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The owner of the voice was none other than Nawaki, Haru responded. "Yeah, I'm here," he added before looking at Kazuki, nodding to her, and saying "later" before leaving the room.

Nawaki was outside in a very good mood. "Come on, Haru. Orochimaru-sensei invited us to eat, and Tsunade said she will be there. Do you want to go?" he said.

Haru thought for a while before he said, "Isn't Tsunade working now? Plus, it's way too early for food." Nawaki froze and chuckled awkwardly. "Well, it's around noon. I was too excited; I forgot."

Haru just sighed at the idiot, then looked around and found that Kazuki had already left. Kazuki must have had things to do. He then looked at Nawaki for a while before he gave up and said, "Well then, I'm gonna catch some sleep. You wake me up later, but this time, please remember the time, okay?"

Nawaki patted his shoulder, assuring Haru that everything would be alright before he left. Haru looked around and went to sleep.

Being a doctor is very stressful - all he is doing is either working or sleeping those days. "At least in the future, once I'm officially a doctor, I will have a more regular schedule," he thought.

Today the weather was very nice, and both Haru and Nawaki felt it as they were on their way to the restaurant. Konoha had also changed like they had - it was far more noisy even at this time. A lot of shops had customers, and kids were just running around. The only thing that hadn't changed since was the Hokage Rock - it still had just three faces.

"Do you want your face to be there someday?" Haru teased Nawaki, who, no matter how much he saw the rock, would not get bored.

Nawaki just nodded his head and said, "That's my grandpa. No matter how I see it, I will always be proud."

Haru looked into Nawaki's eyes and saw the sincerity in them. He sure was proud of his identity," he thought.

"Well, it's refreshing to hear it from you. Most people would be crushed by the expectations of being the heir to the Second and First Hokage. Well, I guess being stupid does have some advantages," he said.

Nawaki was very proud at first, but after Haru finished, he realized what he meant and punched him in the shoulder. "You are becoming mean, you know? You shouldn't hang around with Tsunade."

Haru just snickered and replied, "Well, you see, you are an idiot. I'm complementing you, fool." Nawaki was surprised, then he rubbed his hair and replied a little shyly, "Well, I'm used to you always teasing me. I was caught off guard."

Haru just patted Nawaki on the back and didn't continue to tease him. It gets boring when Nawaki is this naive, but he was truthful about the compliment. Nawaki really didn't have the usual baggage with such an identity, and unlike Tsunade, Nawaki didn't spend time with the First Hokage. He, like others, mostly heard of him from stories. But even with that burden, it's not there. Haru just patted him on the back. "This brat really has a big heart," he thought.

After walking for a while, they finally arrived at their destination: a restaurant with two floors. Their table was on the second floor. Once they got there, they found their elder sister already there, drinking with Orochimaru, her voice filling the room.

They both took their places, and Haru looked around. He knew Nawaki's teammates; they were both their former classmates, and their grades were mostly average to above average - nothing too remarkable about them. So he turned his attention to the center of attention for the evening, Tsunade and Orochimaru. Their relationship seemed to be very good, and Haru observed them quietly, taking note of their interactions.

He remained quiet and focused on his food while Tsunade was her usual loud self. Although they were talking, the topic of their conversation didn't pique his interest.

So his mind drifted back to his previous conversations with Kazuki. From an outsider's point of view, the Senju were a very wealthy clan. It was true to a certain extent - they did have money, but it was mostly being consumed as the days passed.

Haru looked at the waiter and the boss, who were treating Tsunade and Nawaki with much more attention than the others. This favoritism was not unwarranted. Although the Senju were one of the best clans in terms of vitality, their life expectancy was very short, especially among men. It was not due to any health reasons, but rather because they often lost their lives in wars, leaving behind the elderly, children, and women. The clan's resources were mostly spent on raising those orphaned by war.

Haru looked at Tsunade, who was spending lavishly, and he grimaced. Well, they also had a pair of gambling grandfather and granddaughter; even the village treasure couldn't raise those two.

Suddenly, the conversation caught his attention. "Nawaki is really powerful, Tsunade. He is far above the rest of his teammates," Orochimaru said, while Nawaki's teammates just lowered their heads. There was a significant difference between them, and their teacher had been frank from the beginning.

Tsunade laughed out loud. "Well, that's thanks to me. I have been training him for years. You should really thank me, Orochimaru. I gave you a powerful student, didn't I? What can I say? I'm a very charitable person by nature."

All the other people at the table felt their eyes twitching at the same time, especially Nawaki. He clenched his hands and couldn't help but think about his chances if he punched his sister in the face. Suddenly, a slight pain jolted through his body, reminding him of the misery he would be in, which made him give up.

Orochimaru, who was very familiar with Tsunade's temper, didn't comment. Once she was in a good mood, it was better to let her be. He said, "Well, based on this, I think our mission will be faster than the others. I already talked to the Hokage, and in the next couple of days, we should do some C-ranked ones."

Hearing this, the atmosphere at the table improved a lot. Nawaki forgot about everything and just thought about finally no longer having to do those boring D-ranked missions.

With the improved atmosphere, everyone had a good time. Orochimaru looked at the boy who had been silent from the start and asked, 'What about you, Haru-kun? Aren't you on any team?' He already knew the answer, as a teaching Jonin who had all the information about the graduating class this year.

Haru looked at the older man and replied, "Well, I'm working at the hospital. I don't have time to be on a team."

Orochimaru chuckled and said, "Well, that's true. I remember you've been working there for years. It would be a pity if you didn't continue there. But aren't you interested in going outside the village? Most kids your age are."

Haru's expression didn't change, but he was wondering about the sudden attention. "What can I do? Tsunade is very strict, and the work at the hospital is very tiring. I don't have any time," he said, sounding tired and trying not to draw too much attention to himself.

Before Orochimaru could ask a question, Tsunade interjected, laughing. "Well, this brat is working different shifts. Yesterday he worked the night shift, and I met him when I went to work today. He's still just training and not a doctor yet. Not everyone can be like me and become a doctor right away."

Orochimaru nodded in understanding. Well, that explains why the kid was silent. He was just too tired. He thought, then he looked at the exhausted boy and then at Tsunade, teasingly adding, "Well, with Tsunade teaching you, it doesn't matter if you don't go outside." Tsunade laughed at the compliment.

Haru noticed the teasing but didn't respond and went back to eating. Even though Orochimaru was currently acting normally, having his attention, especially since he would be with Danzo in the future, was a big no-no.

While Orochimaru didn't pose any threat to him, especially with Tsunade and Mito around, having Danzo's attention on him was really uncomfortable. So he just stayed under the radar for the time being, until he could have the power and influence to combat that poisonous leaf working in the shadows.

In the end, they all had a nice time. Although, in the end, Haru and Nawaki found it a little hard to get a drunk Tsunade back home.

After finishing everything, Haru went looking for Kazuki, but he couldn't find her. Maybe she went outside for something, he thought. While Kazuki may not be as strong as Tsunade is in the future, she's currently the number two in the Senju. Her strength is only weaker than Mito's, even if the margin between them was huge.

The older woman had been working with Mito for a long time now. While her appearance might not show it, she was already in her forties. She was a very capable ninja who witnessed and participated in the wars with both the First and Second Hokage, and unlike the other Senju who were all very easy-going, she was a very serious person.

Thinking about something, Haru stopped in his step and decided to visit Mito instead. Since he started working, he hadn't spent as much time with his master as usual.

He found her in her usual study room, drinking some tea while working on some seals. Seeing her work, Haru didn't disturb her and just sat aside and began brewing tea. Over the years, he had gotten really good at it, especially since he knew that Mito liked it.

After a while, Mito finished the seals in her hand and looked at Haru, saying, "Well, it seems someone finally remembered me." Haru smiled awkwardly and poured her some tea. "Well, I guess with this tea, I can forget about it," Mito said, laughing lightly.

Haru looked into his grandmother's warm eyes and felt more peaceful than ever. He spent the rest of his time with her just chatting. Now that she had taught him almost everything, their classes were no longer daily but mostly once a week, so he could afford to just laze around and enjoy time with her.

Right after he got out, all the smiles vanished from his face as he thought about another problem that he had forgotten. Mito's sealing should already be an income for the Senju, so after a few years when she was no longer there, this would be another blow to them.

He sighed as he remembered how the Senju went out. They just disappeared. While economic reasons might not have been a major reason, it was still one of them. With Tsunade not there and Nawaki dead, all that was left was Kazuki alone. Then, without strong leadership or resources, the Senju would become a vulnerable target for others who might seek to exploit their weakness.

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Hey guys! Just wanted to drop by and say a huge thank you for all your amazing support. You've really helped me stay on track with my writing. So, tomorrow is the start of Ramadan, and I'll be fasting during the day. I'm not sure how it will affect my writing, but I'll give it my best shot. Who knows, maybe a little hunger-induced delirium will lead to some creative breakthroughs! I don't have a set schedule, but I'll try to write whenever I can. Thanks again