Thinking of Tsunade, Shinho glanced at the time, hurriedly got dressed, and jumped out of bed.

Shizune had been out on a mission for the past few days, so she had passed the duty of being Tsunade's personal alarm clock to him.

"Sensei!" Shinho knocked on the door and called out loudly.

"Shut up! Brat!" came the response as the door swung open, revealing a very irritated Tsunade, looking like a tousled golden-furred lion.

She was dressed in her yukata-style sleepwear, her golden hair a mess, sticking to her forehead as she glared at him, clearly unhappy about being woken up.

"Time to get up," Shinho said, glancing at her smooth, flawless skin. "The Hokage can't be late."

"I don't even need to go office with Shikaku there," Tsunade rolled her eyes, yawning. "You don't have to be as strict as Shizune."

"What do you want for breakfast?" Shinho ignored her complaints and asked.

"...Anything," Tsunade yawned again, turned around, and flopped back onto her bed.

"Remember to get up, or I'll have to come back with a bucker of water," Shinho said with a smile, leaving a playful threat as he shut the door and headed to the kitchen.

After thinking for a moment, he decided on today's breakfast.

Tonkotsu ramen.

He opened the fridge and took out the pork, fish slices, and corn, among other ingredients.

A few minutes later, Tsunade opened her eyes.

She turned over, staring at the ceiling as she slowly woke up.

It was time for work again, and at the thought of that, her face was filled with reluctance.

Although the Hokage Guard Platoon had made her job much easier, her personal time had been drastically reduced since becoming Hokage. 

Before, she could drink and gamble whenever she wanted, but now, every action of her was restricted.

Especially with Shizune and Shinho watching over her like taskmasters wielding whips, reminding her whenever she slacked off.

With a sigh, Tsunade sat up, shrugged off her yukata, and felt the fresh air on her skin. Like a ripe peach, her skin shimmered as she moved.

She changed into her clothes and made her way to the bathroom.

As she passed the kitchen, she stopped for a moment and glanced at Shinho.

He was wearing dark-colored casual pants and a short-sleeved shirt, standing over the stove as he cooked ramen.

Tsunade suddenly noticed that Shinho's height had nearly caught up to hers.

This kid is growing up so fast, she thought.

In the blink of an eye, he had already grown up to looking like an adult.

But fortunately, he hadn't grown into a gangly mess; instead, he had turned out quite handsome, transitioning from a cute boy to a good-looking young man.

Tsunade chuckled to herself.

Shinho really was someone she had raised from childhood, and thinking about it filled her with a sense of accomplishment.

With that, she turned and headed to the bathroom.

By the time she had washed up, two bowls of tonkotsu ramen were already set on the table.

"You've got your exam today, right?" Tsunade asked as she picked up her chopsticks, suddenly remembering.

"You actually remembered?" Shinho raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"What's that supposed to mean, brat?" Tsunade noticed the doubtful look in his eyes and immediately felt offended.

"The written graduation exam is in the morning, and the practical exam—the Three Basic Techniques test—is in the afternoon," Shinho said quickly, changing the subject.

"So you're graduating today!" Tsunade's tone softened.

"Yeah," Shinho nodded and reminded her, "Don't forget to prepare a list of instructors for this afternoon."

"You're such a pain in the ass!" Tsunade groaned, her face filled with frustration.

The Hokage personally oversaw team assignments. It was a task she couldn't avoid.

Team assignments were very delicate; not only did the students' personalities and abilities need to be considered, but the right instructors also had to be matched. 

Sometimes, even political factors played a role in how teams were formed.

Shinho couldn't help but smile.

For some reason, seeing Tsunade suffer brought him a strange sense of joy.

Maybe this is what they call, 'your pain is my happiness,' aka schadenfreude. 

"I've decided!" Tsunade's eyes lit up mischievously as she stared at him. "I'll put you, Hinata, and Ino on the same team."

"What did you say?" Shinho nearly choked on his ramen. "Don't mess around like that!"

Are you trying to kill me?

As they grew older, though Hinata hadn't changed much in personality, she had matured in some ways. More than once, Shinho had found her unconsciously competing with Ino.

Putting the two of them on the same team would be a nightmare for him.

"Am I messing around?" Tsunade's grin was bright, her earlier frustration vanishing in an instant.

She's doing this on purpose!

Shinho shot her a glare. "Ino is part of the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio. There's no way she'd end up on my team."

"I'm the Hokage!" Tsunade raised her chin, looking smug. "If I want to break up the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, I can."

"You'll regret it!" Shinho said in frustration.

Tsunade paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, her entire body shaking with amusement.

She was very familiar with that phrase.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi had been Hokage, every argument between him and Danzo always ended with those same words.

Back then, she hadn't fully understood it, but now she realized how satisfying it was to use that line.

After all, in Konoha, the Hokage had the final say in matters.

Once you pulled out the "I'm the Hokage" card, what else could people do? The most they could say was, "You'll regret it."

Shinho swallowed hard, feeling a little dizzy from watching her laugh. How am I supposed to stay mad at this?

"Hah, I'm just kidding," Tsunade waved her hand after she finished laughing. "So, who do you want as your instructor?"

"You," Shinho replied without hesitation.

"That's not happening," Tsunade said, shaking her head. "I'm the Hokage. I don't have time for that."

"Then Kakashi-sensei," Shinho suggested casually.

After having the achievement system for so long, he had figured out how it worked.

Achievements were more likely to trigger when connected to key characters or events from the original series.

The Uchiha massacre, for example, had triggered several achievements all at once.

"Kakashi isn't a bad choice," Tsunade nodded in agreement.

At least in terms of status, Kakashi was a good fit for her student.

Over the past five years, Shinho had mastered almost every medical jutsu aside from the Yin Seal. With Shinho's current abilities, he no longer really needed a sensei to guide him.

Still, being assigned to a genin team was an important step in one's career as a ninja. It helped students become proper Shinhobi and taught them the value of teamwork.

Tsunade didn't want Shinho to turn into a lone wolf, particularly when it came to forming bonds with his teammates.

However, given his behavior at the academy, her concern were rather unnecessary.

"My teammates should be Sasuke and Naruto," Shinho said, continuing the conversation.

"Oh?" Tsunade looked surprised. "I thought you'd choose Hinata."

Shinho had considered it, but he realized it wasn't necessary. If he picked Hinata, what about Ino? Balance was key in everything—either he chose them all or none at all, he had understood at least that much during the years.

"You have a good relationship with all of them. I can see how it's hard to choose," Tsunade mused. "But honestly, Sasuke and Naruto are probably the best fit."

Shinho was both a medical and sensory ninja, while Sasuke and Naruto were powerhouses when it came to offense. The three of them would make for an ideal balance in a genin team.

Additionally, Sasuke had become difficult to work with due to his issues involving Itachi.

Shinho was the only person Sasuke listened to. If Sasuke were assigned to a different team, it was clear he wouldn't acknowledge his teammates and act independently.

Naruto, on the other hand, was excitable and prone to recklessness. The only person capable of holding him back was Shinho.

In the original storyline, Sakura had been teamed with Naruto and Sasuke.

Besides her top grades in theoretical studies, there was also their intertwined relationships: Naruto liked Sakura, and Sakura liked Sasuke. It created a bond between them.

As for Sakura's medical potential, that only developed after the Chunin Exams. 

Due to Shinho's influence, Naruto no longer had feelings for Sakura, making her just another girl with a crush on Sasuke, much like many others. Even Tsunade didn't have much of an impression of her.

As they continued chatting, they finished their breakfast. 

Shinho took the dishes to the kitchen while Tsunade walked to the door, slipping her feet into high-heeled sandals. After checking that her red nail polish hadn't chipped, she leaned against the wall and waited.

A few minutes later, Shinho emerged from the kitchen, having finished cleaning up.

"Come here," Tsunade beckoned with a raised eyebrow.

"What's going on?" Shinho asked, a little confused.

"Stand still and turn around," Tsunade instructed.

Shinho did as he was told, and a few moments later, he felt something soft press against his back.

"I guess I won't be able to call you a little kid much longer," Tsunade said, measuring her hand against him in comparison.

At 163 centimeters tall, Tsunade was now only about a hand's width taller than Shinho. At this rate, he would surpass her in height within the year.

"You can call me that if you want," Shinho replied, indifferent.

"Of course I will," Tsunade huffed. "No matter how tall you grow, you'll always be my student."

"You're right, sensei," Shinho said, turning around with a smile.

Tsunade nodded, satisfied. Although he could be a handful at times, Shinho generally listened to her.

"I promised you a gift for graduation, didn't I?" Tsunade said as she reached behind her neck, unclasping a necklace. From the depths of her robe, she pulled out a crystal pendant.

Although it resembled jade, it was actually a chakra crystal—a relic left by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. 

Aside from its symbolic significance, it also had practical uses, like temporarily suppressing Nine-Tails chakra in the original series.

"Thank you, Sensei," Shinho said as he grasped the pendant, feeling its warmth.

Instinctively, his gaze wandered toward Tsunade's deep neckline.

"This necklace was my grandfather's," Tsunade said, a wistful and sorrowful expression crossing her face.

"It's something that precious?" Shinho hesitated. "Maybe you should keep it?"

In truth, Shinho was worried about the necklace's notorious curse, which had been associated with death in the past.

"A gift can't be taken back once given," Tsunade said, her emotions now under control. "Go ahead and wear it."

Shinho fastened the necklace around his neck.

"May you have a smooth graduation," Tsunade said as she stood on her toes and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead.

Caught off guard, Shinho barely had time to react. All he felt was the warmth and softness on his forehead.

"That's your lucky kiss," Tsunade said with a grin as she opened the door. "Now, you'll be late if you don't hurry."

"Sensei, weren't you just taking advantage of this poor old me?" Shinho teased as he followed her.

"And you think you can talk to your teacher like that?" Tsunade glared at him.

"But I feel like I got the short end of the stick here," Shinho grinned, stepping in front of her and leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "There, now it's fair."

Tsunade froze in shock, staring at Shinho's smiling face. For a moment, a strange and unfamiliar emotion welled up within her.

"You brat! Do you have a die already?!" Tsunade's face flushed as she clenched her fists in embarrassment.

"See you after school!" Shinho called, already bolting out the door. "See you tonight!"

In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Tsunade stomped her foot in frustration, but soon after, a smile tugged at her lips. She raised her hand to her forehead, where his kiss still lingered.

"That little brat sure is bold," she muttered with a huff.

She wasn't really angry; in fact, she found his playful attitude endearing.

As Shinho walked along the Konoha River, he stopped when he saw Mikoto and Sasuke Uchiha standing by the side of the road.

The route from the Uchiha compound to the academy didn't pass this way, so they were obviously waiting for him.

"Good morning, Aunt Mikoto," Shinho greeted. "Sasuke."

Ever since Fugaku Uchiha's death, Mikoto had assumed the role of temporary head of the Uchiha clan. Five years had passed since then, and although she still carried her gentle demeanor, there was now a dignified air about her.

However, to Sasuke and Shinho, she remained the warm, motherly figure she had always been.

"Good morning, Shinho," Mikoto replied, handing him a lunchbox. "Here, lunch for you."

"Thank you, Aunt Mikoto," Shinho said, not surprised at all.

By now, he had grown used to Mikoto occasionally preparing extra meals for him.

Whatever Sasuke had, Shinho often received the same, whether it was clothing during holidays or extra food.

"Today's your graduation exam, right? Think you'll take first place?" Mikoto asked softly.

"Mom!" Sasuke interjected, sounding annoyed.

The graduation exam consisted of a written test and a practical assessment—no sparring involved.

For the past six years, Sasuke had come second to Shinho. Today, he was determined to come out on top.

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