Chapter 137: Sensei, The Loser Wears a Qipao

Shinho opened the Scroll of Seals.

Inside, it contained all of Konoha's forbidden techniques. These forbidden jutsu were ones that could cause severe harm, or even death, to the user.

The first technique that caught his eye was the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu.

An enhanced version of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, this allowed a ninja to create hundreds or even thousands of clones in one go. For most ninjas, using the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu could lead to catastrophic chakra exhaustion with severe consequences.

In the original timeline, only Uzumaki Naruto was able to use this technique as if it were a regular jutsu.

Due to Shinho's influence, Mizuki had been thrown in jail early, so Naruto had never stolen the Scroll of Seals and learned the technique yet.

Shinho rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Naruto's rapid progression in the original timeline was largely thanks to his use of the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. I might as well teach him the technique at some point.

In the original, Naruto relied on sheer numbers and brute force to win battles, but now, with his enhanced taijutsu training, his combat power had grown substantially. The thought of thousands of Narutos all performing Leaf Hurricane was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

It was only fortunate that the shadow clones couldn't use Eight Gates, or else Naruto would be unbeatable.

Shinho continued flipping through the scroll.

He saw several familiar jutsu, like Reanimation Jutsu and Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

Neither of these particularly interested him.

Reanimation Jutsu, without Orochimaru's modifications, had too many flaws.

As for Dead Demon Consuming Seal, it was a one-for-one trade of souls. Why would he need that?

Finally, Shinho found what he was looking for.

Four Symbols Seal.

A powerful sealing technique derived from the Uzumaki Clan, capable of sealing tailed beasts.

Shinho glanced at Antelope, standing vigilantly at the door.

She was focused on ensuring no one else approached, dutifully guarding the room.

Shinho took out some paper and quickly transcribed the Four Symbols Seal, before feeding the notes to his bookworm, ensuring no trace of evidence was left.

Within three minutes, the forbidden jutsu was memorized and stored.

Next, he recorded the Spirit Transformation Jutsu.

This jutsu was intended for Yamanaka Ino.

The Spirit Transformation Jutsu allowed the user's spirit to leave their body, travel vast distances, and kill or control enemies. To Shinho, it seemed like an advanced version of the Mind Transfer Jutsu.

However, it was an extremely difficult jutsu to learn. Whether Ino could master it remained to be seen.

Regardless, it was worth jotting down for the future.

By the time evening arrived, Shinho had recorded quite a few jutsu.

Antelope had noticed his transcription activities, and while technically it was forbidden, Shinho had made sure the notes were consumed by his bookworm afterward, effectively erasing the evidence. Considering his status, Antelope simply chose to turn a blind eye.

After the scroll room was locked, Shinho noticed the subtle traps that were set around the area.

It made him think of how, in the original story, Naruto had managed to steal the Scroll of Seals. Clearly, someone had been helping him behind the scenes.

Shinho made his way back upstairs to the Hokage's office.

"Finished already?" Tsunade asked, removing her Hokage robes. "I was just about to call you."

"I just finished," Shinho replied, stepping forward to take her outer garment. A faint fragrance lingered on it.

As his eyes wandered over her curvaceous figure, he couldn't help but think that her "snowy mountains" were probably just as fragrant.

Wait, he had already experienced that. They definitely were.

Shinho felt a wave of nostalgia for the time when he had helped Tsunade recover from her hemophobia. Everything about her back then had been soft, warm, and fragrant.

"Did you pick any jutsu to learn?" Tsunade asked as she slipped into her familiar green jacket.

"I didn't pick any," Shinho replied nonchalantly, "but I did gain some valuable insight."

"Alright, time to clock out!" Tsunade exclaimed energetically, throwing open the office door before locking it. In truth, with the ANBU watching, locking the door wasn't really necessary.

They returned to the Senju residence together.

The moment they arrived, Tsunade collapsed onto the couch, her legs sprawled lazily.

"Are you really that tired?" Shinho handed her a cup of water.

"You'll understand when you become Hokage one day. It's exhausting," she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed.

"Shizune isn't back yet, so we have some time. How about a game of Old Maid?" Shinho grinned mischievously.

Old Maid was a simple card game from the Land of Waves. The rules were straightforward—players took turns drawing cards, discarding pairs. The last person stuck with the unpairable "joker" card was the loser.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you scheming?"

The last few times they'd played, Tsunade had lost every time and had to endure a series of increasingly ridiculous punishments. For example, writing tally marks on her legs every time she lost.

"Just to kill time," Shinho replied, nonchalantly. "What, are you too scared to play?"

"I'm not scared of anything!" Tsunade shot to her feet, eyes blazing with determination. "This time, I'll definitely beat you!"

"What should we bet on?" Shinho asked as he shuffled the deck.

"If I win, you owe me ten bottles of honey wine," Tsunade said without hesitation.

"Deal," Shinho smiled. "And if you lose, you'll wear the outfit I bought for you."

"What outfit?" Tsunade paused, eyeing him warily.

"A qipao," Shinho replied smoothly. "Just a regular one, though. I wasn't sure if you'd like it."

"You bought me a qipao?" Tsunade was even more suspicious now. "Why would you suddenly buy me a qipao? You've got something planned, don't you?"

"What could I possibly be scheming?" Shinho feigned innocence as he dealt the cards. "I even got one for Shizune. But if you don't want it, that's fine."

"Why wouldn't I want it?" Tsunade's pride flared up, her competitive streak triggered by his casual tone. "Besides, it's your money anyway."

"Alright then," Shinho spread out his cards. "Sensei, your move."

In truth, Shinho's intentions were simple.

He just wanted to see Tsunade wear something different. He'd grown tired of seeing her in the same sleeveless top and cropped pants.

It was like playing a video game—you had to change the character's costume once in a while for variety.

The qipao was perfect for Tsunade, Elegant and beautiful, it would accentuate her figure in all the right ways. And, best of all, it wasn't an unusual outfit in their world. Even Sakura had worn one before.

"I'll take this one," Tsunade carefully selected a card from Shinho's hand, studying his expression for any signs of reaction.

The real fun of Old Maid came from reading your opponent. Most people couldn't help but give away hints when they held the joker or another critical card.

But Shinho's face remained completely neutral, like a calm pond.

Tsunade bit her lip and drew the card.

Her expression froze—she had drawn the joker.

"Sensei, your luck is as reliable as ever," Shinho chuckled.

It was as if Tsunade had been struck by lightning. She glared at him, her whole body trembling with rage.

She mixed up the remaining cards and held them out. "Your turn."

Shinho didn't hesitate. "Oh, a pair of sevens."

Unlike Tsunade, he made his move quickly, drawing a card without any fuss.

It wasn't the joker.

Back and forth they went, until finally, only two cards remained.

The closer they got to the end, the higher the chances of drawing the joker.

At this point, the odds were at their peak.

Tsunade watched Shinho's right hand with an expression of unease.

She might not have been this nervous even during the Great Ninja War.

Shinho's fingers hovered over the leftmost card.

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, her face betraying a hint of panic. But she quickly composed herself, her lips curving into a calm, almost mocking smile.

"Nice acting," Shinho commented as he pulled the card. "A pair of twos."

Tsunade had lost again.

She froze in place.

"I'm back!" Shizune called out as she walked into the living room, removing her shoes.

She glanced around and immediately understood what had happened.

"Shinho, won again, huh?" Shizune asked curiously. "What's the punishment this time?"

She always enjoyed seeing Tsunade lose. It might help curb her gambling addiction, though the odds of that were slim.

"Why are you just assuming I lost?" Tsunade protested.

"Your expression says it all," Shizune replied with a chuckle.

"Ugh..." Tsunade tossed the cards aside and flopped onto the couch, resigned. "Fine, whatever."

"Is it really 'whatever,' Sensei?" Shinho's eyes briefly scanned her voluptuous figure.

"What's the punishment?" Shizune asked, her curiosity piqued even further by Tsunade's reaction.

"A qipao," Shinho said as he pulled out two qipaos, showing them off. "I got them in the Land of Waves."

"Why are there two?" Shizune paused, her brow furrowed. "Is one for me?"

The sizes were noticeably different.

"Yep," Shinho nodded, handing the tea-green qipao to Tsunade.

Tsunade glanced at the garment, finding nothing suspicious about it, and went to the bedroom to change.

A moment later, she reappeared.

Shinho couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Under the warm lighting, the form-fitting, tea-green qipao hugged Tsunade's figure perfectly, accentuating every curve.

"Wow, you look stunning!" Shizune gasped in admiration.

"Really?" Tsunade's face lit up with a proud smile.

"You look incredible," Shinho agreed, his tone completely sincere.

...

Southeastern region of Land of Fire

Four figures moved swiftly through the dense forest.

"Yamato-sensei," Aburame Shino suddenly spoke up, "I've located their position."

"Excellent," Yamato nodded in approval.

The mission they had undertaken was a simple C-rank bandit elimination, and it had gone smoothly—until they discovered that the bandit leader was a rogue Chūnin.

After some consideration, Yamato decided to target him as well. His three students clearly weren't satisfied yet, as the regular bandits had posed no real challenge.

A Chūnin would be the perfect opponent to give them some real experience.

"This way," Shino led the group forward.

"Woof! Woof!" Akamaru barked twice.

"Akamaru says he's caught their scent," Kiba translated.

"Prepare for battle," Yamato's tone was calm. "I won't interfere unless you're in mortal danger."

"Yes, Sensei," the three replied, though they felt a little anxious.

This would be their first real battle against a ninja—not just sparring, but a life-or-death fight where the slightest mistake could lead to serious injury or death.

"We've arrived," Shino stopped.

Ahead of them, five figures sat around a campfire, resting.

"One ninja, four bandits," Hinata reported quietly after activating her Byakugan.

"Follow the strategy we planned," Shino extended his arms, allowing a swarm of kikaichū insects to emerge from his skin and slowly creep toward the group.

The rogue Chūnin immediately sensed danger.

"Something's coming!" he shouted, instinctively retreating.

But it was too late for his comrades, who screamed as they were engulfed by the swarming kikaichū.

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!" the rogue Chūnin quickly formed hand signs.

A powerful gust of wind blew away most of the insects, but it was already too late. His four subordinates collapsed, unconscious.

At that moment, Hinata threw a smoke bomb.

It detonated at the rogue Chūnin's feet, enveloping him in a thick cloud of smoke.

"Go, Akamaru!" Kiba shouted.

Akamaru became a white blur, charging into the smoke.

Hearing the attack, the Chūnin formed hand signs once again.

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"

The smoke cleared, revealing Akamaru in mid-air.

"Where did this dog come from?" the Chūnin muttered, pulling out two kunai and throwing them at Akamaru.

Akamaru dodged in the air, catching both kunai in his jaws.

"Good boy!" Kiba crouched, ready to charge.

But before he could, two fingers reached out from the dissipating smoke behind the Chūnin.

Gentle Fist!

Hinata's precise strike hit the man's back.

"Argh!" he screamed as his chakra flow was disrupted.

"Byakugan?!"

The rogue Chūnin spun around, eyes wide with shock.

Hinata didn't give him a chance to recover. She unleashed a series of palm strikes, forcing him into a defensive stance.

Akamaru released the kunai and bit down hard on the man's leg.

Pinned between Hinata's strikes and Akamaru's bite, the Chūnin was overwhelmed.

On the sixth strike, his screams ceased, and he collapsed backward.

"Is he dead?" Kiba asked, eyeing the motionless Chūnin.

"No," Yamato shook his head. "Hinata, finish him."

During their raid on the bandits' hideout, both Shino and Kiba had killed, but Hinata hadn't.

Yamato understood her hesitation, but as a ninja, one could not avoid bloodshed forever.

Hinata froze, her body tense.

"Hinata, this is something every ninja must go through," Yamato added firmly. "Unless you don't want to continue your career as a ninja, you must do it."

Hinata bit her lip, her mind in turmoil.

Yamato's words were true, but her gentle nature made it difficult for her to take a life.

"My brother's dream is to become Hokage," Shino said calmly. "If you want to stand beside him, you have to become strong enough."

With a dull thud, Hinata delivered a final palm strike to the Chūnin's heart.

The rogue ninja's heartbeat stopped.

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