Chapter 42: Caged Bird and Orange

Tsunade scratched her head, attempting to explain, "Yes! Teaching my students the knowledge of fuinjutsu is very reasonable…"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, simply gazing at Tsunade calmly.

He wasn't tall or particularly handsome and typically liked to hold a pipe between his lips, smiling warmly and chatting with others, much like a friendly neighborhood uncle.

But when Hiruzen truly got angry, there was a formidable pressure that made one feel as if they were staring into an abyss, ready to swallow them whole at any moment.

He was the Hokage, one of the "Five Greats" in the world, and his words and actions could determine the lives and deaths of countless people.

The phrase "slaying millions in anger" wasn't just an exaggeration.

Tsunade pursed her lips tightly, not daring to joke around in front of her sensei.

"Tsunade Senju…" Hiruzen began, calling his disciple by her full name, "I order you, in the name of the Hokage, to forbid teaching Yuto Hyuga the advanced fuinjutsu of the Uzumaki clan."

"Sensei…"

"In this office, you should refer to me as Hokage-sama," Hiruzen said calmly. "Tsunade, you are the granddaughter of the First Hokage and Mito-sama. No one in the village understands the power of fuinjutsu better than you."

"Even a beginner can seal another's body and chakra. A master of these techniques can even bind souls. The highest level fuinjutsu can perform almost unimaginable feats, exceeding the boundaries of ninjutsu."

"The Caged Bird seal of the Hyuga clan can seal the optic nerves of the branch family, firmly and permanently engraved in both body and soul... The Second Hokage once said that when using the Impure World Reincarnation to summon members of the Hyuga branch family, the Caged Bird seal still remains on their foreheads."

"If there is a way to lift the Caged Bird seal, then it might be achieved by the strongest fuinjutsu."

"But we absolutely, absolutely cannot let the Hyuga clan believe that the Hokage wants to lift the Caged Bird seal."

"Even if the chance of Yuto Hyuga freeing himself from the Caged Bird seal through fuinjutsu is infinitesimally small, we must cut off this possibility… It's a threat that could overturn the village."

"The foundation of the Hyuga clan is the Byakugan and the Caged Bird seal; the foundation of Konoha's existence includes the strong shinobi clans like the Hyuga and the ninja academy."

"For the village, the Caged Bird seal must exist."

After Hiruzen finished speaking, the Hokage's office fell into silence.

After a long moment, Tsunade spoke with difficulty, "But, but I am Yuto's sensei. If he has talent in this area, I have an obligation…"

"What you teach is your choice," the Hokage's voice was light. "But if that time comes, I will see him as a potential threat to the village's peace. Apart from fulfilling my duties as Hokage, I will have no other choice."

—If you dare to teach him advanced fuinjutsu, I will kill him.

Hiruzen's voice was light, but the blonde woman knew this was almost a final ultimatum from her sensei.

"Fine…" Tsunade closed her eyes, speaking with difficulty, "I will obey your order… Hokage-sama."

"Your choice is correct, Tsunade. Peace is everything for the village… even if it is built on sacrifices." Hiruzen sighed, perhaps feeling he was too harsh on his disciple, and softened his tone, "Of course, Tsunade, apart from those fuinjutsu involving souls and other profound elements, I will not limit your teaching."

"The Yin Seal, Strength of a Hundred Seal, Creation Rebirth… you can teach these to Yuto."

"These techniques are already enough to make him an outstanding shinobi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Tsunade replied coldly.

Hiruzen felt a bit of a headache, helplessly saying, "Tsunade, stop thinking about it. I absolutely cannot compromise on the matter of fuinjutsu."

Tsunade still stared at him, refusing to leave the office.

Hiruzen realized she was trying to negotiate some compensation for her beloved student.

"Alright, alright, Tsunade. The evaluation day for Yuto and the others is coming soon, isn't it? I will find an excuse to reward him."

"Hmph…"

Finally securing some benefits for Yuto, Tsunade snorted lightly and turned to leave.

In the room, Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of white smoke as he murmured to himself, "Pitiful Caged Bird… I'm sorry, everything is for the village…"

…

Yuto immersed himself once again in the tedious and repetitive training.

The Yin Seal, Chakra Enhanced Strength, medical ninjutsu, and the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist were his daily mandatory practices. Besides these, as a shinobi specialized in taijutsu, he also needed to train his physique, learn medical theories, and exercise his Byakugan… none of these daily trainings could be omitted.

Although training was hard, Yuto found joy in it. The exhaustion and busyness made him feel he was progressing on his path, even if that path was filled with blood and death.

"Why did the power of your punch dissipate!" In the rear mountains of the Senju clan territory, Tsunade grabbed Yuto's arm and slammed him to the side. The branch family boy's body crashed into a huge rock, his blood surging, and his chakra flow disrupted.

Stars filled his vision, and he drew in sharp breaths through his teeth.

"Yuto, you're mixing up Gentle Fist and Chakra Enhanced Strength!" Tsunade squatted beside him, tapping his forehead protector with her finger. The sound of metal clashing with her finger was surprisingly pleasant.

"The essence of Chakra Enhanced Strength isn't brute force, but the cooperation between the body and chakra!" Tsunade pulled Yuto up, standing behind him, and grasped the branch family boy's wrist, guiding him in throwing a punch, "How does it feel?" the blonde beauty asked.

'You smell nice. Did you use orange-scented perfume today?' Yuto thought, but he wouldn't dare say that aloud. After pondering for a moment, he could only shake his head.

Tsunade spoke softly, "Remember, for Chakra Enhanced Strength… I am the chakra, and you are yourself."

Yuto's eyes brightened. He was genuinely intelligent and immediately grasped what Tsunade was trying to convey: "Sensei, do you mean the chakra should lead the body?"

"Hmph… still somewhat smart. Since you understand, continue practicing."

Tsunade released him and walked to a large rock nearby, sitting down and resting her head on her arm, looking away.

Yuto glanced at his sensei, feeling a bit puzzled.

Lately, he had instinctively noticed Tsunade avoiding him, always keeping a distance, as if sulking alone, and her gaze towards him had a subtle hint of guilt… as if she felt she had wronged him?

Strange… had she done something to him? Yuto couldn't figure it out, so he set aside his sensei's odd behavior and resumed his training.

A gentle breeze brushed through the mountain forest, flowing between the trees, rocks, and the woman, and finally wafted into the boy's nose.

It definitely smelled like oranges, he thought.

(End of Chapter)