[18] : Tsunade's Brother, Nawaki
After a short visit, they left as Uzumaki Mito retired to rest.
"Hey, my grandma said you have some extraordinary power. What is it? You seem to have a lot of secrets."
Tsunade fixed Shin with a curious stare.
"How should I know?" Shin shrugged, feigning ignorance. He couldn't reveal his Perfect Sage Body.
Besides, even if he did, no one would understand what it meant.
Hashirama Senju was remembered for his Wood Release, not his Sage Body. But without the Perfect Sage Body, his Wood Release wouldn't have been so devastatingly powerful.
Yamato's Wood Release, for example, was only slightly stronger than regular Jutsu. It was even dubbed "Pseudo Wood Release."
Speaking of the Senju Clan, they must have some Wood Release Jutsu scrolls left behind by Hashirama. Shin was eager to see them.
He didn't have the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai yet, but he was confident that with enough research, he could develop it. Not the watered-down version Yamato had, but the real deal, like Hashirama's.
"Shin, what are you thinking about? You're about to walk into a wall!"
Kushina pulled him back, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Shin stared at the wall in front of him, embarrassed. If Kushina hadn't stopped him, he would have walked right into it.
"Seriously? Are you blind?"
Tsunade chuckled.
Shin glared at her. He really wanted to punch her right now.
But he wasn't strong enough yet. He'd have to bide his time. He'd get her back one day.
Tsunade noticed his glare but dismissed it.
"By the way, I'm planning on enrolling the four of you in the Academy."
Tsunade looked at Shin, Kushina, Kai, and Akiko. They couldn't stay at the Senju compound forever. They were at the right age to start school, and Tsunade thought the Academy would be a good environment for them.
"Of course, if you don't want to become ninja, you don't have to go."
She wouldn't force them.
"I'll go! I want to be a ninja and avenge my family!" Kai declared, his eyes burning with hatred.
"I want to go too," Akiko said.
The destruction of the Uzumaki Clan had taught her a harsh lesson about the importance of strength. She wanted to become a ninja, at least strong enough to protect herself.
"Alright, since you've both decided, I'll talk to the Sandaime tomorrow," Tsunade said.
"Hey, you haven't asked us yet."
"Oh? Don't you two want to become ninja?" Tsunade looked at Shin and Kushina, surprised.
"Of course we do. But shouldn't you at least pretend to care about our opinion?" Shin said.
Tsunade clenched her fist, annoyed. "Brat, if you don't want a beating, stop messing with me."
Shin wisely shut his mouth. Knowing Tsunade, she would make good on her threat.
"Umm, Lady Tsunade, what about me?" Hikaru, the only adult among the survivors, spoke up.
"You... if you can pass the test, you can become a Konoha Shinobi. If not, you'll have to find another way to make a living," Tsunade said.
Hikaru thought for a moment. "Please tell Lord Hokage that I want to become a Konoha Shinobi."
"Fine, I'll let him know. But whether you become one or not depends on you."
With that, Tsunade left with Shin and Kushina. Akiko, Kai, and Hikaru headed towards their assigned houses.
"Damn it! Why is Lady Tsunade so nice to that Shin?" Kai seethed with jealousy.
And earlier, when they met Uzumaki Mito, she had mostly focused on Shin, ignoring him completely.
He already had a grudge against Shin; now, fueled by jealousy, his hatred deepened.
Akiko and Hikaru glanced at Kai but didn't say anything.
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As they walked back with Tsunade, Shin noticed a boy around his age carrying several skewers of grilled meat.
The boy's face paled when he saw Tsunade. He turned and tried to sneak away.
"Nawaki! Stop right there! Where do you think you're going?"
Tsunade marched towards the boy, her expression fierce.
'Is that Tsunade's brother, Nawaki?' Shin thought, observing the boy. Nawaki's fate was a tragic one; he died at the young age of twelve.
"Sis..."
Nawaki turned reluctantly, hiding the skewers behind his back.
"I saw that. Don't even try to hide it. Where did you get those?"
"I... I bought them."
"Bought them? I thought you were broke?" Tsunade questioned.
The last time Tsunade had lost a gamble, she had tried to "borrow" money from Nawaki. But Nawaki knew his sister's gambling habits. If he lent her money, he'd never see it again.
So, he had lied, saying he had spent all his money on ninja tools. Tsunade had left empty-handed.
Now, he had been caught red-handed with these delicious skewers. Nawaki felt tears welling up.
"Lying to your own sister? Those are confiscated."
In a flash, the skewers were in Tsunade's hands, leaving Nawaki staring at her with puppy-dog eyes.
"Fine, fine. Here's one."
There were four skewers in total. She gave one to Nawaki, one to Shin, one to Kushina, and kept one for herself.
"Mmm, smells delicious! Even better than the ones we make ourselves," Kushina said, sniffing the air.
"Yeah, not bad. And they're huge!"
Shin took a bite. They were indeed delicious, better than anything he could make. Perhaps he needed better ingredients.
"Sis, who are they?" Nawaki asked curiously.
"They're from the Uzumaki Clan, distant relatives of the Senju. Something happened to their clan, so they'll be living here from now on."
"They'll be attending the Academy soon. Make sure you look after them," Tsunade said to Nawaki.
"Oh, hi! I'm Nawaki!" Nawaki introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Uzumaki Shin, and this is Uzumaki Kushina. We look forward to getting to know you," Shin said, officially acquainted with Nawaki.
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